Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin
Commentary on the Corinthians but what he has learned from God, and, giving up his own understanding; resigns himself unreservedly to Christ's guidance, he is wise in the world's account, but he is foolish in the estimation of God.
For it is written, He taketh the wise He confirms this from two Scripture proofs, the first of which is taken from Job 5:13, where the wisdom of God is extolled on this ground, that no wisdom of the world can stand before it.
Now it is certain, that the Prophet speaks there of those that are cunning and crafty; but as the wisdom of man is invariably such without God, 199 it is with good reason that Paul applies it in this sense, — that whatever wisdom men have of themselves is reckoned of no account in the sight of God. The second is from Psalm 94:11, where David, after claiming for God alone the office and authority of the Instructor of all, adds, that He knows the thoughts of all to be vain. Hence, in whatever estimation they are held by us, they are, in the judgment of God, vain Here we have an admirable passage for bringing down the confidence of the flesh, while God from on high declares that everything that the mind of man conceives and contrives is mere vanity 200
21. Therefore let no man glory in men As there is nothing that is more vain than man, how little security there is in leaning upon an evanescent shadow! Hence he infers with propriety from the preceding statement, that we must not glory in men, inasmuch as the Lord thus takes away from mankind universally every ground of glorying. At the same time this inference depends on the whole of the foregoing doctrine, as will appear ere long. For as we belong to Christ alone, it is with good reason that he teaches us, that any supremacy of man, by which the glory of Christ is impaired, involves sacrilege.
22. All things are yours. He proceeds to show what place and station teachers should occupy 201 — such as not to detract in any degree from the authority of Christ, the one Master. As therefore Christ is the Church's sole master, and as he alone without exception is worthy to be listened to, it is necessary to distinguish between him and others, as even Christ himself has testified respecting himself, (Matthew 23:8,) and no other is recommended to us by the Father with this honorable declaration, 202 "Hear ye him." (Matthew 17:5.) As, therefore, he alone is endowed with authority to rule us by his word, Paul says that others are ours — meaning, that they are appointed to us by God with the view of our making use of them — not that they should exercise dominion over our consciences. Thus on the one hand, he shows that they are not useless, and, on the other hand, he keeps them in their own place, that they may not exalt themselves in opposition
199"Quand la sagesse de Dieu n'y est point;" — "When the wisdom of God is not in it." 200"The humbling tendency ef the statement referred to is well brought out by Fuller of Kettering. (Fuller's Works, volume 4, p. 89.)
201"C'est a dire, quelle estime on en doit auoir;" — "That is to easy, in what esteem they ought to be held."
202"Nul autre ne nous a este donne du Pere authorize de ce titre et commandement;" — "No other has been given to us by the Father, authorized by this distinction and injunction."