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النشر الإلكتروني

TEXT.

46 Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward, that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And, as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (for the trumpet shall sound,) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

PARAPHRASE.

46 Howbeit, the spiritual was not first, but the animal; and 47 afterwards the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made

up of dust, or earthy particles: the second man is the Lord 48 from heaven. Those who have no higher an extraction than barely from the earthy man, they, like him, have barely an animal life and constitution; but those, who are regenerate, and born of the heavenly seed, are, as he that is heavenly, 49 spiritual and immortal. And as in the animal, corruptible, mortal state, we were born in, we have been like him that was earthy; so also shall we, who, at the resurrection, partake of a spiritual life from Christ, be made like him, the Lord from heaven, heavenly, i. e. live, as the spirits in heaven do, without the need of food, or nourishment, to support it, and without infirmities, decay, and death, enjoying a fixed, 50 stable, unfleeting life. This I say to you, brethren, to satisfy those that ask, "with what bodies the dead shall come ?" that we shall not at the resurrection have such bodies as we have now for flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom which the saints shall inherit in heaven; nor are such fleeting, corruptible things, as our present bodies are, fitted to that 51 state of immutable incorruptibility. To which let me add, what has not been hitherto discovered, viz. that we shall not 52 all die, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the sounding of the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise: and as many 53 of us, believers, as are then alive, shall be changed. For

TEXT.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

PARAPHRASE.

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this corruptible frame and constitution of ours must put on 54 incorruption, and from mortal become immortal. And, when we are got into that state of incorruptibility and immortality, then shall be fulfilled what was foretold in these words, "Death is swallowed up of victory P;" i. e. death is perfectly subdued and exterminated, by a complete victory over 55 it, so that there shall be no death any more. Where, O death, is now that power, whereby thou deprivest men of life? What is become of the dominion of the grave, whereby 56 they were detained prisoners there? That, which gives death

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NOTES.

53 To plαptov, "corruptible," and tò funtèy, "mortal," have not here cue, "body," for their substantive, as some imagine; but are put in the neuter gender absolute, and stand to represent vexpol, "dead;" as appears by the immediately preceding verse, and also ver. 42, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἀνάςασις τῶν νεκρῶν, σπείρεται ἐν φθορᾶ. "So is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption ;" i. e. mortal, corruptible men are sown, being corruptible and weak. Nor can it be thought strange, or strained, that I interpret aply and nòv, as adjectives of the neuter gender, to signify persons, when, in this very discourse, the apostle uses two adjectives, in the neuter gender, to signify the persons of Adam and Christ, in such a way, as it is impossible to understand them otherwise. The words, no farther off than ver. 46, are these: ̓Αλλ ̓ οὐ πρῶτον τὸ πνευματικὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ψυχικὸν, ötteila tò avevμalixòv. The like way of speaking we have, Matt. i. 20, and Luke i. 35, in both which the person of our Saviour is expressed by adjectives of the neuter gender. To any of all which places I do not think any one will add the substantive oμa, "body," to make out the sense. That, then, which is meant here being this, that this mortal man shall put on immortality, and this corruptible man incorruptibility; any one will easily find another nominative case to σπείρεται, “ is sown,” and not σῶμα, σε body," when he considers the sense of the place, wherein the apostle's purpose is to speak of vɛxpoì, “mortal men,” being dead, and raised again to life, and made immortal. Those, with whom grammatical construction, and the nominative case, weigh so much, may be pleased to read this passage in Virgil :

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66

Linquebant dulces animas, aut ægra trahebant
Corpora." Æneid. 1. 3, ver. 140,

where, by finding the nominative case to the two verbs, in it, he may come to discover that personality, as contradistinguished to both body and soul, may be the nominative case to verbs.

54 P Nixos, "victory," often signifies end and destruction. See Vossius "de lxx interpret." cap. 24.

55 This has something of the air of a song of triumph, which St. Paul breaks out into, upon a view of the saints' victory over death, in a state, wherein death is never to have place any more.

TEXT.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

PARAPHRASE.

the power over men is sin, and it is the law, by which sin has 57 this power. But thanks be to God, who gives us deliverance and victory over death, the punishment of sin, by the law, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from the 58 rigour of the law. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, continue stedfast and unmoveable in the Christian faith, always abounding in your obedience to the precepts of Christ, and in those duties which are required of us by our Lord and Saviour knowing that your labour will not be lost. Whatsoever you shall do, or suffer for him, will be abundantly rewarded, by eternal life.

SECTION XI.

CHAPTER XVI. 1-4.

CONTENTS.

He gives directions concerning their contribution to the poor Christians at Jerusalem.

TEXT.

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do

ye.

2 Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

PARAPHRASE.

1 As to the collection for the converts to Christianity, who are at Jerusalem I would have you do as I have directed the churches of Galatia. Let every one of you, according as he thrives in his calling, lay aside some part of his gain by

VOL. VIII.

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TEXT.

3 And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

PARAPHRASE.

itself, which, the first day of the week, let him put into the common treasury of the church, that there may be no need of 3 any gathering when I come. And when I come, those, whom you shall approve of, will I send with letters to Jerusalem, to 4 carry thither your benevolence. Which if it deserves that I also should go, they shall go along with me.

NOTES.

2 ↑ Onσavpí?wv seems used here in the sense I have given it. For it is certain that the apostle directs, that they should, every Lord's day, bring to the congregation what their charity had laid aside the foregoing week, as their gain came in, that there it might be put into some public box, appointed for that purpose, or officers' hands. For if they only laid it aside at home, there would nevertheless be need of a collection when he came.

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3 5 Δοκιμάσητε, δι ̓ ἐπιςολῶν τούτους πέμψω. This pointing, that makes δι' ἐπιστολῶν belong to weμw, and not to doxμácŋle, the apostle's sense justifies; he telling them here, that finding their collection ready, when he came, he would write by those, they should think fit to send it by, or go himself with them, if their present were worthy of it. There needed no approbation of their messengers to him, by their letters, when he was present. And if the Corinthians, by their letters, approved of them to the saints at Jerusalem, how could St. Paul say, he would send them?

SECTION XII.

CHAPTER XVI. 5—12.

CONTENTS.

He gives them an account of his own, Timothy's, and Apollos's

intention of coming to them.

TEXT.

5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia (for I do pass through Macedonia :)

6 And it may be, that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that may bring me on my journey, whithersoever I go.

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7 For I will not see you now, by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.

9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

you without fear:

10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11 Let no man, therefore, despise him; but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren. 12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you, with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come, when he shall have convenient time.

PARAPHRASE.

5 I will come unto you, when I have been in Macedonia; for I 6 intend to take that in my way: And perhaps I shall make some stay, nay, winter with you, that you may bring me going 7 on my way, whithersoever I go. For I do not intend just to call in upon you, as I pass by; but I hope to spend some time 8 with you, if the Lord permit. But I shall stay at Ephesus till 9 Pentecost, i. e. Whitsuntide. For now I have a very fair and

promising opportunity given me of propagating the Gospel, 10 though there be many opposers. If Timothy come to you, pray take care that he be easy, and without fear amongst you: for he promotes the work of the Lord, in preaching the Go11 spel, even as I do. Let nobody, therefore, despise him; but treat him kindly, and bring him going, that he may come unto 12 me: for I expect him with the brethren. As to brother a Apollos, I have earnestly endeavoured to prevail with him to come to you with the brethren b: but he has no mind to it at all, at present. He will come, however, when there shall be a fit occasion.

NOTES.

12 There be few, perhaps, who need to be told it, yet it may be convenient here, once for all, to remark, that, in the apostle's time, "brother" was the ordinary compellation that Christians used to one another.

"The brethren," here mentioned, seem to be Stephanas, and those others, who, with him, came with a message, or letter, to St. Paul, from the church of Corinth, by whom he returned this epistle in answer.

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