Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Our Life is Like unto a Race. 1 COEINTIIIAKS X. Jewish Sacraments Ti/pes of the Christian.
'obtain" Is full}/ obtain. It Is in vain to begin, unless we persevere to the end (Maltliew 10. 22; 24. IS; Keveliition 2.
your pi Ivlleges, lest ye be cast-aways. For the Israelites with all their privileges were most of them cast-aways through want of it. ignorant—with all your boasted "knowledge." our fatliers—The Jewish Church stands In the relation of parent to the Christian Cliurch. all Arrange as the Greek, "Our fathers were all under the cloud;" giving the "all" its proper emphasis. Not so much as one of so great a multitude was det.aiiied by force or disease (Psalm 105. 37). [Bengel.J Five times the "all" is repeated, in the enumeration of the five favours which God bestowed on Israel (v. 1-4). Five times, correspondingly, they sinned (v. 6-10). In contrast to the "all" stands " many (rather, 'the most') of them"
10). Tlie "so" expresses, Run with such persevera7tcc '.n the heavenly course, as "all" the runners exhibit in tlie eartlily "race" just spoken of: to the end that ye may attain the prize. ^5. strlveth— in wrestling : a slill more severe contest than tlie loot-race. Is tt-mperate—Ho Paul exercised self-denial, abstaining from claiming sustenance for the sake of the "reward," viz., to "gain the more" (ii.
28, 19). corruptible soon withering, as being only of fir leaves taken from the fir groves whicli surrounded the Isthmian race-course or stadium, incorruptible—(1 Peter
1. 4; 5. 1; Revelation 2. 10). "Crown" here is not that of a king (which is expressed by a dirterent Greek word, viz., "diadem"), but a tvreath or garland. 26. I—Return to his main subject, his own self-denial, and his motive iu it. run, not as uncertainly—not as a runner uncertain of the goal. Ye Corinthians gain no end in your entering idol temples or eating idol meats. But /, lor my part, iu
(v. 5). All of them had great privileges, yet most of them were cast-aways through lust. Beware you, having greater privileges, of sharing the same doom through a similar sin. Continuing the reasoning, ch. 9. 24, "They which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize." under the cloud—were continually under the defence of the pillar of cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence (Exodus 13.21,22; Psalm 105.39; cf. Isaiah 4.5). passed through the sea—by God's miraculous interposition for them (Exodus 14. 29). 2. And—^nd so. [Bengel.] baptized unto Moses—the servant of God and representative of the Old Testament covenant of the law: as Jesus, the Son of God, is of the Gospel covenant (John 1. 17; Hebrews 3. 5, 6). The people were led to believe in Moses as God's servant by the miracle of the cloud protecting them, and by their being conducted under him salely through the Red Sea ; therefore they are said to be " baptized unto" liim (Exodus 14.31). "Baptized" is here equivalent to "initiated :" it Is used Iu accommodation to St. Paul's argument to the Corinthians; they, it is true, have been "baptized," but so also virtually were the Israelites of old; if the virtual baptism of the latter availed not to save them from the doom of lust, neither will the actual baptism of the former save them. There all my acts, whether in my becoming "all things to all men," or in receiving no sustenance from my converts, have a definite end in view, viz., to "gain the more." 1 know what I aim at, and how to aim at it. He wlio runs witli aclear aim, looks straight forward to the goal, makes it his sole aim, casts away every encumbrance (Hebrews
12. 1, 2), i.s indifferent to what the bystanders say, and sometimes even a fall only serves to rouse him tlie more. [Bengel. J not asone tliat beateth tlie air—instead ol beating the adversary. Alluding to the .Sciamachia or sparring in the school in sham-flglit (cf. eh. 14. 9), wherein they struck out into the air as if at an Imaginary adversary. The real adversary is Satan acting on us tlirough tlie flesh. 27. Keep uixler lit., bruise the /ace under the eyes, so as to render it black and blue; so, to chastise in the most sensitive pari. Cf. " mortify the deeds of the body," Romans (j.
13; also 1 Peter 2. 11. It is not ascetic fasts or macerations of the body which are here recommended, but the keeping under of our natural self-seeking, so as, like I'aul, to lay ourselves out entirely for the great work, my body—the old man and the remainders of lust in my Hesli. "My body," so far as by the flesh it opposes the sjiiril [EsTiusJ (Cialatians 5. 17). Men may be severe to their bodies and yet indulge their lust. Ascetic " neglect of 1 he body" may be all the while a more subtile " satisfying of the flesh" is a resemblance between the symbols also: for the cloud and sea consist of water, and as these took the Israelites out of sight, and then restored them again to view, so the water does to the baptized. [Bengel.] OLSHAtrsEN understands "the cloud" and "the sea" as symbolizing the
Spirit and ivater respectively (John 3.5; Acts 10.44-47), Christ is the pillar-cloud that screens us from the heat of God's wrath. Christ as " the light of the world" is our "pillar of Are" to guide us in the darkness of the world. As the rock when smitten sent forth the waters, so
(C'olossiaiis 2. 23>. Unless the soul keep under the body, the body will get above the soul. Tlie body may be made a good servant, but is a bad master, bring it Into subjection—or bondage, as a slave or servant led away captive ; BO the Greek, preaclicd lit., heralded. He keeps up the Image from the races. The heralds summoned Ihe candidates for the foot-race into the race-course [Plai'O, Legg.
Christ, having been once for all smitten, sends forth the waters of the Spirit. As the manna bruised in mills ted
Israel, so Christ, when " it pleased the Lord to bruise Him," has become our spiritual food. A strong proof of Inspiration is given in this fact, that the historical parts of Scripture, without the consciousness even of the authors, are covert prophecies of the future. 3. same spiritual meat—As the Israelites had the water from the rock, which answered Ui baptism, so tliey jart the mann.a whicdi corresponded to the other of the two Christian sacraments, the Lord's Supper. St. Paul plainly implies the importance which was attached to these two sacraments by all Christians in those days: "an inspired pro-
8. S3oJ, and placed the crowns on the brows of the conquerors, announcing their names. [Benoki.J They probably proclaimed also the laws of tlie combat; answering to tht: 2>reaching o( the .apostles. [Alkokd.J The Christian herald is aiao combatant ; in which respect he is distinguished from the herald at the games, a cast-away failing shamefully of the prize myself, after I have called others to the contest. Ilejected by God, the Judge of the Christian race, notwithstanding my having, by my preacliiiig, led others to be accepted. Cf. the I'quivalent term, " reprobate," Jeremiah 6. 30; 2 Corinthians 13. (i. St. Paul implies, if such earnest, self-denying watchfulness over himself be needed still, with all his labours for others, to make his own calling sure, much more Is the same needed by the Corinthians, Instead of their going, as test against those who lower their dignity, or deny tiieir necessity." [Alfoiid.] Still he guards against the other extreme of tlilnking the mereexternal possession of such privileges will ensure salvation. Moreover, had there been seven sacraments, as Rome teaches, St. Paul would have alluded to them, whereas he refers to only (he two. He does not mean by " the same" that the JsraeU/es and we Christia7is have the "same" sacrament; but that believing and unbelieving Israelites alike had "the same" spiritual privilege of the manna (cf. v. 17). It was " .•iptrthey do, to the extreme limit of Christian liberty.
CHAPTER X.
Ver. 1-33. I).vnoi:u of Fkllowsiiip with Idolatuy IVSTKATEI) IN TH IC IIlSTOUY OF ISllAKL: HUCJI Kp:LI,OW8UIF INCOMl'ATIIiLH WITH FELLOWSIIII' IN THE LoKll'S BuPi'Ku. KvicN Lawful thin(;.s aue to iik fokisokne, BO AS not to Hukt Weak BketiiiieN. 1. Moreover —The oldest M.SS. read "Foil." Thus the coniiecliou With the foregoing chapter is expressed. Ye need to exiltnil meat" or food ; because given by the power of God's spirit, not by human labour. [CJkotius and Ai.fokd.] Galatians 4. 29, "born after the Spirit," i. p., supernaturally. Psalm 78.21, "corn of heaven" (Psalm 10.5.40). Rather, "spiritual" in its /.i/pi'caJ signlllcation, Clirist, tlie true Bread of heaven, being signllled (John 0. 32). Not that tlie Israelites clearly understood the signification; l)ut believers among them would feel that iu the typ« e^'cise self-denying wutclifulness noiwlthstandiug all 280
The Jews' Punishments our Examples. 1 CORINTIxIANS X. We mu3l Avoid Idolatry,
—So the oldest versions, Irenseus (264), nod good MSS. read Some of the oldest MSS. read " Lord ;" and one MS. only "God." If "Lord" be read, it will mean Christ. As "Christ" was referred to in one of the five privileges of Israel (i'. 4), so it is natural that He should ho luenlioiied here in one of tlie five corresponding sins of that people. In Numbers 21.5 it is "spake against <iod" (wlience probably arose the alteration in the one MS., 1 Corintliians 10.
something more was meant; and their Implicit and reverent, though indistinct, faith was counted to them tor justification, of wliich the manna was a kind of sacramental seal. "They are not to be heard wliith feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises''
(Arllole vii. Church of England), as a[)peans from tliis
J assage (cf. Hebrews 4. 2). *. drink—(Kxodus 17.6.) In Numbers 20. K, "the beasts" alsoare mentioned as li.iving diunk. The literal water typified "spiritual drinl;," and
9, "God," to liarmonize it with Nuinliers 21. 5). As eilher "Christ" or "Lord" is tlie genuine reading "Chiist" must be "God." Cf. " Why do ye tempt tlie Lord ? ' Exodus 17. 2, 7. Cf. Romans 14. 11, with Isaiali 45. 22, 23. Israel's discontented complainings were temptiiigs of Clirist especially, the "Angel" of the covenant (Exodus
Is tlierefore so called, spiritual Rock tliHt followed them— rather, " accompamed them."' Not the literal rock
(or its water) "followed" them, as AiB'ord explains, as if St. Paul sanctioned the Jews' tradition (Rabbi Solomon on Numbers 20. 2) that the rock itself, or at least the stream from it, followed the Israelites from place to place (cf. Deuteronomy 9. 21). But Clirist, the "Spiritual K<x;k" (Psalm 78. 20, 35; Deuteronomy 32. 4, 15, IS, 30, 31, 37; Isaiah 28. 10; 1 Peter 2. 6), accompanied them (Exodus 33.
2:!. '20, 21 ; 32. 31 ; Isaiah 63. 9). Tliough they drank of " that Rock . . . Clirist" {v. 4), they yet comiilaiued for want of water (Exodus 17. 2. 7). Though also eating the same spiritual meat (Christ, "the true manna, " "tlie bread of life"), they yet murmured, " Our soul ioatiieth this light bread." In this case, being punished by the fiery serpents, they were saved by the brazen serpent, the emblem of Christ (cf. John 8. 56; Hebrews '1. 26). The Greek I'or "tempt" means, tempt or try, so as to wew out the long-sutrering of Christ (cf. Psalm 95. 8.9; Numbers
15). . " Followed" implies His, attending on them to minister to them; thus, though mostly going licj'ore tliem. He, when occasion required it, followed "behind" (Exodus
14. 19). He satisfied all alike as to their bodily thirst whenever they needed It; as on three occasions is expressly recorded (Exodus 15. 24, 25; 17. (i ; Nuiubers 20. S); and this drink for the body sj-mbolized the spiritual drink fi om the Spiritual Rock (cf. John 4. 13, 14; see Note,
14. 22). The Corinthians were in danger of provoking God's long-suffering by walking on the verge of idolatry, through overweening confidence in their know:edge. 10. someoftltem . . . murmured—upon the death of Korah and his company, who themsel'^es were murmurers (Numbers 16. 11, 49). Their murmuiv against Moses and Aaron were virtually murmurs again-it God (cf. Exodus
V. 3). 5. But—Though they had so many tokens of God's presence, uiajiy of them—rather, "tlie majority of tliem;" " the whole part." All except Joshua and Caleb of the first generation, not—in tlie Greek emphatically standing in llie beginning of the sentence : "Not,"asone might have naturally expected, "with tlxe more part them was," <fcc. God—whose judgment alone is valid, for—the event showed, they had not pleased God. overthrown lit., strewn in heaps. In the iv Utlerness—far from the land of promise. 6. were— G'i«'A, "came to pcuss
16. 8, 10). St. Paul herein glances at the Corinthian murmurs against himself, the apostle of Christ, destroyed
14,700 perished, the destroyer—the same destroying angel sent by God as In Exodus 12. 23, and 2 .Samuel 21. 16. 11. Kow . . . these tilings . . . ensamples—resuniingtlio thread of v. 0. The oldest MSS. read, "by way of example." the ends of the world lit., "of the ages;" the New Testament dispensation in its successive phases {plural, " ends"; being the winding up of all former "ages." No new dispensation shall appear till (Jhrist comes aa Avenger and Judge; till then the " ends" being many in elude various successive periods (cf. Hebrews 9. 26). As we live in the last dispensation, which is the consummation of all that went before, our responsibilities are the greater; and the greater is the guilt, St. Paul implies, to as." our examples—samples to us of what will befall us, if we also with all our privileges walk carelessly, lust— the fountain of all the four other offences enumerated, and therefore put first (James 1. 14, 15; cf. Psalm loti. 14). A particular case of lust was tliat after flesh, when iluy pined for the fish, leeks, &c., of Egypt, whicli they had left (Numbers 11. 4, 33, 34). These are included in tlie "evil things," not that they are so in themselves, but the}' became so to the Israelites when the.y lusted after what God withheld, and were discontented with wliat God provided. 7. Idolaters—A case in point. As the tlie Corinthians, which they incur if they fall short of tlieir privileges. 1^. thlnketh he standeth—stands and thinks tliat he stands [Bengel]; t. e., stands " by faitli" "well pleasing" to God : in contrast to i-. 5, " with many of them God was not well pleased" (Romans 11. 20). fall —from his place in the Church of God (cf. v. 8, "fell"). Both temporally and spiritually (Romans 14. 4). Our security, so far as relates to God, consists in faith ; so far as relates to ourselves, it consists in fear. 13. Consolation
Israelites sat down (a deliberate act), ute and drank at llie idol feast to tlie calves in Horeb, so the Corintliians were in danger of idolatry by a like act, tliough not professedly worshipping an idol as the Israelites (ch. 8. 10, 11; 10. 14,
20, 21 ; Exodus .32. C). He passes here from the first to pie second person, as they alone (not he also) were in danger of idolatry, &c. He resumes tlie first person appropriately at the IGth verse, some—The multitude loliow tlie letid of some bad men. play—with lascivious dancing, to them, under tlieir temptation; it is none but sucli as is " common to man," or " such u« man can bear," " adapted to man's powers of endurance." [Waiil.] faithful— (Psalm 125.3; Isaiah 27.3.8; Revelation 3.10.) "God is
Biugiiig, and drumming round the calf (cf. " rejoiced," Acts 7. 41). 8. fornication— Fornication was generally, as in this case ^Numbels 25.), associated at the idol feasts with spiritual forfiication, i. e., idolatry. This all applied faitliful" to the covenant whicli He made with you in calling you (1 Thessalonians 5. '24). To be led into temptato the Corinthians (ch. 5. 1, 9; B. 9, 15, IS; ch. 8. 10). Balaam tempted Israel to both sins witli Midian (Kevelation 2. H).
tion is distinct from running into it, wliich would be "tempting God" (t). 9; Mattliew 4.7). way to escape (Jeremiah 29. 11; 2 Peter 2. 9.) The Greek is, "the way of escape;" the appropriate way of escape in eacli particular temptation; not an immediate escape, but one in due time, after patience has had her perfect work (James 1.
Cf. ch. 8. 7, 9, "stumbling-block," "eat . . . tiling oflered unto . . . idol." three and twenty thousand—in Numbers 25.9" twenty and four thousand." If this were a real discrepancy, it would militate rather against inspiration of thesuliiject malter and thought, tliau against verbal inspiration. Tile solution is: Moses in Numbers includes all who died " in the plague;" St. Paul, all wlio died " in one day :" 1000 more may have fell next day. [Kino, liiblical
2-4, 1'2). He "makes" the way of escape simultaneously with the temptation which His providence permissively arranges for His people, to bear it— Oiee, tn hear up under it, or against it. Not, He will takeitawaj (2 Corinthians 12. 7-9). 14. Resuming the argument, u. 7 ; ch 8.9,
Cyclopuedia.] Or, the real number may have been between Za.OOUand 24,i;00; say 2:1,500, or 2:1,600; when writing generally where the exact figures were not needed, one writer might quite veraciously give one of the two round numliers near the exact one, and the other writer the other. [Hk.noei..] Whichever be the true way of reconciling the seeming discrepant statements, at least the ways gi' en above prove they are not really Irreconcilable. 9. ten pt Christ
10. flee—do not tamper with it by doubtful acts, sucli as eating idol meats on tlie plea of Clirislian liberty. The only safety is in wholly sliunning whatever borders on idolatry (2 Corinthians 6. 16, 17). The Holy Spirit herein ahso prescienlly warned tlie Churcli against tlie Idolatry, subsequeutl} transferred from the idol feast to the Lord's