Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
Commentary on the Corinthians
sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum.
29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 29. Quis infirmatur, et ego non infirmor? Quis offenditur, et ego non uror?
22. He now, by enumerating particular instances, lets them see more distinctly, that he would not by any means be found inferior, if matters came to a contest. And in the first place, he makes mention of the glory of his descent, of which his rivals chiefly vaunted. "If," says he, "they boast of illustrious descent, I shall be on a level with them, for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham." This is a silly and empty boast, and yet Paul makes use of three terms to express it; nay more, he specifies, as it were, three different marks of excellence. By this repetition, in my opinion, he indirectly reproves their folly, inasmuch as they placed the sum-total 1746 of their excellence in a thing that was so trivial, 1747 and this boasting was incessantly in their mouth, so as to be absolutely disgusting, as vain men are accustomed to pour forth empty bravadoes as to a mere nothing.
As to the term Hebrews, it appears from Genesis 11:15, that it denotes descent, and is derived from Heber; and farther, it is probable, that Abraham himself is so called in Genesis 14:13, in no other sense than this — that he was descended from that ancestor. 1748 Not altogether without some appearance of truth is the conjecture of those, who explain the term to mean those dwelling beyond the river. 1749 We do not read, it is true, that any one was called so before Abraham, who had passed over the river, when he quitted his native country, and afterwards the appellation came to be a customary one among his posterity, as appears from the history of Joseph. The termination, however, shows that it is expressive of descent, and the passage, that I have quoted, abundantly confirms it. 1750
23. Are they ministers of Christ? Now when he is treating of matters truly praiseworthy, he is no longer satisfied with being on an equality with them, but exalts himself above them. For their carnal glories he has previously been scattering like smoke by a breath of wind, 1751 by placing in opposition
1746"Proram et puppim;" — "The prow and stern." 1747"Vne chose si vaine, et de si petite consequence;" — "A thing so empty, and of so small importance."
1748"Qu'il estoit descendu d'Heber de pere en fils;" — "That he was descended from Heber, from father to son."
1749"Vray est que la coniecture de ceux qui disent qu'ils sont ainsi appelez comme habitants outre la riuiere, n'est pas du tout sans eouleur;" — "It is true, that the conjecture of those who say that they are so called, as dwelling beyond the river, is not without some appearance of truth."
1750"The word Hebrew signified properly one who was from beyond, ({{עכריfrom {}עכרto pass, to pass over,) hence applied to Abraham, because he had come from a foreign land; and the word denoted properly a foreigner --- a man from the land or country beyond ({)}עכרthe Euphrates. The name Israelite denoted properly one descended from Israel or Jacob, and the difference between them was, that the name Israelite, being a patronymic derived from one of the founders of their nation, was in use among themselves; the name Hebrew was applied by the Canaanite to them, as having come from beyond the river, and was the current name among foreign tribes and nations.'' --- Barnes. --- Ed.
1751"Car quant a leurs gloires charnelles, qui n'estoyent que choses vaines, iusques yci il les a fait esuanoir comme en soufflant dessus." — "For as to theft carnal glories, which were but