Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
Commentary on the Corinthians other members, but to live for itself, and to seek only its own advantage. "Would it then," says Paul, "be allowable for the hand to refuse to do its office to the other members, on the ground of its bearing envy to the eyes?" These things are said of the natural body, but they must be applied to the members of the Church, lest ambition or misdirected emulation and envy should be the occasion of bad feeling among us, 754 so as to lead one that occupies an inferior station to grudge to afford his services to those above him.
17. If the whole body were an eye He sets aside a foolish aiming at equality, by showing the impossibility of it. "If all the members," says he, "desire the honor that belongs to the eye, the consequence will be, that the whole body will perish; for it is impossible that the body should remain safe and sound, if the members have not different functions, and a mutual correspondence between them. Hence equality interferes with the welfare of the body, because it produces a confusion that entails present ruin. What madness, then, would it be, should one member, instead of giving way to another, 755 conspire for its own ruin and that of the body!"
18. But now God hath placed. Here we have another argument, taken from the appointment of God. "It has pleased God, that the body should consist of various members, and that the members should be endowed with various offices and gifts. That member, therefore, which will not rest satisfied with its own station, will wage war with God after the manner of the giants. 756
Let us, therefore, be subject to the arrangement which God has appointed, that we may not, to no purpose, resist his will." 757
19. If all were one member He means, that God has not acted at random, or without good reason, in assigning different gifts to the members of the body; but because it was necessary that it should be so, for the preservation of the body; for if this symmetry were taken away, there would be utter confusion and derangement. Hence we ought to submit ourselves the more carefully to the providence of God, which has so suitably arranged everything for our common advantage. One member is taken here to mean a mass, that is all of one shape, and not distinguished by any variety; for if God were to fashion our body into a mass of this kind, it would be a useless heap. 758
20. Many members — one body He repeats this the oftener, because the stress of the whole question lies here — that the unity of the body is of such a nature as cannot be maintained but by a diversity of members; and that,
754"Nous face restraindre et espargner les vns enuers les autres;" — "Make us restrict and spare ourselves — one towards another."
755"De s'accommoder et soumettre a l'un des autres membres;" — To accommodate itself, and submit to one of the other members."
756"Comme les poetes ont dit anciennement des geans;" — "As the poets have told of the giants in ancient times." The fabled war of the giants with the gods is referred to in Homer's Odyssey, 7, 59, 206; 10, 120. — Ed.
757"De peur de perdre temps, and nous gaster en resistant a la volonte;" — "Lest we should lose time, and do hurt to ourselves by resisting his will."
758"Un amas de chair inutile;" — "A heap of useless flesh."