Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
Commentary on the Corinthians stain impressed upon the body, such as is not impressed upon it from other sins. According to this comparison, or, in other words, in the sense of less and more, other sins are said to be without the body — not, however, as though they do not at all affect the body, viewing each one by itself.
19. Know ye not that your body He makes use of two additional arguments, in order to deter us from this filthiness. First, That our bodies are temples of the Spirit; and, secondly, that the Lord has bought us to himself as his property. There is an emphasis implied in the term temple; for as the Spirit of God cannot take up his abode in a place that is profane, we do not give him a habitation otherwise than by consecrating ourselves to him as temples It is a great honor that God confers upon us when he desires to dwell in us. (Psalm 132:14.) Hence we ought so much the more to fear, lest he should depart from us, offended by our sacrilegious actings. 363
And ye are not your own. Here we have a second argument — that we are not at our own disposal, that we should live according to our own pleasure. He proves this from the fact that the Lord has purchased us for himself, by paying the price of our redemption. There is a similar statement in Romans 14:9 To this end Christ died and rose again, that he might be Lord of the living and the dead.
Now the word rendered price may be taken in two ways; either simply, as we commonly say of anything that it has cost a price, 364 when we mean that it has not been got for nothing; or, as used instead of the adverb {τιμίως} at a dear rate, as we are accustomed to say of things that have cost us much. This latter view pleases me better. In the same way Peter says,
Ye are redeemed, not with gold and silver, but with the precious 365 blood of the Lamb, without spot. (1 Peter 1:18,19.)
The sum is this, 366 that redemption must hold us bound, and with a bridle of obedience restrain the lasciviousness of our flesh.
20. Glorify God From this conclusion, it appears that the Corinthians took a liberty to themselves in outward things, that it was necessary to restrain and bridle. The reproof therefore is this he allows that the body is subject to God no less than the soul, and that accordingly it is reasonable that both be devoted to his glory. "As it is befitting that the mind of a believer should be pure, so there must be a corresponding outward profession also before men, inasmuch as the power of both is in the hands of God, who has redeemed both." With the same view he declared a little ago, that not only our souls but our bodies also are temples of the Holy Spirit, that we
363"Par nos vilenies plenes de sacrilege;" — "By our defilements, full of sacrilege." 364Thus, {ἐξευρίσκειν}, is employed by classical writers to mean --- getting a thing at a price, that is, at a high price. See Herod. 7. 119. --- Ed
365Our Author has very manifestly in his eye the epithet {τιμίος}, (precious,) as made use of by the Apostle Peter, in reference to the blood of Christ --- {τιμίῳ} {αἱματι}, {ὡς} {ἀμνου} {ἀμώμου} {κ}. {τ}. {λ}. --- ``precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish,'' etc. --- Ed
366"Le sommaire et la substance du propos revient la;" — "The sum and substance of the discourse amount to this."
John Calvin may not think that we discharge our duty to him aright, if we do not devote ourselves wholly and entirely to his service, that he may by his word regulate even the outward actions of our life.