|| be tried as by fire. built thereupon, he shall receive a A. M. 4063 reward. A. D. 59. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; © yet so as by fire. d 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of Chap. iv. 5. Jude 23. Chap. vi. 19; 2 Cor. vi. 16, Eph. ii. 21, 22; Heb. iii. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 5. state and character of the hearers; all but the vital,|| day of the Lord, is here intended, and this day shall substantial truths of Christianity. To build with || declare it; shall declare every man's work to all such materials as these, if it do not absolutely de- the universe: beccuse it shall be revealed by fire— stroy the foundation, yet disgraces it; as a mean || Which shall consume the earth with its increase, edifice, suppose a hovel, consisting of nothing better || and shall melt down the foundations of the mountthan planks of wood, roughly put together, and ains; the heavens and the earth, which are now, thatched with hay and stubble, would disgrace a being kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the grand and expensive foundation, laid with great day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, pomp and solemnity. 2 Pet. iii. 7. And the fire shall try every man's Verse 13. Every man's work shall be made ma- work-As fire tries metals, and finds out and sepanifest-God will bring every work into judgment, rates whatever dross is mixed with them; or, as the with every secret thing, whether it be good, or fire of that great and awful day will penetrate the whether it be evil, Eccl. xii. 14. There is nothing earth to its centre, and consume whatever is comcovered that shall not be revealed, neither hid, that bustible, so shall the strict process of the final judgshall not be known. But the apostle's primary ment try, not only the religion of every private meaning here is, that it shall be made manifest what Christian, but the doctrine of every public teacher, kind of materials every spiritual builder uses, that and manifest whether it came up to the Scripture is, what kind of doctrines every minister of Christ standard or not. Although there is here a plain preaches, whether they are true or false, important allusion to the general conflagration, yet the expresor trivial, calculated to produce genuine repentance,sion, when applied to the trying of doctrines, and faith, and holiness in the hearers, or not; to pro-consuming those that are wrong, and the trying of mote the real conversion of sinners, and edification || the characters of professors, is evidently figurative; of believers, or otherwise: and of consequence, what because no material fire can have such an effect on kind of converts every minister makes, whether what is of a moral nature. they be such as can stand the fiery trial or not. For Verses 14, 15. If any man's work abide which he the day shall declare it-Perhaps, 1st, n nuɛpa dηhwoei,|| hath built, &c.-If the superstructure which any might be rendered, time will declare it; for time, || minister of Christ raises on the true foundation, if generally a little time, manifests whether a minis- the doctrines which he preaches can bear the test ter's doctrine be Scriptural and sound, and his con- by which they shall be tried at that day, as being verts genuine or not. If his preaching produce no true, important, and adapted to the state of his saving effect upon his hearers, if none of them are hearers; and the converts which he makes by reformed in their manners, and renewed in their preaching these doctrines, be of the right kind, hearts; if none of them are turned from sin to right- truly regenerated and holy persons, he shall receive cousness, and made new creatures in Christ Jesus, a reward-In proportion to his labours. If any there is reason to suspect the doctrine delivered to|| man's work shall be burned-If the doctrines which them is not of the right kind, and therefore is not any minister preaches cannot bear the test of the owned of God. 2d, The expression means, The great day, as being false or trivial, or not calculated day of trial shall declare it; (see 1 Peter iv. 12;) || to convert and edify his hearers; or if the converts for a day of trial is wont to follow a day of merci- which he makes by preaching such doctrines be only ful visitation; a time of suffering to succeed a sea- converts to some particular opinion, or mode of son of grace. Where the gospel is preached, and a worship, or form of church government, or to a cerchurch is erected for Christ, the religion of such as tain sect or party, and not converts to Christ and profess to receive the truth is generally, in the true Christianity, to the power as well as the course of divine providence, put to the test; and if form of godliness, to the experience and practice, it be a fabric of wood, hay, and stubble, and not of as well as to the theory of true religion, and theregold, silver, and precious stones, it will not be able fore cannot stand in that awful judgment, he shall to bear the fiery trial, but will certainly be consumed || suffer loss-Shall lose his labour and expectation, thereby. The religion (if it can be called religion) and the future reward he might have received, if he of those who are not grounded on, and built up in had built with proper materials; as a man suffers Christ, (Col. ii. 7,) will evaporate like smoke from loss who bestows his time and labour on the erecwood, hay, and stubble, in the day of trial. But, 3d,|| tion of a fabric of wood, hay, and stubble, which is and especially the day of final judgment, the great afterward consumed. But he himself-Thai preacher saved who runs through a fire." But, as by the foundation, which he says he had laid, the apostle undoubtedly meant the doctrine concerning Christ, and salvation through him, it seems more consistent with his design to interpret what refers to the super || ers, of doctrines also, and not of persons introduced by them into the Christian Church: and to understand him as cautioning the Corinthians against disfiguring and destroying the beautiful edifice, by inculcating tenets which were heretical, and pernicious to the souls of men, and would not stand the test of the approaching fiery trial. Thus what follows. himself; shall be saved-Supposing he himself be a true disciple of Christ, built up in faith and holiness on the true foundation; yet so as by fire-As narrowly as a man escapes through the fire, when his house is all in flames about him: or rather, if so be that his own religion, his personal faith and holi-structure attempted to be raised by different buildness, can bear both the fiery trial which he may be called to pass through on earth, whether of reproach and persecution, or of pain and affliction, or any other trouble, and also the decisive trial of the last day. Let it not be supposed by any that the apostle is here putting a case that never occurs, or can occur: such cases, there is reason to believe, have often occurred, and still do and will occur; in which Verses 16, 17. Know ye not, &c.-As if he had ministers, who are themselves real partakers of the said, You should also take heed what doctrine you degrace of Christ, and truly pious, yet, through error liver, lest by teaching what is false, unimportant, or of judgment, attachment to certain opinions, or a improper to be taught, you should defile or destroy particular party, or under the influence of peculiar the temple of God; that ye-True believers, genuprejudices, waste their time, and that of their hear-ine Christians; are the temple of God-Whether ers, in building wood, hay, and stubble, when they considered collectively as a church, (Eph. ii. 21; should be labouring to raise an edifice of gold, sil-1 Tim. iii. 15,) or as individuals and members of ver, and precious stones; employ themselves in one, (chap. vi. 19; 2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. ii. 22; Heb. inculcating unessential or unimportant, if not even iii. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 5,) being set apart from profane uses, false doctrines, when they ought to be testifying and dedicated to his service, among whom, and in with sincerity, zeal, and diligence, the genuine gos- whom, he manifests his gracious presence by his pel of the grace of God. Dr. Macknight, who con- Spirit. See on Rom. viii. 9. If any man defile, siders the apostle as speaking in these verses, not of || corrupt-Or destroy rather, (as it seems the word the foundation and superstructure of a system of oɛipei should be rendered,) that is, should divide doctrines, "but of the building or temple of God, and scatter a Christian church or society, by schisms consisting of all who profess to believe the gospel," or unscriptural doctrines, or leaven with error, and gives us the following commentary on the passage: lead into sin, a real Christian; him shall God "Other foundation of God's temple, no teacher, if destroy-Punish with eternal condemnation and he teaches faithfully, can lay, except what is laid by || wrath; so that he shall not be saved at all, not even me, which is Jesus, the Christ, promised in the as through fire: for the temple of God is holy-ConScriptures. Now if any teacher build on the found secrated to him, separated from all pollution, and to alion, Christ, sincere disciples, represented in this be considered as peculiarly sacred; and therefore it similitude by gold, silver, valuable stones; or if he is an awful thing to do any thing which tends to debuildeth hypocrites, represented by wood, hay, stub- || stroy it. Which temple ye are―Called and intendble, every teacher's disciples shall be made mani-ed to be such. fest in their true characters; for the day of persecution, which is coming on them, will make every one's character plain, because it is of such a nature as to be revealed by the fire of persecution: and so that fire, falling on the temple of God, will try every teacher's disciples, of what sort they are. If the disciples, which any teacher has introduced into the church, endure persecution for the gospel without apostatizing, such a teacher shall receive the reward promised to them who turn others to righteousness, Dan. xii. 3. If the disciples of any teacher shall, in time of persecution, fall away, through the want of proper instruction, he will lose his reward; he himself, however, having in general acted sincerely, shall be saved; yet, with such difficulty, as one is Verses 18-20. Let no man deceive himself—Neither teacher, by propagating errors through pride of his own understanding; nor hearers, by a factious preferring of one above another for his gifts. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world-Be wise with respect to the things of this world only, and on that account be puffed up with pride; let him become a fool-Such as the world accounts so; let him renounce his carnal wisdom, and submit to the doctrine of the gospel, which the world considers as folly; that he may be-Prove himself to be, wise-Namely, spiritually, and in God's account; wise in matters that concern his everlasting salvation. For the wisdom of this world -However men may boast of it, and think highly of themselves because they suppose they possess it; is foolishness with God-Is accounted so by him. For it is written, (Job v. 13, where see the note,) He taketh the wise in their own craftiness-Not only while they think they are acting wisely, but by their very wisdom, which itself is their snare, and the occasion of their destruction. In other words, they are entangled and brought to ruin by those subtle contrivances, whereby they thought to secure themselves. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise -The worldly wise, or of those that think themselves wise; that they are vain-Empty, foolish, unprofitable, ineffectual to secure themselves against God. Verses 21-23. Therefore-Upon the whole, considering all that has been advanced, and especially considering in what view the great God regards these things which we are so ready to value ourselves upon; let no man glory in men—So as to divide into parties on their account; for all things are yoursAnd we in particular. We are not your lords, but ministers ought to be held. A. D. 59. 21 Therefore let no man glory in A. M. 4063. men: for all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And 1ye are Christ's: and Christ is God's. 2 Cor. iv. 5, 15. Rom. xiv. 8; Chap. xi. 3; 2 Cor. x. 7; Gal. iii. 29. rather your servants: whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas-We are all equally yours, to serve you for Christ's sake: or the world-This leap, from Peter to the world, greatly enlarges the thought, and argues a kind of impatience of enumerating the rest. Peter, and every one in the whole world, however excellent in gifts, or grace, or office, are also your servants for Christ's sake; or life or death-These, || with all their various circumstances, are disposed as will be most for your advantage; or things present— On earth, or things to come-In heaven. Contend therefore no more about these little things, but be ye united in love as ye are in blessings. And ye are Christ's-His property, his subjects, his members; and Christ is God's--As Mediator, he acted as his Father's servant, and referred all his services to his Father's glory. Others understand the passage thus: "All things are appointed for your good, and ye are appointed for Christ's honour, and Christ for God's glory." CHAPTER IV. As a further antidote against the pride and the factious spirit working, and ready to prevail, among the Christians at Corinth, the apostle, in this chapter, (1,) Leads them into several useful reflections on the nature of the ministerial office, and the final judgment of Him who searches all hearts, 1-5. (2,) Represents the obligations they were under to the divine goodness for every advantage by which they were distinguished from others, and cautions them against thinking highly of themselves on account of what they had received, and against despising him and his fellow-servants, on account of the ignominious treatment they met with from the world; which treatment he contrasts with that easy state in which the Corinthians were, 6-13. (3,) He claims their regard to him as their spiritual father in Christ, 14-16. (4,) He shows that, in great concern for them, he had sent Timothy to them, and intended himself to come and rectify disorders among them, warning them not to force him to use severity, which he was very averse to do, 17-21. from Christ, he here tells them that even the apostles were only Christ's servants; obliged in all things to act in entire subjection to him, and obedience to his will. So account of us as of the ministers of Christ-The original word, væпpеras, properly signifies such servants as laboured at the oar in rowing vessels, and accordingly intimates the pains which every faithful minister of Christ takes in his Lord's work. O God! where are these ministers to be found? Lord, thou knowest! and stewards of the The apostle shows the obligations A. M. 4063. 2 Moreover, it is required in stew-|| and then shall every man have A. M. 4063. ards that a man be found faithful. praise of God. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's 1judg-|| ment: yea, I judge not mine own self. A. D. 59. 6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself, and to Apollos, for your sakes: that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. mysteries of God-Dispensers of the mysterious sight: but he that judgeth me is the Lord-By his truths of the gospel. "The apostle gives to those sentence I must stand or fall. Therefore judge doctrines, which in former ages had been kept se- || nothing before the time-Appointed for judging all cret, but which were now discovered to all through men; until the Lord come-To judge the world in the preaching of the gospel, the appellation of the righteousness; who--In order to pass a righteous mysteries of God, to recommend them to the Co- judgment, which otherwise would be impossible; rinthians. And he calls himself the steward of these will both bring to light the hidden things of darkmysteries, to intimate, that the deepest doctrines, as ness-The things covered with the veil of impene.. well as the first principles of the gospel, were in- trable obscurity, and will make manifest the countrusted to him to be dispensed or made known."- sels of the heart-The most secret springs of action, Macknight. the principles and intentions of every heart: and then shall every man-Who is sincere, faithful, and praiseworthy; have praise of God-Both commendation and reward. Verses 6, 7. And these things-Mentioned chap. i. 10, &c., iii. 4, &c.; I have in a figure very obviously transferred to myself and Apollos-And Cephas, instead of naming those particular preachers at Corinth, to whom you are so fondly attached; that ye might learn in us-From what has been said concerning us; not to think of any man above what is written-Here or elsewhere, in God's word; that Verses 2-5. Moreover-As for what remains to be done in the discharge of this office; it is required|| of stewards-Since they also, as well as lower servants in the family, are subject to account; that a man be found faithful-That he act according to his commission, and neither withhold any privilege, or any part of God's will from the people; nor deliver his own notions as the will of God, nor take more authority upon him than God has given him; as also that he discover and communicate divine truths and blessings as the hearers are able to receive them. With me it is a very small thing-A above what Scripture warrants; not to set a highthing that concerns me very little; that I should be er value upon any of your teachers, or their gifts judged of you-Iva avaкpiow, that I should be ex- and abilities, than what I have expressed, chap. iii. amined, as the word properly signifies, namely, in 6-8, agreeable to Scripture; namely, that they are order to the being judged, or to a judicial sentence only instruments in God's hand, and that all the sucbeing passed, which is evidently the meaning of the cess of their labours depends on his blessing. Thus same word in the last clause of the verse; or of this great apostle, by stripping himself of all honour, man's judgment-A judgment passed by any man and by taking to himself the simple character of a whatsoever, though in the most solemn manner. servant of Christ, taught the heads of the faction to The original expression, av&pwπvns nμepaç, is literally, lay aside their boasting, and behave with modesty, human day; namely, of judgment, in allusion to the especially as all the teachers at Corinth did nothing great day of judgment. Yea, I judge not myself but build upon the foundation which he had laid, Namely, finally, infallibly, definitively: my final and exercised no spiritual gift but what they had restate is not to be determined by my own judgment. ceived, either through him or through some other For I know nothing by myself—I am not conscious apostle. That none of you be puffed up for one to myself of doing any thing evil, or of any unfaith- against another-That you should not value yourfulness or negligence in the discharge of my minis-selves by reason of your relation to, or dependance try; yet am Inot hereby justified-Acquitted from all upon, one teacher more than another, thereby magfault in God's sight, who observes those failings in nifying one, and vilifying another. For who maus which we cannot discern in ourselves; for whoketh thee to differ-Either in gifts or graces; or who can understand his errors? Psa. xix. 12: or, I do has so far advanced thee in point of wisdom and not depend on my own conscience not condemning judgment above all other believers, as that thou me, as a sufficient justification of myself in God's canst, by thy own authority, set up any one teacher VOL. II. ( 10 ) 145 b The apostles are fools A. D. 59. I. CORINTHIANS. A. D. 59. for Christ's sake. A. M. 4063. 8 Now ye are full,' now ye are rich, || are wise in Christ; we are weak, A. M. 4063. ye have reigned as kings without us: but ye are strong; ye are honourable, and I would to God ye did reign, that we also but we are despised. might reign with you. m 9 For I think that God hath set forth 3 us the|| apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for "we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 4 r 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; 12 " And labour, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being perse х 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but yecuted, we suffer it ; r2 Cor. iv. 8; xi. 23-27; Phil. iv. 12. Job xxii. 6; Rom. viii. 35.- Acts xxiii. 2." Acts xviii. 3; xx. 34; 1 Thess. ii. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 8; 1 Tim. iv. 10.- - Matt. v. 44; Luke vi. 28; xxiii. 34; Acts vii. 60; Rom. xii. 14, 20; 1 Peter ii. 23; iii. 9. the angels, to whom the apostles were made a spectacle, some understand the evil angels, who may be supposed to delight in the blood of the martyrs. Others understand the good angels, to whom the faith and constancy of the apostles gave great joy. Probably both were intended. For it must have animated the apostles in combating with their persecutors, to think that they were disappointing the malice of evil spirits, while they were making the angels in heaven and good men on earth happy, by the faith, and patience, and fortitude, which they were exerting in so noble a cause."-Macknight. Verses 10-13. We are fools-In the account of the world, for Christ's sake-Because we expose ourselves to so many dangers and sufferings for his cause: or because we preach the plain truths of the gospel, and affirm such high things of one who was crucified as a malefactor. But ye are wise in Christ Verse 8. Now ye are full-The Corinthians abounded with spiritual gifts; and so did the apostles. But the apostles, by continual want and sufferings, were preserved from self-complacency. The Corinthians suffered nothing; and having plenty of all things, were pleased with and applauded themselves. And they were like children who, being raised in the world, disregard their poor parents. Now ye are full, says the apostle, in a beautiful gradation; ye are rich; ye have reigned as kings-A proverbial expression, denoting the most splendid and plentiful circumstances; without us-That is, without any thought of us; or, by the ministry of-Though ye are Christians, ye think yourselves your own teachers, without our help. And I would wise; and ye have found means to make the world to God ye did reign-In the best sense: I would ye think so too: or, you think you have found out a way had attained to an eminence of grace and holiness at once of securing the blessings of the gospel, and as well as of gifts; that we also might reign with||escaping its inconveniences and persecutions. We you Might have no more sorrow on your account. are weak-In presence, in infirmities, and in sufferVerse 9. For God hath set forth us the apostles-ings: but ye are strong-Just in opposite circumAnd all faithful ministers; last, as it were appointed to death-He alludes to the Roman theatrical spectacles, in which those persons were brought forth last on the stage, either to fight with each other, or with wild beasts, who were devoted to death; so that if they escaped one day, they were brought out again and again, till they were killed. For, from a passage of Seneca'a Epistles, quoted by Whitby, it appears that in the morning those criminals, to whom they gave a chance of escaping with their lives, fought with the wild beasts armed. But in the afternoon the gladiators fought naked, and he who escaped was only reserved for slaughter to another day; so that they might well be called Eπidavaries, persons appointed to death. "By comparing the apostles to these devoted persons, Paul hath given us a strong and affecting picture of the dangers which the apostles encountered in the course of their ministry; dangers which at length proved fatal to most of them. Their labours and sufferings were greater than those of the ancient prophets." A spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men-"By 146 stances. Ye are honourable-Adorned with extraordinary gifts, in which you are ready to glory, and some of you appear in circumstances of external distinction; but we are despised-Treated with contempt wherever we come. Or the apostle may be considered in this verse as repeating ironically the things which his enemies in Corinth said of him, and as attributing to them, in the same spirit of irony, the contrary qualities. Even unto this present hour-Not only at our first entrance upon our office, when all the world was set against Christianity, but still, though many thousands are converted; we both hunger and thirst, &c.-Are destitute of necessary food and apparel, and exposed to wants of all sorts. Who can imagine a more glorious triumph of the truth than that which is gained in these circumstances? When Paul, with an impediment in his speech, and a person rather contemptible than graceful, appeared in a mean, perhaps tattered dress, before persons of the highest distinction, and yet commanded such attention, and made such deep impressions upon them! Being reviled, we bless, ( 10* ) b |