Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Tke Unn(/hleou$ xJkuI nnl Inherit. 1 CORINTHIANS VI. Our Bndies are O.e ,¥ewf>ec.s nf (!)irhl.
through the righteousness of God in Christ by faith (llnmans 1. 17). So Pak.eus. Tlie order of snne.tific'itioii befli\sli, sliiill, in this viow, l)e the subjects of the rule of the Lord and His siiiut.s in glniified bodies. Tlie mistake of fin-e justification shown that it must lie so taken, aiul not in tlie sense of /;/-o(/re.s.«ii'<! sanctitication. " Wirilicd" precedes both, and so must refer to the Clii istkin's outward new birth of water, the sign of tlie inward setting apart to the Lord by the inspiration of the Spirit as the seed of new life iJolin 3. o; Ephesians o. 26; Titus 3. 5; Hebrews tile Chiliasts was, tliey took the merely csirnal view, restricting tlie kingilom to the terrestrial part. Tliis part shall have place with the accession of spiritual and temporal blessings sucli as Christ's presence must produce. Besides tliis earthly glory, there shall be the heavenly glory o I the sjiints reigning in transfigured bodies, and holding such blessed intercourse with mortal men, as angels had with men of old, and as Christ, Moses, and Elias, in glory had with Peter, James, and John, in the
10.22). SI. Paul (cf. (he Church of England Kaptismiti Service), in charity, and faitli in tlie ideal of the Church, presumes that baptism realizes its original design, and that those outwardly baptized inwardly enter into vital communion with Christ (Galatians 3. 27). He presents the giaiiil ideal which those alone realized in whom the inward and the outward baplisin coalesced. At the same time he recognizes the fact that this in many cases does not hold good (i\ 8-10), leaving it to God to decide who are the really "washed," whilst he only decides on broad general principles. In tlic name of . . . Jesiis, ai>d by the Spirit—rather, "in the Spirit," i.e., by His (ii-dwelling. Botli clauses belong to the three—" washed, sancliflesh at the ti-ansflguration (2 Timothy 2. li; 2 Peter 1. 16-
18). But here the " world" seems to be the unbt lieving world thai is to be "condemned" (cli. II. 22), rather lhau the whole world, inc Uiding the subject nations which ate to be brouglit under Christ's sway; however, it may hiclude both th<tse to be condemned, with the bad angels, ai d tliose alxmt to be brought into obedience to the sway of Christ with His saints. Cf. Mattliew 25. 32, 40, "all nations," " these my brethren" on the tluoncs with Him. Tlie event will decide the truth of tliis view, jticlged by you—or he/ore you (cf. ch. S. 22). smallest matters—The weightiest of earthly questions at issue are iiilinitely tmall compared with those to be decided on the judgment Aey. 3. judge angels viz., bad angels. We who are now spectacle to angels" shall then "judge angels." The saints shall join in approving the final senten<;e of the Judge on them (Jude C). Believers shall, as administrators of tlie kingiloiii under Jiisus, put down all rule that fieil, justified." our God—The " our" reminds them that amidst all his reproofs God is still the common God of himself and them.
12-20. Refutation of thk Antixomian Defence of foknlcatton, as if it was lawful hecausic meats AKE SO. I'i. All things are lawful unto me — These, which were St. Paul's own words on a former occasion (to the Corinthians, cf. ch. 10. 23, and Galatians 5. 23), were made a pretext for excusing the eating of meats offered to idols, and so of what was generally connected with idolatry (Acts lo. 29), "fornication" (perhaps in the letter of the Corinthians to St. Paul, ch. 7. 1). St. Paul's remark had referred only to things indifferent : hut they wished to treat fornication as such, on the ground that the existence of bodily appetites proved the lawfulness of thtif is hostile to God. Perhaps, too, good angels shall then receive from the Judge, with tlie approval of the saints, higher honours. 4. Judgments—i.e., aises for judgment, least esteemed lU., thase of no esteem. Any, however low in the Church, rather than the heathen (ch. 1. 28). Questions of earthly property are of secondary consequence in the eyes of true Christians, and are therefore delegated to those in a secondary position in the Church. 5. yonr Bluime—Thus he checks their pii/fcd-up spirit (ch. 5. 2; cf. ch. 15.31). To shame you out ct your present unworthy gratiliciition. ine—St. Paul giving himself as a sample of Christians in general, but 1—whatever others do, / will not, &<•. lawful . . . brought under the power The Gr'eek words are from the same root, whence there is a play on the words: All things are in my power, but I will not be brought under the power of any of them (the "all things"). He who commits "fornication," steps aside from his own legitimate power or liberty, and is " brought under the power'" of an harlot (v. 15; cf. ch. 7.
coui-se of litigation before the heathen, I have said (i-. -1), "Sei the least esteemed in the Church to judge." Better even this, than your present course. Is it so J—Are you lE such a lielpless state that, &c. not a wise man — though ye adniire " wisdom" so much on other occasions
(ch. I. 5, 22). St. Paul alludes probably to the title " Caeham," or wise man, applied to each Rabbi in Jewish couucils. no, not one—not even one, amidst so many reputed among you for wisdom (ch. 3. 18 ; 4. 6). sliall be able —when applied to. brethren lU., brother ; i. e., judge between brother and brother. As each case should arise, the arbitrator was to be chosen from the body of the Church, such a wise person as had the charism, or gift, of Church government. 6. But—emphatically answering the question in the end of v. 5 in the negative. Translate, " Nay," &c. 7. utterly a fault lit., a sltm tcoming (not so Strong as .»t)4). Your going to law at all is a falling short of your high privileges, not to say your doing so before
4). The " power" ought to be in the hands of the believer, not in the things which he uses ['Rktok'L,]; else his liberty is forfeited, he ceases to be his own master (.lohn 8. 34^-36; Galatians 5. 13; 1 Peter 2. 16; 2 Peter 2. 19). Unlawful things ruin thousands; "lawful" things (unlawfully used), ten thousands. 1.3. The argument drawn from the indifference of meats (ch. 8. 8; Romans 14. 14, 17; cf. Mark
7. 18; Colossians 2. 20-22) to that of fornication does not hold good. Meats doubtless are indifferent, since both they and the " belly" for which they are created are to be
" destroyed" in the future state. But " the body is not (created) for fornication, but for the Lord, and tlie Lord for the body" (as it.s Redeemer, who hath Himself assumed the body): "And God hath raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us" (i.e., our bodies): therefore the "body" Is not, like the "belly," after having served a temporary use, to be destroyed : Now " he that committeth fornication, sinueth against his own bodj' {v. 18). Therefore fornication is not indifferent, since It Is a sin against one's own body, which, like the Lord for whom unbeliecers, which aggravates it. rather t.ake wrong —(Proverbs 20. 22 ; Matthew 5. 39, 40) ; i. e., suffer yourselves to be wronged, 8. ye—emphatic. Ye, whom your Lord commanded to return good for evil, on the contrary, "do wrong (by taking away) and defraud" (by retaining what is entrusted to you; or " defraud" marks the effect of the " wrong" done, viz., the lost iufiieted). Not only do ye not bear, but ye inflict wrojigs. 9. unrighteous—<ra««Za/e, "Doers of wrong:" referring to v. 8 (cf. Galatians 5. 21). kingdom of God—which is a kingdom of riyldeousness (Romans 14. 1"). fornicators—alluding to ch. 5; also below, V. 12-18. effiemlnate-self-polluters, who submit to nnnatural lusts. H. ye are waslied—The Greek middle voice expresses, " Ye have had yourselves washed." This washing implies the admission to the benefits of Christ's it is created, is not to be destroyed, but to be raised to eternal existence. Thus St. Paul gives here the germ of the three subjects handled in subsequent sections:
(1.) The relation between the sexes. (2.) The question of meats offered to idols. (3.) The resurrection of the body, shall destroy — at the li Ord's coming to change the natural bodies of believers into spiritual bodies talvalion generally ; of which the parts are, (1.) SanetijiraiUm, or the setting apart from the world, and adoption Into the Church : so "sanctified" Is used ch. 7. 11; Jolm 17.
(ch. 15. 44, 52). There Is a real essence underlying the superficial phenomena of the present temporary organization of the body, and this essential germ, when all the particles are scattered, involves the future resurrection of the body Incorruptible. 14. (Romans 8. 11.) raised up — rather, "raised," to distinguish It from 273
19. Cf. 1 Peter 1. 2, where it rather seems to mean the setting apart of one as consecrated by the Spirit in the eternal inirpote of God. (2.) Justification from condemnation