'biw^'!^...^^,^mr:^^x^ sg|^Pri'n'^'?^ -/ ^,. .*ftr^^5al^ %..:J.. i:.^^^ 3J',^"^J't\^-e-^'^,^ <"i!^'". m -I ^ r'l/' M-t ,-, I ft^ ^,foiuBSiig {if a. CoHtg^ Ol tht^ Catonf THE LETTERS AND SPEECHES OF ST. PAUL AS TRANSLATED FOR CONYBEARE AND HOWSON'S LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES. " Paul by his letters still lives." — Chrysostom. HARTFORD, CONN.: R. W. BLISS AND COMPANY. 1881. ' uu 75B B5Zc CONTENTS. The Speeches of St, Paul. PAGE ADDRESS TO THE JEWS AT ANTIOCH IN PISIDIA, - - 5 ADDRESS TO THE GENTILES AT LYSTRA, - - 9 SPEECH ON THE AREOPAGUS AT ATHENS, - - - 10 ADDRESS TO THE EPHESIAN PRESBYTERS AT MILETUS, 158 HEBREW SPEECH ON THB STAIRS OF THE FORTRESS, - 161 SPEECH BEFORE FELIX THE GOVERNOR, - - 165 SPEECH BEFORE AGRIPPA THE KING, - - - 167 SPEECH TO THE SAILORS OF THE ALEXANDRIAN SHIP, 172 The Letters of St. Paul. FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS, - - - 15 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS, - - 24 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, - - - 29 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, - - 67 EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, - - - - 95 EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS, - - . - 113 EPISTLE TO PHILEMON, - - - - - 173 EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS, ... - 177 EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS (so called), - - - 189 EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS, ... 203 FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHEUS, - - - - 2U EPISTLE TO TITUS, ..... 227 SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHEUS, - . - - 232 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, ... 246 NOTE. This book is printed almost entirely from electrotype plates used in printing portions of Conybeare and Howson's "Xi/e a-nd Epistles of St. Paul," (American People's edition,*) — alterations having been made only at the commencement of some of the chapters. This fact will account for, and per haps sufficiently excuse, such incongruities as may be observed in the references, or elsewhere. The Letters and Speeches of St. Paul are published in this detached form at the suggestion of a clergyman who has found it somewhat inconvenient to refer to them when scattered, as they have hitherto been, through one or more large volumes ; and who believes that the book will tend to give a far wider circulation to a Translation of great and acknowledged merit ; — one which, in the language of an eminent scholar, " cor rects the English version in many places, and gives, what the authors aim at, the exact meaning of the original." * See page 283. ST. PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE JEWS AT ANTIOCH. The two strangers entered tlie synagogue, and, wearing the Tal- lith, which was the badge of an Israelite, " sat down " with the rest. The prayers were recited, the extracts from "the Law and the Prophets " were read ; the " Book " returned to the " Minis ter," and then we are told that "the rulers of the synagogue" sent to the new comers, on whom many eyes had already been fixed, and invited them to address the assembly, if they had words of comfort or instruction to speak to their fellow Israel ites. The very attitude of St. Paul, as- he answered the invita tion, is described to us. He " rose " from his seat, and with the animated and emphatic gesture which he used on other occasions, " beckoned with his hand." * * * The following were the words (so far as they have been pre served to us) spoken bj St. Paul on this memorable occasion : Acta xlli. " Men of Israel, and ye, proselytes of the aD^ p™e'i/tT Gentiles, who worship the God of Abraham, give audience. "The God of this people Israel chose our ?j°i'|, S°^fH?s fathers, and raised up His people, when they ^av?lrto''tothl •* , progenltorofthe dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt; '^^^¦ and with an high arm brought he them out therefrom. 18 And about the time of forty years, even as a nurse beareth her child, so bare He them^ through the wil- 19 derness. And he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, and gave their land as g, portion unto His 20 people. And after that He gave unto them Judges about the space'' of four hundred and fifty years, until 1 The beauty of this metaphor has been lost to the Authorized Version on ac count of the reading adopted in the Received Text. There is an evident allusion to Deut i. 31. "We need not trouble our readers with the difficulties which have been raised concerning the chronology of this passage. Supposing it could be proved that St Paul's knowledge of ancient chronology was imperfect, this need not surprise us : 6 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. VI Samuel the Prophet; then desired they a king, and 21 He gave unto them Saul, the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, to rule them for forty years. And 22 when he had removed Saul, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testi mony and said: Ihave found David, the son qf Jesse, a man ofter my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will} Of this man's seed hath God, according to his 23 promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus. wi'sws^^eiiot- "And John was the messenger who went 24 ed forerunner, jg^^j^g jj,^g face^ to 'prepare His way hefore Him, and he preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course^ his saying was, ' Whom think ye that I am? I 25 am not He. But behold there cometh one after me whose shoes' latchet I am not worthy to loose.'* je''ra8ailSfui- "Men aud Brethren,^ whether ye be chil- 26 ftX'causfng''" dren of the stock of Abraham, or proselytes the death of _ ^ r J jesuB. q£ ^jjg Gentiles, to you have been sent the tidings of this salvation: for the inhabitants of Jeru- 27 salem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read in their synagogues every Sabbath day, have fulfilled the Scriptures in condemning Him. And though they 28 found in him no cause of death, yet besought they Pilate that He should be slain. And when they had 29 for there seems no reason to suppose (and we have certainly no right to assume a priori) that Divine inspiration would instruct the Apostles in truth discoverable by uninspired research, and non-essential to their religious mission. See note on Galatians iii. 17. 1 Compare Ps. Ixxxix. 20, with 1 Sam. xiii. 14. The quotation is from the LXX., but not verbatim, being apparently made from memory. 2 Mal. iii. 1, as quoted Mat. xi. 10, not exactly after the LXX., but rather accord ing to the literal translation of the Hebrew. 3 Here, and in the speech at Miletus (xiii. 25), it is worthy of notice that St. Paul uses one of his favorite and characteristic metaphors drawn from the foot-race. * The imperfect is used here. sjAterally " men that are my brethren." So in Acts xvii. 22, — " men of Athens." It might be rendered simply " brethren." Chap. VI.] ADDRESS TO THE JEWS. 7 fulfilled all which was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulchre. 30 "But God raised him from the dead. fZf'"'^''- 31 "And he was seen for many days by them many'^linLses. whom came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now^ his witnesses to the people of Israel.'' 32 "And while they" proclaim it in Jerusalem, TheGiaa •' ¦•¦ Tidings ofthe we declare unto you the same Glad Tidings ic°'„'i'nci'^ent ... . 1*1 1 I ^^at Christ's concerning the promise which was made to £^/^"j;fj}J°s our fathers; even that God hath fulfilled the ^"¦'•^VomiBes. same unto us their children, in that He hath raised 33 up Jesus from the dead;* as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my son, this day have I 34 begotten thee.^ And whereas He hath raised Him from the grave, no more to return unto corruption, He hath said on this wise, Uie blessings of David will I give you, even the blessings which stand fast in holiness.^ 35 Wherefore it is written also in another psalm. Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.'' 36 Now David, after he had ministered in his own gener ation' to the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid 37 unto his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised from the dead saw no corruption." 1 The word for " now,'' evidently very important here, is erroneously omitted by the Textus Receptus. ^ « Xhe people," always means the Jewish people. 3 Observe, "we preach to you" emphatically contrasted with the preceding " they to the Jewish nation " (Humphry). * " Raised npfrom the dead." We cannot agree with Mr. Humphry that the word can here (consistently with the context) have the same meaning as in vii. 37. ^Ps. ii. 7, according to LXX trans. ^Isaiah lv. 3 ("LXX.) The verbal connection {holy — Holy One) between vv. 34 and 35 should be carefully noticed. 7Ps. xvi. 10 (LXX.) 8 David's ministration was performed (like that of other men) in his own generation ; but the ministration of Christ extended to all generations. The thought is similar to Heb. vii. 23, 24. We depart here from the Authorized Version, because the use of the Greek words for " to serve one's own generation," does not accord with the analogy of the N. T. 9 We are here reminded of the arguments of St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, just as the beginning of the speech recalls that of St. Stephen before the Sanhedrin. ' Possibly, St. Paul himself had been an auditor of the first, as he certainly was of the last. 8 THE LIFE ASTD EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. VI. Catholicity of "Be it known unto you, therefore, men 38 ChriBfs salva- .J ? weetttl'"''" and brethren, that through this Jesus is de- Gospelandthe i -i , ji n ¦ p • I"*" clared unto you the forgiveness ol sms. And in Him all who have faith are justified from 39 all transgressions, wherefrom in the Law of Moses ye could not be justified. jinai warning. "Bewarc, thcreforc, lest that come upon you 40 which is spoken in the prophets, Behold, ye de- 41 spisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, tfbough a man declare it unto you"^ This address made a deep and thrilling impression on the audi ence. While the congregation were pouring out of the syna gogue, many of them crowded round the speaker, begging that " these words," which had moved their deepest feelings, might be repeated to them on their next occasion of assembling together. And when at length the mass of ,the people had dispersed, singly or in groups, to their homes, many of the Jews and proselytes still clung to Paul and Barnabas, who earnestly exhorted them (in the form of expression which we could almost recognize- as St. Paul's, from its resemblance to the phraseology of his Epistles,) " to abide in the grace of God." " With what pleasure can we fancy the Apostle to have ob served these hearers of the Word, who seemed to have heard it in such earnest. How gladly must they have talked with them, — entered into various points more fully than was possible in any public address, — appealed to them in various ways which no one can touch upon who is speaking to a mixed multitude. Yet with all their pleasure and their hope, their knowledge of man's heart must have taught them not to be over confident ; and therefore they would earnestly urge them to continue in the grace of God ; to keep up the Impression which had already outlasted their stay within the synagogue ; — to feed It, and keep it alive, and make it deeper and deeper, that it should remain with them for ever. What the issue was we know not, — nor does that concern us, only we may be sure that here, as in other Instances, there were some in whom their hopes and endeavors were disappointed. 1 Habak. i. 5 (LXX). ST. PAUL'S SPEECH TO THE LYSTRIANS. The news of a wonderful occurrence is never long in spreading through a small country town. At Lystra the whole population was presently in an uproar. They would lose no time iu paying due honor to their heavenly visitants. The priest attached to that temple of Jupiter before the city gates, to which we have before alluded, was summoned to do sacrifice to the god whom he served. Bulls and garlands, and whatever else was requisite to the per formance of the ceremony, were duly prepared, and the procession moved amidst crowds of people to the residence of the Apostles. They, hearing the approach of the multitude, and learning their idolatrous intention, were filled with the utmost horror. They " rent their clothes," and rushed out of the house in which they lodged, and met the idolaters approaching the vestibule. There, standing at the doorway, they opposed the entrance of the crowd ; and Paul expressed his abhorrence of their Intention, and earnestly tried to prevent their fulfilling It, In a speech of which only tbe foUowing short outline is recorded by St. Luke : — "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men, x°l? of like passions with you ; and we are come to preach 15 to you the Glad Tidings, that you may turn from these vain idols to the living God, who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein. For in the generations that are past, He 16 suffered all the nations of the Gentiles to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He left not Himself 17 without witness, in that He blessed you, and gave you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." ST. PAUL AT ATHENS. The Athenians took the Apostle from the tumult of public dis cussion to the place which was at once most convenient and most appropriate. There was everything in the place to incline the auditors, so far as they were seriously disposed at all, to a reverent and thoughtful attention. It is probable that Dionysius, with other Areopagites, were on the judicial seats. And a vague recollection of the dread thoughts associated by poetry and tradi tion with tbe Hill of Mars may have solemnized the minds of some of those who crowded up the stone steps with the Apostle, a,nd clustered round the summit of the hill, to hear this announce ment of the new divinities. There Is no point In the annals of the first planting of Christianity v/hich seizes so powerfully on the imagination of those who are familiar with the history of the ancient world. Whether we con trast the intense earnestness of the man who spoke, with the frivolous character of those who surrounded him, — or compare the ¦certain truth and awful meaning of the Gospel he revealed, with the worthless polytheism which had made Athena a proverb in the €arth, — or even think of the mere words uttered that day In the ¦clear atmosphere, on the summit of Mars' Hill, In connection with the objects of art, temples, statues, and altars, which stood round «n every side, — we feel that the moment was, and was Intended to be, full of the most Impressive teaching for every age of the world. Close to the spot where he stood was the Temple of Mars. The sanctuary " of the Eumenides was immediately below him ; the Parthenon of Minerva facing him above. Their presence seemed to challenge the assertion in which he declared here, that in TEMPLES made with hands the Deit-y does not d-well. In firont of llim, towering from its pedestal on the rock of the Acropolis, — as the Borromean Colossus, which at this day, with outstretched hand, gives Its benediction to the low village of Arona ; or as the brazen statue of the armed angel, which from the summit of the Castel S. Angelo spreads Its wings over the city of Eome, — was Chap. X.1 SPEECH OF ST. PAUL. 11 the bronze Colossus of Minerva, armed with spear, shield, and helmet, as the champion of Athens. Standing almost beneath Its shade, he pronounced that the Deity was not to he likened either to that, the work of Phidias, or to other forms In gold, silver, or stone, graven by art, and -man's device, which peopled the scene before him."^ Wherever his eye was turned, it saw a succession of such statues and buildings in every variety of form and situation. On the rocky ledges on the south side of the Acropolis, and in the midst of the hum of the Agora, were the " objects of devotion" already described. And in the northern parts of the city, which are equally visible from the Areopagus, on the level spaces, and on every eminence, were similar objects, to whioh we have made no allusion, — and especially that Temple of Theseus, the national hero, which remains In unimpaired beauty, to enable us to Imagine what Athens was when this temple was only one among the many ornaments of that city, which was "crowded with Idols." In this scene St, Paul spoke probably In his wonted attitude " stretching out his hand ; " his bodily aspect still showing what he had suffered from weakness, toil, and pain ; and the traces of sadness and anxiety mingled on his countenance with the ex pression of unshaken faith. Whatever his personal appearance may have been, we know the words which he spoke. And we are struck with the more admiration, the more narrowly we scru tinize the characteristics of his address. To defer for the present all consideration of Its manifold adaptations to the various charac ters of his auditors, we may notice how truly It was the outpour ing of the emotions which, at the time, had possession of his soul. The mouth spoke out of the fulness of the heart. With an ardent and enthusiastic eloquence he gave vent to the feelings which had been excited .by all that he had seen around him In Athens. We observe, also, how the whole course of the oration was regulated by his own peculiar prudence. He was placed in a position, where he might easily have been ensnared Into the use of words which would have brought down upon him the Indignation of all the city. Had he begun by attacking the national gods in the midst of their sanctuaries, and with the Areopagites on the seats near him, he would have been In almost as great danger as Socrates before him. Yet he not only avoids the snare, but uses the very 1 Wordsworth's Athens and Attica, p. 77. The word "graven" (Acts xvii. 29) should be noticed. The Apostle was surrounded by sculpture as well as by temples. 12 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. X diflSculty of his position to make a road to the convictions of those who heard him. He becomes a Heathen to the Heathen. He does not say that he is introducing new divinities. He rather implies the contrary, and gently draws his hearers away from polytheism by telling them that he was making known the God whom they themselves were ignorantly endeavoring , to worship. And If the speech is characterized by St. Paul's prudence, it is marked by that wisdom of his Divine Master, which Is the pattern of all Christian teaching. As our Blessed Lord used the tribute-money for the Instruction of His Disciples, and drew living lessons from the water In the well of Samaria, so the Apostle of the Gentiles employed the familiar objects of Athenian life to tell them of what was close to them, and yet they knew not. He had carefully observed the outward appearance of the city. He had seen an altar with an expressive, though humiliating, inscription. And, using this inscription as a text,^ he spoke to them, as follows, the Words of Eternal Wisdom. SSowSons Ye men of Athens, aU things which I t^^. 8hip''and their' bchold bcar witness to your carefulness in wSipfng!' religion.^ For as I passed through your city, 22 and beheld the objects of your worship, I found amongst 23 them an altar with this inscription, TO THE' UN KNOWN GOD. Whom, therefore, ye worship, though ye know Him not. Him declare I unto you. li°fhtTempree' Gfod, who madc the world and all things 24 LnMneTs' thcrcin, seeing that .He is Lord of heaven the service of ' O His creatures. ^^^ g^^^j^^ dwelleth uot IU tcmplcs madc 1 The altar erected to Pity, above alluded to, was once used in a similar manner. The Athenians were about to introduce gladiatorial shows, and Demonax the Cynic said : " Do not do this till you have first thrown down the altar of Pity." ^ The mistranslation of this verse in the Authorized Version is much to be regret ted, because it entirely destroys the graceful courtesy of St. Paul's opening address, and represents him as beginning his speech by offending his audience. ^ Although there is no article before the adjective, yet we need not scruple to re tain the definite article of the Authorized Version ; for although, if we take the ex pression by itself, " To AN Unknown God " would be a more correct translation, yet if we consider the probable origin (see above) of these altars erected to unknown gods it will be evident that " To THE Unknown God " would be quite as near the sense of the inscription upon any particular one of such altars. Each pariicular altar was devoted to the unknown god to whom it properly belonged, though which of the gods it might be the dedicator knew not. Chap. X.] SPEECH OF ST. PAUL. 13 25 with hands.' Neither is He served by the hands of men, as though He needed any thing; lor it is He that giveth unto all life, and breath, and all things. 26 And He made of one blood'' all the nations of man kind, to dwell upon the face of the whole earth; and ordained to each the appointed seasons of their 27 existence, and the bounds of their habitation. That they should seek God, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be not ^J'p^aSf oT"'"* 28 far from every one of us. For in Him we andoug1it%t ./ to have fallen live and move and have our being; as eer- Indotatry.'evln - . where it was tam also of your own poets have said trtlTsMi^^ " For we are also His offspring." 29 Forasmuch, then, as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by the art and device of man. 30 Howbeit, those past times of ignorance God k,oked*he'pMt. . but no-ff calls hath overlooked ; but now He commandeth frt^il^toi" 31 all men everywhere to repent, because He men't."''"'*^' hath appointed a day wherein He will judge the world I Here agaiu (as at Antioch in Pisidia) we find St. Paul employing the very words of St. Stephen. Acts vii. 48. ^ " Of one blood ;" excludingthe boastful assumption of a different origin claimed by the Greeks for themselves over the Barbarians. It is not necessary to take the words together so as to mean "He caused to dwell," as some interpreters maintain. ' The quotation is from Aratus, a Greek poet, who was a native of Cilicia, a cir cumstance which would, perhaps, account for St. Paul's familiarity with his writ ings. His astronomical poems were eo celebrated, that Ovid declares his fame will live as long as the sun and moon endure. How little did the Athenian audience imagine that the poet's immortality would really be owing to the quotation made by the despised provincial who addressed them. Nearly the same words occur also in the hymn of Cleauthes, The opening lines of thia hymn have been thus translated : " Thou, who amid the Immortals art throned the highest in glory, Giver and Lord of life, who by law dispoaest ofall things. Known by many a name, yet One Almighty for ever, Hail, O Zeual for to Thee should each mortal voice be uplifted; Offspring are we too of thine, we and all that is mortal around us." * See notes upon St. Paul's speech at Lystra. It should be observed that no such metaphor as " winked at" is to be found in the original. 14 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. X. in righteousness, by that Man whom He hath ordained; _ . ,. . . whereof He hath given assurance unto all, in Const s miBsion O ^ M^rceaion.^" that He hath raised Him from the dead. St. Paul was here suddenly Interrupted, as was no doubt fre quently the case with his speeches both to Jews and Gentiles. Some of those who listened broke out into laughter and derision. The doctrine of the resurrection was to them ridiculous, as the notion of equal religious rights with the " Gentiles " was offensive and Intolerable to the Hebrew audience at Jerusalem. Others of those who were present on the Areopagus said, with courteous in difference, that they would " hear him again on the subject." * * Whatever may have been the Immediate results of St. Paul's sojourn at Athens, its real fruits are those which remain to us still. That speech on the Areopagus is an imperishable monument of the first victory of Christianity over Paganism. To make a sacred application of the words used by the Athenian historian,'it was " no mere effort for the moment," but it is a " perpetual posses sion," wherein the Church finds ever fresh supplies of wisdom and guidance. It is In Athens we learn what is the highest point to which unassisted human nature can attain ; and here we learn also the language which the Gospel addresses to a man on his proudest eminence of unaided strength. God in His providence, has preserved to us, in fullest profusion, the literature which un folds to us all the life of the Athenian people. In its glory and Its shame ; and He has ordained that one conspicuous passage in the Holy Volume should be the speech. In which His servant ad dressed that people as ignorant Idolaters, called them to repentance, and warned them of judgment. And It can hardly be deemed pro fane, if we trace to the same Divine Providence the preservation of the very Imagery which surrounded the speaker — ^not only the sea, and the mountains, and the sky, w;hich change not with the decay of nations — but even the very temples, which remain, after wars and revolutions, on their ancient pedestals in astonishing per fection. We are thus provided with a poetic and yet a truthful commentary on the words that were spoken once for all at Athens ; and Art and Nature have been commissioned from above to enframe the portrait of that Apostle, who stands forever on the Areopagus as the teacher of the Gentiles. FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. i. PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, TO salutation. THE CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS, in God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace^ be to you and peace.'' 2 I give' continual thanks to God for you Thanksgiving __ _ . ' rt for their con- all, and make mention of you m my prayers ^*"""'- 3 without ceasing; remembering, in the presence of our God and Father, the working of your faith, and the labors of your love, and the steadfastness of your hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. iThis salutation occurs in all St. Paul's Epistles, except the three Pastoral Epistles, where it is changed into " Grace, mercy and peace." *The remainder of this verse has been introduced into the Textus Eeceptus by mistake in this place, where it is not found iu the best MSS. It properly belongs to 2 Thess. i. 2. * It is important to observe in this place, once for all, that St. Paul uses " we," according to the idiom of many ancient writers, where a modern would use "I." Great confusion is caused in many passages by not translating, according to his true meaning, in the flrst person Angular; for thus it often happens, that what he spoke of himoelf individually, appears to us as if it were meant for a general truth: Instances will occur repeatedly of this in the Epistles to the Corinthians, especially the Second. It might have been supposed, that when St. Paul associated others with himself in the salutation at the beginning of an epistle, he meant to indicate that the Epistle proceeded from them as well as from himself; but an examination of the body of the Epistle will always convince us that such was not the ease, but that he was the sole author. Por example, in the present Epistle, Silvanus and Timotheus are joined with him in the salutation ; hut yet we find (ch. iii. 1, 2) — " we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy our brother." Now, who was it who thought fit to be left at Athens alone ? Plainly St. Paul him self, and he only ; neither Timotheus (who is here expressly excluded) nor Silvanua (who probably did not rejoin St. Paul till afterwards at Corinth, Acts xviii. 5,) being included. Ch. iii. 6 is not less decisive — " but now that Timotheus is just come to MS from you" — when we remeraber that Silvanus came with Timotheus. Several other passages in the Epistle prove the same thing, but these may suffica It is true that sometimes the ancient idiom in which a writer spoke of himself in the plural is more graceful, and seems less egotistical, than the modern usage; bub yet (tho luodcra 16 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XI. Brethren, beloved by God, I know how God has 4 chosen you; for my glad tidings came to you, not 5 only in word, but also in power; with the might of the Holy Spirit, and with the full assurance of belief. As you, likewise, know the manner in which I behaved myself among you, for your sakes. Moreover, you followed in my steps, and 6 in the steps of the Lord; and you received the word in great tribulation,' with joy which came from the Holy Spirit. And thus you have become 7 patterns to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has 8 been sounded forth," and not only has its sound been heard in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place the tidings of your faith towards God have been spread abroad, so that I have no need to speak of it at all. For others are telling of 9 their own' accord, concerning me, what welcome you gave me, and how you forsook your idols, and turned to serve God, the living and the true; and 10 to wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath. HeMmiDda For, you know yourselves, brethren, ii. own example, .{.j^g^^ ^y. (joming amongst you was not 2 -fruitless; but after I had borne suffering and out rage (as you know) at Philippi, I trusted in my God, and boldly declared to you God's glad tidings, in the midst of great contention. For my exhor- 3 tations are not prompted by imposture, nor by las civiousness, nor do I speak in guile. But as God 4 has proved my fitness for the charge of the glad usage being what it is) a literal translation of the fiftcTs very often conveys a confused idea of the meaning ; anii it appears better, therefore, to translate according to the modern idiom. ' This tribulation they brought on themselves by receiving the Gospel. " See p. 292. ' " Themselves," emphatic Chap. XI.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. '17 tidings, so I speak, not seeking to please men but 5 God, who proves our hearts. For never did I use flattering words, as you know; nor hide covetous- 6 ness under fair pretences, (God is witness); nor did I seek honor from men, either from you or others; although I might have been burdensome, 7 as Christ's apostle.' But I behaved myself among you with gentleness; and as a nurse cherishes her 8 own children, so in my fond affection it was my joy to give you not only the glad tidings of God, but my own life also, because you were dear to 9 me. For you remember, brethren, my toilsome labors; how I worked both night and day, that I might not be burdensome to any of you, while I proclaimed to you the message'* which I bore, the 10 glad tidings of God. Ye are yourselves witnesses, and God also is witness, how holy, and just, and unblamable, were my dealings towards you that 11 believe. You know how earnestly, as a father his own children, I exhorted, and entreated, and adjured 12 each one among you to walk worthy of God, by whom you are called into His own kingdom and glory. 13 Wherefore I also give continual thanks to God, be cause, when you heard from me the spoken word of God, you received it not as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God; who Himself 14 works effectually in you that believe. For you, brethren, followed in the steps of the churches of God in Judaea, which are in Christ Jesus, inasmuch lOne of the grounds upon which St. Paul's Judaizing opponents denied his a.postolic authority, was the fact that he (in general^ refused to be maintained by his converts, whereas Our Lord had given to His apostles the right of being eo maintained. St. Paul fully explains his reasons for not availing himself of that right in several passages, especially 1 Cor. ix. ; and he here takes care to allude to his possession of the right, while mentioning his renunciation of it. Cf. 2 Thess. ui. 9. ^ The original word involves the idea ofa herald proclaiming a message. 2 18 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XI. as you suffered the like persecution from your own countrymen, which they endured from the Jews; who killed both the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, 15 and who have driven me forth [from city to city];' a people displeasing to God, and enemies to all man kind, who would hinder me from speaking to the 16 Gentiles for their salvation; continuing always to fill up the measure of their sins; but the wrath [of God] has overtaken them to destroy them.^ Expresses his But I, brethren, having been torn from 17 desire to see ^ ¦ *-' them. yQ.jj £qj. ^ gjiort season (in presence, not in heart), sought very earnestly, to behold you [again] face to face.^ "Wherefore I, Paul (for my own part), 18 desired to visit you once and again; but Satan hin dered me. For what is my hope or joy? what is 19 the crown wherein I glory? what but your own selves, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing.* Yea, you are my glory and my joy. 20 h°arin5i7their Thcrcfore, when I was no longer able to iii- mmotheSl'""" forbear, I determined willingly to be left at Athens alone; and I sent Timotheus, my broth- 2 er, and God's fellow- worker^ in the glad tidings of Christ, that he might strengthen your constancy, and exhort you concerning your faith, that none of 3 you should waver in these afflictions; since you know yourselves that such is our appointed lot, for when I was with you, I forewarned you that afflic- 4 tion awaited us, as you know that it befel. For this 5 cause, I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent to learn tidings of your faith ; fearing lest perchance 1 Referring to his recent expulsion from Thessalonica and Beroea. 2 More literally, " to make an end of them." ^ See what is said in the preceding chapter in connection with Beroea. * The anticipative blending of the future with the present here is parallel with and explains Eom. ii. 16, 16. * There is some douht about the reading here. That which we adopt is analo gous to 1 Cor. iii. 9. The boldness of the expression probably led to the variation in the MSS. Chaf. XI.J FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALOKIAXS. 19 the tempter had "tempted you, and lest my labor 6 should be in vain. But now that Timotheus has returned from you to me, and has brought me the glad tidings of your faith and love, and that you still keep an affectionate remembrance of me, long- 7 ing to see me, as I to see you — I have been com forted, brethren, on your behalf, and all my own tribulation and distress' has been lightened by your 8 faith. For now I live,' if you be steadfast in the 9 Lord. What thanksgiving can I render to God for you, for all the joy which you cause me in the 10 presence of my God? Night and day, I pray ex ceeding earnestly to see you face to face, and to 11 complete what is yet wanting in your faith. Now, may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord 12 Jesus, direct my path towards you. Meantime, may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love to one another and to all men; even as I to you. 13 And so may He keep your hearts steadfast and un blamable ill holiness, in the presence of our God and Father, at the appearing of our Lord Jesus, with all his saints. iv. Furthermore, brethren, I beseech and ex- ^ ' Against eensu- hort you in the name of the Lord Jesus, '^" that, as I taught you how to walk that you might 2 please God, you would do so more and more. For you know what commands I delivered to you by 3 the authority of the Lord Jesus. This, then, is the 4 will of God, even your sanctification ; that you should keep yourselves from fornication, that each of you should learn to master his body,' in sancti- ' See p. 351, and note. ^Compare Rom. vii. 9. ' The original cannot mean to possess ; it means, to gain possession qf, to acquire for on^s oum use. The use of "vessel" for body is common, and found 2 Cor. iv. 7. Now a man may be said to gain possession of his own body when he subdues those lusts which tend to destroy his mastery over it. Hence the interpretation'which we have adopted. 20 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XI. fication and honor; not in lustful passions, like the 6 Heathen who know not God; that no man wrong 6 his brother in this matter by transgression.^ All such the Lord will punish, as I forewarned you by my testimony. For God called us not to unclean- 7 ness, but His calling is a holy calling.^ Wherefore, 8 he that despises these my words, despises not man but God, who also has given unto me His Holy Spirit. Exhortation to Couceming brotherly love it is needless 9 love, peace, and *-^ *^ good order. ^^^ J gj^Quld writc to you ; for ye your selves are taught by God to love one another; as you show by deeds towards all the brethren 10 through the whole of Macedonia. But I exhort you, 11 brethren, to abound still more ; and be it your am bition to live quietly, and to mind your own con cerns;' and to work with your own hands (as I commanded you) ; that the seemly order of your 12 lives may be manifest to those without, and that you may need help from no man.* Happiness of But I would uot havc you ignorant, 13 the Christian _ ./ O ^ dead. brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not like other men, who have no hope.^ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose 14 again, so also will God, through Jesus, bring back those who sleep, together with Him. This I de- 15 clare to you, in the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who survive to the appearing of the Lord, shall not come before those who sleep. For 16 1 The reading, adopted in the Received Text, is allowed by all modern critics to be wrong. The obvious translation is, " in the matter in question." ^Literally "in holiness," not "unto holiness," as iu A.V. 'The original expression is almost equivalent to "be ambitious to be unam bitious." * It seems better to take this as masculine than as neuter. We may compare with these verses the similar directions in the speech at Miletus, Acts xx. 'This hopelessness in death is illustrated by the funeral inscriptions found at Thessalonica, referred to p. 299. Chap. XI.l FIRST EPISTLE TO THE TH£SSALO.NIA>,'S. 21 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the shout of war,' the Archangel's voice, and the. trumpet of God ; and first the dead in Christ^ shall 17 rise ; then we the living, who remain, shall be caught up with them among the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall be for ever with 18 the Lord. Wherefore comfort" one another with these words. V. But of the times and seasons, brethren, !'i'?.;"'lfw^^' y 7 of CnriBi s eom- you need not that I should write to you. wIicuSIumb'." 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the 3 Lord will come as a robber in the night; and while men say Peace and Safety, destruction shall come upon them in a moment, as the pangs of travail upon a woman with child ; and they shall find no escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that The Day should come upon you as the robber on sleep- 5 ing men;* for you are all the children of the light and of the day. We are not of the night, nor of 6 darkness; therefore let us not sleep as do others, 7 but let us watch and be sober; for they who slum ber, slumber in the night; and they who are 8 drunken, are drunken in the night; but let us, who are of the day, be sober; putting on faith and love for a breast-plate ; and for a helmet, the hope of 9 salvation. For not to abide his wrath, but to obtain salvation, hath God ordained us, through our Lord 10 Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake 1 The word denotes the shout used in battle. 'Equivalent to "they that sleep in Christ." (1 Cor. xv. 18.) 'This verb, originally to call to one's side, thence sometimes to comfort, more usually io exhort, must be translated according to the context. See pp. 133, 111, and notes. * There is some authority for the accusative plural , — " as the daylight surprises robbers ; " and this sort of transition, where a word suggests a rapid change from one metaphor to another, is not unlike the style of St. Paul. We may add tliat the A.V. in translating the word " thief," both here and elsewhere, gives an inadequate conception of the word. It is in fact the modern Greek " klepht," and denotes a bandit, who comes to murder as well as to steal. Por the meaning of " The Day " {the great day, the day of Judgment), compare 1 Cor. iii 13. 22 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XI or sleep we should live together with Him. Where- 11 fore exhort one another, and build one another up,' even as you already do. The Presbyter I besccch you, brethren, to acknowledge 12 to be duly re- , garded. thosc who arc laboring among you; who preside over you in the Lord's name, and give you admonition. I beseech you to esteem them very 13 highly in love, for their work's sake. And main tain peace among yourselves. Postscript [addressed to the Presbyters (?)]•'' pr""b?t°ers!''^ But you, brcthreu, I exhort; admonish the 14 disorderly, encourage the timid, support the weak, be patient with all. Take heed that none of you return 15 evil for evil, but strive to do good always, both to one another and to all men. Rejoice evermore ; 16 pray without ceasing; continue to give thanks, whatr 17 ever be your lot; for this is the will of God in 18 Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not [the 19 manifestation of] the Spirit; think not meanly of 20 prophesyings ; try all [which the prophets utter]; 21 reject the false, but keep the good ; hold yourselves 22 aloof from every form of evil.* Concluding Now may the God of peace Himself' 23 prayers and ** ¦*¦ salutations. gauctify you wholly; and may your spirit 1 The full meaning is, " build one another up, that you may altogether grow into a temple of God." The word is frequently used by St. Paul in this sense, which is fully explained, 1 Cor. iii. 10-11. It is very difficult to express the meaning by any single word in English, and yet it would weaken the expression too much if it were diluted into a periphrasis fully expressing its meaning. 2 It appears probable, as Chrysostom thought, that those who are here directed "to admonish" are the same who are described immediately before (v. 12) as "giving admonition." Also they are very solemnly directed (v. 27) to see that the letter be read to all the Christians in Thessalonica ; which seems to imply that they presided over the Christian assemblies. At the same lime it must be admitted that many ofthe duties here enjoined are duties ofall Christians. 8 We know from the First Epistle to Corinth, that this warning was not unneeded in the early church. ("See 1 Cor. xiv.) The gift of prophesying {i. e. inspired preaching) had less the appearance of a supernatural gift than several of the other Charisms ; and hence it was thought Uttle of by those who sought more for display than edification. *Not "appearance" (A. Y.) but species under a genus. Chap. XL] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 23 and soul and body altogether be preserved blame less, at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you ; He will fulfill my prayer. 25 Brethren, pray for me. Greet all the brethren 20 with the kiss of holiness.^ I adjure you,^ in the 27 name of the Lord, to see that this letter be read to all the brethren. 28 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^e"neTctSn. with you.* 1 This alludes to the same custom which is referred to in Rom. xvi. 16 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 20; 2 Cor. xiii. 12. We find a full account of it, as it was practised in the early church, iu thr Apostolic Constitutions (book ii. ch. 57). The men and women were placed in separate parts of the building where they met for worship ; and then, be fore receiving the Holy Communion, the men kissed the men, and the women tho women ; before the ceremony, a proclamation was made by the principal deacon : — "Let none bear malice against any; let none do it in hypocrisy." " Then," it is added, " let the men salute one another, and the women one another, with the kiss ef the Lord." It should be remembered by English readers, that a kiss was in ancient times (as, indeed, it is now in many foreign countries^ the ordinary mode of salutation between friends when they met. 2 Whom does he adjure here ? Plainly those to whom, in the first instance, the letter was addressed, or rather dehvered. Now these must probably have been the Presbyters. ^It should be remarked, that this concluding benediction is used by St. Paul at the end of the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians (under a longer form in 2 Cor.), Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Thessalonians. And, in a shorter form, it is used also at the end of all his other epistles. It seems (from what he says in 2 Thess. iii. 17, 18) to hare been always written with his own hand. * The " Amen " of the Received Text is a later addition, not found in the best MSS. SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS/ Baintation. PAUL, aud Sllvanus, and Timotheus, TO i. THE CHUECH OF THE THESSALONIANS, in God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father 2 and our Lord Jesus Christ. ?nd™?tf>;frTe?- I am bound to give thanks to God con- 3 secutiODS irom , i ^ t n i ^ • f* christsooming. tmually on your behalf, brethren, as is fit ting, because of the abundant increase of your faith, and the overflowing love wherewith you are filled, every one of you, towards each other. So 4 that I myself boast of you among the churches of God, for your steadfastness and faith, in all the persecutions and afflictions which you are bearing. And these things are a token that the righteous 5 judgment of God will count you worthy of His kingdom, for which you are even now suffering. 1 It is evident that this Epistle was written at the time here assigned to it, soon after the first, from the following considerations : (1) The state of the Thessalonian Church described in both Epistles is almost exactly the same. (A.) The same excitement prevailed concerning the expected advent of Our Lord, only in a greater degree. (B.) The same party continued fanatically to neglect their ordinary employments. Compare 2 Thess. lii. 6-14 with 1 Thess. iv. 10-12, and 1 Thess. ii. 9. (2) Silas and Timotheus were still with St. Paul. 2 Thess. i. 1. It should be observed that Timotheus was next with St. Paul at Ephesus ; .ind that, before thea Silas dis.ippears from the history. Chap. XL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 25 6 For doubtless God's righteousness* cannot but render 7 back trouble to those who trouble you, and give to you, who now are troubled, rest with me,^ when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the 8 angels of His might, in flames of fire, taking ven geance on those who know not God, and will not hearken to the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 And from^ the presence of the Lord, and from the- brightness of His glorious majesty, they shall re- 10 ceive their righteous doom, even an everlasting destruction; in that day, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all be lievers; [and you are of that number], for you 11 believed my testimony. To this end I pray con tinually on your behalf, that our God may count you worthy of the calling wherewith He has called you, and mightily perfect within you all the content 12 of goodness' and the work of faith. That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and that you may be glorified* in Him, according to the ' grace of our God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. ii. But concerning ° the appearing of our J^J?^J°f„ Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering to- ^pectation ^ o o Christ's coming. 2 gether to meet Him, I beseech you, breth ren, not rashly to be shaken from your soberness of mind, nor to be agitated either by spirit, or by 1 On the use of the plural pronoun, see note on 1 Thess. i. 3. 2 The preposition here has the sense of " proceeding from.'' ' The same word is used in the sense of good will, good pleasure, satisfaction, in Luke- ii. 14 and Rom. x. 1. The Authorized Version here would require » word to be suppUed. * The glory of our Lord at His coming will he manifested in His people (see v. 10) ; that is, they, by virtue of their union with Him, will partake of His glorious like ness. Cf. Rom. viii. 17, 18, 19. And, even in this world, this glorification takes place partially, by their moral conformity to His image. See Rom. viii. 30, and 2 Cor. iii. 18. s/n respect of, or perhaps (as Prof Jowett takes it) on behalf of, as though St. Paul were pleading in honor of that day ; it is wrongly translated in A. V. as in ad juration. 26 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XL rumor, or by letter^ attributed to me,^ saying that the day of the Lord is come. Let no one deceive 3 you, by any means; for before that day, the falling away must first have come, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;' who opposes himself 4 and exalts himself against all that is called God, and against all worship, even to seat himself in the temple of God, and openly declare himself a God, Do you not remember that when I was stiU 5 with you, I often* told you this? And now you 6 know the hindrance why he is not yet revealed, in liis own season. For the mystery of lawlessless 7 is already working, only he, who now hinders, wUl liinder till he be taken out of the , way ; and then 8 the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of His mouth,' and shall destroy with the brightness of His appearing. But the appearing of that lawless one shall be in 9 the strength of Satan's working, with all the might and signs and wonders of falsehood, and all the delusions of unrighteousness, for those who are in' 10 the way of perdition; because they received not the love of the truth, whereby they might be saved. For this cause, God will send upon them an inward 11 working of delusion, making them believe in lies, that all should be condemned who have not be- 12 lieved the truth, but have taken pleasure in un righteousness. 1 See the preceding remarks upon the occasion of this Epistle. 2 Literally "as though originated by me:" the words may include both "spirit," ^' rumor," and "letter." ^ The received text interpolates here "as God," but the MSS. do not confirm this reading. * The verb is in the imperfect. ^ This appears to be an allusion to (although not an exact quotation of) Isaiah xi. 4 ; — " With the breath of His Ups He shall destroy the impiotia man." (LXX. ver sion.) Some of the Rabbinical commentators applied this prophecy (which was probably in St. Paul's thoughts) to the Messiah's coming, and interpreted "the impious" to mean an individual opponent of the Messiah. Chap. XI.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 2T 13 But for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, Exhortation to I am bound to thank God continually, be- "''°''"""'™ cause He chose you from the first unto salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 14 And to this He called you through my glad tidings, that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus 15 Christ. Therefore, brethren, be steadfast, and hold fast the teaching which has been delivered to you, 16 whether by my words or by my letters. And may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us, and has given us in His grace a consolation that is eternal, and a hope that 17 cannot fail, comfort your hearts, and establish you in all goodness both of word and deed. iii. Finally, brethren, pray for me, that the He asks their word of the Lord Jesus may hold its on ward course, and that its glory may be shown forth 2 towards others as towards you; and that I may be delivered from the perverse and wicked; for not all 3 men have faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will keep you steadfast, and guard you from evil. 4 And I rely upon you in the Lord, that you are fol- 5 lowing and will follow my precepts. And may the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God, and to the steadfastness of Christ. 6 I charge you, brethren, in^ the name of ^,^„,.,,„^ the Lord Jesus Christ, tc withdraw your- dmgeJtwt appealing to his selves from every brother who walks dis- """^'^^p''- orderly, and not according to the rules which I 7 delivered. For you know yourselves the way to follow my example ; you know that my life among you was not disorderly, nor was I fed by any man's 8 bounty, but earned my bread by my own labor, toiling night and day, that I might not be burden- 9 some to any of you.^ And this I did, not because I 1 Compare the speech at Miletus, Acts xx. 24 28 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. Xi. am without the right ^ [of being maintained by those to whom I minister], but that I might make myself a pattern for you to imitate. For when I 10 was with you I often gave you this rule: "If any man will not work, neither let him eat." Whereas 11 I hear that some among you are walking disorderly, neglecting their own work, and meddling^ with that of others. Such, therefore, I charge and exhort, by 12 the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to work in quietness, and eat their own bread. But, you, 13 Mode of dealing brethren, notwithstanding,' be not weary Suse obedilnce. of dolug good. If auy man be disobedient 14 to my written word, mark that man, and cease from intercourse with him, that he may be brought to shame. Yet count him not as an enemy, but 15 admonish him as a brother. And may the Lord 16 of Peace Himself give you peace in all ways and at all seasons. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of me Paul with my own hand, 17 An autograph whlch Is my tokcu in every letter. Thus I postflcript the •^ *^ fligDofgenu- -ri7rif P * ineness. vvx-Luc ineness, GODCludiDg benediction. Tho graco of our Lord Jesus Christ be 18 with you all. Such was the second of the two letters which St. Paul wrote to Thessalonica during his residence at Corinth. Such was the Christian correspondence now established, in addition 4;o the politi cal and commercial correspondence existing before, between the two capitals of Achaia and Macedonia. 1 See note on 1 Thess. ii. 6. 2 The characteristic paronomasia here, is not exactly translatable into EngUsh. "Busy bodies who do no business " would be an imitation. 2 i. 6. although your kindness may have been abused by such idle trespassers on your bounty. * " Thus." With this we may compare Gal. vi. l'l. We have before remarked that St. Paul's letters were written by an amanuensis, with the exception of an au tograph postscript. Compare Rom. xvi. 2iJ. FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Written at Easter, in the third year of St. Paul's residence at Ephesus.] i. I, PAUL, a called Apostle of Jesus Christ, by salutation. 2 the will of God, and Sosthenes ' the Brother, TO THE CHURCH OF GOD AT CORINTH, hallowed in Christ Jesus, called Saints"; together with alP who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord in every place which is their home^ — ^and our home also. Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, 3 and from our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I nhank my God continually on your be- introductory •^ J J thanksgiving fop half, for the grace of God given unto you in ^^^^ eonyeraion. 6 Christ Jesus. Because, in Him, you were every-wise enriched with all the gifts of speech and knowledge, 6 (for thus my testimony to Christ was confirmed among 7 you), so that you come behind no other church in any gift; looking earnestly for the time when our Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed to sight. 8 And He also will confirm you unto the end, that you ' Sosthenes is, perhaps, the same mentioned Acts xviii. 17. _ ....... 2 The sense of the word for " Saints " in the New Testament is nearly equivalent to the modern " Christians; " but it would be an anachronism so to translate it here, since (in the tirae of St. Paul) the word " Christian" was only used as a term of reproach. The objection to translating it " saints " is, that the idea now often conveyed hy that term is ¦different from the meaning of the Greek word as used by St. Paul. Yet as no other Eng- ! lish word represents it better, either the old rendering must be retained, or an awkward periphrasis employed. The English reader should bear in mind that St. Paul applies the term to all members of the Church. ' This is added to comprehend those Christians of the Church of Achaia who were not resident at Corinth, but in the neigboring places of the same province. Compare 2 Cor. i. 1. * Observe how "I thank" and "my" follow immediately after " Paul and So.5thenes," showing that, though the salutation runs in the name of both, the author of the Epistle was St. Paul alone. Compare the remarks on 1 Thess. 1. 2. 30 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. may be without reproach at the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God is faithful, by whom you were called 9 into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Rebuke of their I exhort VOU, brethren, by the name of party-spirit, and •' ofthe pseS our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun disputes, and 10 philosophical Yi^g^YQ no dlvisions among you, but to be knit 11 together in the same mind, andin the same judgment.-' For I have been informed concerning you, my breth ren, by the members of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. I mean, that one of you says, 12 "I am a follower of Paul; " another, "I of ApoUos;" another, "I of Cephas;"^ another, "I of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were 13 you baptized unto the name of Paul ? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius^ 14 (lest any one should say that I baptized unto my own 15 name); and I baptized also the household of Steph- 16 anas; besides these I know not that I baptized any other. For Christ sent me forth as His Apostle, not to 1 T baptize, but to publish the Glad-tidings ; and that, not with wisdom of word, lest thereby the cross of Christ should be made void.^ For the word of the cross,^ to 18 those in the way of perdition, is folly ; but to us in the way of salvation, it is the power of God. And so it is written, ^^ I will destroy the wisdom ofthe wise, and 1^ bring to nothing the understanding of the prudenV^^ Where is the Philosopher? Where is the Rabbi? 20 Where is the reasoner of this world? Has not God ¦^ " Mind " refers to the view taken by the understanding; "judgment " to the practical' decision arrived at. ^ Cephas is the name by which St. Peter is called throughout this Epistle. It was the actual word used by our Lord Himself, and remained the Apostle's usual appellation among the Jewish Christians up to this time. It is strange that it should afterwards have been so entirely supplanted by its Greek equivalent, "Peter," even among the Jewish Christians. See note on Gal. 1. 18. See pp. 405 — 411. 'Or Caius, if we use the Roman spelling. See p. 364. ¦• Compare the use of the same verb in Eom. iv. 14. 5 i. e. the tidings of a crucified Messiah. ' Is. xxix. 14; not quite literally quoted from LXX. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 31 21 turned the world's wisdom into folly ? for when the world had failed to gain by its wisdom the knowledge of God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God, by the 22 folly of our preaching, to save those who believe. For the Jews require a sign [from heaven], and the Greeks 23 demand philosophy; but we' proclaim a Messiah cruci fied, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks. 24 a folly ; but to the called^ themselves, whether they be Jews or Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wis- 25 dom of God. For the folly of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than 26 man's strength. For you see, brethren, how God has- called you ; how few of you are wise in earthly wisdom, 27 how few are powerful, how few are noble. But the world's folly, God has chosen, to confound its wisdom ; and the world's weakness God has chosen, to confound 28 its strength; and the world's base things, and things- despised, yea things that have no being, God has chosen, 29 to bring to nought the things that be ; that no flesh 30 should glory in His presence. But you are His chil dren' in Christ Jesus, whom God sent unto us as our wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption ; that it might be according as it is written,, 31 '¦He that boasteth, let him boast in the Lord.''''* n. So, brethren, when I myself came among mhisowntcach- 1 you, and declared to you the testimony of L°med''at''e8tob- n -\ T ¦ •,! • 1 -11 f 'ishing reputa- God, 1 came not with surpassing skill ot ""f f"^ phiioso- ' 1- CD phy or eloquence.. 2 speech, or wisdom. For no knowledge did ["ue* .^uperai'tuS I, T 1 1 j_ J.1 power and wis- purpose to display amonef you, but the dom which be- „ 1 , , . -r Vn • T n TT- longs to the Spirit 3 knowledge of Jesus Christ alone, and Him= °f«''<'. ' We, including St. Paul and the other preachers of Christianity. ^ All who make an outward profession of Christianity are in St. Paul's language " the called." They have received a message from God, which has called them to enter into- His church. ^ " Of Him." * Jerem. ix. 23, 24, from the LXX., hut not literally. 5 i. e. Him, not exalted on the earthly throne of David, but condemned to the death of the vilest malefactor. ¦S2 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [ Chap. XV — crucified. And in my intercourse with you, I was filled with weakness and fear and much trembling. ' And 4 when I proclaimed my message, I used not persuasive words of human wisdom, but showed forth the work ing of God's Spirit and power, that your faith might 5 iave its foundation not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Nevertheless, among those who are ripe in under- 6 standing," I speak wisdom; albeit not the wisdom of this world, nor of its rulers, who will soon be nought. Rut it is God's wisdom that I speak, whereof the secret 7 is made known to His people;' even the hidden wis dom which God ordained before the ages, thatwe might be glorified thereby. But the rulers of this world knew 8 it not; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written, 9 '¦^ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre pared for them that love Him,.^''^ Yet to us^ God has 10 revealed them by His Spirit. For the Spirit fathoms all things, even the depths of God. For who can know 11 what belongs to man but the spirit of man which is within him? even so none can know what belongs to God, but the Spirit of God alone. Now we have re- 12 ceived, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might understand those things which have been freely given us by God. 1 St. Paul appears, on his first coming to Corinth, to have been suffering under great <3epression, perhaps caused by the bodily malady to which he was subject, perhaps by the ill success of his efforts at Athens. Cf. 2 Cor. xii. 8. See pp. 256, 352. The expression "fear and trembling" is peculiarly Pauline, being used in four of St. Paul's Epistles, and by no other writer in the New Testament. It does not mean fear of personal danger, but a trembling anxiety to perform a duty. Thus, in Eph. vi. 5, slaves are charged to obey their masters thus, and this anxious conscientiousness is opposed to " e3'c- service."^ 2 " The perfect " is St. Paul's expression for those who had attained the maturity of Christian wisdom. Corapare 1 Cor. xiv. 20, and Phil. iii. 15. Such men could understand that his teaching was in truth the highest philosophy. T- 3 " -Wisdom in a mystery," is a wisdom revealed to the initiated, i. e. (in this case) to J Christians; but hidden from the rest ofthe world. 'T^ • Isaiah lxiv. 4, is the nearest passage to this in the Old Testament. The quotation is i not to be foimd anywhere exactly. s Us, including all the inspired Christian teachers, and the rest of the " perfect." Chap. XV.J FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 83 13 These are the things whereof we speak, in words not taught by man's wisdom, but by the Spirit ; ex- 14 plaining spiritual things to spiritual men. But the natural' man rejects the teaching of God's Spirit, for to him it is folly ; and he cannot comprehend it, because 15 it is spiritually discerned. But the spiritual man judges all things truly, yet cannot himself be truly judged by 16 others. For " Who hath known the mind of the Lord that he should instruct Himf''^ but we have the mind of the Lord "[within us]. iii. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as The party which , , , *: . claimed to be 1 spiritual men, but as carnal, yea, as babes m " *he Bpmtnai » Jr ' . I J I are proved to be 2 Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with Sion's."'"' 3 meat; for you were not able to bear it; nay, you are not yet able, for you are still carnal. For while you are divided amongst yourselves by jealousy, and strife, and factious parties, js it not evident that you are car- 4 nal, and walking in the ways of men ? When one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," can you deny that you are carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, or who is Apollos? what „, ' r^ It is a contradic- are they but servants, by whose ministration make'°ch™tian 6TT -|fs -1 ., J.J.1T 11 teachers the lead- you believed .'' and was it not the liora who ers of opposing f. 1 • parties. Nature gave to each of them the measure oi his sue- oftheir wort. cess? I planted, Apollos watered; but it was God 7 who made the seed to grow. So that he who plants is nothing, nor he who waters, but God alone who gives 8 the growth. But the planter and the waterer are one together ; ' and each will receive his own wages accord- 9 ing to his work. For we are God's fellow-laborers, 10 and you are God's husbandry. You are God's build- i Properly man considered as endowed with the anima (the living principle), as distin guished from the spiritual principle. 2 Isaiah xl. 13 (LXX.), quoted .ilso Rora. xi. 34. 3 "And therefore cannot beset against each other" is implied. 3 34. THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. ing ; God gave me the gift of grace whereby like a skillful architect I laid a foundation ; and on this foun dation another builds; but let each take heed what he builds thereon — ["thereon," I say,J for other founda- 11 tion can no man lay, than that already laid, which is Jesus Christ.' But on this foundation one may raise 12 gold, and silver, and precious stones; another, wood, hay, and stubble. But each man's work will be made 13 manifest; for The Day'' will make it known; because that day will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test each builder's work. He whose building stands 14 unharmed, shall receive payment for his labor; he 15 whose work is burned down, shall forfeit his reward : yet he shall not himself be destroyed; but shall be saved as it were through the flames. oSd's temple. ^ Know^ ye not that you are God's temple, 16 and that you form a shrine wherein God's Spirit dwells? If auy man ruin the temple of God, God IT shall ruin^ him ; for the temple of God is holy ; and holys therefore are ye. Intellectual Let iiouc decclve himself; if any man is 18 pride and party ' .J chS*ia^^ """ held wise among you in the wisdom of this world, let him make himself a fool [in the world's judg ment], that so he may become wise. For the wisdom 19 of this world is foolishness with God, as it is written, "5e taketh the wise in their oion craftiness.^'' ^ And again, " Tlie Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that 20 they are vain.'''''' Therefore let none of you make his 21 boast in men;* for all things are yours; both Paul and 22 ' The MSS. vary here, but the same sense is virtually involved in all three readings; viz. that the Messiahship of Jesus was the foundation of the teaching of the Apostles. 2 " The Day of Christ's coming.'^ Compare 1 Thess. v. 4. 3 The connection with what precedes is " In calling you God's building, I tell you no- new thing; you know already that you are God's temple." i The verbal link is lost in the A. V. 6 Not '^ ¦which temple" (A. V.). « Job V. 13, from LXX., with an immaterial variation. 1 Ps. xciv. 11, from LXX., with a slight change. s The raeaning is, " Boast not of having this raan or that as your leader ; for all the Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 35 ApoUos, and Cephas, and the whole world itself; both life and death, things present and things to come — all 23 are yours — but' you are Christ's; and Christ is God's. iv. Let us be accounted as servants of Christ, Christ's Aposties 1 and stewards of the mysteries of God. More-ardsiThatwwch . . . - . -T 1 /. -1 tbey administer is 2 over, it is required in a steward to be found °o' thrown. 3 faithful. Yet to me it matters nothing that I be judged by you or by the doom'' of man; nay, I judge not even 4 myself For although I know not that I am guilty of unfaithfulness, yet this does not justify me ; but I must 5 be tried by the judgment of the Lord. Therefore judge nothing hastily, until the coming of the Lord ; for He shall bring to light the secrets of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of men's hearts ; and then shall each receive his due' praise from God. 6 But these things, brethren, I have repre- contract between sented under the persons of myself and tuTn of the'p'^e^ A 1-1 f -1 il i -1 • n do -philosophical Apollos, lor your sakes ; that by consider- p^j-'y. and the i. T ./ ' .1 abhsementof ing us you might learn not to think of your- Christ's Aposties. selves above that which has been written,^ and that you may cease to puff yourselves up in the cause" of 7 one against another. For who makes thee to differ from another ? what hast thou that thou didst not re ceive ? and how then canst thou boast as if thou hadst 8 won it for thyself? But ye forsooth have already Apostles, nay, all things in the universe, are ordained by God to co-operate for your good." \ All things work together for the good of Christians ; all things conspire to do thera service: but their work is to do Christ's service, even as He Himself came to do the will of His Father. 2 This use of "day" is peculiar to St. Paul; so that Jerome calls it a Cilicism . It is connected with that above (iii. 18), and occurs 1 Thess. v. 4. s " His praise." The error in A. V. was caused by not observing the article. < This is ambiguous; the phrase is commonly employed in reference to the Old Testa ment; but here it suits better with the context to take it as referring to the preceding re marks of St. Paul himself. ^ St. Paul probably means " in the cause of your party leaders;" but speaks with in tentional indistinctness. 29 36 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. (Chap. XV. eaten to the full, [of spiritual food], ye are already rich, ye have seated yourselves upon your throne, and have no need^ of me. Would that you were indeed enthroned, that I too might reign with you For^, I 9 think, God has set forth us, the Apostles, last of all, like criminals condemned to die, to be gazed at in a theater^ by the whole world, both men and angels. We, for Christ's sake, are fools, while you are wise in 10 Christ ; we are weak, while you are strong ; you are honorable, while we are outcasts; even to the present 11 hour we bear hunger and thirst, and nakedness and stripes, and have no certain dwelling place, and toil with our own hands ; curses we meet with blessings, 12 persecution with patience, railings with good words. We have been made as it were the refuse of the earth, 13 the off-scouring of all things, unto this day. I write 14 not thus to reproach you, but as a father I chide the children whom I love. For though you may have ten 15 thousand guardians* to lead you towards the school of Christ, you can have but one father; and it was I who begat you in Christ Jesus, by the Glad-tidings which I brought. I beseech, you, therefore, become followers 16 \ of me. Mission of Tiino. For this causc I have sent to you Timothe- 17 to the disobedi- us, my beloved son, a faithful servant of the ent faction at Co- ' .^ ' '^"'' Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in all the Churches. Now some have been filled with arrogance, 18 supposing that I am not coming to you. But I shall 19 1 " Without us." - The connection is, " The lot of an Apostle is no kingly lot." ^ Literally, because we have been made a theatrical spectacle. Compare Heb. x. 33. The spectacle to which St. Paul here alludes was common in those times. Criminals con demned to death were exhibited for the amusement of the populace on the arena of the amphitheatre, and forced to fight with wild beasts, or to slay one another as gladiators. These criminals were exhibited at the end of the spectacle, as an exciting termination to the entertainment (" set forth last of all "). So Tertullian paraphrases the passage " jVi.s Deus Apostolos novisdtnos elegit velut vestiaries." * The guardian slam who led the child to school. The word is the same a.s in Gal. iii. 24. See the note there. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 37 be with you shortly, if the Lord will ; and then I shall learn, not the word of these boasters, but their might. 20 For mighty deeds, not empty words, are the tokens of 21 God's kingdom. What is your desire ? Must I come to you with the rod, or in love and the spirit of meek ness? V. It is reported that there is fornication gen- judgment on the 11-1-1 -tin. incestuous per- 1 erally^ among you, and such fornication as^™- is not known' even among the Heathen, so that one 2 among you has his father's wife. And you forsooth have been puffed up when you should have mourned, that the doer of this deed might be put away from the 3 midst of you. For me — being present with you in spirit, although absent in body, — I have already passed sentence, as though present, on him who has done this 4 thing ; [and I decree] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you convene an assembly, and when you, and my spirit with you, are gathered together, with 5 the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you deliver over to Satan ^ the man who has thus sinned, for the destruction of his fleshly lusts, that his spirit may be 6 saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Unseemly is your boasting; know ye not that "a little leaven leaveneth 7 the whole lump ? "* Cast out, therefore, the old leaven, that you may be an untainted mass, even as now you are without taint of leaven ; for our Paschal Lamb is 8 Christ, who was slain for us ; therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor the leaven of vice ' The adverb seems most naturally joined with " araong you," but it may be taken with "reported " in the sense of "universally ,¦ " so Prof. Stanley, " There is nothing heard of except this." " This expression appears used as equivalent to casting out of the Church: cf. 1 Tim. i. 20. From the following words there seems also a reference to the doctrine that Satan is the author of bodily disease. Comparn 2 Cor. xii. 7 ' The " is naraed " of T. R. is omitted by the best MSS. ; " is heard of," or something equivalent, must be suppUed. * The same proverb is quoted Gal. v. 9. 38 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of purity and truth. Open and flagi- I enjoiucd you in my letter^ to keep no 9 tious offenders . , „ . .i . 1 A must be exciud company With lornicators ; not that you IU ed from the IT J ' ^ ./ Church. should utterly forego all intercourse with the men of this world who may be fornicators, or lasciv ious, or extortioners, or idolaters ; for so you would need to go utterly out of the world. But my meaning 11 was, that you should keep no company with any man who, bearing the name of a Brother, is either a forni cator, or a wanton, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner ; with such a man, I say, you must not so much as eat. For what need have I to 12 judge those also that are without ? Is it not your part to judge those that are within ? But those without 13 are for God's judgment. '¦'¦From amongst yourselves ye shall cast out the evil one.''^^ Litigation be- Can there be any of you who dare to bring vi. tween Ohristiana ,i ¦ ¦ , ti!P • j_ j.1 . j» -i must not be thcir pTivato differences into the courts ot 1 broughtinto ,. Heathen courts; i^w, boforo tho wickcd, aud not rather briuff and Its existence ' ' o is a proof of evil ^Yiem boforo the saints ? ^ Know ye not that 2 the saints shall judge the world ? and if the world is subjected to your judgment, are you unfit to decide the most trifling matters ? Know ye not that we shall 3 judge angels ? how much more the affairs of this life ? If, therefore, you have disputes to settle which concern 4 the affairs of this life, give the arbitration of them to ^ Literally, " I wrote to you in the letter," viz. the letter which 1 last wrote, or the letter to which you refer in your questions ; for they had probably mentioned their perplexity about this direction in it. So in 2 Cor. vii- 8, the present letter (1 Cor.) is referred to in the same phrase, (I grieved you in the letter). 2 Deut. xxiv. 7 (LXX ). 3 It should be remembered that the Greek and Eoman law gave its sanction to the de cision pronounced in a litigated case by arbitrators privately chosen ; so that the Christ ians raight obtain a just decision of their mutual differences without resorting to the Heathen tribunals. The Jews resident in foreign parts were accustomed to refer their disputes to Jewish arbitrators. .losephus (Anl. xiv. 10, 17) gives a decree by which the Jews at Sardis were pennitted to establish a " private court," for the p-arpose of deciding " their misunderstandings with one another." Chap. XV.J FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 39 the very least esteemed in your Church. I speak to 5 your shame. Can it be that amongst you there is not so much as one man wise enough to arbitrate between 6 his brethren, but must brother go to law with brother, 7 and that in the courts of the unbelievers ? Nay, far ther, you are in fault, throughout, in having such dis putes at all. Why do you not rather submit to wrong ? Why not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, you are yourselves wronging and defrauding, and 9 that your brethren. Know ye not that „ . .^ ./No immorality wrong-doers shall not inherit the kingdom true°°chri8ain of God ? Be not deceived^neither forni- "^' « cators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor self-defilers, 10 nor sodomites, nor robbers, nor wantons^, nor drunk ards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the 11 kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you have washed away your stains — ^you have been ! hallowed, you have been justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the spirit of our God.^ 12 " All things are lawful for me."^ But not Antinomian ae^ fence of immo- all thmgs are good for me. Though all raiity refuted. things are in m,y power, they shall not bring me under 13 their power. "Meat is for the belly, and the belly for meat," though God will soon put an end to both; but the body is not for fornication," but for the Lord ; and 14 the Lord for the body* ; and as God raised the Lord ' Persons given to concupiscence. ^ The words may be paraphrased thus : " by your fellowship with the Lord Jesus, whose name you bear, and by the indwelling of the Spirit of our God." 'See the explanation of this in Chap. XUI.; and compare (for the true side of the phrase) Gal. v. 23, "Against such there isno law." Probably St. Paul had used the very words " All things are lawful for me " in this true sense, and the immoral party at Corinth had caught them up, and used them as their watchword. It is also probable that this fact was raentioned in the letter which St. Paul had just received from Corinth (1 Cor. vii. 1). Also see chap. viii. 1, below. From what follows it is evident that these Corin thian freethinkers argued that the existence of bodily appetites proved the lawfulness of their gratification. * The body is for the Lord Jesus, to be consecrated by His indwelling to His service; and the Lord Jesus is for the body, to consecrate it by dwelling therein in the person of His Spirit. 40 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. from the grave, so He will raise us also by His mighty power.^ Know ye not that your bodies are members 15 of Christ's body ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? 16 God forbid. Know ye not, that he who joins himself to an harlot becomes one body with her ? For it is ^ said, ^'they twain shall be one flesh.'" "^ But he who 17 joins himself to the Lord, becomes one spirit with Him. Flee fornication. The root of sin is not in the 18 body , [but in the soul] ; yet the fornicator sins against his own body. Know ye not that your bodies are 19 temples of the Holy Spirit which dwells within you, which ye have received from God ? And you are not your own, for you were bought with a price.' Glorify 20 God, therefore, not in your spirit only, but in your body also, since both are His. Answers to ques- -^.s to tho qucstions wWch you have asked vii. tions conceruiDg • 1 j_j_ j_1 • • -r. • n marriage and mc IU youT letter, this is my answer. It is 2 divorce, -with -i p ' • • -i -kt •special reference ffood foT a mau to rcmaiu uumamed. Nev- to cases of mixed CD marriages. erthclcss, to avold fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman her own hus band. Let the husband live in the intercourse of 3 affection with his wife, and likewise the wife with her husband. The wife has not dominion over her own 4 body, but the husband ; and so also the husband has 5 not dominion over his own body, but the wife. Do not separate one from the other, unless it be with mutual consent for a time, that you may give your- 1 St. Paul's argument here is, that sins of unchastity, though bodily acts, yet injure a part of our nature (compare the phrase " spiritual body," 1 Cor. xv. 44), which will not be destroyed by death, and which is closely connected with our moral well-bemg. And it is a fact no less certain than mysterious, that moral and .spiritual ruin is caused by such sins; whioh human wisdom (when untaught by Revelation) held to be actions as blame less as eating and drinking. - Gen. ii. 24 (LXX.), quoted by our Lord, Matt. xix. 5. ' * The price is the blood of Christ. Compare Acts xx. 28, and Col. i. 14. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 41 selves without disturbance ^ to prayer, and then retum to one another, lest, through your fleshly passions, 6 Satan should tempt you to sin. Yet this I say by way 7 of permission, not of command. Nevertheless I would that all men were as I myself am ; but men have dif- 8 ferent gifts from God, one this, another that. But to the unmarried and to the widows, I say that it would be good for th6m if they should remain in the state 9 wherein I myself also am ; yet if they are incontinent,,' let them marry ; for it is better to marry than to burn. 10 To the married, not I, but the Lord gives command ii ment,°that the wife part not from her husband ; (but if she be already parted, let her remain single, or else be reconciled with him) ; and also, that the husband put not away his wife. 12 But to the rest, speak I, not the Lord. If any Brother be married to an unbelieving wife, let him not put her away, if she be content to live with him ; 13 neither let a believing wife put away an unbelieving 14 husband who is willing to live with her ; for the un believing husband is hallowed by union with his be lieving wife, and the unbelieving wife by union with her believing husband ; for otherwise your children 15 would be unclean', but now they are holy. But if the unbelieving husband or wife seeks for separation, let them be separated; for in such cases, the believing husband or wife is not bound to remain under the yoke. But the call whereby God has called us, is a 16 call of peace.'' For thou who art the wife of an un believer, how knowest thou whether thou mayest save I "Fasting" is an interpolation, not found in the best MSS. ' Mark x. 11, 12. SThe term means literally " unclean," and is used in its Jewish sense, to denote that whioh is beyond the hallowed pale of God's people; the antithesis to "holy," which was applied to all within the consecrated limits. On the inferences frora this verse, with respect to infant baptism, see Chap. XUI. * The inference is, " therefore the profession of Christianity ought not to lead the be liever to quarrel with the unbelieving members of his family." 42 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. thy husband? or thou who art the husband, whether thou mayest save thy wife ? •General rule, Ouly ^ Ict cach mau Walk lu thc same path 17 should "nT^uit which God allotted to him, wherein the Lord that state of life 11 i • mi • it* • n' i wherein they has callcd him. This rule I give in all the ¦were at their con- , ^ version. Churchcs. Thus, if any man, when he was 18 •called^, bore the mark of circumcision, let him not efface it ; if any man was uncircumcised at the time of liis calling, let him not receive circumcision. Circum- 19 <;ision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing ; but ¦obedience to the commands of God. Let each abide 20 in the condition wherein he was called. Wast thou in 21 slavery at the time of thy calling? Care not for it. Nay, though thou have power to gain thy freedom, rather make use of thy condition. For the slave who 22 has been called in the Lord is the Lord's freedman ; and so, also, the freeman who has been called, is Christ's slave. He has bought you alP; beware lest you make 23 yourselves the slaves of man.* Brethren, in the state 24 vrherein he was called, let each abide with God. Answer to ques- Conceruiug youT virgin daughters I have 25 tions ahout the l _£» j_i t i i i ~r ' disposal of no command trom the Lord, but 1 give my .daughters in . i i i o ./ marriag..-. judgmeut, as oue who has been moved by the Lord's mercy ^ to be faithful. I think, then, that it 26 is good, by reason of the present necessity, for all to 1)0 unmarried.® Art thou bound to a wife ? seek not 27 separation; art thou free? seek not marriage; yet if 28 thou marry, thou sinnest not.^ And if your virgin daughters marry, they sin not ; but the married will have sorrows in the flesh, and these I would spare ^ Literally, only, as God allotted to each, as the Jjord has called each, so lei him walk. ' The past tense is mistranslated "is called" in A. V. throughout this chapter. 'There is a change here inthe Greek from singular to plural. Forthe "price "see chap. vi. 20. * Alluding to their servile adherence to party leaders. Compare 2 Cor. xi. 20. * Compare " I obtained raercy," 1 Tim. i. 13. ¦° " So," namely " as virgins." ' Literally, though thou shall have married, thou hast not sinned; the aorist used for the perfect, as constantly by St. Paul. Chap. XV.J FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 43 you.-^ But this I say, brethren, the time is short ^; 29 that henceforth both they that have wives be as though 30 they had none ; and they that weep as though they wept not, and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not, and they that buy as though they possessed not, 31 and they that use this world as not abusing^ it ; for the 32 outward show of this world is passing away.* But I would have you free from earthly care. The cares of the unmarried man are flxed upon the Lord, and he 33 strives to please the Lord. But the cares of the hus band are fixed upon worldly things, striving to please 34 his wife. The wife also has this difference from the virgin ; the cares of the virgin are fixed upon the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit ; but the cares of the wife are flxed upon worldly things, 35 striving to please her husband. Now this I say for your own profit ; not that I may entangle you in a snare ; but that I may help you to serve the Lord with 36 a seemly and undivided service. But if any man think that he is treating his virgin daughter in an unseemly manner, by leaving her unmarried beyond the flower of her age, and if need so require, let him act accord ing to his will ; he may do so without sin ; let them^ 37 marry. But he who is firm in his resolve, and is not constrained to marry his daughter, but has the power of carrying out his will, and has determined to keep 38 her unmarried, does well. Thus he who gives his daughter in marriage does well, but he who gives her not in marriage does better. 1 1 is emphatic, 7, if you foUowed my advice ; also observe thepresent, ' I am sparing you (by this advice],' or, in other words, ' Jwould spare you.' ' We adopt Lachman's reading. " The object of this contraction of your earthly life is, that you may henceforth set your affections on things above. 3 Literally, the verb appears to mean to use up, as distinguished from to use. Compare ix. 18. It thus acquired the sense of to abuse, in which it is sometimes employed by Demosthenes and by the grammarians. * Literally, "passing by," flitting past, like the shadows in Plato's Cavern (Repub. vii. 1), or the flgures in some moving phantasmagoria. » " Them," viz. the daughter and the suitor. 44 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. Marriage of Thc wlfc Is bouud by the law of wedlock 39 so long as her husband lives ; but after his death she is free to marry whom she will, provided that she choose one of the brethren-^ in the Lord. Yet 40 she is happier if she remain a widow, in my judgment ; and I think that I, no less^ than others, have the Spirit of God. viii. As to the meats which have been sacrifi- Answer to ques- meats °oS'°t! csd to Idols, WC kuow — (foT " WO all have Idols, knowledge ;" ^ but knowledge puffs up, while love builds. If any man prides himself on his knowl- 2 edge, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know; but 3 whosoever loves God, of him God hath knovvledge* ) — 4 as to eating the meats sacriflced to idols, we know (I say) that an idol has no true being, and that there is no other God but one. For though there be some who 5 are called gods, either celestial or terrestrial, and though men worship many gods and many lords, yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are 6 ali things, and we for him ; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. But "all" 7 have not this "knowledge;" on the contrary, there are some who still have a. conscientious fear of the idol, and think the meat an idolatrous sacrifice, so that, if they eat it, their conscience being weak is defiled. Now our food cannot change our place in God's sight ; 8 with Him we gain nothing by eating, nor lose by not eating. But beware lest, perchance, this exercise of 9 your rights^ should become a stumbling-block to the ' Liteiailj, provided it be in the Lord. ^ The "also" in "I also" has this meaning. ' It is necessary, for the understanding of this Epistle, that we should remember that it is an answer to a letter received from the Corinthian Church (1 Gor. vii. 1), and therefore constantly alludes to topics in that letter. It seems probable, from the way in whicli they are introduced, that these words, " We all have knowledge," are quoted from that letter. < Thai is, God acknowledges him; compare Gal. iv. 9. ' " This liberty of yours." Observe again the reference to the language of the self-styled Pauhne party at Corinth. Compare " all things are lawful for me " (vi. 12). The de- Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 45 10 weak. For if one of them see thee, who boas test of thy knowledge,^ feasting in an idol's temple, will not he be encouraged to eat the meat offered in sacrifice, notwith- 11 standing the weakness of his conscience?^ And thus, through thy knowledge, will thy weak brother perish, 12 for whom Christ died. Nay, when you sin thus against your brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you 13 sin against Christ. Wherefore, if my food cast a stum bling-block in ray brother's path, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest thereby I cause my broth er's fall.3 ix. Is it denied that I am an Apostle ? Is it He vindicates -i.-ii-r (. p 1 i-fii'*'" eXiam. to the denied that 1 am free from man s authority i Apoatouc oaoe 'J against his Ju- Is it denied that I have seen Jesus our Lord ? '^'^\^t^^' 2 Is it denied that you are the fruits of my la- ?/atSn ^tT^^ I'lT-irt-rp 1 -r ^^ ''^^ Apostolic bor m the Lord .'' If to others 1 am no apos- prfvueges. tie, yet at least I am such to you ; for you are your selves the seal which stamps the reality of my apostle- 3 ship, in the Lord; this is my answer to those who 4 question my authority. Do they deny my right to be 5 maintained^ [by my converts]? Do they deny my right to carry a believing wife with me on my journeys, like the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the 6 Lord,^ and Cephas? Or do they think that I and Bar- crees ofthe " Council of Jemsalem " might seem to have a direct bearing on the question discussed by St. Paul in this passage ; but he does not refer to them as deciding the points in dispute, either here or elsewhere. Probably the reason of this is, that the decrees were meant only to be of temporary application ; and in their terms they applied originally only to the churches of Syria and Cilicia (see Acts xv. 23; also Chap. VH.). ' Literally, thepossessor ofknowledge; in allusion to the previous " We all have knowledge." " Literally, will not the conscience of him, though he is weak, be, cf c. ' The whole ofthis eighth chapter is parallel to Eom. xiv. * " Free." Compare verse 19 and Gal. i. 1, " an Apostle not of men." 5 This was a point much insisted on by the Judaizers (see 2 Cor. xii. 13 — 16). They argued that St. Paul, by not availing himself of this undoubted apostolic right, betrayed his own consciousness that he was no true Apostle. ° " The brothers of the Lord." It is a very doubtful question whether these were the sons of our Lord's mother's sister, viz , the Apostles James and Judas, the sons of Alpheus (Luke vi. 15, 161 (for cousins were called brothers), or whether they were sons of Joseph by a former marriage, or actually sons of the mother of our Lord. 46 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. nabas alone have no right to be maintained, except by the labor of our own hands? What soldier^ ever serves at his private cost? What husbandman plants a vine- 7 yard without sharing in its fruit? What shepherd tends a flock without partaking of their milk? Say I 8 this on Man's judgment only, or says not the Law the same? Yea, in the Law of Moses it is written, '¦'¦Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the cornP"^ Is 9 it for oxen that God is caring, or speaks He altogether 10 for our sake ? For our sake, doubtless, it was written ; because the ploughman ought to plough, and the thresher to thresh, with hope to share in the produce of his toil. If I have sown for you the seed of spiritual 11 gifts, would it be much if I were to reap some harvest from your carnal gifts? If others share this right over 12 you, how much more should I ? Yet I have uot used my right, but forego each claim,^ lest I should by any means hinder the course of Christ's Glad-tidings. Know ye not that they* who perform the service of the tem- 13 pie, live upon the revenues of the temple, and they who minister at the altar share with it in the sacrifices? So also the Lord commanded^ those who publish the 14 Glad-tidings, to be maintained thereby. But I have 15 not exercised any of these rights, nor do I write this that it may be practised in my own case. For I had rather die than suffer any man to make void my boast ing. For, although I proclaim the Glad- tidings, yet 16 this gives me no ground of boasting; for I am com pelled to do so by order of my® master. Yea, woe is me if I proclaim it not. For were my service of my 1 7 own free choice, I might claim wages to reward my • He nieans to say that, to have this right of maintenance, a man need be no Apostle. = Deut. xxv. 4 (LXX), quoted also 1 Tim. v. 18. 2 The proper meaning of the verb used here is to hold out against, as it fortress against assault, or ice agaiust superincumbent weight. Compare xiii. 7, and 1 Thess. iii. 1. * Nurabers vii. and Deut. xviii. * Matt. x. 9, 10. 6 " Necessity" here is the compulsion exercised by a master over a slave. In calling his service compulsory, St. Paul refers to the miraculous character ofhis conversion. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 47 labor; but since I serve my compulsion, I am a slave entrusted with a stewardship.^ What then is my wage ? 18 It is to make the Glad- tidings free of cost where I carry 19 it, that I may forego my right as an Evangelist. There- 20 fore, although free from the authority of all men, I made myself the slave of all that I might gain* the. most. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to those under the law as though I were under the law (not that I was myself subject to the 21 law)," that I might gain those under the law ; to those without the law,* as one without the law (not that I was without law before God, but under the law of Christ), that I might gain those who were without the 22 law. To the weak, I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I am become all things to all men, that by 23 all means I might save some. And this I do for the sake of the Glad-tidings, that I myself may share therein 24 with those who hear me. Know ye not that in the races of the stadium, though all run, yet but one can 25 win the prize? — (so run that you may win) — and every man who strives in the matches, trains himself by all manner of self-restraint.^ Yet they do it to win a fad- 26 ing crown,® — we, a crown that cannot fade. I, there fore, run not like the racer who is uncertain of his goal ; I fight, not as the pugilist who strikes out against the 27 air; but I bruise^ my body and force it into bondage j ' This " stewardship " consisted in dispensing his Master's goods to his fellow-slaves- See iv. 1, 2. * The best MSS. here insert a clause which is not in the Textus Receptus. ' " Gain " alludes to " wage." The souls whora he gained were his wage. * For " without law " in the sense of " heathen," corapare Rom. ii. 12. * For a description of the severe training required, see notes at the beginning of Chap ter XX. " This was the crown made of the leaves of the pine, groves of whioh surrounded the Isthmian Stadium : the same tree still grows plentifully on the Isthmus of Corinth. It wns the prize of the great Isthmian garaes. Throughout the passage St. Paul alludes to these contests, which were so dear to the pride and patriotism of the Corinthians. Compare also 2 Tim. ii. 6. Aud see the beginning of chap. xx. ou the same subject. ' This is the literal raeaning ofthe pugilistic term which the Apostle hero employs. 48 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. lest, perchance, having called others to the contest,-' I should myself fail shamefully of the prize. He again ivams FoT I would uot havo you ignoTaut, breth- x. the I orinthians .i, n c ,i n -1-111 against immoral- rcH, that OUT foretathors all were guarded by 1 ity, by examples ^-^ ment'%f'"God?s *^® cloud, aud all passed safely through the ancient people. gg^_ ^^^ ^^^ -^ ^J^g ^^^^^^ ^^^ -^ ^^^ g^^^ 3 were baptized unto Moses. And all of them alike ate 3 the same spiritual food; and all drank of the same spir- 4 itual stream; for they drank from the spiritual rock which followed them ;^ but that rock was Christ. Yet 5 most of them lost God's favor, yea, they were struck down and perished in the wilderness. Now, these 6 things were shadows of our own case, that we might learn not to lust after evil, as they lusted.^ Nor be ye 7 idolaters, as were some of them ; as it is written, — " The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.^''^ 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them com mitted, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us try the long-suffering of Christ, as did 9 some of them, who were destroyed by the serpents.* Nor murmur as some of them murmured, and were 10 slain by the destroyer.'^ Now all these things befel 11 them as shadows of things to come; and they were written for our warning, on whom the ends of the ages are come.^ Wherefore, let him who thinks that he 12 stands firm, beware lest he fall. No trial has come 13 upon you beyond man's power to bear; and God is faithful to His promises, and will not suffer you to be 1 "As a herald." See the second note' on Chap. XX. in this volume. 2 St Paul's raeaning is, that, under the allegorical representation of the Manna, the Water, and the Rock, are shadowed forth spiritual realities: forthe Rock is Christ, the only source of living water (John iv.) and the Manna also is Christ, the trne bread from Htaven (John vi.) For the Rabbinical traditions about the rock, see Schottgen; and on the whole verse, see Prof. Stanley's excellent note. 3 Viz. after the flesh-pots of Egypt. * Exod. xxxii. 6 (LXX.). ' See Numbers xvi. 41. The murmuring ofthe Corinthians against the Apostle is com pared to the murmuring of Korah against Moses. ° Numbers xxi. 6. ' See Numbers xvi. 41. 8 The coming of Christ was " the end of the ages," i. t. the commencement of a new period of the world's existence. So nearly the same phrase is used Heb. ix. 26. A simi lar expression occurs five times in St. Matthew, signifying the coming of Christ to judgment. 5hap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 49 tried beyond your strength, but will with every trial provide the way of escape, that you may be able to sustain it. 14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ^^^^^ ^,^^^ ^^_ 15 I speak as to men of understanding; use shiJ,°with*idS- 16 your own judgment upon my words. When '^' we drink the cup of blessing, which we bless, are we not all partakers in the blood of Christ ? When we break the bread, are we not all partakers in the body 17 of Christ?'- For as the bread is one, so we, the many, are one body; for of that one bread we all partake. 18 If you look to the carnal Israel, do you not see that those who eat of the sacrifices are in partnership with 19 the altar? What would I say then? that an idol has any real being? or that meat offered to an idol is really 20 changed thereby? Not so; but I say, that when the heathen offer their sacrifices, "-they sacriflce to demons andnot to Godf^^ and I would not have you become 21 partners^ with the demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons ; you cannot eat at the table of the Lord, and at the table of demons. 22 Would we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 23 'All things are lawful,"* but not all things iheymust deny are expedient; "all things are lawful," but '^"fm induigen. 1. ' CD I cies rather than 24 not all things build up the Church. Let no See 'of tS man seek his own, but every man his neigh- ""^ ^^ 25 bor's good. Whatever is sold in the market, you may eat, nor need you ask for conscience sake whence it 26 came: '¦'¦Forthe earth is the Lordes, and the fullness ^ Literally, The 'cup of blessing which we bless, is it ¦nM a common participation in the blood of Christ f The bread which we break, is it not a com,mon participation iu the body of Christ? 2 Dent, xxxii. 17: " They sacrificed to demons, not to God." (LXX.). ' This is addressed to those who were,in the habit of accepting invitations to feasts cel ebrated in the temples ofthe heathen gods " sitting in the idol's temple" (viii. 10). These feasts were, in fact, acts of idolatrous worship ; the wine was poured in libation to the gods ("the cup of demons," v. 21), and the feast was given in honor of the gods. 4 See vi. 12 and note. 50 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chai-. XV. thereof'''^ And if any unbeliever invites you to a feast, 27 and you are disposed to go, eat of all that is set before you, asking no questions for conscience sake; but if 28 any one should say to you, "This has been offered to an idol," eat not of that dish, for the sake of him who pointed it out, and for the sake of conscience. Thy 29 neighbor's conscience, I say, not thine own ; for [thou mayest truly say] "why is my freedom condemned by the conscience of another? and ifi thankfully partake, 30 why am I called a sinner for that which I eat with thanksgiving?"^ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever 31 you do, do all for the glory of God.^ Give no cause 32 of stumbling, either to Jews or Gentiles, or to the Church of God. For so I also strive to please all men in aU 33 things, not seeking my own good, but the good of all,* that they may be saved. I beseech you follow my example, as I follow the xi. example of Christ. Censure on the \ praiso you, brethren, that^ "you are 2 custom of women r J ^ ? J veCkfthe'a^- always mindful of my teaching, and keep un- p™iic wor°ship. changed the rules which I delivered to you." 3 But I would have you know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, as God is the head of Christ. If a man should pray or prophesy in the congregation with a veil over his head, 4 he would bring shame upon his head® [by wearing the 1 Psalms xxiv. 1 (LXX). 2 Corapare Rom. xiv. 16: "Let not your good be evil spoken of." Here again the hy pothesis that St. Paul is quoting from the letter of the Corinthians removes all difficulty. ^ i. e. that glory of God may be manifested to men. * The phrase denotes not many, but the many ihe whole mass of mankind. * This statement was probably made in the letter sent by the Corinthian Church to St. Paul. • It appears from this passage that the Tallith whioh the Jews put over their heads when they enter their synagogues was in the apostohc age removed by them when they officia ted in the public worship. Otherwise St. Paul could not, while writing to a church con taining so many born Jews as the Corinthian, assume it as evidently disgi-aoeful to a mau to officiate in the congregation with veiled head. It is true that the Greek practice was Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 51 5 token of subjection]. But if a woman prays or pro phesies with her head unveiled, she brings shame upon 6 her head, as much as she that is shaven. I say, if she cast off her veil, let her shave her head at once ; but if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let 7 her keep a veil upon her head. For a man ought not to veil his head, since he is the likeness of God, and the manifestation of God's glory. But the woman's 8 part is to manifest her husband's glory. For the man was not made from the woman, but the woman from man. 9 Nor was the man created for the sake of the woman 10 but the woman for the sake of the man. Therefore, the woman ought to wear a sign of subjection upon 11 her head, because of the angels.-' Nevertheless, in their fellowship with the Lord, man and woman may 12 not be separated the one from the other. ^ For as woman was made from man, so is man also borne by 13 woman ; and all things spring from God. Judge of this matter by your own feeling. Is it seemly for a woman 14 to offer prayers to God unveiled ? Or does not even nature itself teach you that long hair is a disgrace to a 15 man, but a glory to a woman? for her hair has been 16 given her for a veil. But if any one thinks to be contentious in defence of such a custom, let him know that it is disallowed by me, and by all the Churches of God. 17 ri said that I praised you, for keeping the csMureon their L r J I to profanation of rules which were delivered to you ;] but while *^l ^'*'' ""P" to keep the head uncovered attheir religious rites (as Grotius and Wetstein have remark ed), but this custom would not have affected the Corinthian synagogue, nor have influenced the feelings of its members. * The raeaning of this very diflioult expression seems to be as follows : — The angels are sent as ministering servants to attend upon Christians, and are especially present when the church assembles for public worship ; and they would be offended by any violation of decency or order. For other explanations, and a full discussion of the subject, the reader is referred to Prof. Stanley's note. - In their relation to Christ, man and woman are not to be severed the one from the oth er. Compare Gal. iii. 28. St. Paul means to say that the distinction between the sexes is one which only belongs to this life. 30 52 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL [Chap. XV I give you this commandment I praise you not ; your solemn assemblies are for evil rather than for good. For 18 first, I hear that there are divisions among you, when your congregation assembles ; and this I partly believe. For there must needs be not divisions' only, but also 19 adverse sects among you, that so the good may be test ed and made known. Moreover, when you assemble yourselves together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper; for each begins to eat [what he has brought for] his 21 own supper, before anything has been given to others and while some are hungry, others are drunken.-' Have 22 you then no houses to eat and drink in ? or do you come to show contempt for the congregation of God's people, and to shame the poor ?^ What can I say to you ? Shall I praise you in this ? I praise you not. For I myself* received from the Lord that which I delivered 23 to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given 24 thanks. He brake it, and said — '¦'¦Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.'''' In the same planner also, He took the cup 25 after supper, saying, " This cup is the new covenant in my blood : this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remem brance of me.'''' For as often as you eat this bread, and 26 drink this cup, you openly show forth the Lord's death until He shall come again. Therefore, whosoever shall 27 eat this bread, or drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him 28 eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For he who 29 eats and drinks of it unworthily, eats and drinks judg ment against himself, not duly judging of the Lord's 1 For the explanation of this, sec Chap. XIII. It should be observed that a common meal, to which each of the guests contributed his own share of the provisions, was a form Of entertainment of frequent occurrence among the Greeks, known by the name of eprn'oi. 2 Literally, Those wlio have not houses to eat in, and who therefore ought to have received their portion at the love-fcT^ts from their wealthier brethren. '" There must be ofeo, &c." 'The "I" is emphatic. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THB CORINTHIANS. 53 30 body.^ For this cause many of you are weak and sick- 31 ly, and many sleep. For if we had duly judged our- 32 selves, we should not have been judged. But now that we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned together with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you are assembling to 34 eat, wait for one another ; and if any one is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your meetings should bring judgment upon you. The other matters I will set in order when I come. xii. Concerning those who exercise Spiritual auJ^* ^p*^*™* 2 Gifts, brethren, I would not .have you ignorant. You know that in the days of your heathenism you were blindly 'led astray to worship dumb and senseless idols 3 [by those who pretended to gifts from heaven]. This therefore I call to your remembrance ; that no man who is inspired by the Spirit of God can say " Jesus is ac- 4 cursed;" and no man can say "Jesus is the Lord," unless he be inspired by the Holy Spirit.^ Moreover, there are varieties of Gifts, but the same Spirit gives them all ; 5 and [they are given for] various ministrations, but all 6 to serve the same Lord ; and the working whereby they are wrought is various, but all are wrought in all by the 7 working of the same God. But the gift whereby the Spirit becomes manifest, is given to each for the profit 1 If in this verse we omit, with the raajority of MSS., the words " unworthily " and " of the Lord," it will stand as follows : He who eats and drinks of it, mt duly judging of [or, discerning^ the Body, eats a'nd drinks judgment against himself . The " not discerning " is explamed by Canon. Stanley, " if he does not discern that the body of the Lord is in hira self and in the Christian society; " but the more usual and perhaps more natural explana tion is, " if he does not distinguish between the Eucharistic elements and a common meal." * ». e. the mere outward profession of Christianity is (so far as it goes) a proof the Holy Spirit's guidance. Therefore the extraordinary spiritual gifts which followed Christian baptism in that age proceeded in all cases from the Spirit of God, and not from the Spirit of Evil. This is St. Paul's answer to a difficulty apparently felt by the Corinthians (and mentioned in their letter to him), whether some of these gifts might not be given by the Author of Evil to confuse the Church. Prof. Stanley observes that the words Jesus is ac cursed and Jesus is the Lord (according to the reading of sorae of the best MSS., which. produces a rauch livelier sense) "were probably well-known forms of speech ; the flrst for renouncing Christianity, the second for professing allegiance to Christ at Baptism." 51: THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV, of all. To one is given by the Spirit the utterance of 8 Wisdom, to another the utterance of Knowledge^ ac cording to the working of the same Spirit. To another 9 Faith^ through the same Spirit. To another gifts of Healing through the same Spirit. To another the pow- 10 ers which work Miracles ; to another Prophecy ; to another the discernment of Spirits ; to another varieties of Tongues^; to another the Interpretation of Tongues. But all these gifts are wrought by the working of that 11 one and the same Spirit, who distributes them to each according to his will. For as the body is one, aud has 12 many members, and as all the members, though many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in the communion 13 of one Spirit we all were baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,' whether slaves or free men, and were all made to drink of the same Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. If* the 15 foot should say, " I am not the hand, therefore I belong uot to the body," does it thereby sever itself from the body? Or if the ear should say, "I,am not the eye, 16 therefore I belong not to the body," does it thereby sever itself from the body? If the whole body were 17 an eye, where would be the hearing ? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the smelling ? But 1>3 now God has placed the members severally in the body 19 according to His will. If all were one member, where would be the body? But now, though the members 20 are many, yet the body is one. And the eye cannot 21 say to the hand, "I have no need of thee;" nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." Nay, 22 1 Knowledge (gnosis) is the term ased throughout this Epistle for a deep ins'glit into divine truth; Wis-inm is a more general term, but here (as being opposed to gnosis) probably means practical wis-lom. ^ That is, Wonder-working Faith, See Chap. XIII. ' See Chap. XIII. for remarks on this and the other gifts raentioned in this passage. * The resemblance between this passage and the well-known fable of Menenius Agrippa (Liv. II. 32) can scarcely be accidental; and may perhaps be considered another proof that St. Paul was not unacquainted with classical literature. ¦¦ See note on Kom. i. 16. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 55 those parts of the body which are reckoned the feeblest 23 are the most necessary, and those parts which we hold the least honorable, we clothe with the more abundant honor, and the less beautiful parts are adorned with the 24 greater beauty ; whereas the beautiful need no adorn ment. But God has tempered the body together, and given to the lowlier parts the higher honor, that there 25 should be no division in the body, but that all its parts should feel, one for the other, a common sympathy. 26 And thus, if one member suffer, every member suffers with it ; or if one member be honored, every member 27 rejoices with it. Now ye are together the body of Christ, and each one of you a separate member. And 28 God has set the members in the Church, some in one place, and some in another : first, Apostles ; secondly. Prophets; thirdly. Teachers; afterwards Miracles; then gifts of Healing; Serviceable Ministrations; Gifts 29 of Government; varieties of Tongues. Can all be 30 Apostles ? Can all be Prophets ? Can all be Teachers ? Can all work Miracles ? Have all the Gifts of Healing ? Do all speak with Tongues? Can all interpret the 31 Tongues ? But I would have you delight^ in the best gifts ; and moreover, beyond them alP, I will show you a path wherein to walk. xiii. Though I speak in all the tongues of men g„periorit^ ^ and angels, if I have not love, I am no bet- ^tTaordinaiy*"^" , ,1 T 1 .'IT Gifts of the Spult ter than sounding brass, or a tinkling cym- 2 bal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all the mysteries, and all the depths of ' The verb means originally to feelintense eagerness about a person or thing: hence its different senses of love, jealousy, &c., are derived. Here the wish expressed is, that the Corinthians should take that delight in the exercise of tho more useful gifts, which hitherto they had taken in the more wonderful, not that individuals should " covet earnestly " for themselves gifts which God had not given thera. Compare xiv. 39, and observe that the verb is a different one in xiv. 1. ' This seems the meaning here. The phrase can scarcely be taken as an adjective with " path," as in A. V. Such an instance as Rom. vii. 13 is not parallel. In English the use of the words exceedingly sinful, would not explain the expression cm exceedingly path. 56 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. knowledge ; and though I have the fullness of faith, so that I could remove mountains; if I have not love, I am nothing. And though I sell all my goods to feed 3 the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, it profits me nothing. Love is long 4 suffering ; love is kind ; love envies not ; love speaks no vaunts; love swells not with vanity; love offends not by rudeness ; love seeks not her own ; is not easily 5 provoked ; bears no malice -^ rejoices not over^ iniquity, 6 but rejoices in the victory of truth ; foregoes all things, T believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love shall never pass away ; but Prophecies shall van ish, and Tongues shall cease, and Knowledge shall come to nought. For our Knowledge is imperfect, and 9 our prophesying is imperfect. But when the perfect 10 is come, the imperfect shall pass away. When I was 11 a child, my words were childish, my desires were child ish, my judgments were childish ; but being grown a man, I have done with the things of childhood. So 12 now we see darkly,^ by a mirror, but then face to face ; now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as I now am* known. Yet while other gifts shall pass away, 13 these three, Faith, Hope, and Love, abide; and the greatest of these is Love. xiv. Direetionsforthe FoUow oamestly after Love; yet delight giftof Prophecy, in tho Spiritual gifts, but especially in the and the gift of . ^ D i r ¦ J Tongues. gift of Prophocy. For he who speaks in a 2 ^ Literally, does not reckon the evil [against the eiiil doer]. Compare 2 Cor. v. 19: " not reckoning their sins." The Authorised Version here, " thinketh no evil," is so beautiful that one cannot but wish it had been a correct translation. The same disposition, how ever, is implied by the " believes all things " below. 2 This verb sometimes means to rejoice in the misfortume of another, and the character istic of love here mentioned may mean that it does not exult in the punishment of ini quity ; or may siraply mean that it does not delight in the contemplation of wickedness. ' Literally, in an enigma; thus we see God (e. g.) iu nature, while even revelation only shows ns His reflected likeness. There is, no doubt, an allusion to Numbers xii. 8. ' Literally, "I was known," i. e. when in this world, by God. The tense used retro spectively; unless it may be better to take it as the aorist used in a perfect sense, which is not uncommon in St. Paul's style. Cbap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 57 Tongue, speaks not to men but to God; for no man understands him, but with his spirit he utters mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks to men, and builds them 4 up, with exhortation and with comfort. He who speaks in a Tongue builds up himself alone; but he 5 who prophesies builds up the Church. I wish that you all had the gift of Tongues, but rather that you had the gift of Prophecy ; for he who prophesies is above him who speaks in Tongues, unless he interpret, that the 6 Church may be built up thereby. Now, brethren, if when I came to you I were to speak in Tongues, what should I profit you, unless I should [also] speak either in Revelation or in Knowledge, either in Prophesying 7 or in Teaching? Even if the lifeless instruments of sound, the flute or the harp, give no distinctness to their notes, how can we understand their music? If 8 the trumpet utter an uncertain note, how shall the sol- 9 dier prepare himself for the battle? So also if you utter unintelligible words with your tongue, how can your speech be understood? you will but be speaking 10 to the air. Perhaps there may be as many languages in the world [as the Tongues in which you speak], and 1 1 none of them is unmeaning. If, then, I know not the meaning of the language, I shall be as a foreigner to him that speaks it, and he will be accounted a foreigner 12 by me. Wherefore, in your own case (since you de light in spiritual gifts) strive that your abundant pos session of them may build up the Church. Therefore, 13 let him who speaks in a Tongue, pray that he may be 14 able to interpret^ what he utters. For if I utter pray ers in a Tongue, my spirit indeed prays, but my under- 15 standing bears no fruit. What follows, then ? Iwill pray indeed with my spirit, but I will pray with my understanding also; I will sing praises with my spirit, ^ This verse distinctly proves that the gift of Tongues was not a knowledge of foreiga languages, as is often supposed. See Chap. XIU. 58 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. but I will sing with my understanding also. For if 16 thou, with thy spirit, offerest thanks and praise, how shall the Amen be said to thy thanksgiving by those worshippers who take no part in the ministrations, while they are ignorant of the meaning of thy words? Thou indeed fitly offerest thanksgiving, but thy neigh- 17 bors are not built up. I offer thanksgiving to God in 18 private,^ speaking in Tongues [to Him], more than any of you. Yet in the congregation I would rather speak 19 five words with my understanding so as to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a Tongue. Brethren, 20 be not children in understanding; but in malice be children, and in understanding be men. It is written 21 in the Law,^ " With menof other to-ngues ancl other lips will I speak unto this people j and yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord.''' So that the gift of 22 Tongues is a sign' given rather to unbelievers than to believers; whereas the gift of Prophecy belongs to be lievers. When, therefore, the whole congregation is 23 assembled, if all the speakers speak in Tongues, and if any who take no part in your ministrations, or who are unbelievers, should enter your assembly, will they not say that you are mad ? But if all exercise the gift of 24 Prophecy, then if any man who is an unbeliever, or who takes no part in your ministrations, should enter the place of meeting, he is convicted in conscience by every speaker, he feels himself judged by all, and the secret 25 depths of his heart are laid open ; and so he will fall upon his face and worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. What follows then, brethren? If, 26 when you meet together, one is prepared to sing a hymn of praise, another to exercise his gift of Teach- ^ This is evidently the meaning of the verse. Compare verse 2, " He who speaks in a tongue speaks not to himself but to God," and verse 28, "Let him speak in private to himself and God alone." 2 Is. xxviii. 11. Not exactly according to the Hebrew or LXX. Chap. XV.] FllJST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 59 ing, another his gift of Tongues, another to deliver a Revelation,^ another an Interpretation; let all be so 27 done as to build up the Church. If there be any who speak in Tongues, let not more than two, or at the most three, speak [in the same assembly]; and let them speak in turn ; and let the same interpreter 28 explain the words of all. But if there be no inter preter, let him who speaks in Tongues keep silence in the congregation, and speak in private to himself 29 and God alone. Of those who have the gift of Pro phecy, let two or three speak [in each assembly], and 30 let the rest judge; but if another of them, while sitting as hearer, receives a revelation [calling him to pro- 31 phesy], let the first cease to speak. For so you can each prophesy in turn, that aU may receive teaching 32 and exhortation; and the gift of Prophecy does not take from the prophets the control over their own 33 spirits. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. 34 In your congregation, as in all the congre- „,. J CD CD I o Ttie women must gations of the Saints, the women must keep SciV^ 'S cSq- silence ; for they are not permitted to speak ^°^'"'"- in public, but to show submission, as saith also the 35 Law.^ And if they wish to ask any question, let them ask it of their own husbands at home ; for it is disgrace- 36 ful to women to speak in the congregation. [Whence is your claim to change the rules delivered to you ?] Was it from you that the word of God went forth ? or, are yOu the only church which it has reached ? 37 Nay, if any thmk that he has the gift of Prophecy, or that he is a spiritual* man, let him acknowledge the 38 words which I write for commands of the Lord. But ' This would be an exercise of the gift of "prophecy." ^ 1 Thess. v. 21. ' Gen. iii. 16. * " Spiritual," the epithe. on which the party of Apollos (the ultra-Pauline party) es pecially prided themselves. See chap. iii. 1 — 3 and Gal. vi. 1. 60 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. if any man refuse this acknowledgment, let him refuse it at his peril. Therefore, brethren, delight in the giftof Prophecy, 39 and hinder not the gift of Tongues. And let all be 40 done with decency and order. The doctrine of MoreovoT, brethren, I call to your remem- xv. of°the S cs° brance the Glad-tidings which I brought tablisiied against i-ni -ii • in its impugners. JOM, which also you Teceivcd, wherein also 2 you stand firm, whereby also you are saved, if you still hold fast the words wherein I declared it to you ; unless indeed you believed in vain. For the first thing 3 I taught you was that which I had myself been taught, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scrip tures-'; and that He was buried, and that He rose the 4 third day from the dead, according to the Scripjtures ; ^ and that He was seen by Cephas, and then by The 5 Twelve ; after that He was seen by about five hundred 6 brethren at once, of whom the greater part are living at this present time, but some are fallen asleep.' Next 7 He was seen by James, and then by all the Apostles ; and last of all He was seen by me also, who am placed 8 among the rest as it were by an untimely birth ; for I 9 am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am ; and 10 His grace which was bestowed upon me, was not fruit less ; but I labored more abundantly than all the rest ; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. So then, whether preached by me, or them, this is 11 what we preach, and this is what you believed. 1 So our Lord quotes Is. liii. 12, in Luke xxii. 37. 2 Araong the " Scriptures " here referred to by St. Paul, one is the prophecy whichhe himself quoted in the speech at Antioch from Ps. xvi. 10. ' Can we imagine it possible that St. Paul should have said this without knowing it to be true? or without himself having seen some of these "five hundred brethren," of whom " the greater part " were alive when he wrote these words ? The sceptical (but candid and honest) De Wette acknowledges this testimony as conclusive. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 61 12 If then this be our tidings, that Christ is risen from the dead, how is it that some among you say, there is 13 no resurrection of the dead ? But if there be no res- 14 urrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen ; and if Christ be not risen, vain is the message we proclaim, 15 and vain the faith with which you heard it. Moreover, we are found guilty of false witness against God ; because we bore witness of God that He raised Christ from the dead, whom He did not raise, if indeed the 16 dead rise not. For if there be no resurrection of the 17 dead, Christ Himself ^ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen, your faith is vain, you are still in^ your sins. 18 Moreover, if this be so, they who have fallen asleep in 19 Christ, perished when they died. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most mis- 20 erable. But now, Christ is risen from the dead ; the 21 first-fruits' of all who sleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as, in Adam, all men die, so, in Christ, shall all 23 be raised to life. But each in his own order ; Christ, the first-fruits ; afterwards they who are Christ's at His 24 appearing ; finally, the end shall come, when He shall give up His kingdom to God His Father, having de stroyed all other dominion, and authority, and power.* 25 For He must reign " till He hath put all enemies under 26 His feef''^ And last of His enemies, Death also shall 27 be destroyed. For '¦'¦He hath put all things under His feet.'''' But in that saying, "aS things are put under 1 This argument is founded on the union between Christ and His members : they so share His life, that because He lives forever, they must live also ; and conversely, if we deny their immortality, we deny His. 2 Because we " are saved" from our sins "by His life." (Rom. v. 10). ' On the second day of ttie feast of Passover a sheaf of ripe com was offered upon the altar as a consecration of the whole harvest. Till this was done it was considered unlaw ful to begin reaping. See Levit. xxiii. 10, 11. The metaphor therefore is, " As the single shoaf of first fruits represents and consecrates all the harvest, so Christ's resurrection represents and involves that of all who sleep in hira." It should be observed that the verb is not present (as in A. V.), but past (not is become, but became), and that the best MSS- omit it. * Compare Col. ii. 15; also Eph. i. 21. * Ps. ex. 1 (LXX). Quoted and similarly applied, by our Lord H|mself, Matt. xxii. 44. 62 THE LIFE -AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV. Him,'''' it is manifest that God is excepted, who put all things under Him. And when all things are made 28 subject to Him, then shall the Son also subject Himself to Him who made them subject, that God may be all in all. Again, what will become of those who cause them- 29 selves to be baptized for the dead,^ if the dead never rise again ? Why then do they submit to baptism for the dead ? And I too, why do I put my life to hazard every 30 hour? I protest by my boasting (which I have [not 31 in myself, but] in Christ Jesus our Lord) I die daily. If I have fought (so to speak) with beasts at Ephesus,^ 32 what am I profited if the dead rise not? '¦^ Let us eat and drink, for to-morroio we die.''^^ Beware lest you 33 be led astray; " Converse with evil men corrupts good manners.'''' Change your drunken* revellings into the sobriety of righteousness, and live no more in sin ; for 34 some of you know not God; I speak this to your shame. ' The only meaning which the Greek seems to adrait here is a reference to the practice «f submitting to baptism instead of some person who had died unbaptized. Yet this ex planation is liable to very great difficulties. (1) How strange that St. Paul should refer to such a superstition without rebuking it ! Perhaps, however, he may have censured it in a former letter, and now only refers to it as an argumentum ad homines. It has, indeed, been alleged that the present mention of it implies a censure ; but this is far from evident. (2) If such a practice did exist in the Apostolic Church, how can we account for its being discontinued in the period whioh foUowed, when a magical efficacy was more aud more ascribed to the material act of baptism ? Yet the practice was never adopted except by some obscure sects of Gnostics, who seem to have founded their custom on this very The explanations which have been adopted to avoid the difficulty, such as " over the graves of the dead," or " in the narae of the dead (meaning Christ)," &c., are all inad missible, as being contrary to the analogy of the language. On the whole, therefore, the passage must be considered to admit of no satisfactory explanation. It Alludes to some practice of the Corinthians, which has not been recorded elsewhere, and of which every other trace has perished. The reader who wishes to see all that can be said on the sub ject should consult Canon Stanley's note. ' 2 This is metaphorical, as appears by the qualifying expression translated iu A. V., " after the manner of men." It must refer to some very violent opposition which St. Paul had raet with at Ephesus, the particulars of which are not recorded. ' Is. xxii. 13 (LXX). 'Not awake (us in A. VO, but cease to be drunken. And below, (?o not go on sinning (present*. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. Q'S 35 But some one will say, "How are the dead raised 36 up? and with what body do they come?"^ Thou fool, the seed thou sowest is not quickened into life till 37 it hath partaken of death. And that which thou sow est has not the same body with the plant which will spring from it, but it is mere grain, of wheat, or what- 38 ever else it may chance to be. But God gives it a body according to His will; and to every seed the 39 body of its own proper plant. For all flesh is not the same flesh ; [but each body is fitted to the place it fills] ; the bodies of men, and of beasts, of birds, and of -40 fishes, differ the one from the other. And there are bodies which belong to heaven, and bodies which be long to earth ; but in glory the heavenly differ from • 41 the earthly. The sun is more glorious than the moon, and the moon is more glorious than the stars, and one star excels another in glory. So likewise is the resur rection of the dead; [they will be clothed with a '42 body fitted to their lot] ; it is sown in corruption, it ' 43 is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in' 44 power ; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual I body ; for as there are natural bodies, so there are also |45 spiritual bodies.^ And so it is written, " The flrst man Adam was made a living soul,'' ^ the last Adam was 46 made a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual comes not 47 till after the natural. The first man was made of earthly clay, the second man was the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthly, such are they also that are earthly ; V and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are ^ The form of this objection is conclusive against the hypothesis of those who suppose that these Corinthians only disbelieved the Resurrection of the body ; and that they be lieved the Resurrection of the dead. St. Paul asserts the Resurrection of the dead ; to which they reply, " How can the dead rise to life again, when their body has perished ? " This objection he proceeds to answer, by showing that individual existence may continue, without the continuance of the material body. 2 The difi'erenee of reading does not materially affect the sense of this verse. ' Gen. ii. 7, slightly altered from LXX. The second member of the antithesis is not a j>aTt of the quotation. Qi THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV- heavenly ; and as we have borne the image of the 49 earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. But this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood ^ cannot 50 inherit the kingdom of God, neither can corruption in herit incorruption. Behold, I declare to you a mys- 51 tery ; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at 52 the sound of the last trumpet ; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put 53 on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immor tality. But when this corruptible is clothed with incorrup- 54 tion, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying, which is written, * The importance of the subject justifies our quoting at some length the admirable re marks of Dr. Burton (formerly Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford) on this passage, in the hope that his high reputation for learning and for unblemished orthodoxy may lead some persons to reconsider the loose and unscriptural language which they are in the habit of using. After regretting that some of the early Fathers have (when treating of the Resurrection of the Body) appeared to contradict these words of St. Paul, Dr. Burton con tinues as foUows ; — "It is nowhere asserted in the New Testament that we shaU rise again with our bodies. Unless a man will say that the stalk, the blade, and the ear of com are actuaUy the sarao thing with the single grain which is put into the ground, he cannot quote St. Paul as saying that we shaU rise again with the same bodies ; or at least he must allow that the future body raay only be like to the present one, inasmuch as both come under the same genus ; i. e. we speak of human bodies, and we speak of heavenly bodies. But St. Paul's words do not warrant us in saying that the resemblance between the present and future body will be greater than between a man and a star, or between a bird and a fish. Noth ing can be plainer than the expression which he uses in the first of these two analogies Thou sowest not ihat body ihat shall be (xv. 37). He says also, with equal plainness, of the body, Tt is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual bvdy ; there is a natural body, and ihere is a spiritual body (ver. 44). These words require to be examined closely, and in volve remotely a deep metaphysical question. In common language, the terms Body and Spir-ii are accustomed to be opposed, and are used to represent two things which are totally distinct. But St. Paul here brings the two expressions together, and speaks of a spiritual body. St. Paul, therefore, did not oppose Body to Spirit; aud though the loose ness of modern language may allow us to do so, and yet to be correct in our ideas, it may save some confusion if we consider Spirit as opposed to Matter, .and if we take Body to be a generic term, which comprises both. A body, therefore, in the language of St. Paul, is something which has a distinct individual existence. ^ " St. Paul teUs us that every individual, when he rises again, will have a spiritual body: but the remarks which I have made may show how different is the idea conveyed by these words from the notions which some persons entertain, that we shall rise again with ithe same identical body. St. Paul appears effectually to preclude this notion, when he says, Flesh and blood canmot inherit ihe kingdom of God" (ver. 50). — Burton's Lectures, pp. 420—431. Chap. XV.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 65 " Death is swallowed up in victory.'''' ^ "0 death, where 55 is thy sting f'' " 0 grave, where is thy victory f''^ 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the 57 law'; but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, im movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. xvi. Concerning the collection for the saints MrecHons con- *-' cerning the col- [at Jerusalem] I would have you do as I J,«^^ *^'hrS* have enjoined upon the churches of Galatia. *"""" 2 Upon the first day of the week, let each of you set apart whatever his gains may enable him to spare; that 3 there may be no collections when I come. And when I am with you, whomsoever you shall judge to be fitted for the trust, I will furnish with letters, and send them 4 to carry your benevolence to Jerusalem; or if there shall seem sufficient reason for me also to go thither, 5 they shall go with me. But I will visit you g^. p.,^,, j.^,^ after I have passed through Macedonia (for ¦''*'"¦ 6 through Macedonia I shall pass), and perhaps I shall remain with you, or even winter with you, that you may forward me on my farther joumey, whithersoever 7 I go. For I do not wish to see you now for a passing visit ; since I hope to stay some time with you, if the 8 Lord permit. But I shall remain at Ephesus until Pen- 9 tecost, for a door is opened to me both great and effect ual ; and there are many adversaries, [against ifmotiieus. 10 whom I must contend]. If Timotheus come to you, be 1 Is. xxv. 8. Not quoted from the LXX., bnt apparently from the Hebrew, with some alteration. ^ Ho=ea xiii. 14. Quoted, but not exactly, from LXX., which here differs from the Hebrew. 'Why is the law caUed "the strength of sin?" Because the Lawof Duty, bemg acknowledged, gives to sin its power to wound the conscience ; in fact, a moral law of precepts and penalties announces the fatal consequences of sin, without giving us any power of conquering sin. Compare Eom. vii. 7 — 11. 5 66 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XV, careful to give him no cause of fear' in your intercourse with him, for he is laboring, as I am, in the Lord's work. Therefore, let no man despise him, but forward 1 1 him on his way in peace, that he may come hither to me; for I expect him, and the brethren with him. Apollos. _/^g regards the brother Apollos, I urged 12 him much to visit you with the brethren, [who bear this letter] ;' nevertheless, he was resolved not to come to, you at this time, but he will visit you at a more con venient season. Exhortations. Bo watchful, staud firm in faith, be manful 1 3 and stout-hearted.' Let all you do be done in love. 14 Stephanas, For- You kuow, brethren, that the house of 15 tunatus, and f-,, t f n • i} k t • AchaiouB. Stephanas were the tirst-fi-uits ot Achaia, and that they have taken on themselves the task of minis tering to the saints. I exhort you, therefore, on your 16 part, to show submission towards men like these, and towards all who work laboriously with them. I rejoice 17 in the coming of Stephanas' and Fortunatus, and Achai- cus, because they have supplied all which you needed; 18 for they have lightened my spirit and yours.' To such render due acknowledgment." saintations from Tho Churchos of Asla saluto you. Aquila 19 the Province of . . -i i • i • i ¦*»'»• and PrisciUa send their loving salutation in the Lord, together with the Church, which assembles at their house. All the brethren here salute you. Sa- 20 lute one another with the kiss of hohness. Autograph Con- ^hc salutatlon of mc, Paul, with my own 21 elusion. hand. Let him who loves not the Lord 22 Jesus Christ be accursed. The Lord cometh. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 23 My love be with you all ih Christ Jesus.' .24 ' The youth of Timotheus accounts for this request. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 12. ' See notes to pp.. 423, 481. ^ ;. ^. under persecution. , * See p. 868. ' Vix. by supplying the means' of our intercourse. • See note on 1 Thess. v. 26. ' The " Araen " is not found in the best MSS. SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. The twofold character of this Epistle is easily explained by the existence of the majority and minority which we have described in the Corinthian church. Towards the former the Epistle overflows with love ; towards the latter it abounds with warning and menace. The purpose of the Apostle was to encour age and tranquilize the great body of the Church ; but at the same time he was constrained to maintain his authority against those who persisted in despising the commands of Christ delivered by his mouth. * * * With these objects he wrote as follows : — i. SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS.^ Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of salutation. God, and Timotheus the Brother, TO THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH IS IN CORINTH, AND TO ALL THE SAINTS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROV INCE OF ACHAIA. 2 Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. ' It is a curious fact, and marks the personal character of this Epistle, that the verb for "boast " and its derivatives occur , twenty-nine times in it, and only twenty-six times in all the other Epistles of St. Paul put together. * St. Paul has given us the following particulars to determine the date of this Epistle : — (1.) He had been exposed to great danger in Proconsular Asia, t. e. at Ephesus (2 Cor. L 8). This had happened Acts xix. 23 — 11. (2.) He had come thence to Troas, and (after some stay there) had passed over to Mace donia. This was the route he took, Acts xx, 1. (3.) He was in Macedonia at the time of writing (2 Cor. ix 2, the verb is in the present tense), and intended (2 Cor. xiiL 1) shortly to visit Corinth. This was the course of his joumey, Acts xx. 2. (i.) The same collection is going on which is mentioned in 1 Cor. See 2 Oor. viii. 6, and 3 Cor. lx. 2 ; and which was completed during his three months' visit to Corinth (Bom. xv. 26), and taken up to Jerusalem immediately after, Acts xxiv. 17. (6.) Some ot the other topics mentioned in 1 Cor. are again referred to, especially the punishment ot the incestuous offender, in sacll a maunsr as to show that no long interval iiad elapsed since the first Epistle. 68 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVII. Thanksgiving for Thanks bc to God the Father of our Lord 3 from e^t™™ Jesus Christ, the father of compassion, and ger m proconsu. ' ^ lar Asia. ^j^q Qq^ ^f ^^ comfort, who consoles me^ in all my tribulation, thereby enabling me to comfort 4 those who are in any affliction, with the same comfort wherewith I am myself comforted by God. For as the 5 sufi'erings of Christ^ have come upon me above meas ure, so by Christ also my consolation is above measure multiplied. But if, on the one hand, I am afflicted, it is 6 for your consolation and salvation (which works in you a firm endurance of the same suff'erings which I also sufl'er ; so that my hope is steadfast on your be half) ; and if, on the other hand, I am comforted, it is for your consolation, because I know that as you par- 7 take of my sufferings, so you partake also of my com fort. For I would have you know, brethren, con- 8 cerning the tribulation which befel me in the province of Asia,^ that I was exceedingly pressed down by it beyond my strength to bear, so as to despair even of life. Nay, by my own self I was already doomed to 9 deaith ; that I might rely no more upon myself, but upon God who raises the dead to life ; who delivered me from 10 a death so grievous, and does yet deliver me ; in whom I have hope that He will still deliver me for the time to 11 ' For the translation here, see the reasons given in the note on 1 Thess. i. 2. It is evident here that St. Paul considers himself alone the writer, since Timotheus was not with him during the danger in Asia; and, moreover,, he uses "I" frequently, in terchangeably with "we " (see verse 23); and when he includes others in the " we " he specifies it, as in verse 19. See, also, other proofs in the note on vi. 11. ' Compare Col. i. 24. ' It has been questioned whether St. Paul here refers to the Ephesian tumult of Acts xix. ; and it is urged that he was noi theu in danger of his life. But had he been found by the raob during the period of their excitement, there can be little doubt that he would have been torn to pieces, or perhaps thrown to wild beasts iu the Arena ; and it seems im probable that within so short a period he should again have been exposed to peril of his life in the sarae place, and that nothing should have been said of it in the Acts.' Sorae commentators have held (and the view has been ably advocated by Dean Alford) that St. Paul refers to a dangerous attack of illness. With this opinion we so far agree that we believe St. Paul to have been suffering from bodily illness when he wrote this Epistle. See the preliminary reraarks above. St. Paul's stateraent here that he was " self-doomed to death " certainly looks very like a reference to a very dangerous illness, in whioh he had despaired of recovery. CHAr. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 69 come ; you also helping me by your supplications for me, that thanksgivings may from many tongues be of fered up on my behalf, fisr the blessing gained to me by many prayers. 12 For this is my boast, the testimony of my ^^^^ ^^^ conscien'ce, that I have dealt with the world, ^'"douwT'doar- and above all with you, in godly honesty "'^' and singleness of mind\ not in the strength of carnal 13 wisdom, but in the strength of God's grace. For I write nothing else to you but what you read openly^, yea, and what you acknowledge inwardly, and I hope 14 that even to the end you will acknowledge^, as some of you* have already acknowledged, that I am your boast, even as you are mine, in the day of the Lord Jesus.^ 15 And in this confidence it was mv wish to „ •' Reason for the come first ^ to you, that [afterwards] you £°f?,™t"?o™co/- 16 might have a second benefit ; and to go by "'"'¦ you into Macedonia, and back again from Macedonia to you, and by you to be forwarded on my way to 17 Judaea. Am I accused then of forming this purpose in levity and caprice ? or is my purpose carnal, to 18 please all, by saying at once both yea and nay ? '^ Yet as God is faithful, my words to you are no [deceitful] 19 mixture of yea and nay. For when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was proclaimed among you by us, (by ' St. Paul here alludes to his opponents, who accused him of dishonesty and inconsist ency in his words and deeds. Frora what follows, it seems that he had been suspected of writing privately to some individuals in the Church, in a different strain from that of his public letters to them. ' 1 he word properly means you read aloud, viz. when the Epistles of St. Paul were pub licly read to the congregation. Compare 1 Thess. v. 27. ' There is a play upon the words here, which it is difficult in English to imitate. * Compare chap. ii. 5, and Rom. xi. 25. ' «'. e. the day when the Lord Jesus will come again. * i. e. before visiting Macedonia. ' This translation (the literal English being, do T purpose my purposes carnally, ihat both y«o, yea, and nay, nay, may be [found] with me) appears to give the full force, as much as that of Chrysostom: " or m^ust Ihold to tlie purposes which Ihave formed from fleshly fear, lest I be accused of changing my yea into nay; " which is advocated by Winer, but whioh does not agree with the context. 70 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVU. me, I say, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,) in Him was found no wavering between yea and nay, but in Him was yea alone; for all the promises of God have in 20 Him the yea [which seals their truth] ; wherefore also through Him the Amen [which acknowledges their fulfilment,] is uttered to the praise of God by our voice. ^ But God is He who keeps both us and you 21 steadfast to His anointed, and we also are anointed^ by Him. And He has set His seal upon us, and has given 22 us the Spirit to dwell in our hearts, as the earnest^ of His promises. But for my* own part, I call God to 23 witness, as my soul shall answer for it, that I gave up my purpose^ of visiting Corinth because I wished to spare you. I speak not® as though your faith was 24 enslaved to my authority, but because I desire to help your joy ; ^ for your faith is steadfast. But I determined^ not again ^ to visit you in grief; ii. for if I cause you grief, who is there to cause me joy, 2 but those whom I have grieved ? And for this very 3 reason I wrote •^'' to you instead of coming, that I might not receive grief from those who ought to give me 1 In the present edition we have adopted Lachman's reading. The Amen was that in which the whole congregation joined at the close of the thanksgiving, as described in 1 Cor. xiv. 16. It should also be remembered (as Canon Stanley obesrves), that it is the Hebrew of " yea." ^ The coraraentators do not seem to have remarked here the verbal connection. [This has been noticed by Prof. Stanley, since the above was first published.] The a^nointing spoken of as bestowed on the Apostles, was that grace by whioh they were qualified for their office. The "we" and "us" iu verses 20, 21, and 22, include Silvanus and Timo theus, as is expressly stated verse 19. ' Literally, the earnest money, i. e. a small sura which was paid in advance, as the rati fication of a bargain ; a custora which still prevails in many countries. The gift of the Holy Spirit in this life is said by St. Paul to be the calmest of their future inheritance ¦ he repeats the expression 2 Cor. v. 6, and Eph, 1. 14, and expresses the same thing under a different metaphor Rom. viii. 23. * The "I" here is emphatic. 5 The A. V. " not yet " is a mistake for " no longer." 0 St. Paul adds this sentence to soften what might seem the magisterial tone of the preceding, in which he had implied his power to punish the Corinthians. ' ». e. I desire not to cause you sorrow, but to promote your joy. * 'This can scarcely mean for ¦my own sake, as Billroth and others propose to translate it. ° This alludes to the intermediate visit whioh St. Paul paid to Corinth. See p. 436. I" i. e. the First Ep. por. Chap. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 71 joy ; and I confide in you all that my joy is yours. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart, with many tears ; not to pain you, but that you might know the abundance of my love. 5 As concerns him^ who has caused the pardon of tho in- , , , , , . 1 1 J. cestuous person. pam, it IS not me that he has pained, but some of you ; ^ [some, I say,] that I may not press too 6 harshly upon all. For the offender^ himself, this pun ishment, which has been inflicted on him by the sen tence of the majority* is sufficient without increasing 7 it. On the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest he should be overwhelmed by the 8 excess of his sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you fully 9 to restore him to your love. For the very end which I sought when I wrote before, was to test you in this matter, and learn whether you would be, obedient in 10 all things. But whomsoever you forgive, I forgive also ; for whatever I have forgiven, I have forgiven on 11 your account in the sight ^ of Christ, that we® may not be overreached by Satan ; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 12 When I had come to Troas to publish cause of his leav- the Glad-tidings of Christ, and a door was "^ opened to me in the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit 13 because I found not Titus my brother ; so that I parted 1 Literally, " J^ on^ man has caused pain ; " a milder expression, which would not iu !English bear so definite a meaning as it does in the Greek. ' Such is the meaning according to the punctuation we adopt. For the sense of one phrase, see chap i. 14, and Rom. xi 25. With regard to the sentiment, St. Paul intends to say that not all th^ Corinthian Church had been included in his former censure, but only that part of it which had supported the offender; and therefore the pain which the offender had drawn down on the Church was not inflicted on the whole Church, but only on that erring part of it. ^ The expression is used elsewhere for a definite offending individual. Compare Acts xxii. 22, and 1 Cor. v. 6. It is not adequately represented by the English " such a man." * Not "many" (A. V.); but the majority. See, for the punishment, 1 Cor. v. 4. * Compare Proverbs viii. 30 (LXX.). The expression is used somewhat differently in iv. 6. " The we of this verse appears to include the readers, judging from the change of person tefore and after. They would all be " overreached by Satan " if he robbed thera of a tirother. 72 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIL from them\ and came from thence into Macedonia. But thanks be to God who leads me on fi-om place to 14 place in the train of His triumph, to celebrate His victory over the enemies of Christ ; ^ and by me sends forth the knowledge of Him, a steam of fragrant in cense, throughout the world. For Christ's is the fra- 15 grance^ which I offer up to God, whether among those in the way of salvation*, or among those in the way IS of perdition ; but to these it is an odor of death, to those of life.^ Defence of tho "^^^ P^ somo amoug you deny my suf- Tdi^cha^grd to ficiency], who then is sufficient for these aSgiorytoni tMugs ? FoT I sook uot pTofit (like most«) 17 trasted with that , , , tp/-it i7i t ofthe Mosaic bv Setting tfio word ot God to sale', but 1 dispensation. . speak fi-om a single heart, firom the com mand of God, as in God's presence, and in fellowship with Christ. Will you say that I am again beginning to commend iii. myself? Or think you that I need letters of com mendation (like some other men) either to you or from you ? Nay, ye are yourselves my letter of com- 2 ' Namely, frora the Christians nf Troas. ^ The verb here used (which is mistranslated in A. V.) means to lead a inan as a captive in a triumphal procession ; the full phrase raeans, to lead captive in a triumph over the e-nemie^ vf Christ. The raetaphor is taken from the triumphal procession of a victorious general. God is celebrating His triuraph over His enemies ; St. Paul (who had been so great ai» opponent of the Gospel) is a captive following in the train of the triumphal procession, yet (at the sarae tirae, by a characteristic change of metaphor) an incense-bearer, scatter ing incense (which was always done on these occasions) as the procession moves on. Some of the conquered enemies were put to death when the procession reached the Capitol; to them the smell ofthe incense was " an odor of death unto death;" to the- rest who were spared, " an odor of life unto life." The metaphor appears to have been a favorite one with St. Paul ; it occurs again Col. ii. 15. ' Literally, Christ's fragrance am I, unto God. * Not " who are saved" (A. V.) See note on 1 Cor. i. 18. ' Literally, to ihese it is an odor of death ending in death ; to those an odor of Ufe, ending in life. ' The mistranslation " many " (A. V.) materially alters the sense. He evidently alludes, to his antagonists at Corinth. See p. 804, and xi. 13. ' Literally, to sell by retail, including a notion of fraud in the selling. Compare the similar imputations against his Judaizing adversaries in 1 Thess. ii. 3. Chap. XVH.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THB COBINTmANS. IS mendation, a letter written on' my heart, known and 3 read^ by all men; a letter* coming manifestly from Christ, and cominitted to my charge ; written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not upon tablets of stone* but upon the fleshly tablets of the 4 heart. But through Christ have I this confidence^ 5 before God ; not thinking myself sufficient to gain wis dom by my own reasonings® as if it came firom myself, 6 but drawing my sufficiency firom God. For He it is who has made me suffice for the ministration of a new covenant, a covenant not of letter, but of spirit ; for the letter kills ^, but the spirit makes the dead to live. 7 Yet if a glory was shed upon the ministration of the law of death, (a law written in letters, and graven upon stones,)* so that the sons of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, for the glory of his; countenance, although its brightness was soon to fade ; 8 how far more glorious must the ministration of the 9 Spirit be. For if the ministration of doom hath glory, far more must the ministration of righteousness abound 10 in glory.® Yea, that which then was glorious has no glory now, because of ^ the surpassing glory wherewith 11 it is compared. For if a glory shone upon that which was doomed to pass away, much more doth glory rest '* 12 upon that which remains for ever. Therefore, having * It is possible that in using tbe plural here St. Paul meant to include Timotheus ; yet as this supposition does not agree well with the context, it seems better to suppose used merely to suit the plural form of the pronoun. ' The paronomasia cannot well be here imitated in English. Compare i. 14. • Literally, being manifestly shown to be a letter nf Christ conveyed by my mimttra(ion. * Like the Law of Moses. ' Viz. of his sufficiency. Compare ii. 16 ; iii. 6, 6. • Literally, to reach any conclusion by my own reason. ' For the meaning, compare Bom. vii. 9 — 11. • Literally, if ihe ministration of deaih, in letters, graven upon stones, was born in glory. ' The whole of thia contrast between the glory of the new and the old dispensations^. appears to confirm the hypothesis that St. Paul's chief antagonists at Corinth were of the Judaizing party. '" Literally, For that which has been glorified in this particular, has not been glorified, 6e» foiue of the glory which surpasses it. " " Rest upon — Shine upon." The prepositions in the original give this contrast 74 THE 'LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Ghap. XVH. this hope, I speak and act without disguise ; and not 13 like Moses, who spread a veil over his face, that-^ the sons of Israel might not see the end of that fading brightness. But their minds were blinded; yea to 14 this day, when they read in their synagogues^ the ancient covenant, the same veil rests thereon, nor* can they see beyond it that the law is done away in Christ; but even now, when Moses is read in their hearing, a 15 veil* lies upon their heart. But when their heart turns 16 to the Lord, the veil is rent away.^ Now the Lord is 17 the Spirit ; and where the Spirit of the Lord abides, there bondage gives place to freedom; and we all, 18 "while with face unveiled we behold in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves transformed contin ually* into the same likeness; and the glory which shines upon us is reflected by us, even as it proceeds fi-om the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore having this ministration,^ I discharge it iv. "with no faint-hearted fears, remembering the, mercy vs^hich I* received. I have renounced the secret deal- 2 ings of shame, I walk not in the paths of cunning, I® adulterate not the Word of God ; but openly setting fijrth the truth, as in the sight of God, I commend my self to the conscience ofall inen. But if there be still 3 ' See Exod. xxxiv. 35. St Paul here (as usual) blends the allegorical with the historical ^iew of the passage referred to in the Old Testament. 1 Jn their synagogues is implied in the term used here. Compare Acts xv. 21. = We take the phrase absolutely; literalli/, ii being rwt unveiled [i. e. not revealed to them] ¦that it [the ancient covenant] is done away in Christ. " Done away" is predicated, not of the veil, but of the old covenant. Compare the preceding verse aud verses 7 and 11. < Perhaps there may be here an allusion to the Tallith, which (if we may assume this practice to be as old as the apostolic age) was wom in the synagogue by every worshiper a,nd was literally a veil hanging down over the breast. See p. 177, and n. on 1 Cor. xi. 4. * Alluding to Exod. xxxiv. 34, where it is said, " When Moses went in before the Lord le rent away the veil." The most natural subject of the verb " turn " is " heart." » The tense is present. ' Fi'z. "the ministration ofthe Spirit." (iii. 8). ' 'Viz. in his conversion from a state of Jewish unbelief. , ° St. Paul plainly intimates here (as he openly states xi. 17) that some other teachers Twere liable to these charges. See also ii. 17, and the note. Chap. XVU.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 75 a veil' which hides my Glad-tidings from some who 4 hear me, it is among thosfe"^ who are in the way of perdi tion; whose unbelieving minds the God of this world has blinded, and shut out the glorious light of the Glad- 5 tidings of Christ, who is the image of God. For I pro claim not myself, but Christ Jesus as Lord and Master,* 6 and myself your bondsman for the sake of Jesus. For God, who called forth light out of darkness, has caused His light to shine in my heart, that [upon others also] might shine forth the knowledge of His glory mani fested in the face of Jesus Christ.* 7 But this treasure is lodged in a body of in ^iOLness and fragile clay,^ that so the surpassing might stren''gT'iB from [which accomplishes the work] should be ho'^^''of''eter^ God's, and not my own. I am hard pressed, ^'' 8 yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not despairing ; perse- 9 cuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroy- 10 ed.® In my body I bear about continually the dying of Jesus,'' that in my body the life also of Jesus might 11 be shown forth. For I, in the midst of life, am daily given over to death for the sake of Jesus, that in my dying flesh the life whereby Jesus conquered death* might show forth its power. 12 So then death working in me, works life® in you. 13 Yet having the same spirit of faith whereof it is writ- 1 In the participle used here, there is a reference to the preceding word "veil." 2 Compare ii. 15. 16. See note on 1 Cor. i. 20. '"Lord" is the correlative of "slave" here; compare Eph. vi. 6. * For the meaning of " shine forth," compare verse 4. * The whole of this passage, frora this point to chap. v. 10, shows (as we have before ob served) that St. Paul was suffering from bodily iflness wheu he wrote. See also chap. xii. 7—9. « ( Ibserve the force of the present tense of all these participles, implying that the state of things described was constantly going on. ' " Lord" is not found in the best MSS. The word translated "dying" here (as Prof Stanley observes) is properly ihe dead^ness ofa corpse , as though St. Paul would say, "my iody is no better than a corpse; yet a corpse uhich shares the life-giving power of Christ's res urrection." 'vLiterally, " ihe life, as well as the deaih, of .lesus." , ' Literally, while death works in me, Ufe works in you. I. e. the mortal peril to which St. Paul exposed himself was the instrument of bringing spiritual life to his converts. 33 76' THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVU. ten, ^^ I believed, and therefore did Ispeak,"^ I also be lieve, and therefore speak. For I know that He who 14 raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, shall raise me also by Jesus, and shall call me into His presence to gether with you; for all [my suff'erings] are on your 15 behalf, that the mercy which has abounded above them all, might call forth your thankfulness; that so the full ness of praise might be poured forth to God, not by myself alone, but multiplied by many voices. ¦ Where- 16 fore I faint not ; but though my outward man decays, yet my inward man is renewed from day to day. For 17 my light afflictions, which last but for a moment, work for me a weight of glory, immeasurable and eternal. Meanwhile I look not to things seen, but to things un- 18 seen: for the things that are seen pass away; but the things that are unseen endure forever. Yea, I know that if the tent^ which is my earthly v. house be destroyed, I have a mansion built by God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. And herein I groan with earnest longings, desiring to 2 cover* my earthly raiment with the robes of my heav enly mansion. (If indeed I shall be found* still clad in 3 my fleshly garment). For we who are dwelling in the 4. tent, groan and are burdened; not desiring to put off" our [earthly] clothing, but to put over it [our heaven- >Ps. cxvi. 10 (LXX.). * The shifting tent is here opposed to e^nduring mansion ; the vile body of flesh and blood, to the spiritual body ofthe glorified saint. ' There is much force in " clothe upon " as distinguished frora " clothe." *LiteraBy, "if indeed I shall be found clad, andnot stripped of my clothing;" i.e. "If,at the Lord's coming, I shall be found still living in the flesh." We know from other passa ges that it was a matter of uncertainty with St. Paul whether he should survive to behold the second coming of Christ or not. Compare 1 Thess. iv. 15, and 1 Cor. xv. 51. So in the next verse, he expresses his desire that his fleshly body should be transformed into a spiritual body, without being "unclad'' by death. The metaphor of "nakedness" as combined with " tent " seems suggested by the oriental practice of striking the tent very early in ihe morning, often before the travellers are dressed. So we read in M' Cheyne's account of his joumey through the desert, " When moming began to dawn, onr tents were taken down. Often we have found ourselves shelterless before being fully dressed." (Life of M'Cheyne, p. 92). It should be observed that the original denotes simply dressed «lad, the antithesis to naked. Chap. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THB CORINTHIANS. 77 ly] raiment, that this our dying nature might be swal- 5 lowed up by life. And He who has prepared me for this very end is God, who has given me the Spirit as 6 the earnest of my hope. Therefore, I am ever of good courage, knowing that while my home is in the body, 7 I am in banishment from the Lord ; (for I walk by 8 faith, not by sight). Yea, my heart fails me not, but I would gladly suffer banishment from the body, and 9 have my home with Christ.' Therefore I strive earn estly that, whether in banishment or at home, I may be 10 pleasing in His sight. For we must all be made mani fest^ without disguise before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive according to that which he has done in the body, either good or evil. 11 Knowing therefore the fearfulness of the ^^ earnestneu Lord's judgment, though I seek to win men,^ Mnse*of wTre* vet mv uprightness is manifest in the siffht cK, Jhom ./ .1 i. o o commiBsion he of God; and I hope also that it is manifested to^'^tuf^tom 12 by the witness of your consciences. I write tM^b'^n ehm^- not thus to repeat my own commendation,* , ' but that I may furnish you with a ground of boasting on my behalf, that you may have an answer for those whose boasting is in the outward matters of sights not 13 in the inward possessions of the heart. For if I be 14 mad,* it is for God's cause ; if sober, it is for yours. For the love of Christ constraias me because I thus have judged, that if one died for all, then all died [in Him] ;^ 15 and that He died for all, that the living might live no 1 The translation in the Authorised Version is incorrect. ' Literally, ihe Lord. ^ He was accused by the Judaizers of "trying to win men," and "trying to please m'ti." See Gal. 1. 10, and the note. 'This alludes to the accusation of vanity brought against him by his antagonists ; com pare iii. 1. ¦• i. o. if I exnU myself {'hm opponents called hira beside himself with vanity), it is for GoiPs ouuse ; if I humble myself, it is for your sakes. ' The original cannot mean all were dead (A. V.), but all died. The death of all for whom He died, was virtually involved in His death. 7P; THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIL longer to themselves, but to Him, who, for their sakes, died and rose again. ^ P therefore, from henceforth, view no man carnally; 16 yea, though once my view of Christ was carnal,* yet now it is no longer carnal. Whosoever, then, is in 17 Christ, is a new creation; his old being has passed away, and behold, all has become new. But all comes 18 from God, for He it is who reconciled me to Himself by Jesus Christ, and charged me with the ministry of reconciliation; for* God was in Christ reconciling the 19 world to Himself, reckoning their sins no more against them, and having ordained me to speak the word of reconciliation. Therefore I am an ambassador for 20 Christ, as though God exhorted you by my voice; in Christ's stead I beseech you, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For Him who knew no sin, God struck with the doom of sin* on our behalf; that we might be changed into the righteousness of God in Christ. Moreover, as working' together with Him, I also ex- vi. hort you, that the grace which you have received from God be not in vain. For He saith: '¦'¦Ihave heard thee 2 in an acceptable time, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee.''''' Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. • The 'oest commentary on the 14th and 15th verses is Gal. ii. 20. ' The pronoun is emphatic. 3 We agree with Billroth, Neander, and De Wette, that this cannot refer to any actual knowledge which St. Paul had of our Lord when upon earth; it would probably have been ".Tesus ".had that been meant; moreover, the preceding phrase does not refer to personal knowledge, but to a camal estimate. For other reasons against such an interpre tation, see p. 85. St. Paul's ¦dew of Christ was carnal when he looked (like other Jews) for a Messiah who should be an earthly conqueror. <" To wit that," " because that," pleonastic. <• The word "sin" is used, for the sake of parallelisra with the "righteousness" whicli follows. God made Christ " Sin," that we might be made " Righteousness." ' See note on 1 Cor. iii. 9. 2 also exhort refers to the preceding, as though Vod exhorted you. ' Is. xhx. 8 (LXX). Chap. XVU.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 7? 3 For I take heed to give no cause of stumb- Xf"*'?^"™,"'' O the faitbfulness ling, lest blame should be cast on the minis- ^^ toctirged 4 tration wherein I serve ; but in all things I p^i wHLraiteol _ , , tion of his coa- commend myself as one who ministers to w'^S' God's service; in steadfast endurance, in afflictions, in 5 necessities, in straitness of distress, in stripes, in impris onments, in tumults, in labors, in sle6pless watchings,, 6 in hunger and thirst; in purity, in knowledge, in long- suffering, in kindness, in [the gifts of] the Holy Spirit, 7 in love unfeigned ; speaking the word of truth, work ing with the power of God, fighting with the weapons of righteousness, both for attack and for defence; 8 through good report and evil, through honor and 9 through infamy; counted as a deceiver, yet being true ;. as unknown [by men], yet acknowledged^ [by God] ; as ever dying, yet beh6ld I live ; as chastened by suf- 10 fering, yet not destroyed; as sorrowful, yet ever filled with joy; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things. 11 Corinthians, my* mouth has opened itself to you 12 fi:eely, — ^my heart is enlarged towards you. You find no narrowness in my love, but. the narrowness is in 13 your own. I pray you therefore in return for my af fection (I speak as to my children), let your hearts be opened in like manner. 14 Cease to yoke yourselves unequally in ill- Exhortation to. ,,-,. ., 11' n ^^^ Anti-Judajz- ' matched intercourse with unbelievers; tor mg party cth* . ^ spiritual") to what fellowship has righteousness with un- jSJJ,^iJ^bSra righteousness? what communion has light ™*' 15 with darkness? what concord has Christ with Belial? 16 what partnership has a believer with an unbeliever? what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ' An aUusion apparently to the " coraraend myself" and the " commendatory letters " of iii. 1 ; as though he said, / commend myself, not byword, but by deed. [The stress is not on " myself" here, as in the former case. The order of tha word shows this, h.] ' For the meaning, see 1 Cor. xiii. 12. ' Observe, as a confirmation of previous reraarks as to St. Paul's use of the singular and plural pronouns, verses 11, 13 ; also vii. 2, 3, 4. so THB LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [ Chap. XVIL je are yourselves a temple of the living God, as God said: '¦'Iwill dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their Q-od, and they shall be my people."^ Where fore, " Come out from among them aiid be ye separate, 17 saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, arid J 18 will receive you."^ And "-I -will be unto you a father, ¦and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."^ Having therefore these promises, my beloved, let us vii. cleanse ourselves from every defilement, either of flesh or spirit, and perfect our holiness, in the fear of God. *Give me a favorable hearing. I have 2 ^tisfaction at ^ IroughthfiH^ wronged no man, I have ruined no man, I from Corinth. -^^^^ dofrauded no man; I say not this to 3 ¦condemn you, [as though I had myself been wronged by you], for I have said before that I have you in my heart, to live and die with you. Great is my freedom 4 towards you, great is my boasting of you ; I am filled with the comfort which you have caused me ; I have more than an overweight of joy, for all the affliction which has befallen me. When first I came into Mace- 5 donia my flesh had no rest, but I was troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. But 6 Ood, who comforts them that are cast down, comforted me by the coming of Titus; and not by his coming 7 only, but by the comfort which he felt on your account, and the tidings which he brought of your longing for ^ Levit. xxvi. 11, 12 (according to LXX., with slight variations). ' Isaiah lii. 11 (according to LXX., with alterations); the words "I will receive you" not being either in the LXX. or the Hebrew there, though found in Ezek. xx. 34. ' This passage is not to be found exactly in the Old Testaraent, although 2 Sam. vii. 14, and Jer. xxxi. 9, and xxxii. 38, contain the substance of it. St. Paul, as usual, quotes from memory. * It is not impossible that the preceding part of the Epistle may have been written, as Wieseler supposes, before the coming of Titus. But the opening words of this section are obviously connected with verses 12, 13, of the preceding chapter. The section frora vL 14 to vii. 1 is enturely unconnected with what precedes and foUows it. Chap. XVU.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 81 my love, your mourning for my reproof, your zeal for my cause ; so that my sorrow has been turned into joy. 8 For though I grieved you in my letter, I do not regret it ; but though I did regret it (for I see that grief was caused you by that letter, though but for a season), I 9 now rejoice; not because you were grieved, but be cause your grief led you to repentance; for the grief I caused you was a godlj sorrow; so that I might nowise lo harm you, [even when I grieved you]. For the work of godly sorrow is repentance not to be repented of, leading to salvation ; but the work of worldly sorrow 11 is death. Consider what was wrought among your selves when you were grieved with a godly sorrow; what earnestness it wrought in you, yea, what eager ness to clear yourselves from blame, what indignation,^ what fear,^ what longing,* what zeal,* what punish ment of wrong. You have cleared yourselves alto- 12 gether from every stain of guilt in this matter. Know, therefore, that although I wrote to [rebuke] you, it was not so much to punish the wrong doer, nor to avenge him* who suffered the wrong, but that my earnest zeal for you in the sight of God might be manifest to your selves.® 13 This, therefore, is the ground of my comfort ; but^ besides my consolation on your account, I was beyond measure rejoiced by the joy of Titus, because his spirit 14 has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boast of you I may have made to him, I have not been put to shame. But as all I ever said to you was spoken in r Indignation against the offender. ^ Fear of the wrath of God. ' Longing for restoration to St. Paul's approval and love. * Zeal on behalf of right, and against wrong. ^ Viz. the father of the offender. We need not be perplexed at his wife's forming an other connection during his lifetime, when we consider tho great laxity of the law of di vorce araong the Greeks and Romans. "If we adopt the other reading (which transposes "you" and "us"), it will give the ?ense that your zeal for me might be manifested to yourselves ; which raight be perhaps an other (though an obscure) way of saying, in order to bring out your zeal for me, so that you might all perceive how ihe majority felt for me. ' The reading of the best MSS. gives this order. 6 32 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAtFL. [Chap. XVIT. truth, so also my boasting of you to Titus has been proved a truth. And his heart is more than ever 15 drawn towards you, while he calls to mind the obedi ence of you all, and the fear and trembling^ where with you received him. I rejoice that in all things you 16- give me ground for courage.^ I desire, brethren, to make known to you viii Explanations and ' n /~i t, I'll Sng1h«°''cSl the manifestation of God's grace, which has poo?"christ^ been given in* the churches of Macedonia. in emsaem.- , ^^^ ^^ ^^^ hoavy trial wMch has proved their 2 steadfastness, the fulness of their joy has overflowed, out of the depth of their poverty, in the richness of their liberality. They have given (I bear them wit- 3 ness) not only according to their means, but beyond their'' means, and that of their own free wUl ; for they 4 besought me with much entreaty that they might bear their part' in the grace of ministering to the saints.. And far beyond my hope, they gave their very selves 5i to the Lord first, and to me also, by the will of God. So that I have desired Titus [to revisit you], that as he 6 caused you to begin this work before, so he may lead you to finish it, that this grace may not be wanting* in you ; but that, as you abound in all gifts, in faith 7 and utterance, and knowledge, and earnest zeal, and in the love which joins your hearts with mine, so you may abound in this grace also. I say not this by wav 8 of command ; but by the zeal of others I would prove the reality of your love. For you know the grace of 9 1 Por the meaning of this phrase, see 1 Cor. ii. 3. = The great importance attached by St. Paul to this collection, as manifested in the present section of this Epistle, may be explained not merely by his desire to fulfil his share of the agreement mentioned, Gal. ii. 10, but also by his hope that such a practical proof of love would reconcile the Judaizing Christians at Jerasalem to himself and his Gentile converts. See the conclusion of our preceding Chapter. ' The original here cannot mean " bestowed ore " (A. V.) * Literally, ^is grace as well as other graces. ' See note on 2 Cor. ix. 11. * The omission here is required by the best MSS. Chap. XVII.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THS CORINTHIANS. 83 our Lord Jesus Christ, how, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that you, by His pov- 10 erty, might be made rich. And I give you my advice in this matter ; for it becomes you to do thus, inasmuch as you began not only the contribution, but the pur pose of making it, before others \ in the year which is 11 passed. Now, therefore, fulfil your purpose by your deeds, that as you then showed your readiness of will, so now you may finish the work, according to your 12 means. For if there be a willing mind, the^ gift is acceptable when measured by the giver's power, and 13 needs not to go beyond. Nor [is this collection made] 14 that others may be eased, and you distressed, but to make your burdens equal, that as now your abundance supplies their need, your own need may [at another time] be relieved in equal measure by their abundance, 15 as it is written, — '¦'•He that gathered much had nothing 16 over ; and he that gathered little had no lack.'"^ But, thanks be to God, by whose gift the heart of Titus has 17 the same zeal as my own on your behalf; for he not only has consented to my desire, but is himself very zealous in the matter, and departs to you of his own 18 acoord. And I have sent as his companion the brother who is with him, whose praise in publishing the Glad- 19 tidings* is spread throughout all the churches; who has moreover been chosen by the churches [of Mace donia] to accompany me in my journey (when I bear this gift, which I have undertaken to administer) ; '" Began Se/'ore ; " viz. before tho Macedonian churche!'. The meaning is that the Corinthians had been the first not only to make the collection, but to propose it. ^ Literally, it is acceptable according io that which it possesses, -not that which it possesses noi. ^ Exod. xvi. 18, quoted according to LXX. The subject is the gathering of the raaima. * The word here cannot refer, as sorae have imagined, to a written Gospel; it is of con stant occurrence in the New Testiimout (occurring sixty times in St. Paul's writings, and sixteen times in the other books), but never once in the supposed seuse. "Who the deputy here mentioned was, we have no means of ascertaining. Probably, however, he was either Luke (Acts xx. 6), or one of those, not Macedonians (ix. 4), raentioned Acts xx. 4 ; and possibly may have been Trophimus. See Acts xxi. 29. We may notice the coinci dence between the phrase here and in Acts xix. 29. 84: THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIL that the Lord might be glorified, and that^ I might undertake the task with more good will. For I guard 20 myself against all suspicion which might be cast upon me in my administration of this bounty with which I am charged; being '^ provident of good report'" not 21 only " w the sight of the Lord," but also "*w the sight of men." "^ The brother* whom I have sent likewise 22 with them, is one whom I have put to the proof in many trials, and found always zealous in the work, but who is now yet more zealous from the full trust which he has in you. Concerning Titus, then (on the one 23 hand), he is partner of my lot, and fellow-laborer with me for your good ; concerning our brethren (on the other hand), they are ambassadors of the churches — a manifestation of the glory of Christ. Show them, 24 therefore, the proof of your love, and justify my boast ing on your behalf, in the sight of the churches. For of your ministration to the saints [at Jerusalem] ix. it is needless that I should write to you ; since I know 2 the forwardness of your mind, and boast of it to the Macedonians on your behalf, saying that Achaia has been ready ever since last year ; and the knowledge of your zeal has roused the most of them. But I have 3 sent the brethren ^, lest my report of you in this matter should be turned into an empty boast ; that you may be truly ready, as I declared you to be. Lest per- 4 chance the Macedonians who may come with me to visit you, should find you not yet ready, and so shame 1 The reading of the best MSS. gives the sense as follows,— to promote my unllingness of mind, i. e.to render me more willing to undertake the administrafim of the alms, which St. Paul would have been unwiUing to do without coadjutors elected by the contributors, lest he should incur unworthy suspicions. 2 The quotation is from Prov. iii. 4 (LXX.), cited also Rom. xii. 17. ' There is even less to guide us in our conjectures as to the person here indicated, than iu the case of the other deputy mentioned above. Here, also, the emissary was elected by some of the churches who had contributed tothe collection. He may have been either Luke, Gaius, Tychicus, or Trophimus (Acts xx. 4). ' Viz. Titus and the other two. Chap. XVII.] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 85 should fall upon me (for I will not say upon you) in 5 this ground of my boasting.^ Therefore, 1 thought it needful to desire these brethren to visit you before ' my coming, and to arrange beforehand the completion of this bounty which you before promised to have in readiness ; so it be really given by your bounty, not 6 wrung from your covetousness. But remember, he^ who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly ; and he who 7 sows bountifully, shall reap bountifully. Let each do according to the free choice of his heart ; not grudg ingly, or of necessity; for " God loveth a cheerful 8 giver." ^ And God is able to give you an overflowing measure of all good gifts, that all your wants of every kind may be supplied at all times, and you may give of your abundance to every good Work. As it is 9 written, — " The good man hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor j his righteousness remaijieth for- 10 ever."* And He who furnisheth '¦'¦seed to the sower, and bread for the food of man,"^ will furnish you with plenteous store of seed, and bless your righteousness 11 with fi'uits of increase; being enriched with all good things, that you may give ungrudgingly ; ^ causing thanksgivings to God, from'' those to whom I bear your 12 gifts. For the ministration of this service not only 1 LiteraUy the word means, the groundwork on which some superstructure is founded. His appeal to the Macedonians was grounded on this readiness of the Corinthians. ' The same expression occurs Gal. vi. 7. ' Prov. xxii. S (according to LXX., with slight variation). ' Ps. cxii. 9 (LXX.). The subject of the verb " scattered" in the psalm is " the good man" (inthe fifth verse), which St. Paul leaves to be supplied bythe memory of his readers. To represent the quotation accurately to an English reader, it is necessary to insert this word, otherwise it would seem as if " God " were the subject of the verb. 5 These words are an exact quotation from Isaiah lv. 10 (LXX.). Ignorance of this fact has caused an inaccuracy in A. V. The literal translation of the remainder of the verse is, — " Furnish cmd make plenteous your seed, and increase the fruits springing from your righteousness." « The word here, properly denoting singleness, means, wh^n applied to the raind, a dis position free frora arneres pensees, either of duplicity, selfishness, or grudging; thus it might naturally acquire the meaning of libernlity. which it has in the eighth and ninth chapters in this Epistle, and perhaps in Rom. xii. 8. ^ Literally, that you mny give wilh liberality ; which works ikanksgitiing io God by my irisiru- mentality. 86 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVU. fills up the measure of the necessities of the saints, but also overflows beyond it, in many thanks to God ; while they^ praise God for the proof thus given ofthe 13 obedience wherewith you have consented to the Glad- tidings of Christ, and for the single-mindedness of your liberality both to them and to all. Moreover, in 14 their prayers for you they express the earnest longings of their love towards you, caused by the surpassing grace of God manifested in you. Thanks be to God 15 for His unspeakable gift. , , ,. Now, I Paul, myself exhort you by the x. He contrasts hw ' -J j */ awn character meekuess and gentleness of Christ — (I, who and services wi those of the false those 01 tne Ialse r. , n Til' j. l teachers who de- am mcau, lOTSooth, and lowly m outward predated him. „ ., presence , while 1 am among you, yet treat you boldly when I am absent) — I beseech you (I say), 2 that you will not force me to show, when I am present, the bold confidence in my power, wherewith I reckon to deal with some who reckon^ me by the standard of the flesh. For, though living in the flesh, iny warfare 3 is not waged according to the flesh. For the weapons 4 which I wield are not of fleshly weakness, but mighty in the strength of God to overthrow the strongholds of the adversaries. Thereby can I overthrow the rea- 5 sonings of the disputer, and pull down all lofty bul warks that raise themselves against the knowledge of God, and bring every rebellious thought into captivity and subjection to Christ. And when the obedience of 6 your* church shall be complete, I am ready to punish all who may be disobedient.^ ' Liters 'lv, iheii, by fhe proof of this ministration, praising God, i. e. being caused to praise God f IT the obedience. &c. 2 The phraseology is similar here and in v. 12 and x. 7. Compare also x. 10. 3 Literally, irho reckon me as walking according to the flesh. The verses .which foUow ex plain the meaning of fhe expression. * " Yonr." Compare ii. 5. He raeans that the disobedient minority would be chastized. ' We should notice in verses 3 — 6 the completeness of the military allegory. The image is that of a campaign against rebels: rock-forts (such as those on St. Paul's own CUician coast) must be cast down: and when the general obedience of the country is Chap. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 87 7 Do you look at matters of outward advantage ? If there be any among you who confidently assumes that he belongs [above the rest] to Christ^ let hini reckon anew by his own reason, that if he belong to Christ, so 8 do I no less. For although I were to boast somewhat highly concerning the authority which the Lord has given me (not to cast you down, but to build you up), 9 my words would not be ashamed by the truth. I say this, lest you should imagine that I am writing empty 10 threats. "For his letters," says one,^ "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his 11 speech contemptible." Let such a man assure himself that the words which I write while absent, ' I will bear 12 out by my deeds when present.^ For I venture not to number or compare myself with certain of the self-com- menders; nay, they, measuring themselves by them selves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are 13 guilty of folly.* But I, for my part, will not let my boasting carry me beyond measure, but will confine it within that measure given me by God who made my 14 line reach even to you. For I stretch not myself be yond due bounds (as though I reached you not) ; for I have already come as far even as Corinth^ to publish secured, those who are stiU rebellious must be summarily punished. We .should obseiwe too the new turn given to one phrase (not casting doum, but building up) in verse 8, and even in xiii. 10. See also xii. 19. ' The party who said " I of Ghrist." (ICor. i. 12.) See Chap. xiii. As we have remarked above, this party at Corinth seeras to have been formed and led by an emissary from the Judaizers of Palestine, who is especiaUy referred to in this chapter. 2 Literall i , " snys he ;" but it is occasionally used impersonally for " they say ; " yet as, an that sense the plural would be more naturallj' used, the use of " says he " and of " such a man " iu the next veijse, seems to point to a single individual at the head of St. Paul's opponents. ^ Literally, " Let such a man reckon, ihat such ns I am in ¦word by letters while absent, such will Ibe also ¦In deed when present." * * The Greek word here is an Hellenistic form of the 3rd pi. ind. present, and occurs Mat. xiii. 13. Hence we need not take it here for the dative plural. If the latter view were correct, the translation would be, "but I measure rayself by my own standard, and com pare myself with myself alone, unwise as I am." But this translation presents several difficulties, both in itself, and considered in reference to the context. Laohmann's reading has apparently been caused by the difficulty of the Hellenistic form. s." You." 88 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVII. the Glad- tidings of Christ. I am not boasting beyond 15 measure, in the labors of others;-^ but I hope that as your faith goes on increasing, among^ yourselves, I shall be still further honored within my appointed limits, 16 by bearing the Glad-tidings to the countries beyond you ; not by boasting of work made ready to my hand within another man's limit. Meantime, "-Se that boast- 17 eth, let -him boast in the Lord."^ For a man is proved 18 worthy, not when he commends himself, but when he is commended by the Lord. Would that ye could bear with me a little in my folly f xL Yea, ye already bear with me. For I love you with 2 a godly jealousy, because I betrothed you to one only husband, even to Christ, that I might present you unto Him in virgin purity, but I fear lest, as Eve. was beguil- 3 ed by the craftiness of the serpent, so your imaginations should be corrupted, and you should be seduced from your single-minded faithfulness to Christ. For if he 4 that comes among you is preaching another Jesus, whom I preached not, or if you are receiving [from him] another Spirit, which you received not before, or a new Glad-tidings, which you accepted not before, you would do well to bear with me ; for I reckon myself no 5 whit behind your super-eminent Apostles.* Yea, though 6 I be unskilled in the arts of speech, yet I am not want ing in the gift of knowledge ; but I have manifested it towards you in all things, and amongst all men. Or is it 7 a sin [which must rob me of the name of Apostle],' that I proclaimed to you, without fee or reward, the Glad- tidings of God, and abased' myself that you might be 1 This was the conduct of St. Paul's Judaizing antagonists. 2 Instead of " by you " we translate " in j'ou," and connect it with " increased." 3 Quoted, according to the sense, frora Jer. ix. 24 (LXX.); " in the Lord " being substi tuted fora longer phrase. Quoted also 1 Cor. i. SI. * This phrase (which occurs only in this Epistle) is ironical, as is evident from the epi thet " the super-apostolic Apostles." He refers to the Judaizing emissaries from Palestine who had arrived at Corinth. » gge p_ 398^ 6». e. by working with his hands for his daily bread. In all probability (judging from )» Chap. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THB CORINTHIANS. 89 8 exalted ? Other churches I spoiled, and took their wa^ 9 ges to do you service. And when I was with you though I was in want, I pressed not upon any of you ; for the brethren,-' when they came fi-om Macedonia, sup plied my needs ; and I kept, and will keep myself al- 10 together from casting a burden upon you. As the truth of Christ is in me, no deed of mine shall rob me^ of this; 1 1 boasting in the region of Achaia. And why ? Because 12 1 love you not ? God knows my love. But what I dec I will continue to do, that I may cut off all ground from those who wish to find some ground of slander ; and let them show the same cause for their boasting as 13 I for mine. For men like theseare false Apostles, de ceitful workmen, clothing themselves in the garb of 14 Christ's Apostles. And no wonder ; for even Satan can 15 transform himself into an Angel of light. It is not strange, then, if his servants disguise themselves as ser vants of righteousness ; but their end shall be accord ing to their works. 16 I entreat you all once more not to count me for a. fool ; or, if you think me such, yet bear with me in 17 my folly, that I, too, may boast a little of myself But, in so doing, I speak not in the spirit of the Lord, but, as it were, in folly, while we stand upon this ground'of 18 boasting ; for, since many are boasting in the spirit of 19 the flesh, I will boast likewise. And I know that you 20 bear kindly with fools as beseems the wise.^ Nay,, you bear with men though they enslave you, though they devour you, though they entrap you, though they exalt themselves over you, though they smite you on what we know of other raanufactories in those times) his fellow workmen in AquUa's tent manufactory were slaves. Corapare Phil. iv. 12, " I know how to be abased." 1 Probably Timotheus and Silvanus, who may have brought the contribution sent by the Philippians. The A. V. " which came " is incorrect. * According to the true reading here, the literal English would be, " this boasting shall not be stopped for me." 'See note on 2 Cor. ix. 4.. 4 This is ironical. So " ye are wise " in 1 Cor. iv. 10. ^0 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVU. the face, to degrade you.-' I say that I was weak;^ and 21 yet, if any have ground of boldness, I too (I speak in folly) have ground to be as bold as they. Are they 22 Hebrews? so am I. Are they sons of Israel ? so am I. 23 Are they the seed of Abraham ? so am I. Are they servants of Christ ? (I speak as though I were beside myself) such, far more am I. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in 24 deaths oft. (Five times I received from Jews the forty stripes save one ; thrice I was scourged with the Roman 25 Tods; once I was stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck;^ a night and a day have I spent in the open* sea.) In 26 journeyings often ; in perils of rivers, in perils of rob- Ijers; in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the heathen ; in perils in the city, in perils in the wilder ness, in perils in the sea; in perils among false brethren. In toil and weariness, often in sleepless watchings; in 27 hunger and thirst, often without bread to eat; in cold and nakedness. And besides all the rest,^ there is the crowd which presses upon me daily, and the care of all 28 the churches. Who is weak, but I share his weakness? 29 Who is caused to fall, but I burn with indignation? If 30 I must needs boast, I will boast of my weakness. God, 31 who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who is fclessed for ever, knows that I lie not' 1 Literally, in the way of degradation. The punctuation we adopt gives a simpler and more natural sense than that adopted in the first edition; and it also better suits the use .ofthe pleonastic phrase here and in 2 Cor. v. 19, and 2 Thess. ii. 2. - This refers to the acknowledgments he has previously made of weakness in outward advantages, e. g. at xl. 6, and x. 1. ' The five Jewish scourgings, two of the three Roman beatings with rods (one being at Philippi 1, and the three shipwrecks, are all unrecorded in the Acts. The stoning was at Lystra. What a life of incessant adventure and peril is here disclosed to us ! And when we remember that he who endured and dared all this was a man constantly suffermg from Infirm health (see 2 Cor. iv. 7—12, and 2 Cor. xii. 7 — 10, and Gal. iv. 13, 14), such heroic self-devotion seeras almost super-human. * Probably in a small boat (or perhaps on a plank), escaping frora one ofthe wrecks. ' Not " those things thai are without " as in A. V. * This soleran oath, affirming his veracity, probably refers to the preceding statements «of his labors and dangers. (Compare Gal. i. 20. If, however, we should suppose that the Chap. XVIL] SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 91 32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas, the king, kept watch over the city with a garrison, purposing to 33 apprehend me; and I was let down by the wall, through a window, in a basket, iind thus [not by my strength, but by my weakness] I escaped his hands. xii. It is not for me, then, to boast. But I will come also to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know^ a man who was caught up fourteen years ago (whether 2 in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth), caught up, I say, in the power of Christ,^ 3 even to the .third heaven. And I know that such a man (whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell ; God knoweth) was caught up into Paradise,* and 4 heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for 5 man to utter. Of such a man I will boast ; but of my self I will not boast, save in the tokens of my weak- 6 ness. If I should choose to boast, I should not be guilty of empty vanity, for I should speak the truth; but I forbear to speak, that I may not cause any man to think of me more highly than when he sees my deeds or hears my teaching.^ And lest, through the exceed- 7 ing greatness of these revelations, I should be lifted up with pride, there was given me a thorn in the flesh,® a messenger of Satan, to bufiet me, to keep down my 8 pride. And thrice I besought the Lord' concerning it, next two verses were originally intended to be the beginning of a narrative of all his suffer^ ings from the beginning, then we might refer the asseveration to such intended narrative. ' The mistranslation of the verb in A. V. {knew for know) very seriously affects the sense: nor is there anything in the Greek corresponding to "about." ' We take " in i hrist " with " caught up," which would have come immediately after the date, had it not been intercepted by the parenthetic clause. To translate " a Chris tian man" las some commentators have done) is hardly justified by such analogies as " they that are in Christ." * Compare Luke xxiii. 43, To-dayshalt thru bewith mein Paradise, and Rev. ii. 7. ' Ho aUudes to the low opinion expressed by his adversaries at Corinth of his personal qualifications and teaching; compare x 10. ° The original is perhaps not adequately represented by the word ihxrrn, although the thorns of the East are far more formidable than those of England. Stake is probably a more accurate translation. See Prof. Stanley's note on the passage. Apalnful bodily ilk- fii-mUy is raeant. i-ee Gal. iv. 13, -14. and p. 255. ' That is, the Lord Jesus, as appears by " Christ " in the next verse. 92 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES GF ST.' PAUL. [Chap. XVtt that it might depart from me. But He hath said to 9 me, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is mighty^ in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, will I boastratherin my weakness than in my strength, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me, and dwell in me.^ Therefore I rejoice in signs of weakness, in out- 10 rage, in necessities, in persecutions, in straitness of dis tress, endured for Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.^ I have been guilty of folly, but you forced me to it; 11 for I ought myself to have been commended by you: for I came no whit behind your super-eminent* Apos tles, though I be of no account. The marks, at least, 12 of an Apostle were seen in the deeds which I wrought among you, in signs and wonders, and miracles, with steadfast endurance of persecution.* Wherein had you 13 the disadvantage of other churches, unless, indeed, that I did not burden you with my own maintenance? for give me this wrong. Behold I am now for the third 14 time^ preparing to visit you, and I purpose to cast no burden upon you ; for I seek not* your substance, but yourselves. Since children should not lay up wealth for parents, but parents for children. Nay, rather, 15 most gladly will I spend, yea, and myself be spent, for your souls, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. But though it be granted that I did not burden you 1 6 myself, yet perchance this was my cunning, whereby I entrapped your simplicity. Did I defiraud you of your 17 ^ Has iis full developm,ent. 2 The full meaning is, to come to a place for the purpose of fixing one's tent there. Cora pare (with the whole verse) iv. 7. ' i. e. the more he was depressed by suffering and persecution, the more was he enabled to achieve by the aid of Chrisl. * See note on xi. 6. 5 The word here (in St. Paul's language) means steadfasinets under persecution. Some of the persecutions referred to are recorded in Acts xviii. • See note on xiii. 1. Chap. X\U.J SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 93 wealth by some of the messengers whom I sent to you ? 18 I desired Titus to visit you, and with him I sent the brother, his fellow-traveller. Did Titus defraud you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? 19 Do you again imagine thatit is before you ji^ ^^^ ,^^ I defend myself? Nay, before God I speak, So'ari.Tnori'?; . ^->fi . ' . -11 1 1 T n 1 fix&t be mtist be in Christ; but all, beloved, tor your sakes, constrained to ' ' 'J ' punish them if 20 that you may be built up. For I fear lest J^^r. p?^^^^ *° perchance when I come I should find you '*'™°°' not such as I could wish, and that you also should find me other than you desire. I fear to find you full of strife, jealousies, passions, intrigues,' slanderings, back- 21 bitings, vaunting, sedition. I fear lest, when I come, my God will again humble me^ by your faults, and I shall mourn over many among those who have sinned before^ and who have not repented of the unclean ness, and fornication, and wantonness which they com mitted. xiii. I now come to you for the third time.^ " Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be con- 2 flrmed."* I have warned you formerly, and I now fore warn you, as when* I was present the second time, so now, while I am absent, saying to those vvho had sinned ' Literally, humble me in respect of you. * Sinned " before:" viz., before my last visit. '"This third time I ara coming to you." This could scarcely mean merely, "lam for the third time irre/iaring to visit you," although 2 Cor. xii. 14 might imply no raore than thit. I'rof Stanley, (who ignores the intermediate visit) can only get over this argu ment by supposing that St. Paul is here " reckoning his Second Epistle as virtually a second vi-it " (Stanley's Corinthians, vol. ii. 265). * Deut xix 15 (from LXX. nearly verbatim), meaning, "I will judge not without ex aniination, nor wUI I abstain from punishing upon due evidence." Or else (perhaps), "I shall now assuredlv fulfil my threats.'" ' This passage, in which the word for " I write " is omitted by the best MSS., seems conclusive for the intermediate joumey. What would be the. meaning of saying, " I fore warn you as if I were present the second tim'e, now also whUe I ara absent?" which is the translation that we must adopt if we deny the intermediate visit. Also the " they who had sinned before" contrasted with the "aU the rest" (v. 2), seems inexplicable except on this hypothesis. ° For the word here see note on Rom. ii. 8. 94 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVtt. before [my last visit], and to all the rest of the offend ers, — "If I come again I will not spare." Thus you S shall have the proof you seek of the power of Christ who speaks in me ; for He shows no weakness towards you, but works mightily among you. For although 4 He died upon the cross through the weakness of the flesh, yet now He lives through the power of God. And so I, too, share the weakness of His body ; yet I shall share also the power of God, whereby He lives, when I come to deal with you. Examine [not me, 5 but] yourselves, whether you are truly in the faith ; put yourselves to the proof [concerning Christ's presence with you which ye seek in me]. Know ye not of your , own selves, that Jesus Christ is dwelling in you ? un less, perchance; when thus proved, you fail to abide the proof But I hope you will find that I, for my 6 part, abide the proof Yet I pray to God that you 7 may do no evil ; desiring not that my own power may be clearly proved, but that you may do right, although I should seem unable to abide the proof; for I have no power against the truth, but only for the truth's defence. 8 I rejoice, I say, when I am powerless [against you], 9 and you are strong ; yea, the very end of my prayers is your perfect reformation. Therefore I write this to 10 you while absent, that, when present, I may not deal harshly with you in the strength of that authority which the Lord has given me, not to cast down, but to build up. condusion. Finally, brethren, farewell. Eeform what 11 is amiss in yourselves, exhort one another, be of one mind, live in peace ; so shall the God of love and peace be with you. Salute one another with the kiss 12 of holiness. All the saints here salute you. 13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 14 b°nelSS?n. of Grod, aud the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS.^ i. Paul, — an Apostle, sent not from men nor ^tpendeM "" by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the ity°"fgainT'th^ T-, T 1 . T TT" n ITT JudalziDg teach- Father, who raised Him from the dead ; — "s, and hiBtori- ' ' cal proofs that 1 The date of this Epistle cannot be so clearly demonstrated as that of most of thc others ; but we conclude that it was written at the time assumed in the text on the following- grounds : — 1st. It was not written till after St. Paul's second visit to the Galatians. This is proved (A) by his speaking oftheir conversion as having occurred at his flrst visit (iv. 13); im plying that he had paid them a second visit. (B) (iv. 16). "Am I now become your ene my by speaking truth among you?" implies that there had been a second visit in whicb he had offended them, contrasted with the first when he was so welcome. 2ndly. It is maintained by many erainent authorities that it was written soon after hi* second visit. This St. Paul (they argue) expressly says: he marvels that the Galatians^ are so soon (i. 6) forsaking his teaching. The question is (according to these writers)^ within what interval of time would it have been possible for him to use this word "soon .*" Now this depends on the length of their previous Christian life ; for instance, had St- Paul known thera as Christians for twenty years, and then after an absence of four year* heard of their perversion, he might have said their abandonment of the truth was marvel lously soon after their possession of it ; but if they had been only converted to Christianity for three years before his second visit (as was reaUy the case), and he had heard of their perversion not tUl four years after his second visit, he could scarcely, in that case, speak. of their perversion as having occurred soon after they had been in the right path, in reference to the whole time they had been Christians. He says virtuaUy, " You are wrong now, you were right a short time ago." The natural impression conveyed by this language (considering that the timo of their previous steadfastness in the true faith was only three: years altogether) would certainly be, that St. Paul must have heard of their perversion within about a year from the time of his visit. At that time he was resident at Ephesus, where he would raost naturally and easily receive tidings frora Galatia. Hence they con sider the Epistle fo have been written at Ephesus during the first year of St. Paul's resi dence there. But in answer to these arguments it may be replied, that St. Paul does not say the Galatians were perverted soon afier his ovm last visit to ihem. His words are, in fact, "I wonder that you are so quickly shifting your ground." The same word is used in % Thess. ii. 2, where he exhorts the Thessalonians "not rashly to let themselves be shaken ," where the adverb refers not so much to the time as to the manner in which they were af fected, like the English hastily. But even supposing it in Gal. i. 6, to refer simply to time, and to be translated quickly or soon, we still (if we would fix the date from it) must ask, "quickly after what eventf" — " soon after what event?" And it is more natural (especiaUy as the verb is in the present tense) to understand " soon after ihe entrance ofthe Judaizing teachers," than to understand " soon afier my last visit." Hence there seems nothing in this adverb to fix the date of the Epistle ; nor is there any other external evidence of a decisive nature supplied by the Epistle. But 3rdly. The internal evidence that the Epistle was written nearly at the same time with that to the Eomans is exceedingly strong. Examples of this are Rora. viii. IS compared! with Gal. iv. 6, Rom. vii. 14 — 25 compared with Gal. v. 17, Rom. i. 17 compared with Gal. iii. 11, and the argument about Abraham's faith in Eom. iv. compared with Gal. iii. But the comparison of single passages does not so forcibly impress on the raind the paraUelism; of the two Epistles, as the study of each Epistle as a whole. The raore we examine them, the more we are struck by the resemblance ; and it is exactly that resemblance which would exist between two Epistles written nearly at the same time, while the same line of ¦96 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chai-. XVIIL Ws commission With all the brethren^ in my company; 2 ¦waa not derived •' j. ./ ' iTstiS" "'"^ To THE Chprches of Galatia. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and 3 ¦our Lord Jesus Christ ; who gave Himself for our sins, 4 that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father; to whom 5 he glory, even unto the ages of ages. Amen. I marvel that you are so soon shifting^ your ground, 6 and forsaking Him ^ who called you * in the grace of Christ, for, a new Glad-tidings; which is nothing else 7 but the device of certain men who are troubhng you, and who desire to pervert the Glad-tidings of Christ. But even though I myself, or an angel from heaven, 8 should declare to you any other Glad-tidings than that which I declared, let him be accursed. As I have said 9 before, so now I say again, if any man is come to you argument was occupying the writer's raind, and the same phrases and illustrations were on his tongue. This resemblance, too, becomes more striking when we remember the very different circumstances which called forth the two Epistles ; that to the Romans be ing a deliberate exposition of St. Paul' s theology, addressed to a Church with which he was personaUy unacquainted ; that to the Galatians being an indignant rebuke, written on the urgency of the occasion, to check the perversion of his children in the faith. This intemal evidence, therefore, leads us to suppose that the Epistle to the Galatians was written within a few months of that to the Romans ; and most probably, therefore, from Corinth during the preseut visit (although there is nothing to show which of the two ¦was written the first). The news of the arrival of the Judaizers in Galatia would reach -St. Paul from Ephesus; and (considering the commercial relations between the two cities) there is no place where he would be so likely to hear tidings from Ephesus as at Corinth. And since, on his arrival at the latter city, he would probably flnd some inteUigence from Ephesus waiting for hira, we have supposed, in the text, that the tidmgs of the perversion •of Galatia met hira thus on his arrival at Corinth. 1 Sorae of these "brethren in St. Paul's corapany " are enumerated in Acts xx. 4: So- paterof Bercea; Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe ; Timotheus; and Tychicus and Trophimus from Proconsular Asia. The junction of their names with that of Paul in the salutation of this Epistle, throws light on the junction of the names of Timotheus, Sosthenes, Silvanus, &c., with Paul's in the salutation at the head of some other Epistles; showing us more clearly that these names were not joined with that of St. Paul as if they were joint authors of the several Epistles referred to. This clause confi ms the date we have assigned to the Epistle, since it suits a period when he had an unusual number of traveUing companions, in consequence of the collection which they and he were jointly to bear to Jerusalem. See the last chapter. ' For the translation of this, see the note on the date of this Epistle, above. ' " Bim who called you." St. Paul probably means God. Compare Rom. ix 24. *"Inthe grace of Christ." The preposition here cannot mean into; Christians are caUed to salvation in the grace of Christ. Chap. XVIIL] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 97 with a Glad-tidings difl'erent frora that which you re^ 10 ceived before, let him be accursed. Think ye that man's assent or God's, is now my object? or is it that I seek favor with men ? Nay if I still sought favor with men, I should not be the bondsman of Christ. 11 For I certify you, brethren, that the Glad-tidings 12 which I brought you is not of man's devising. For I myself received it not from man, nor was it taught me by man's teaching, but by the revelation of Jesus 13 Christ. For you have heard of my former behavior in the days of my Judaism, how I persecuted beyond measure the Church of God, and' strove to root it out, 14 and outran in Judaism many of my own age and na tion, being more exceedingly zealous^ for the traditions 15 of my fathers. But when it pleased Him, who set me apart' from my mother's womb, and called me by His 16 grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might proclaim His Glad-tidings among the Gentiles, I did not take 17 counsel with flesh and blood, nor yet did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me, but I departed immediately into Arabia,* and from thence 18 returned to Damascus. Afterwards, when three years had passed, I went up to Jerusalem, that I might know 19 Cephas^ and with him I remained fifteen days;* but other of the Apostles saw I none, save only James'', the 20 brother of the Lord. (Now in this which I write to 21 you, behold I testify before God that I lie not.) After ^ The verb is in the imperfect. " This term ( " Zealot " ) was, perhaps, already adopted (as it was not long after, Joseph. War, iv. 6 ¦ by the Ultra-Pharisaical party. Cf. Acts. xxi. 20. ^ Corapare Rom. i 1. * The immediately belongs to departed, as if it were printed immediately (1 conferred not . . . . hut) departed. On the events mentioned in this verse, see pp. 117, 118. ' Cephas, not Peter, is the reading of the best MSS. throughout this Epistle, as well as in the F.pistles to Corinth ; except in one passage. Gal. ii. 7, 8. St. Peter was ordinarily known up to this period by the Syro-Chaldaic form of his name (the name actually given by our Lord), and not by its Greek equivalent. It is remarkable that he himself, in his Epistles, uses the Greek form, perhaps as a mark of his antagonism to the Judaizers, who aatnrally would cling to the Hebraic form. ' See pp. 119—121. ' See note on 1 Cor. ix. 6. 98 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIIL this I came into the regions of Syria and CHicia^; but 22 I was still unknown by face to the Churches of Christ in Jud^a: tidings only were brought them from time 23 to time, saying, "He who was once our persecutor now bears the Glad-tidings of that Faith, which formerly he ' labored to root out." And they glorified God in me. 24 jerusakm"*^' "^ Thoh fourtecu years after, I went up again ii. to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. At that time I went up ih obedience to a reve- 2 lation, and I communicated to the brethren in Jerusa lem^ the Glad- tidings which I proclaim among the Gen tiles; but to the chief brethren I communicated it privately, lest perchance my labors, either past or pres ent, might be fruitless.^ Yet not even Titus, my own 3 companion (being, a Greek), was compelled to be cir- 4 cumcised. But this communication* [with the Apos tles in Judaea] I undertook on account of the false brethren who gained entrance by fraud, for they crept in among us to spy out our freedom^ (which we pos sess in Christ Jesus) that they might enslave us under their own yoke. To whom I yielded not the submiss- 5 ion they demanded;* no, not for an hour; that the truth of the Glad-tidings might stand unaltered for your benefit. But fi-om those who were held in chief reputation — 6 it matters not to me of what account they were, — God is no respecter of persons — those (I say) who were the chief in reputation gave me no new instruction ; 1 See p. 122. " " To them." Compare the preceding verse. 3 Literally lest perchance 1 should be Tunning, or had run in vain. * Soraething must be supplied here to complete the sense ; we understand " commtmica- ted " from v. 2 ; others supply " was not circumcised," " but I refused to circumcise him (which otherwise I would have done) on account of the false brethren, that I might not seera to yield to thera." Others again supply " was circumcised," which gives an oppo site sense. The interpretation here adopted agrees best with the narrative in Acts xv. ' Viz. from the ordinances of the Mosaic law. « The article iraplies this raeaning. Chap. XVIIL] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 99 7 but, on the coutrary, when they saw that I had^ been charged to preach the Glad-tidings to the uncir- 8 cumcised, as Peter to the circumcised (for He who wrought in Peter for the Apostleship of the circumcis- 9 ion, wrought also in me for the Gentiles), and when they had learned the grace which had been given me, — James, Cephas, and John, who were accounted chief pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fel lowship, purposing that we should go to the Gentiles, 10 and they to the Jews; provided only, that we should remember the poor^, which I have accordingly endeav ored to do with diligence. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I with- loeh.'**' " '^°' stood him to the face, because he had incurred' reproach ; 12 for before the coming of certain [brethren] from James, he was in the habit of eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back, and to sepa rate himself from the Gentiles, for fear of the Jewish 13 brethren. And he was joined in his dissimulation by the rest of the Jews [in the Church of Antioch], so that even Barnabas was [drawn away with them to dis- 14 semble in like manner. But when I saw that they were walking in a crooked path*, and forsaking the truth of the Glad-tidings, I said to Cephas before them all, " If thou being born a Jew, art wont to The Jewish he- r^ n , ^~ lievers had re- live according to the customs of the Gentiles, SVt^Ssness ol and not of the Jews, how is it that thou con- **" ^' 15 strainest the Gentiles to keep the ordinances of the Jews? We are Jews by birth, and not unhallowed 16 Gentiles; yet,' knowing that a man is not justified by ^ The perfect is used because the charge still continued. ° Namely, ihe poor Christians in Judcea. We have seen in the preceding Chapters, how fully St. Patil had carried out this part of his agreement. > The remarkable expression here is not equivalent to the Authorized translation, "ha was to be blamed." For the history see Chap. VII. * The Greek verb, found only here, means to walk in a straight path. ' We foUow Tischendorf and the best MSS. 100 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIU the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we ourselves also have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law, for by the works of the Law '¦shall no flesh be justifled.' "^ But what if ^, while seeking to be justified in Christ, 17 we have indeed reduced^ ourselves also to the sinful state of unhallowed^ Gentiles? Is Christ then a min ister of sin ? God forbid ! ^ "t For if I again build up that [structure of the Law] 18 which I have overthrown, then I represent myself as a transgressor. Whereas* I, through the operation^ of 19 the Law, became dead to the Law, that I might live to God. I am crucified with Christ ; it is no more I that 20 live, but Christ is living in me^; and my outward life which still remains, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I frus- 21 trate not God's gift of grace [like those who seek righteousness in the Law] ; for if the Law can make men righteous, then Christ died in vain. Appeal to the 0 foolish Galatiaus, who has bewitched iii. ' Ps. cxliii. 2 (LXX.); quoted also raore fuUy, Rom. iii. 20. ' The construction is like that in Rora ix. 22. ^ Literally, been found sinners ourselves as well as other men. * " UnhaUowed." Compare " unhaUowed GentUes " above. " Neander thinks that the l7th verse also ought to be included in the speech of St. Paul, and much might be said in favor of his view. StiU, on the whole, we think the speech more naturally terminates with v. 16. The hypothesis in v. 17, is that of the Judaizers refuted (after St. Paul's manner) by an abrupt reductio ad absurdum. The Judaizer ob jects, " You say you seek righteousness in Christ, but in fact you reduce yourself to the state of a Gentile; you are farther from God, andtherefore farther from righteousness, than you were before." To which St. Paul only replies, " On your hypothesis ihen, -jie must conclude Christ U) be the minister of sin ! God forbid." This passage is illustrated by the slmUar mode in which he answers the objections of the same party, Rom. iii. 8 — 8. See note on the phrase rendered " God forbid " below chap. iii. 21. 6 In this "for " (A. V.) is virtually contained the suppressed clause " but the abolition.qf the law does noi make me a transgressor, for." ' This thought is fully expanded in the 7th of Romans. ' It is with deep regret that we depart from the A. V. here, not only because of its ex treme beauty, but because it must be so dear to the devotional feelings of aU good men. Yet the words cannot be translated " nevertheless I Uve, yeinoi I." Chap. XVIIL] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 101 you?^ — You, before whose eyes was held e^«rie^» <>'"»« up the picture^ of Jesus Christ upon the - i 2 cross. One question I would ask you. When you received the Spirit, was it from the works of the Law, 3 orthe preaching^ of Faith? Are you so senseless? Having begun in the Spirit, would you now end in the 4 Flesh? Have you received so many benefits* in vain 5 — if indeed it has been in vain ? Whence, I say, are the gifts of Him who furnishes you with the fullness of the Spirit, and works in you the power of miracles ? ^ . From the deeds of the Law, or from the preaching of/ Faith? _^ ^ 6 So likewise ^^ Abraham hath faith in God, ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ and it was reckoned unto him for righteous- lonJfof right "7 ness."^ Know, therefore, that they only °°"™^'^' are the sons of Abraham who are children of Faith. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God through Faith justifies [not the Jews only but] the Gentiles, declared beforehand to Abraham the Glad-tidings, saying, " J.ZZ the nations of the Gentiles shall be blessed in thee."'' 9 So then, they who are children of Faith [whether they be Jews or Gentiles] are blessed with faithful Abra ham. 10 For all they who rest upon ^ the works of the Law, are under a curse ; for it is written, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written 11 in the book of the Law to do them."^ And it is mani- ¦ The words " that ye should not obey the truth " are not found in the best MSS., and " among you " is also omitted. ^ This is the literal sense. ^ Compare Rom. x. 17, and 1 Thess. ii. 13. * Literally, have you eaperie^nced so many things [or, such great things]. The context is against the translation of the verb by suffered ' The phrase is exactly simUar in 1 Cor. xii. 10. » Gen. XV. 6 (LXX.); quoted also Rom. iv. 3. ' Gen. xii. 3, from the LXX. but not verbatim. Compare the similar quotation, Rom. iv. 17. ' LiteraUy, who have iheir root in the works nf the Imw, or, according to the Hebrew im age, ihe children of the works of the Law. ' Dtit. xxvii. 26. Nearly yerbatira from LXX. 102 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIU. aw fest that no man is counted righteous in God's judg ment under the conditions of the Law ; for it is writ ten, '' By faith shall the righteous live."^ But the 12 Law rests not on Faith, but declares, " The man that hath done these things, shall live therein."^ Christ has 13 redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having be come accursed for our sakes ^ (for it is written, ^'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. " *), to the end that 14 in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come unto the Gentiles; that through Faith we might re ceive the promise of the Spirit. The Law could Brethren — I speak in man's language^ — 15 prio^^promVto nevertheless, — a man's covenant, when rati- Abraham. g^^^ cauuot by Its glvcT bo annulled, or set aside by a later addition. Now God's promises were 16 made to Abraham and to his seed ; the scripture says not " and to thy seeds," as if it spoke of many, but as of one, ^^and to thy seed j"^ and this seed is Christ. But 17 this I say ; a covenant which had been ratified before by God, to be fulfilled in Christ, the Law which was given four hundred and thirty ^ years afterwards, can not make void, to the annulling of the promise. For 18 if the inheritance comes from the Law, it comes no longer from promise; whereas God has given it to Abraham freely by promise. To what end, then, was the Law? it was' added be- 19 ' Hab. ii. 4 (LXX.); quoted also Rom. i. 17, aud Heb. i. 38. - Levit. xviii. 5 (LXX.); quoted also Rom. x. 5. ^ " A curso for us." The sentiment and expression strongly resembles " sin for us," 2 Cor. V. 21 ; which epistle was very nearly cotemporaneous with this, if the date of the Galatians above adopted is correct. * Deut. xxi. 23. Nearly verbatim frora LXX. ^ This parenthetical phrase here, in St. Paul's style, seems always to mean, 7 use a com parison or illiisir ation draum from human affairs or human language. Compare Rom. iii. 5, and 1 Cor. xv 32. • Gen. xiii. 15 (LXX.); the meaning of the argument is, that the recipients. of God's promises are not to be looked on as an aggregate of different individuals, or of different. races, but are all one body, whereof Christ is the head. Conrpare " you are the seed," V. 29. ' With regard to the chronology, see p. 179, n. 2. = This is according to the best MSS- Ohap. XVm.] EPISTLE TO THE GALATLA.NS. 103 cause of the transgressions^ of men, till the Seed should come, to whom belongs the promise; and it was enacted by the ministration of angels^ through the hands of [Moses ^, who was] a mediator [between God 20 and the people]. Now where* a mediator is, there must be two parties. But God is one [and there is no second party to His promise]. 21 Do I say then that the Law contradicts Heiatim a ju- _ _. . f. daism to Cluis- the promises of God ? that be far from me ! ° ^^^¦j- For had a Law been given which could raise men from. death to life, then would righteousness be truly from 22 the Law. But^ the Scripture (on the other hand) has shut up the whole world together under sin, that firom Faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to the faithful. 23 But before Faith came, we were shut up in prison, in ward under the Law, in preparation for the Faith 24 which should afterwards be revealed. Thus, even as the slave ^ who leads a child to the house of the school- 1 Compare Rom. v. 20: " The Law was added that sin might aboimd," whioh must be taken with Rom. v. 13, and Rom. vii. 13. ^ Compare Acts vii. 63. 2 Moses is called "thc Mediator" bythe Rabbinical writers. See several passages ¦quoted by Schoettgen on this passage. * St. Paul's argument here is left by him exceedingly eUiptical, and therefore very ob scure ; as is evident from the fact that more than two hundred and "fifty different expla nations of the passage have been advocated by different commentators. The most natural meaning appears to be as follows : " It is better to depend upon an unconditional promise of God, than upon a covenant made between God and raan ; for in the latter case the con ditions of the covenant raight be broken by man (as they had been), and so the blessings forfeited ; where, as in the former case, God being immutable, the blessings derived frora His proraise remain steadfast forever." The passage is parallel with Rom. iv. 13 — 16. ' The expression occurs fourteen times in St. Paul; viz. three times in Galatians, ten times in Romans (another example of the similarity between these Epistles), and once in 1 CorintMans. In one of these cases (Gal. vi. 14) it is not interjectional ; in another (1 Cor. vi. 15), it repels a direct hypothesis, " SW/ I do (so and so)f God forbid!" But in all the other instances it is inteijeotional, and rebuts an inference deduced from St. Paul's doctrine by an opponent. So that tne question which precedes the phrase is equivalent to " Do I ihen infer ihat ? " ' The connection of the argument is, that if the Law could give men spiritual life, and so enable them to fulfil its precepts, it wonld give them righteousness: but it does not pretend to do this ; on the contrary, it shows the impotence of their nature by the con trast of its requirements with their performance. This verse is parallel with Rom. xi. 32. ' The inadequate translation here in the Authorized Version has led to a misconception of the metaphor. See note on 1 Cor. iv. 15. Oorapare also Hor. Sat. 1, 6 (81). 104 THE UFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIU. master, so the Law has led us to [our teacher] Christ, that by Faith we might be justified; but now that 25 Faith is come, we are under the slave's care no longer. For you are all the sons of God, by your faith in Christ 26 Jesus; yea, whosoever among you have been baptized 27 unto Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.^ In 28 Him there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female ; for you all are one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are 29 Abraham's seed, and heirs of the blessing by promise. Now I say, that the heir, so long as he is a child, iv. has no more freedom than a slave, though he is owner of the whole inheritance ; but he is under overseers 2 and stewards until the time appointed by his father. And so we also [who are Israelites] when we were chil- 3 dren, were in bondage, under our childhood's lessons of outward ordinances.^ But when the appointed time 4 was fully come, God sent forth His Son, who was born of a woman, and born subject to the Law ; that He 5 might redeem from their slavery the subjects of the Law, that we^ might be adopted as the sons of God. And because you are the sons of God, He has sent 6 forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying unto Him '¦'¦Father."^ Wherefore thou [who canst so 7 pray] art no more a slave, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. ' The only other place where this expression occurs is Rom. xiii. 14; another instance of resemblance between the two Epistles. ' The phrase literally means ihe elementary lessons of outward things. Compare CoL ii. 8 and 20. ' We, namely, all Oiristians, u>hether Jews or Gentiles. In other words, the Son of God was iorn of a woman, that all the sons of women might by union with Him become the sons of God. * "Abba" is the Syro-Chaldaic word for Father, and it is the actual word with whioh the Lord's prayer began, as it was uttered by our Lord Himself. The " Father " which follows is only a translation of " Abba," inserted as translations of Aramaic words often are by the writers of the New Testament, but not used along with " Abba." This is ren_ dered evident by Mark xiv. 36, when we remember that our Lord spoke in Syro-Chaldaic. Moreover, had it been used vocatlvely (as in A. V.) along with Abba, the Greek would have been different. Rora. vni. 15 is exactly parallel with the present paasage. Ch.\p. XVm.] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 105 8 But formerly, when you knew not God, . , , ,^ .1 ' .1 ' Appeal to the you were in bondage to gods that have "rt^'notVre- 9 no real being.-' Yet now, when you have l"™ Indfo™^ gained the knowledge of God, — or rather, when God has acknowledged you^, — how is it that you are turning backwards to those childish lessons, weak and beggarly as they are^; eager to place yourselves; 10 once more in bondage under their dominion? Are you observing days*, and months^, and seasons®, and 11 years ?^ I am fearful for you, lest I have spent my 12 labor on you in vain. I beseech you, brethren, to be come as I am, [and seek no more a place among the. circumcised] ; for I too have become as you * are, [and have cast away the pride of my circumcision]. You 13 have never wronged me : on the contrary, although it was sickness (as you know) which caused me to preach ¦ 14 the Glad-tidings to you at my first visit, yet you neither scorned nor loathed the bodily infirmity which was my triaP; but you welcomed me as an angel of God,. 16 yea, even as Christ Jesus. Why, then, did you think yourselves so happy ? (for I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, you would have torn out your ^ This is of course addressed to Heathen converts. * Compare 1 Cor. viii. 3. ^ LiteraUy, the weak and beggarly rudimentary lessons. * The Sabbath-days. Compare Col. ii. 16. Also Rom. xiv. 6. See the notes. ' The seventh months. » The seasons of the great Jewish feasts. ' The Sabbatical and JubUee years. From this it has been supposed that this Epistle^ mnst have been written in a Sabbatical year. But this does not necessarily follow, be cause the word may be raerely inserted to complete the sentence ; and of course those- who observed the Sabbaths, festivals, &c. would inte-nd to observe also the Sabbatical years when they came. The plural " years " favors this view. 8 This is addressed (as above) to the GentUe converts. ' This was probably the same disease raentioned 2 Cor. xii. 7. It is very unrortunate that the word temptation has so changed its meaning in the last two hundred and fifty years, as to make, the Authorized Version of this verse a great source of misapprehension to ignorant readers. Some have even been led to imagine that St. Paul spoke of a sinful habit in which he indulged, and to the dominion of which he was encouraged (2 Cor. xii. 9), con tentedly to resign himself! We should add that if, with some of the best MSS., we read " your," it makes no very material difference in the sense ; St. Paul's sickness would theit be called the trial of ihe Galatians. 106 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIli own eyes' and given them to me.) Am I then be- 16 come your enemy ^ because I tell you the truth ? They 17 f who call me so] show zeal for you with no good in tent ; they would shut you out from others, that your zeal may be for them alone. But it is good to be zeal- 18 ous ^ in a good cause, and that at all times, and not when zeal lasts only [like yours] while I am present with you. My beloved children, I am again bearing 19 the pangs of travail for you, till Christ be fully formed within you. I would that I were present with you 20 now, that I might change my tone; for you fill me -with perplexity. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the 21 The allegory of ' .» -n i oo Ses'"he*s'Se Law, wlU you not hear the Law ? For there- 22 lessontothejew. .^ .^ -^ ^rittou that Abraham had two sons;* one by the bond-woman, the other by the free. But 23 the son of the bond-woman was born to him after the flesh ; whereas the son of the free-woman was born by virtue of the promise. Now, all this is allegorical ; for 24 these two women are the two covenants ; the first given from Mount Sinai, whose children are born into bond age, which is Hagar (for the word Hagar^ in Arabia 25 signifies Mount Sinai) ; and she answers to the earthly Jerusalem, for^ she is in bondage with her children. ' This certainly seems to confirm the view of those who suppose St. Paul's malady to have been some disease in the eyes. The " your " appears emphatic, as if he would eay You would have torn out your own eyes to supply the lack nf ihine. ^ The Judaizers accused St. Paul of desiring to keep the GentUe converts in an inferior position, excluded (by want of circumcision) from fnll covenant with God; and caUed Mm, therefore, their enemy. ^ The expression would more naturaUy raean, " to be the object of zeal," as many in terpreters take it; but, on the whole, the other interpretation (which is that of the older interpreters and of Olshausen) seems to suit the context better. Perhaps, also, there may be an allusion here to the pecuUar use of the word " Zealot." Compare Gal. i. 14. * With this passage corapare Rom. ix. 7 — 9. ' The word Hagar in Arabic means " a rook," and some authorities tell us that Mount Sinai is so caUed by the Arabs. The lesson to be drawn from this whole passage, as regards the Christian use of the Old Testament, is of an iraportance which can scarcely foe over-rated. = AU the best MSS. read " for " Hagar being, both herself and her children, in bondage, corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem; by which latter expression is denoted the whole sys- Chap. XVm.j EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 107 26 But [Sarah' is the second covenant in Christ, and ans wers to the heavenly Jei-usalem; for] the heavenly Je rusalem is free ; which is the mother of us all. And so 27 it is written, '¦^Rejoice, thou barren that bearest notj break forth into shouting, thou that travailest notj for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath 28 the husband."^ Now, we, brethren, like Isaac, are chil- 29 dren [born not naturally, but] of God's promise. Yet, as then the spiritual seed of Abraham was persecuted 30 by his natural seed, so it is also now. Nevertheless, what says the Scripture? " Cast out the bond-woman and her son ; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be 31 heir with the son of the free-woman."^ Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. V. Stand fast, then, in the fi-eedom which Christ has given us, and turn not back again to entangle your selves in the yoke of bondage. 2 Lo, I Paul declare unto you, that if you cause your selves to be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 I testify again to every man who submits to circumcis ion, that he thereby lays himself under obligation to 4 fulfil the whole Law. If you rest your righteousness on the Law, you are cut off" from Christ,* you are fallen 5 from His gift of grace. For we, through the Spirit^ tera ofthe .Mosaic law, represented by its local center, the Holv City. To this latter is opposed the "city to come" (Heb. xii. 22), where Christians have their "citizenship in heaven" (I'hil. iii. 20). ' This clnuse in brackets is implied, though not expressed, by St. Paul, being necessary for the completion of the parallel. ° Isaiah liv. 1 (LXX.). Quoted as a prophetic testimony to the fact that the spiritual seed of Abraham should be more numerous than his natural seed. ' Gen. xxi. 10 from LXX., but not quite verbatim. ' Thia phrase (meaning literally, to be cancelled from a thing, i. e. to have utterly lost aU connection wiih ii) is only found in this passage and in Rom. vii. 2 and 6. Another in stance of resemblance between the two Epistles. ' In the words " spirit " and " faith " a tacit reference is made to their antitheses (con stantly present to St. Paul's mind) "flesh" or "letter," and "law" or "works," re- spectivelv. 3d 108 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. | Chap. XVIU [not through the Flesh], from Faith [not works], look eagerly for the hope^ of righteousness. For in Christ 6 Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncir cumcision; but Faith, whose work is Love. Warning against You woro ruuniug tho Taco wcll : who has 7 the Judaizing *^ nil **^t"JS?m^ cast a stumbling-block m your way ? who has visions. turned you aside from your obedience to the truth? The counsel which you have obeyed came not 8 from Him who called you. "A little leaven leavens 9 the whole lump."^ As for me, I rely upon you, in the 19 Lord, that you will not be led astray ; but he that is troubling you, whosoever he be, shall bear the blame. But if I myself- also [as they say] still preach cir- 11 cumcision,^ why am I stiU persecuted? for if I preach circumcision, then the cross, the stone at which they stumble,* is done away. I could wish that these agitators who disturb your 12 quiet, would execute upon themselves not only circum cision, but excision also.* Exhortotion to FoT you, brethren, have been called to 13 the more enlight- •' '^me^ii^bet frecdom', only make not your freedom a ¦*'""¦ vantage-ground for the Flesh, but rather en slave yourselves one to another by the bondage of love. For all the Law is fulfilled in this one saying, " Thou 14 ' i. e. the hope of eternal happiness promised to -righteousness. Compare Rom. viii. 24, 25, where the same verb is used. 1 This proverb is quoted also 1 Cor. v. 6. Its apphcation here may be " Your seducers are few, but yet enough to corrupt you all;" or it may be " Circumcision is a small part of the law, but yet its observance is sufficient to place you altogether under the legat yoke." ' This accusation might naturally by made by St. Paul's opponents, on the ground of his circumcising Timothy, and himself stiU continuing several Jewish observances. See Acts XX. 6, and Acts xxi. 24. The first "stiU" in this verse is omitted by some MSS., but retained by the best. * Literally, ihe stumbling-stone of the cross ; i. e. ike c7-osa which is their stumbling-stone. Compare 1 Cor. i. 23. The doctrine of a crucified Messiah was a stumbling-block to the national pride of the Jews ; but if St. Paul would have consented to make Christianity a sect of Judaism (as he would by " preaching circumcision"), their pride wouldhave been satisfied. But then, if salvation were made to depend on outward ordinances, the death of Christ wonld be rendered unmeaning. ' Observe the force of the "also" and of the middle voice here; the A. V. is a mis translation. Chap. XVIU.] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. X09 15 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"^ But if you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be utterly de stroyed by one another's means. ...,--.„.¦ 16 But this I say, walk in the Spirit, and you variancehetween •' L I .1 the Spirit and the 17 shall not fulfil the desire of the Flesh; for ^eih. the desire of the Flesh fights against the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit fights against the Flesh; and this variance tends to hinder^ you from doing what you 18 wish to do. But, if you be led by the Spirit, you are 19 not under the Law.^ Now, the works of the Flesh are 20 manifest, which are such as these : fornication, impuri ty, lasciviousness ; idolatry, witchcraft;* enmities, strife, jealousy, passionate anger; intrigues,' divisions, secta- 21 rian parties; envy, murder; drunkenness, revellings., and such like. Of which I forewarn you (as I told you also in times past), that they who do such things 22 shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, 23 goodness, trustfulness,' gentleness, self-denial. Against such there is no Law. -.„ — 24 But they who are Christ's have crucified „ , , ,^ .1 Warning to tht 25 the Flesh, with its passions and its lusts. If ^^^f/^f?^?^ we live by the Spirit, let our steps be guided °«''^"^i'"*'- > Levit. xix. 18 (LXX.) » Not "so that you cannot do" (A. V.) but " tending io prevent you from doing." ' To be "under the yoke of the Law," and "under the yoke of the Flesh," is, in St. Paul's language, the same ; because, for those who are under the Spirit's guidance, the Law is dead (v. 23); they do right, not from fear ofthe Law's penalties, but through the influence of the Spirit who dweUs within thera. This, at least, is the ideal state of Chris tians. Compare Rora. viii. 1 — 14. St. Paul here, and elsewhere in his Epistles, aUudes thus briefly to important truths, because his readers were already familiar with them from his personal teaching. By the " flesh " St. Paul denotes not merely the sensual tendency, but generally that which is earthly in man, as opposed to what is spiritual. It should be observed, that the 17th verse is a sumraary of the description of the struggle between flesh and spirit in Rom. vii. 7 — 25 ; and verse 18th is a sumraary of the description ofthe ("hristian's deliverance from this struggle. Rom. viii. 1 — 14. ¦• The profession if ¦magical arts. The history of the times in which St. Paul lived is full of the crimps coraraitted bj' those who professed such arts. We have seen him brought inti I contact with such persons at F.phesus already. They dealt in poisons also, whioh accounts for the use of the term etymologicaUy. 6 For this word compare Rom. ii. 8, and note; also 2 Cor. xu. 20. » The word seems to have this meaning here; for faith (in its larger sense) could not be classed as one among a number of tho constituent parts of love. See 1 Cor. xiii. 110 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVIIT. by the Spirit. Let us not become vainglorious, pro- 2S voking one another to strife, regarding one another with envy. Brethren, — I speak to you who call yourselves the vi Spiritual,— even if any one be overtaken in a fault, do you correct such a man in a spirit of meekness ; and take thou heed to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of 2 Christ. For, if any man exalts himself, thinking to be 3 something when he is nothing, he deceives himself with vain imaginations. Rather let every man examine his 4 own work, and then his boasting will concern himself alone and not his neighbor ; for each will bear the load 5 [of siu] which is his own,-^ [instead of magnifying the load which is his brother's]. Provision to be MoTcover, let him who is receivina: instruct 6 made for the . . o . . . «iM^sb°°terB°' ^^'-'^ ^^ ^^® Word^ give to his instructor a (instnictoJs)!" gj^^^.^ ^^ g^jj ^-^^ . g^^^j thiugs whichho pos sesses. Do not deceive yourselves — God cannot be 7 defi"auded.^ Every man shall reap as he has sown. The man who now sows for his own Flesh, shall reap 8 therefrom a harvest doomed* to perish; but he who sows for the Spirit, shall from the Spirit reap the har vest of life eternal. But let us continue in well-doing, 9 and not be weary :® for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Therefore, as we have opportunity,® let 10* ' The aUusion here is apparently to .SIsop's well-known fable. It is unfortunate that in the Authorized Version two words (v. 2) are translated by the same term burden, which seems to make St. Paul contradict himself. His meaning is, that self-examination will prevent us from comparing ourselves boastfully with our neighbor; we shall have enough' to do with onr own sins, without scrutinizing his. ^ By ihe Word is meant the doctrines of Christianity. 3 LiteraUy, " God is not mocked," i. e. God is not really deceived by hypocrites, who- think to. reap where they have not sown. * See Rora. viii. 21. ' Compare 2 Thess. iii. 13, where the expression is almost exactly the same. •This opportunity (time) is suggested bythe preceding season (time); but the verbal identity cannot with advantage be retained here in EngUsh. Chap XVIIL] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. HI 1 US do good to all men, but especially to our brethren in the household of Faith. 11 Observe the size-^ of the characters in Autograph m?- which I write^ to you with my own hand. °'"°'°''' 12 I tell you that they who wish to have a good reputo in things pertaining to the Flesh, they, and they alone* are forcing circumcision upon you ; and that only to- save themselves from the persecution which* Christ 13 bore upon the cross. For even they who circumcise themselves do not keep the Law; but they wish to* have you circumcised, that your obedience^ to the fleshly ordinance may give them a ground of boasting- 14 But as for me, far be it from me to boast, save only in the cross* of our Lord Jesus Christ; whereby the world 15 is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is anything, nor un- 16 circumcision; but a new creation.' And whosoever 1 Thus we mnst understand the phrase, unless we suppose (with Tholuck) that "how- large " is used for " what kind of," as in the later Greek of the Byzantine writers. To- take "characters" as equivalent to "letter" appears inadmissible. St. Paul does not here say that he wrote the whole Epistle with his own hand, but this is the beginning of his usual autograph postscript, and equivalent to the " so I write " in 2 Thess. iii. 17. We- may cbsei-ve as a further confinnation of this view, that scarcely any Epistle bears more evident marks than this of having been written from dictation. The writer of this note received a letter from the venerable Neander a few months before his death, which Ulus trated this point in a manner the more interesting, because he (NeAnder) takes a different view of this passage. His letter is written in the fair and flowing hand of an amanuensis,. but it ends with a few irregular lines in large and rugged characters, written by himself,. and explaining the cause of his needing the services of an amanuensis, namely, the weak ness of his eyes (probably the very malady of St. Paul). It was irapossible to read this. autograph without thinking of the present passage, and observing that he might have ex pressed himself in the very words of St. Paul:—" Behold! in what large characters I have> written to thee with my own hand." The words are given in uncial characters on the next page. ^ The past tense, used, according to the classical epistolary style, from the position of the readers. ^ The " they '' is eraphatic. 4 Liternlly, thai theymay noi be persecuted mih ihe cross of Christ. Cf. 2 Cor. i. 5 (the suf ferings nf Chrisl). ' LiteraUy, ihat ihey may boast in your flesh. ° To understand the full force of such expressions as "to boast in the cross," we must remember that the cross (the instrument of punishment of the vilest malefactors) was as sociated with all that was most odious, contemptible, and horrible, iu the minds of that generation, just as the word gibbet would be now. 7 cf. 2 Cor. v. IB 112 THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OP ST. PAUL. [Chap. XVUL shall walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon all the Israel of God.' Henceforth, let no man vex me; for I bear in my 17 body the scars' which mark my bondage to the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 18 your spirit. Amen. IJETE nHAIKOIS YMIIV rPJMMASIlV ErPAWA TH EMH XEIPI.* 1 Compare ch. iii. v. 9. * Literally, the scars of the wounds made npon the body of a slave by the branding-iron, liy which he was marked as belonging to his master. Observe the emphatic "I:" what ever others may do, I at least bear in my body the tme raarks which show that I belong to Christ; the scars, not of circumcision, bnt of wounds snSiared for His sake. Therefore let no man vex me by denying that I am Christ's servant, and bear His commission. Ct 2 Cor. xi. 23. * The words used by St. Paul (Gal. vi. 11), as they appear in the Uncial MSS. c. jr. the Codex Ephrsemi Besoriptus (C). EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.^ i. Paul, a bondsman of Jesus Christ, a called salutation. Apostle, set apart to publish the Glad-tidings of God 2 which He promised of old by His Prophets 3 in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son (who was born of the seed of David according to the 4 flesh, but was marked out^ as the Son of God with mighty power, according to the spirit of holiness, by resurrection fi:-om the dead^), even Jesus Christ, 5 our Lord and Master.* By whom I received grace and apostleship, that I might declare His name among all the Gentiles, and bring them to the obedi- 6 ence of faith. Among whom ye also are numbered, 7 being called by Jesus Christ to all God's BELOVED, CALLED TO BE SaINTS,°WH0 DWELL IN RoME.' 1 The date of this Epistle is very precisely fixed by the foUowing statements contained in it: — (1.1 St. Paul had never yet been to Rome (i. 11, 13, 15). (2.) He was intending to go to Rome, after first visiting Jemsalem (xv. 23 — 28). This was exactly his purpose during his three months' residence at Corinth. See Acts xix. 21. (3.) He was going to bear a collection of alms frora Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalera