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Those only who know the mind

CHAP. II.

of God can teach his truth.

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A. M. 4060 things, yet he himself is judged of mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him ? 4 But we have the who hath known the mind of Christ.

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16 For who

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a Or, discerned. Job 15. 8. Isai. 40. 13. Jer. 23. 18.

Wisd. 9. 13. Rom. 11. 34. Gr. shall.- d John 15. 15.

so as to instruct him, viz. the spiritual man, the same that is spoken of ver. 15. But the words may be better understood thus: How can the animal man know the mind of the Lord; and how can any man communicate that knowledge which he has never acquired; and which is foolishness to him, because it is spiritual, and he is animal? This quotation is made from Isai. xl. 13.

But we have the mind of Christ.] He has endowed us with the same disposition, being born again by his Spirit; therefore, we are capable of knowing his mind, and receiving the teachings of his Spirit. These teachings we do receive, and therefore are well qualified to convey them to others. The words that he may instruct him, os ovuliaσel auroy, should be translated that he may teach IT: that is, the mind of God; not instruct God, but teach his mind to others. And this interpretation the Hebrew will also bear.

Bishop Pearce observes, "the principal questions here, are, what our signifies; and what auro is relative to? The Hebrew word, which the Septuagint translate by these two, is yodiênnu: now, since yodia signifies as well to make known as to know, (and indeed this is the most frequent sense of it in the Old Testament,) the suffix (postfix) 1 nu, may relate to a thing, as well as to a person; and therefore it may be rendered not by him, but by it, i. e. the mind of the Lord. And in this sense the apostle seems to have used the words of the Seventy; for if we understand avrov here to be the relative to Kupov, Lord, this verse contains no reason for what went before; whereas, if it be a relative to youv mind, it affords a reason for what had been said before, ver. 14." The true translation of the passage, as used by the apostle, appears to be this: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should TEACH IT? And this translation agrees with every part of the context, and particularly with what follows.

1. This chapter might be considered a good model for a Christian minister to regulate his conduct by, or his public ministry; because it points out the mode of preaching used by St. Paul and the apostles in general. This great apostle came not to the people with excellency of speech and of wisdom, when he declared unto them the counsel of God. They know little either of the spirit of St. Paul, or the design of the gospel, who makes the chief excellence of their preaching consist in the eloquence of language, or depth of human reasoning. That may be their testimony; but it is not God's.

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The enticing words of men's wisdom, are seldom accompanied by the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit.

2. One justly remarks, that "the foolishness of preaching has its wisdom, loftiness, and eloquence; but this consists in the sublimity of its truths, the depths of its mysteries, and the ardour of the Spirit of God." In this respect, Paul may be said to have preached wisdom among those which were perfect. The wisest, and most learned men in the world, who have seriously read the Bible, have acknowledged that there is a depth and height of wisdom and knowledge in that book of God, which are sought in vain any where else: and indeed it would not be a revelation from God were it not so. The men who can despise and ridicule this sacred book, are those who are too blind to discover the objects presented to them by this brilliant light; and are too sensual to feel and relish spiritual things. They, above all others, are incapable of judging; and should be no more regarded, when employed in talking against the sacred writings, than an ignorant peasant should be, who, not knowing his alphabet, pretends to decry mathematical learning.

3. A new mode of preaching has been diligently recommended-" Scriptural phraseology should be generally avoided where it is antiquated, or conveys ideas inconsistent with modern delicacy." St. Paul did not preach in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; such words are too mean and too low for a religion so divine. That which the Holy Spirit alone can discover, he alone can explain. Let no man dare to speak of God in any other way than he speaks of himself in his word. Let us take care not to profane his truths and mysteries, either by such low and abject ideas as are merely human; or by new and worldly expres sions altogether unworthy of the Spirit of God.

4. It is the glory of God, and ought to be ours, not to be acceptable to carnal men. The natural man always finds some pretence to excuse himself from believing, by looking on the mysteries of religion, as being either too much above man, or too much below God: the spiritual man judges them to be so much the more credible, the less credible they are to the natural man.

The opposition, contempt, and blindness of the world, with regard to the things of God, render all its judgments concerning them, liable to exception: this blindness in spiritual things is the just punishment of a carnal life. The principal part of the above is extracted from the reflections of the pious Quesnel.

The very imperfect state

I. CORINTHIANS.

of the church at Corinth.

CHAPTER III.

Because of the carnal, divided state, of the people at Corinth, the apostle was obliged to treat them as children, in the knowledge of sacred things, 1-3. Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole teachers, 4. The apostle shews that himself, and fellow-apostles, were only instruments which God used to bring them to the knowledge of the truth; and even their sowing and watering the seed, was of no use, unless God gave the increase, 5-8. The church represented as God's husbandry; and as God's building, the foundation of which is Christ Jesus, 9-11. Ministers must beware how and what they build on this foundation, 12-15. The church of God is his temple, and he that defiles it shall be destroyed, 16, 17. No man should depend on his own wisdom; for the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, 18-20. None should glory in man as his teacher; God gives his followers every good, both for time and eternity, 21–23.

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ND I, brethren, could not it, neither yet now are ye able. speak unto you as unto spi- 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereAnno Imp. Ne Tonis Cas. 3. ritual, but as unto carnal, even as as there is among you envying, and and ronis Cas. 3. unto babes in Christ. strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with walk as men? meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear

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4 For while one saith 'I am of Paul; and

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Verse 1. I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual] This is a continuation of the preceding discourse. See the Notes there.

But as unto carnal] Zapuixos, persons under the influence of fleshly appetites; coveting and living for the things of this life.

Babes in Christ.] Just beginning to acquire some notion of the Christian religion; but, as yet, very incapable of judging what is most suitable to yourselves; and, consequently, utterly unqualified to discern between one teacher and another: so that your making the distinctions which you do make, so far from being a proof of mature judgment, is, on the contrary, a proof that you have no right judgment at all: and this springs from your want of knowledge in divine things.

Verse 2. I have fed you with milk] I have instructed you in the elements of Christianity; in its simplest and easiest truths: because, from the low state of your minds in religious knowledge, you were incapable of comprehending the higher truths of the gospel and in this state you still continue. The apostle thus exposes to them the absurdity of their conduct, in pretending to judge between preacher and preacher; while they had but a very partial acquaintance even with the first principles of Christianity. Verse 3.

There is among you envying, and strife, and di

Ch. 1. 11. & 11. 18. Gal. 5. 20, 21. Jam. 3. 16.- -5 Or, factions.Gr. according to man. ch. 1. 12.

visions] Ζηλος και ερις και διχοτασίαι There are three things here worthy of note; these people were wrong in thought, word, and deed. Z envying, refers to the state of their souls; they had inward grudgings and disaffection towards each other. Epis strife, or contention, refers to their words; they were continually disputing and contending whose party was the best; each endeavouring to prove that he and his party were alone in the right. Aixosacızı divisions, refers to their conduct; as they could not agree, they contended till they separated from each other; and thus rent the church of Christ. Thus the envying and grudging led to strife and evil SPEAKING; and this led to divisions and fixed parties. In this state well might the apostle say, Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Ye act just as the people of the world; and have no more of the spirit of religioa than they.

Verse 4. For while one saith, I am of Paul, &c.] It was notorious that both Paul and Apollos held the same creed; between them there was not the slightest difference: when, therefore, the dissentients began to prefer the one to the other, it was the fullest proof of their carnality; because, in the doctrines of these apostles there was no difference; so that what the people were captivated by, must be something in their outward manner, Apollos being probably more cloquent than Paul. Their preferring one to another, on such an account, proved that they were carnal, led by

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5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

only God's instruments.

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8 Now, he that planteth and he tereth are one: " and every man shall re6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but ceive his own reward, according to his own God gave the increase.

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7 So then, neither is he that planteth

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labour.

9 For we are labourers together with God:

Ch. 1. 30. & 15. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 5.- 2 Cor. 12. 11. Gal. 6. 3.
Ps. 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. ch. 4. 5. Gal. 6. 4, 5. Rev. 2. 23. & 22. 12.
Acts 15. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 1.

their senses and mere outward appearances, without being under the guidance either of reason or grace. There are thousands of such people in the Christian church, to the present day. See the Notes on chap. i. 10, &c.

Ministers by whom ye believed] The different apostles who have preached unto you the word of life, are the means which God has used to bring you to the knowledge of Christ. No one of those has either preached or recommended himself; they all preach and recommend Christ Jesus the Lord.

Both Paul and Apollos have received the same doctrine, preach the same doctrine, and labour to promote the glory of God in the salvation of your souls. Why should you be divided with respect to Paul and Apollos, while these apostles are intimately ONE in spirit, design, and operation?

According to his own labour.] God does not reward his servants according to the success of their labour, because that depends on himself: but he rewards them according to the quantum of faithful labour which they bestow on his work. In this sense, none can say I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought.

Verse 9. For we are labourers together with God] We do nothing of ourselves, nor in reference to ourselves; we labour together in that work which God has given us to do, expect all our success from him; and refer the whole to his glory. It would perhaps be more correct to translate OsOU

Even as the Lord gave to every man?] Whatever difference there may be in our talents, it is of God's making: and he who knows best, what is best for his church, has distributed both gifts and graces according to his own mind: and, as his judgment is infallible, all these dispensations must be right. Paul, therefore, is as necessary to the perfecting of the church of Christ as Apollos: and Apollos as Paul.yap εσμev σvepyol, we are fellow-labourers of God; for as Both, but with various gifts, point out the same Christ; the preposition σ may express the joint labour of the building on one and the same foundation. teachers one with another, and not with God, I had rather,

Verse 6. I have planted] I first sowed the seed of the with Bp. Pearce, translate as above: i. e. we labour together gospel in Corinth, and the region of Achaia.

in the work of God. Far from being divided among ourselves, we jointly labour as oxen in the same yoke, to promote the honour of our Master.

Apollos watered] Apollos came after me, and, by his preachings and exhortations, watered the seed which I had sowed; but God gave the increase. The seed has taken Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.] Osov root, has sprung up and borne much fruit, but this was byYEWρYION, EQU Oxodour esε• The word γεωργιου, which we the especial blessing of God. As in the natural, so in the translate husbandry, signifies properly an arable field: so spiritual world; it is by the especial blessing of God that Prov. xxiv. 30. I went by the FIELD, yewpov, of the sloththe grain which is sown in the ground, brings forth thirty, ful: and chap. xxxi. 16. The wise woman considereth a sixty, or a hundred-fold. It is neither the sower nor the FIELD YEWPY10, and buyeth it. It would be more literal to waterer that produces this strange and inexplicable multipli- || translate it, Ye are God's farm: yɛwpylov in Greek, answers eation; it is God alone. So it is by the particular agency to sadeh, in Hebrew, which signifies, properly a sown of the Spirit of God, that even good seed, sown in good ground, the purest doctrine conveyed to the honestest heart, produces the salvation of the soul.

field.

Ye are God's building.-Ye are not only the field which God cultivates, but ye are the house which God builds, and in which he intends to dwell. As no man, in viewing a fine building, extols the quarry man, that dug up the stones, the hewer that cut and squared them, the mason that placed them in the wall, the woodman that hewed down the timber, the Verse 8. He that planteth and he that watereth are one] carpenter that squared and jointed it, &c. but the architect

So then, neither is he that planteth any thing] God alone should have all the glory, as the seed is his, the ground is his, the labourers are his, and the produce all comes from himself.

Christ is the true foundation; men I. CORINTHIANS. should be careful how they build on this.

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Verse 10. As a wise master-builder] s ropos ApxITEx-two letters. Twv The design or plan of the building is from God; all Verse 13. The day shall declare it, because it shall be rethings must be done according to the pattern which he has || vealed by fire] There is much difference of opinion relative exhibited but the execution of this plan was entrusted to the meaning of the terms in this and the two following chiefly to St. Paul; he was the wise or experienced architect, verses. That the apostle refers to the approaching destrucwhich God used in order to lay the foundation; to ascertain tion of Jerusalem, I think very probable; and when this is the essential and immutable doctrines of the gospel :-those considered, all the terms and metaphors will appear clear alone which came from God, and which alone he would bless and consistent. to the salvation of mankind.

Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.] Let him take care that the doctrines which he preaches be answerable to those which I have preached: let him also take heed that he enjoin no other practice than that which is suitable to the doctrine; and in every sense accords with it.

Verse 11. Other foundation can no man lay] I do not speak particularly concerning the foundation of this spiritual building; it can have no other foundation than Jesus Christ: there cannot be two opinions on this subject among the true apostles of our Lord. The only fear is, lest au improper use should be made of this heavenly doctrine; lest a bad superstructure should be raised on this foundation.

The day, is the time of punishment coming on this dis obedient and rebellious people. And this day being revealed by fire, points out the extreme rigour, and totally destructive nature, of that judgment :—

And the fire shall try every man's work] If the apostle refers to the Judaizing teachers, and their insinuations that the law, especially circumcision, was of eternal obligation; then the day of fire, the time of vengeance, which was at hand, would sufficiently disprove such assertions; as, in the judgment of God, the whole temple-service should be destroyed; and the people who fondly presumed on their per mauence and stability, should be dispossessed of their land, and scattered over the face of the whole earth. The dif ference of the Christian and the Jewish systems should then be seen the latter should be destroyed in that fiery day, and the former prevail more than ever.

Verse 12. If any man build-gold, silver, &c.] Without entering into curious criticisms relative to these different expressions, it may be quite enough for the purpose of edifica- Verse 14. If any man's work abide] Perhaps there is here tion, to say, that by gold, silver, and precious stones, the an allusion to the purifying of different sorts of vessels unapostle certainly means pure and wholesome doctrines; by der the law. All that could stand the fire, were to be puriwood, hay, and stubble, false doctrines; such as at that time pre-fied by the fire; and those which could not resist the action ailed in the Corinthian church: for instance, that there should of the fire, were to be purified by water, Numb. xxxi. 23. be no resurrection of the body; that a man may, on his father's The gold, silver, and precious stones, could stand the fire; death, lawfully marry his step-mother; that it was necessary but the wood, hay, and stubble, must be necessarily con

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and inveterate prejudice, connected with much sincerity, be found in his case.

sumed. So, in that great and terrible day of the Lord, all false doctrine, as well as the system that was to pass away, should be made sufficiently manifest; and God, would then The popish writers have applied what is here spoken to the shew that the gospel, and that alone, was that system of doc-fire of purgatory; and they might, with equal propriety, trine which he would bless and protect, and none other. have applied it to the discovery of the longitude, the perpeHe shall receive a reward.] He has not only preached || tual motion, or the philosopher's stone; because it speaks just the truth, but he has laboured in the word and doctrine. as much of the former as it does of any of the latter. The fire And the reward is to be according to the labour. See on mentioned here is to try the man's work, not to purify his soul; but the dream of purgatory refers to the purging in another state, what left this impure; not the work of the man, but the man himself: but here the fire is said to try the work; ergo, purgatory is not meant, even if such a place as purgatory could be proved to exist; which remains yet to be demonstrated.

ver. 8.

Verse 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss] If he have preached the necessity of incorporating the law with the gospel, or proclaimed as a doctrine of God, || any thing which did not proceed from heaven, he shall suffer loss; all his time and labour will be found to be uselessly employed and spent. Some refer the loss to the work, not to the man; and understand the passage thus: If any man's work be burned, IT shall suffer loss; much shall be taken away from it, nothing shall be left but the measure of truth and uprightness which it may have contained.

But he himself shall be saved] If he sincerely and conscientiously have believed what he preached, and yet preached what was wrong, not through malice or opposition to the gospel, but through mere ignorance, he shall be saved; God in his mercy, will pass by his errors: and he shall not suffer punishment because he was mistaken. Yet, as in most erroneous teachings, there is generally a portion of wilful and obstinate ignorance, the salvation of such erroneous teachers is very rare; and is expressed here, yet so as by fire, i. e. with great difficulty; a mere escape; a hair's breadth deliverance; he shall be like a brand plucked out of the fire.

The apostle obviously refers to the case of a man, who, having builded a house, and begun to dwell in it, the house happens to be set on fire, and he has warning of it, just in time to escape with his life; losing at the same time, his house, his goods, his labour, and almost his own life. So he, who, while he holds the doctrine of Christ crucified, as the only foundation on which a soul can rest its hopes of salvation; builds at the same time, on that foundation, antinomianism, or any other erroneous or destructive doctrine, he shall lose all his labour, and his own soul scarcely escape everlasting perdition; nor even this, unless sheer ignorance

Verse 16. Ye are the temple of God] The apostle resumes here what he had asserted in ver. 9.-Ye are God's building. As the whole congregation of Israel were formerly considered as the temple and habitation of God, because God dwelt among them; so here, the whole church at Corinth is called the temple of God, because all genuine believers have the Spirit of God to dwell in them; and Christ has promised to be always in the midst even of two or three, who are gathered together in his name. Therefore, where God is, there is his temple.

Verse 17. If any man defile the temple] This clause is not consistently translated si Tis Toy vaov тou Oɛsu çlɛipei, 9EPEL TOUTOY EOS If any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy.

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The verb is the same in both clauses.
If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the church of God
by false doctrine, God will destroy him; will take away his
part out of the book of life. This refers to him who wil-
fully opposes the truth; the erring mistaken man shall
barely escape; but the obstinate opposer shall be destroyed.
The former shall be treated leniently; the latter shall have
judgment without mercy.

Verse 18. If any man among you seemeth to be wise] EI TIS doxel Copos ɛival, if any pretend, or affect to be wise. This seems to refer to some individual in the church of Corinth, who had been very troublesome to its peace and unity : probably Diotrephes; see on chap. i. 14. or some one of a si|milar spirit, who wished to have the pre-eminence, and

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