viz., thegoods tliat nourisli the
AlxiUneiice/iom .Vedts Offered U) Idols. 1 CORINTHIANS VIII. We must not Abuse our Liberty.
Him" (Chrlst). So enlirely are the Father and Son one (cf. Romans 11. 3(5; Hebrews 2. 10). one Lord—contrasted with the " many lords" of heathendom (v. 5). by whom—(John tliink;" Just as you Corinthians and your teachers lliink muoli of your opinions, so I alio give my opinion by inspiration ; so in v. 25, "my judgment" or opinion. Think does not imply doubt, i>ut often a matter of well-grounded assurance (John 5. 39).
1. 3; Hebrews 1. 2). we by him—as all things are "of" the Father by creation, so they (we believers especially) are restored to Him by the new creation (Colossians 1. 20; Revelation 21. 5). Also, as all things arc by Christ by creation, so they (we especially) are restored by Him by the new creation. 7. llowbeit—Thougli to us who " have knowledge" {v. 1, 4-6) all meats are indifferent, j'et "this knowledge is not in all" in the same degree as we have It.
CHAPTER VIII.
Ver. 1-13. Om partaking of Meats offered to Idols.
1. Tliougli to tliose know ing that an idol has no existence, tiie question of eating meats offered to idols (referred to
St. Paul had admitted to the Corinthians that "we all have knowledge" (u. 1), t. e.,so far as Christian tlieory goes; hut practically some have it not in the saniedegree. with conscience—An ancient reading; but other very old MSS. read "association" or "habit." In either reading the meaning is: Some Gentile Christians, whether from old tn the letter of the Corinthians, cl". ch. 7. 1) might seem animportant, it is not so with some, and the infirmities of sucli should be respected. The portions of the victims not offered on the altars belonged partly to the priests, partly to the offerers; and were eaten at fesists in tlie temples and in private houses, and were often sold in the markets; so that Christians were constantly exposed to association of ideas or misdirected co/iscte Mce, wlien they ate such meats, ate them with some feeling as if the idol were something real {v. 4), and had changed the meats by the fact of tlie consecration into something either holy or else polluted, unto this hour—after they have enil)raced Christianity; an implied censure, that they are not further advanced by this time in Christian " knowledge." Ilielr conscience . . . Is defiled—by their eating it "as a thing offered to idols." If they ate it unconscious at the time that tlie temptation of receiving them, which was forbidden (Numbers 25. 2; Psalm IOC. 28). The apostles forbade it in their decree issued from Jerusalem (Acts 15., and 21.. 25.); but Rt. Paul does not allude here to that decree, as he rests his preempts r.ather on his own independent apostolic authority, we IcnowtUnt we all have Itiiowlertgc—The Corinlhians doubtless had referred to their "knowledge"
(viz., of the indifference of meats, as in themselves having no sanctity or pollution). St. Paul replies, " We are aware that we all have (speaking generally, and so far as Chrisit hiul been offered to idols, there would be no defilement of conscience. But conscious of what it was, and not having such knowledge as other Corinthians boasted of, viz., that an idol is nothing and can therefore neither pollute nor sanctify meats, they by eating them sin against conscience(cf. Romansl4. 1.5-23). It wason thegroundof Christian expediency, not to cause a stumbling-block to " weak" brethren, that th§ Jerusalem decree against partaking of such meats (though indifferent in themselves) was passed (Acts 15). Hence he here vindicates it ainst the Corinthian asserters of an Inexpedient liberty. 8, Other old MSS. read, "Neither if we do not eat, are we the better: neither if we eat are we the worse :" the language of the eaters who justified their eating thus. [Lachmann.] In English Version St. Paul admits that "meat neither ]»-esents (so the Greek for " commendeth ") us as commended nor as disapproved before God :" it does not affect our standing before God (Romans 14. 6). 9. this liberty of yours—the watchword for lax Corinthians. The very indifference of meats, which I concede, is the reason why ye should "take heed " not to tempt weak brethren to act against their conscience (which constitutes sin, Romans 14.
tian theory goes; for in f. 7 he speaks of some who jiruclicoUy have not) this knowledge." Kuowledgc piiffetli up —when without "love." Here a parenthesis begins; and the main subject is resumed in the same words, v. i. "As concerning (touching) therefore the eating," &c. "Puffing up" is to please self. "Edifying" is to please one's neighbour. Knowledge only says. All things are lawful forme; Love adds, But all things do not edify [Bengel]
(eh. 10. 23; Romans 14. 1.5). edlfietli—tends to build up the Bpiritual temple (ch. 9; 6.19). 2. And—Omitted in the oldest M.SS. The absence of the connecting particle gives an emphatical sententiousness to the style, suitable to the Kubject. The first step to knowledge is to know our own Ignorance. Without love there is only the appearance
"lliink," &c.) of knowledge, knowetli—The oldest M8S. read a Greek word Implying personal experimental acquaintance, not merely knowledge of a fact, which the trV<?(* of " we know' oi are aware {v. 1) ineeins. as lie ought to know—experimentally and in the way of "love." 3. love God—the source of love to our neighbour (1 John 4. 11,
22, 23). 10. Ifany man—being weak, which hast knowledge—The very knowledge which thou pridest thyself on
12, 20 ; 5. 2). the aame—lit., this man ; he who loves, not he who "thinks that he knows," not having "charity" or love
(v. J, 2). is known of hliu—is known with the knowledge of approval, and is acknowledged by God as His (Psalm I. 6; Galatians 4. 9; 2 Timothy 2. 19). Contrast, " I never knew you," Matthew 7. 23. To love God is to know God ; and he who thus knows God has been first known by God (cf. ch. 13. 12; 1 Peter 1. 2). *. As concerning, &c. —Resuming the subject begun in v. 1, "As touching," &c. Idol Is nothing—has no true being at all ; the god it represents is not a living reality. This does not contradict ch. 10. 20, which states that they who worship idols, worship (leviLs ; for here It is the gou.S believed by the worshippers to he represented by the idols which are denied to have any existence, not the devils which really under the idols delude the worshippers, none other God—The oldest MSS. omit the word " other ;" which gives a clearer sense. 6. " For even supposing there are (exist) gods so called (2 Thessalonians 2. 1), whether in heaven (as the sun, moon, and stars) or In earth (as deified kings, beasts, &c.), as there be (a recognized fact, Deuteronomy 10. 17; Psalm 13.5.
(v. 1), will lead the weak after thy example to do that against his conscience, which thou doest without any scruple of conscience, viz., to eat meats offered to idols, conscience of him which Is weak—rather, "His conscience, seeing'Ae ij weak." [Alford, &c.] emboldened lit., built up. You ought to have built up your brother in good: but by your example your building him up is the emboldening him to violate his conscience. 11. shall. . . perish—The oldest MSS. read "perisheth." A single act seemingly unimportant may produce everlasting consequences. The weak brother loses his faith, and if he do not recover it, his salvation [Bengel] (Romans 14. 23). for whom Christ died—and for whose sake we too ought to be willing to die (1 John 3. 16). And yet professing Christians at Corinth virtuallj' tempted their brethren to their damnation, so far were they from sacrificing aught for their salvation. Note here. That it is no argument agai nst the dogma that Christ died for all, even for those who perish, to say that thus He would have died in vain for
6: 136. 2) gods many and lords many." Angels and men tn authority are termed gods In .Scripture, as exercising a divinely-delegated power under God (cf. Exodus 22. 9, with many. Scripture is our rule, not our suppositions as to consequences. More is involved in redemption than the salvation of man : the character of God as at oncejust and loving Is vindicated even in the case of the lost; for they might have been saved, and so even in their case Christ has not died in vain. So the mercies of God's providence are not in vain, though many abuse them. Even the condemned shall manifest God's love in the great day, in that they too had the offer of God's mercy. It shai: be th«
28; Psalm 82. 1,G; John 10. 34, .3.5). C. to us— believers, of whom—from whom as Creator all things derive their existence, we In him— rather, " we /<«• Him," or "unto Him." God the Father Is the end for whom and for whoso glory believers live. In Colossians 1. 16 all things are said to be created (not only "by" Christ, but also) "/or
Paul Sfiowelh his Cliristian Liberty 1 CORINTHIANS IX. The Minister ought to Live by the Qoipd.
"Remember, ray dear one, the Lord." Cf. Eusebics, R H. 3. 30. bretliren of the Loi-d—held In especial esteem on account of their relationship to Jesus (Acts 1. U; Ualatians 1. 9). James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. Probably cousins of Jesus: as cousins were termed by the Jews "brethren." Alford maiies them literally brotlnrs ot Jesus by Joseph and Maiy. Cephas—Probably singled out as being a namecanying weight with one partisan section at Corinth. "If your favourite leader does .so, surely so may I" (ch. 1.12; 3.22). 6. Baniabas—long the associate of Paul, and, like him, in the habit of self-denyingly forbearing to claim the maiutenanc* which is a minister's right. So Paul supported himself by tent-making (Acts 18. 3; 20. 34; 1 Thessalonians 2. 9; 2 Thessalouians 3. 8). 7. The minister is spiritually a soldier (2 Timothy 2. 3), a vine-dresser (ch.
most awful ingredient in their cup that tliey miglit have been saved hut would not: Christ died to redeem even them. la. wound tltelr weak conscience HI., "smite their conscience, being (as yet) in a weak stale." It aggravates the cruelty of the act tliat it is committed on the weak, just as if one were to strike an invalid, against Christ—on account of the sympathy between Cln istand His members (Matthew 25. 40; Acts 9. 4,5). 13. meat—Old English for "food" In general, make . . . lo offend
Greek, "is a stumbling-block to." no flesU—In order to ensure my avoiding flesh ottered to idols, I would abstain from all kinds of Jlesh, in order not to be a stuinblinybtock to my brother.
CHAPTER IX.
Ver. 1-27. He confirms His Teaching as to not putting A Stumbling-block in a Bkothek's way (ch. 8. IS) BY HIS OWN EXAMPLE IN NOT USING HIS UNDOUBTED bights AS AN APOSTLE, SO AS TO WIN MEN TO CHKIST. 1. Ain I not an apostle? am I not free !—The oldest MSS. read the order thus, "Am I not free? am I not an apos-
3. 6-8; Song of Solomon 1.6), and a shepherd (I Peter
5. 2, 4). of the fruit—The oldest MSS. omit "of." 8. aa a man—I speak thus not merely according to human judgment, but with the sanction of the Divine law also. 9. ox . . . treadeth . . . corn—(Deuteronomy 25. 4.) In tho East to the present da.v they do not after reaping carry the sheaves home to barns as we do, but take them to an area under the open air to be threshed by the oxen treading them with their feet, or elsedrawing a threshing instrument over them (cf. Mieah 4. 13). Doth Go<l . . . care for oxen 1—rather, "Is it for the oxen that God careth?" Is the animal the ultimate objecti for whose sake this law was given? No. God does care for the lower animal (Psalm 36.6; Matthew 10.29), but it is with the ultimate aim of the welfare of mati, the head of animal creation. In the humane consideration shown for the lower animal, we are to learn that still more ought it to be exercised in the ease of man, the ultimate object of t'ne law; and that the human (spiritual as well as temporal) labourer is worthy of his hire. 10. altogetlier—join this with "saith." "Does he (the Divine lawgiver) by all means say it for our sakes?" It would be untrue, that God saith it altogether (in the sense of solely) for our sakes. But it is true, tliat He by all means saith it for our sakes as the ultimate object in the lower world. Grotius, however, translates, " mainly" or "especially," instead of altogether, that— " meaning that" [Alford]; lit., because. should plough—oi/f/W to plough in hope. The obligation rests with the people not to let their minister labour v.-ithout remuneration, he that thresheth in Iiope should be partaker of his hope—The oldest MS. versions and fathers read, " He that thresheth {should or ought to thresh) in the hope of partaking'' (riz., of the fruit of his threshing). "He that ploughetli," spiritually, is the tle?" He alludes to ch. 8.9, "this liberty of yours:" If you claim it, I appeal to yourselves as the witnesses, have not I also it? "Am I not free?" If you be so, much more I. For "am I not an apostle?" so that I can claim not only Christian, but also apostolic liberty. l»«ve I not Been Jegiis corporeally, not in a mere vision : cf. ch. 15. 8, where the fact of the resurrection, which he wishes to prove, could only be established by an actual bodily appearance, such as was vouchsafed to Peter and the other apostles. In Acts 9. 7, 17 the contrast between "tlie men with him seeing no man," and " Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way," shows that Jesus actually appeared to him in going to Damascus. His vision of Christ in tl,« temple (Acts 22f 17) was "in a trance." To be a wit-iijss of Christ's resurrection was a leading function of an apostle (Acts 1.22). The best MSS. omit "Chrisl." yc my work in the l<ord—your conversion is His workmanship (Ephesians2. 10) through my instrumentality : the " seal of mine apostleship " (v. 2). 3. yet doubtless yetatleast lam such to you. seal of mine apostleship—your conversion by my preaching, accompanied with miracles ("the signs of an apostle," Romans 15. 18, 19; 2 Corinthians 12. 12), and your gifts conferred by me (ch. 1. 7), vouch for the reality of my apostleship, just as a seal set to a document attests its genuineness (John 3.33; Romans 4. 11). 3. to tliem that . . . examine me i. e., wlio call in question mine apostleship. is tiiis—t'lz., that you are the seal of mine apostleship. 4. Have we not power Greek, "riglil," or lawful power, equivalent to "liberty" claimed by the Corinthians (ch. 8. 9). The "we" includes with himself his colleagues in the apostleship. The GreeAinterrogative expresses, "You surely U'on7 say (will you?) that we have not the power or right," &c. eat and drink— wi I bout labouring with our hands (v. 11, 13, H). St. Paul's not exercising this right was made a plea by his opponents for insinuating that he was himself conscious he was no true apostle (2 Corinthians 12. 13-16). 5. lead about a sister, a wife— t. e., " a sister as a wife;" " a sister " by laith, which makes all believers brethren and sisters in the one family of God : " a wife " by marriage covenant. St. Paul implies he did not exercise his undoubted right to marry and "lead about" a believer, for the sake of Christian expediency, as well to save the Church the expense of maintaining her in Ills wide circuits, as also tliat he miglitgivo himself more undlstractedly to building up the (/'liurch of Christ (ch. 7. 2'j, 32, 35). Contrast the Corinthians' want of self-sacriflce in the exercise of their "libert.y" at the cost of destroying. Instead of edifying, the Church (oh. 8.
first planter of a Church in a place (cf. ch. 3. 6, 9) ; " he that thresheth," the minister who tends a Church already planted. 11. we.. . . wc—eniphatical in the Greek. We, the same persons who have sown to you the intinitely more precious treasures of the Spirit, may at tlie least claim in return what is the only thing you have to give, viz., thegoods tliat nourisli the/Je.vA ("yoiocarnal things").
I'i, otiiers—whether true apostles (i<. 5) or false ones (2 Corinthians 11. 20). we rather—considering our greater labours for you (2 Corinthians 11.2:5). suffer all things without complaining of It. We desire to conceal (lit., huld as a water-tight ve.isel)any distress we suffer from straitened circumstances. The sa/ne Greek is in ch. 13. 7. lest we . . . hinder . . . Gospel—not to cause a himlrance lo
Its progress by giving a handle for the imputation of selfseeking, if we received support from our flock. The less of incumbrance and expense caused to the Church, and the more of work done, the better for tlie cause ol the Gospel (2 Timothy 2.4). 13. minister about holy things —the Jewish priests and Levites. The Greek especially applies to the former, the in'leals ttffering sacriftcci. partakers with the altar—a part o{ the victliiis going to the service of the altar, and the rest being shared l)y tlie priests (IjCvitlcus 7.6; Numbers IS. 0, Ac; Deuteronomy
9,10; Margin, 11-13). as other apostles— Implying that Bome of them had availed themselves of the power which they all had, of marrying. We know from Matthew 8. II, that Cephas or Peter was a married man. A con fu tat Ion of
18. 1, iSic). 14. Kvcn so—The only Inference to be drawn from this passage Is, not that the Christian minisay Is of a sacrificial character as the Jewish priesthood, but simply, that as the latter was supported by the coutrib«»
Bt. Peter's self-styled followers, the Romanists, who <'xclude theclergy from marriage. (Jlemens Alexanurinus, (ilromataor Miscellanies, 7. sec. 63, records a tradition, tliat he encouraged his wife when being led to death by saying