TEXT. 21 What will ye? shall I come unto you, with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? V. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him, that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, PARAPHRASE. you с have me 21 I purposed to come unto you: But what would do? Shall I come to you, with a rod, to chastise you? Or 1 with kindness, and a peaceable disposition of minda? In short, it is commonly reported that there is fornication b among you, and such fornication as is not known ordinarily among the heathen, that one should have his father's wife. 2 And yet ye remain puffed up, though it would better have become you to have been dejected, for this scandalous fact amongst you, and, in a mournful sense of it, to have removed 3 the offender out of the church. For I truly, though absent in body, yet as present in spirit, have thus already judged, as if I were personally with you, him that committed this fact; 4 When, in the name of the Lord Jesus, ye are assembled, and NOTES. 21 a He that shall carefully read 2 Cor. i. 20.-ii. 11, will easily perceive that this last verse here, of this 4th chapter, is an introduction to the severe act of discipline which St. Paul was going to exercise amongst them, though absent, as if he had been present. And, therefore, this verse ought not to have been separated from the following chapter, as if it belonged not to that discourse. 1 b Vid. chap. iv. 8, 10. The writers of the New Testament seem to use the Greek word wopveía, which we translate fornication, in the same sense that the Hebrews used m, which we also translate fornication; though it be certain both these words, in sacred Scripture, have a larger sense than the word fornication has in our language; for, amongst the Hebrews, signified, "Turpitudinem," or "Rem turpem," uncleanness, or any flagitious, scandalous crime, but more especially the uncleanness of unlawful copulation and idolatry; and not precisely fornication, in our sense of the word, i. e. the unlawful mixture of an unmarried couple. [Not known] That the marrying of a son-in-law and a mother-in-law was not prohibited by the laws of the Roman empire, may be seen in Tully; but yet it was looked on as so scandalous and infamous, that it never had any countenance from practice. His words in his oration pro Cluentio, § 4, are so agreeable to the present case, that it may not be amiss to set them down: "Nubit genero socrus, nullis auspiciis, nullis auctoribus. O scclus incredibile, et præter hanc unam, in omni vita inauditum !" TEXT. 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good: know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote unto you, in an epistle, not to company with fornicators. 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters: for then must ye needs go out of the world. PARAPHRASE. my spirit, i. e. my vote, as if I were present, making one, 5 by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, Deliver the offender up to Satan, that, being put thus into the hands and power of the devil, his body may be afflicted and brought down, that his soul may be saved, when the Lord Jesus comes to judge 6 the world. Your glorying, as you do, in a leader who drew you into this scandalous indulgence in this case, is a fault in you: ye that are knowing, know you not that a little 7 leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Therefore, laying by that deference and veneration ye had for those leaders you gloried in, turn out from among you that fornicator, that the church may receive no taint from him, that you may be a pure, new lump, or society, free from such a dangerous mixture, which may corrupt you. For Christ, our passover, is 8 slain for us. Therefore let us, in commemoration of his death, and our deliverance by him, be a holy people to him. 9 I wrote to you before, that you should not keep company 10 with fornicators. You are not to understand by it, as if I meant that you are to avoid all unconverted heathens that are fornicators, or covetous, or rapacious, or idolaters, for NOTES. 64 Glorying is all along, in the beginning of this epistle, spoken of the preference they gave to their new leader, in opposition to St. Paul. If their leader had not been guilty of this miscarriage, it had been out of St. Paul's way here to have reproved them for their glorying in him. But St. Paul is a close writer, and uses not to mention things where they are impertinent to his subject. £ What reason he had to say this, vid. 2 Cor. xii. 21: "Grex totus in agris Unius scabie cadit, et porrigine porci." 7 and 8 In these two verses he alludes to the Jews cleansing their houses, at the feast of the passover, from all leaven, the symbol of corruption and wickedness. TEXT. 11 But now I have written unto you, not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one, no, not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. VI. 1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and, if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 11 then 13 your go PARAPHRASE. But that which I now out of the world. must you write unto you is, that you should not keep company, no, nor eat with a Christian by profession, who is lascivious, 12 covetous, idolatrous, a railer, drunkard, or rapacious. For what have I to do to judge those who are out of the church? Have ye not a power to judge those who are members of church? But as for those who are out of the church, leave them to God; to judge them belongs to him. There fore do ye what is your part; remove that wicked one, the 1 fornicator, out of the church. Dare any of you, having a controversy with another, bring it before an heathen judge 2 to be tried, and not let it be decided by Christians"? Know ye not that Christians shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge ordinary 3 small matters? Know ye not that we Christians have power over evil spirits? how much more over the little things re4 lating to this animal life? If, then, ye have at any time controversies amongst you, concerning things pertaining to this life, let the parties contending choose arbitrators in the church, NOTES. 66 con 1 "Ayo, saints, is put for Christians: dx, unjust, for heathens. 4 'Egoudenμévous, "judices non authenticos." Among the Jews there was sessus triumviralis, authenticus," who had authority, and could hear and determine causes, ex officio;" there was another consessus triumviralis," which were chosen by the parties; these, though they were not authentic, yet could judge and determine the causes referred to them; these were those whom St. Paul calls here, iousnμévous, "judices non authenticos, i. e. referees chosen by the parties. See de Dieu. That St. Paul does not mean by goudenμévous, "those who are least esteemed," as our English translation reads it, is plain from the next verse. TEXT. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man amongst you? no, not one, that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. 9 Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. PARAPHRASE. 5 i. e. out of church-members. Is there not among you, I speak it to your shame, who stand so much upon your wisdom, one wise man, whom ye can think able enough to 6 refer your controversies to? But one Christian goeth to law with another, and that before the unbelievers, in the heathen 7 courts of justice. Nay, verily, it is a failure and defect in you, that you so far contest matters of right, one with another, as to bring them to trial, or judgment. Why do ye not 8 rather suffer loss and wrong? But it is plain, by the man's having his father's wife, that ye are guilty of doing wrong! one to another, and stick not to do injustice, even to your 9 Christian brethren. Know ye not, that the transgressors of the law of Christ shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Deceive not yourselves: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor NOTES. 5 koos, "wise man." If St. Paul uses this word, in the sense of the synagogue, it signifies one ordained, or a rabbi, and so capacitated to be a judge; for such were called "wise men." If in the sense of the Greek schools, then it signifies a man of learning, study, and parts: if it be taken in the latter sense, it may seem to be with some reflection on their pretending to wisdom. 1 & That the wrong, here spoken of, was the fornicator's taking and keeping his father's wife, the words of St. Paul, 2 Cor. vii. 12, instancing this very wrong, are a sufficient evidence. And it is not wholly improbable, there had been some hearing of this matter, before an heathen judge, or at least talked of; which, if supposed, will give a great light to this whole passage, and several other in these chapters. For thus visibly runs St. Paul's argument, chap. v. 12, 13, chap. vi. 1, 2, 3, &c. coherent and easy to be understood, if it stood together as it should, and were not chopped in pieces, by a division into two chapters. Ye have a power to judge those, who are of your church; therefore put away from among you that fornicator: you do ill, to let it come before a heathen magistrate. Are you, who are to judge the world and angels, not worthy to judge such a matter as this? TEXT. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me; but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy PARAPHRASE. 11 extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but your past sins are washed away, and forgiven you, upon your receiving of the Gospel by baptism: but ye are sanctified ", i. e. ye are members of Christ's church, which consists of saints, and have made some advances in the reformation of your lives" by the doctrine of Christ, confirmed to you by the extraordinary operations of the Holy 12 Ghost. But supposing fornication were in itself as lawful as eating promiscuously all sorts of meat, that are made for the belly, on purpose to be eaten; yet I would not so far indulge either custom, or my appetite, as to bring my body, thereby, 13 into any disadvantageous state of subjection. As in eating and drinking, though meat be made purposely for the belly, and the belly for meat; yet, because it may not be expedient P for me, I will not, in so evidently a lawful thing as that, go to the utmost bounds of my liberty; though there be no NOTES. 11 'HyiάoOnte, "sanctified," i. e. have remission of your sins; so sanctified signifies, Heb. x. 10 and 18, compared. He that would perfectly comprehend, and be satisfied in the meaning of this place, let him read Heb. ix. 10, particularly ix. 13-23. n ¤’Edixaш◊ŋte, “ye are become just,” i. e. are reformed in your lives. See it used, Rev. xxii. 11. 12 St. Paul having, upon occasion of injustice amongst them, particularly in the matter of the fornicator, warned them against that and other sins, that exclude men from salvation, he here reassumes his former argument about fornication; and, by his reasoning here, it looks as if some among them had pleaded, that fornication was lawful. To which he answers, that, granting it be so, yet the lawfulness of all wholesome food reaches not the case of fornication, and shows by several instances, (as particularly the degrading the body, and making what, in a Christian, is the member of Christ, the member of an harlot) that fornication, upon several accounts, might be so unsuitable to the state of a Christian man, that a Christian society might have reason to animadvert upon a fornicator, though fornication might pass for an indifferent action in another man. 13" Expedient, and brought under power," in this verse, seems to refer to the two parts of the following verse: the first of them to eating, in the first part of the 13th verse, and the latter of them to fornication, in the latter part of the 13th verse. To make this the more intelligible, it may be fit to remark, |
