PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians
Hodge, Charles, 1797–1878 · 167,870 words · 392 reading sections
I. CORINTHIANS 6, 11. 101
therefore under the highest possible obligation not to re- lapse into their former state of pollution and condemnation. In the name of the Lord Jesus^ and by the Spirit of our God. These clauses are not to be restricted to the preceding word, as though the meaning were, 'Ye have been justified in the name of the Lord J…
447 wordsSECTION 122102 I. CORINTHIANS 6, 12.
bodies, vs. 13. 14. It is because of this intimate relation of our bodies to Christ as his members, that forDication is so great a crime, inconsistent with our union to him as partakers of his Spirit, vs. 15-17. It is, in a pecuUar manner, a sin against the body, destructive of its very nature, v. 18. The body is a tem…
428 wordsSECTION 123I. CORINTHIANS 6, 12.13. 103
fill. This principle of expediency the Apostle enforces at length in Rom. 14, 15-23, and 1 Cor. 8, 7-13, and 10, 23-33. The second limitation of our liberty in the use of things indif- ferent, is self-respect. Because it is lawful to eat, that is no reason why I should make myself a slave to my appetite. " I will not,"…
435 wordsSECTION 124104 I. CORINTHIANS 6, 14. 15. 16.
14. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. The destiny of the body being what is stated in the pre- cedmg verse, it is not to perish, but is to share in the resur- rection of Christ. " He who raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that …
420 wordsSECTION 125I. CORINTHIANS 6, 16.17. 105
tween the body and Christ. Our bodies are the members of Christ, because they belong to him, being included in the re- demption effected by his blood ; and also because they are so united to him as to be partakers of his life. It is one of the prominent doctrines of the Bible that the union between Christ and his peopl…
425 wordsSECTION 126106 I. CORINTHIANS 6, 18. 19. 20.
however degrading and ruinous to the health, even drunken- ness, is external to the body, that is, external to its life. But fornication, involving as it does a community of life, is a sin against the body itself, because incompatible, as the Apostle had just taught, with the design of its creation, and with its immort…
549 wordsSECTION 127CHAPTER YH.
Instructions relative to marriage, vs. 1-17. The Gospel was not designed to interfere with the ordinary relations of men, vs. 18-24. Concerning vir- gins and widows, 25-40. Instructions concerni?ig marriage and other social relations. Vs. 1-24. The Corinthians had written to the Apostle, seeking his ad- vice in refer…
208 wordsSECTION 128108 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 1.
vs. 6-9. 4th. With regard to the married the Lord had already- taught that divorce was unlawful ; the husband could not put away his wife, nor the wife her husband, vs. 10. 11. 5th. As to the case not specially contemplated in our Lord's instruc- tions, where one of the parties was a Christian and the other a Jew or Pa…
428 wordsSECTION 129I. CORINTHIANS 7, 1.2.3. 109
V. 26 he expressly states that " the present distress," or the peculiar circumstances of trial and difficulty in which the Christians of that day were placed, was the ground of his advice on this subject. 3. Because in 1 Tim. 4, 3, he specifies "forbidding to marry" as one of the signs of the great apos- tasy which he …
1,211 wordsSECTION 130112 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 9. 10. 11.
scarcely having any higher end than the sexual intercourse of brutes. This cannot be his meaning ; not only because it is contrary to Scripture, but also because Paul elsewhere, Eph. 5, 22-33, represents marriage as a most ennobling spiritual union ; which raises a man out of himself and makes him live for another ; a …
433 wordsSECTION 131I. CORINTHIANS 7, 10.11. 113
at the option of the parties. The wife had no right to leave her husband ; nor had the husband the right to repudiate his wife. But although the marriage bond cannot be dissolved by any human authority, because it is, in virtue of the law of God, a covenant for life between one man and one woman ; yet it can be annulle…
446 wordsSECTION 132114 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 12. 13. 14.
of a parent. The apostle teaches, however, that in such cases of separation, the parties must remain unmarried. 12. 13. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that beUeveth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth…
377 wordsSECTION 133I. CORINTHIANS 7, 14. 115
marriages whence they sprang were holy ; or unless the prin- ciple that intimate commmiion with the holy renders holy, were a correct principle. The assertion of the apostle is, that the unbelieving hus- band or wife is sanctified in virtue of the marriage relation with a believer. We have already seen that the word (…
460 wordsSECTION 134116 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 14.
lieving husband is sanctified by the belie^g wife, and the unbelieving wife by the believing husband, the meaning is, not that they are rendered inwardly holy, nor that they are brought under a sanctifying influence, but that they were sanctified by their intimate union with a believer, just as the temple sanctified th…
455 wordsSECTION 135I. CORIISTTHIANS 7, 14. 117
mother was a Jewess, because he knew that his countrymen regarded circumcision in such cases as obligatory, Acts 16, 1-3. The apostle constantly assumes that his readers were famihar with the principles and facts of the Old Testament economy. Comp. 10, 1-13. ^ The other view of the argument is this : ' If, as you ad- …
453 wordsSECTION 136118 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 14.15.
ea filia ejus — si concepta fuerit et nata in sanctitate, est ut filia Israelita per omnia. See Wetstein in loc. To be born in holiness (i. e. within the church) was necessary in order to the child being regarded as an Israelite. So Christian chil- dren are not made holy by baptism, but they are baptized be- cause they…
437 wordsSECTION 137I. CORINTHIANS 7, 15. 16. 119
live with him. But the one part of the verse should be allowed to explain the other. An obligation which is said to exist in one case, Paul denies exists in another. If the un- believer is willing to remain, the believer is bound by the marriage contract ; but if she be unTvdlling, he is not bound. But God hath called …
434 wordsSECTION 138120 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 16.17.
who knows if^ is used to express hope. So here the idea is, ' Who knows, O wife, but that thou shalt save thy husband ? * 17. But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called eveiy one,* so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. Paul was not only averse to breaking up the conjugal re- lation,…
405 wordsSECTION 139I. CORINTHIANS 7, 17. 18. 121
render any change necessary. The principal difficulty with regard to this verse does not appear in our version. The words (et /x?/), rendered but at the beginning of the verse, mean except or unless, and this meaning they have so uniform- ly that many commentators insist that they must be so ren- dered here. Some of th…
444 wordsSECTION 140122 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 18.19.20.
izers were disposed to insist on the circumcision of the Gentile converts. Both were wrong. Paul's command is that they should remain as they were. Instead of the interrogative form adopted in our version, the preferable translation is, " One was called (iKXrjSrj) being circumcised ; let him not become uncir- cumcised.…
857 wordsSECTION 141124 I. CORINTHIANS T, 21.22.
consistent with the spirit of the apostle, with his exalted views of the equality of all men in Christ, and with his expectation that all earthly distinctions would soon be swept away. The advice to slaves to avail themselves of the opportunity to be- come free, it is said, would be trivial in the estimation of one who…
450 wordsSECTION 142I. CORINTHIANS 7, 22.23.24. 125
The Lord's freeman is one whom the Lord has redeemed from Satan, and made his own ; and the Lord's slave is also one whom Christ has purchased for himself So that master and slave stand on the same level before Christ. Comp. Eph. 6, 9. 23. Ye are bought with a price ; be not ye the servants of men. Ye (i. e. all Chri…
398 wordsSECTION 143126 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 25.
Of Yirgins and Widows. Vs. 25-40. Li this portion of the chapter the apostle treats principally of the marriage of virgins — including, however, the young of both sexes. On this subject he says he was not authorized to speak with authority, but simply to advise, v. 25. His advice was, on account of the impendmg troubl…
416 wordsSECTION 144I. CORINTHIANS 7, 25.26. 127
for those inward graces and qualities which entitled him to the confidence of his readers. He recognised Christ as the giver of those gifts, and himself as undeserving of them. Had he been left to himself, instead of being the wise, disinter- ested, and faithful counsellor of Christians, he would have been a blasphemin…
434 wordsSECTION 145128 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 26.27.28.
lowers were to encounter, were surely enough to create a deep impression on the apostle's mind, and to make him solicitous to prepare his brethren for the coming storm. It is not neces- sary, therefore, to assume, as is so often done, that the apostle anticipated the second advent of Christ during that genera- tion, an…
404 wordsSECTION 146I. CORINTHIANS 7, 29-31. 129
2 Cor. 11, 18. But I spare you. The design of my dissuad- ing you from marriage is to spare you these sufferings. 29-31. But this I say, brethren, the time (is) short ; it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none ; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as thoug…
412 wordsSECTION 147180 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 31.32.33.34.
it,' is properly so translated, as KaTaypaoixai means to use over- much. The only reason for preferring the other translation is the analogy of the other passages. Eith-er version is consistent with the usage of the word. For the fashion of this world passeth away^ i. e. is in the act of passing away. The fashion (axnf…
408 wordsSECTION 148I. CORINTHIANS 7, 34.35. 131
divide her attention ; the other is free from such distraction. The reading adopted by Lachmann and Riickert modifies the sense of this passage, and relieves some of its difficulties. They connect /xc/xcpwrrat with the preceding sentence, ' He that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wi…
432 wordsSECTION 149132 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 35.36.
tage under existing circumstances. That is, as he expresses it, his design was to promote what was becoming and jyroper in them ; that is, to promote assiduous, undistracted devotion to the Lord. In other words, that they might be free from any thing to divert their minds from the service of the Lord. The literal trans…
426 wordsSECTION 150I. CORINTHIANS 7, 36.37.38.39. 133
marry. In all cases of indifference, where no moral principle is concerned, our conduct must be regulated by a wise con- sideration of circumstances. But where a thing is in its own nature either right or wrong, there is no room for discretion. 37. Nevertheless he that standeth steadfast in his heart, having no necess…
353 wordsSECTION 151184 I. CORINTHIANS 7, 39.40.
being the doctrine of the Bible, no civil or ecclesiastical body can rightfully establish a different rule, or prescribe another or (as they pretend) a higher rule of morality. All attempts to be better than the Bible, on this or any other subject, only render men worse. Paul, therefore, teaches that a woman on the dea…
458 wordsSECTION 152I. CORINTHIANS 7, 40. 135
generally considered as referring (somewhat ironically) to the false pretenders in Corinth. ' I think I have the Spirit of God as well as those among you who make such high pretensions.'…
31 wordsSECTION 153CHAPTER Yin.
Eating of sacrifices oflfered to idols is not in itself wrong, vs. 1-7. But it should be avoided if it gave offence, vs. 8-13. On eating of sacrifices. Vs. 1-13. The second subject on which the Corinthians had requested the advice of the apostle was the lawfulness of eating of the sacrifices ofiered to idols. To the …
315 wordsSECTION 154136 I. CORINTHIANS 8.
that council, therefore, were no barrier to Paul's discussing the question on its merits. In this chapter the subject is viewed in two aspects ; first, considered in itself; and second- ly, in its bearing on the weaker or less enlightened class of Christians. Most of the questions which disturbed the early church had t…
446 wordsSECTION 155I. CORIKTHIANS 8, 1. 137
different to justify us in performing it. If our doing what is in itself innocent be the occasion of leading others into sin, it IS for that reason sinful for us, v. 9. If, therefore, a weak brother should be led, against the convictions of his own mind, to join his stronger brethren in eating such sacrifices, he would…
417 wordsSECTION 156138 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 1.
these principles are true, and therefore the apostle concedes them, but at the same time corrects the practical inferences which the Gentile converts drew from them. There were really two distinct questions relating to this subject. The first was, whether eating such sacrifices was lawful ? the other, whether it was la…
446 wordsSECTION 157I. CORINTHIANS 8, 1. 139
statements are perfectly consistent, because the word hnow has different senses. There is. a sense in which all men know God ; they all, from the constitution of their nature, and from the works of God, know that there is a being on whom they are dependent, and to whom they are responsible. But this is not the knowledg…
444 wordsSECTION 158140 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 1.2.3.
higher than knowledge, when the two are separated and distinguished. 2. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. The knowledge which puffs up is not true knowledge. One is constantly astonished at the profound remarks which every where occur in the sacred writings ; …
386 wordsSECTION 159I. CORINTHIANS 8, 3. 141
This is the precise sentiment of the text. Love is essential to knowledge. He that loves God, knows God. The apostle in this connection interchanges love of the brethren and the love of God, because the love of the brethren is only one of the forms in which the love of God manifests itself. When he said, " Love edifiet…
488 wordsSECTION 160142 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 4.
4. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know- that an idol (is) nothing in the world, and that (there is) none other God but one. Concerning then. The particle (ow,) then serves to re- sume the subject of v. 1 after the interruption occasioned by the preceding…
452 wordsSECTION 161I. CORINTHIANS 8, 4.5. 143
nonentities or powerless, for in 10, 19 Paul says they are demons. But it means, there are no such beings in the uni- verse as the heathen conceived their gods to be. There was no Jupiter, Juno, or Mars. There is no God^ no real divine being but one. The objects of heathen worship were neither what the heathen took the…
458 wordsSECTION 162144 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 5.6.
titude of supernatural beings, called gods and lords, not only by the heathen, but also in Scripture, yet there are no such beings as those which the heathen imagine.' The whole hea- then mythology is a fable, the work of the imagination. There are no such gods in existence, though there are demons in abundance, of var…
885 wordsSECTION 163146 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 7.8.
now^ in the common Text stand after the word for idol ; most modern editors of the Greek Testament, on the authority of the older MSS., place them before that word. In the one po- sition, they naturally qualify the word to eat ; ' until now they eat^'> i. e. they continue to eat. In the other, they qualify the Avord co…
446 wordsSECTION 164I. CORINTHIANS 8, 8.9.10. U1
respect to the weak. ' If meat were a matter of importance, if it really commended us to God, there would be a valid reason why you should eat these sacrifices. But as it is a matter of indifference, you should not cause your brethren to offend.' This would be a natural interpretation if the caution which follows were …
397 wordsSECTION 165148 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 10.11.
reclining on a couch at table. The word dvaKct/xat, to lie up^ is also used, as the couches were usually higher than the table. In the idol's temj^le. In the tenth chapter the apostle teaches, that as eating of things offered to idols was a matter of indif- ference, there was no harm in buying such meat in the mar- ket…
434 wordsSECTION 166I. CORINTHIANS 8, 11. 149
distance between Christ and ns, and the almost infinite dis- tance between his sufferings and the trifling self-denial re- quired at our hands, give to the apostle's appeal a force the Christian heart cannot resist. The language of Paul in this verse seems to assume that those may perish for whom Christ died. It belong…
464 wordsSECTION 167150 I. CORINTHIANS 8, 11.12.13.
All this is perfectly consistent with the great scriptural truth that Christ came into the world to save his people, that his death renders certain the salvation of all those whom the Father hath given him, and therefore that he died not only for them but m their place^ and on the condition that they should never die. …
436 wordsSECTION 168I. CORINTHIANS 8, 13. 151
that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." This last quoted pas- sage shows how serious a matter our Lord considers it to lead even the weakest Christian into sm. It is still worse to lead him into error, for error is the mother of many sins. It shows also how great…
209 wordsSECTION 169CHAPTER IX.
The apostle illustrates the duty of foregoing the exercise of our rights for the good of others, by a reference to his giving up his undoubted right to be supported by the church, vs. 1-18. He shows that in other ways he ac- commodated himself to the opinions and prejudices of others, 19-23. He reminds his readers that…
169 wordsSECTION 170162 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 1.
tleship, vs. 1-3. Being an apostle, he had the same right to be supported and to have his family supported, had he chosen to many, as Peter or any other apostle, vs. 4-6. This right to adequate support he proves. First, from the principle which lies at the foundation of society, that the laborer is worthy of his reward…
432 wordsSECTION 171I. CORINTHIANS 9, 1.2. 153
any obligation to conform to the opinions or prejudices of other men ? This, however, is a freedom which I have not availed myself of. Nay more, Atn I not an apostle ? Be- sides the rights which belong to all Christians, have I not all the prerogatives of an apostle ? Am I not on a level with the chief of the apostles …
456 wordsSECTION 172154 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 2.3.4.
of men is a divine work, and those by whom it is accomplished are thereby authenticated as divine messengers. It is as much the work of God as a miracle, and therefore, when duly au- thenticated, has the same effect as an evidence of a divine commission. This, although vaUd evidence, and as such adduced by the apostle,…
434 wordsSECTION 173I. CORINTHIANS 9, 5. 165
5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and (as) the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas ? This is an amplification of the preceding verse. Have we not the power^ i. e. the right. To lead about^ a form of expres- sion chosen because the apostles were not stationary ministers, each …
437 wordsSECTION 174156 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 5.6.7.
2, 7. John 2, 12. Acts 1, 14. Gal. 1, 19. A9id Cephas ; this is the name by which Peter is called whenever he is mentioned by Paul, except in the epistle to the Galatians ; and Lachmann reads Cephas instead of Peter in Gal. 1, 18. 2, 9. 10. 14, leav- ing Gal. 2, 8. 9 the only exception. That Peter was married is clear …
385 wordsSECTION 175I. CORINTHIANS 9, 7.8.9. 157
of such a course, that the apostle has in view. What is true of the soldier is true of the farmer and of the shepherd, and of every other class of men. 8. Say I these things as a man ? or saith not the law the same also ? Say I these things as a man f This phrase (Kara dv3poi7rov AaActv), to speak as a man, or after …
437 wordsSECTION 176168 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 9. 10.
how much more strict will he be in enforcing the application of the same principle of justice to his rational creatures. 10. Or saith he (it) altogether for our sakes ? Tor our sakes, no doubt, (this) is wiitten : that he that plougheth should plough in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of …
432 wordsSECTION 177I. CORINTHIANS 9, 11. 12. 13. 159
11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, (is it) a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things ? That is, if we have bestowed on you one class of benefits, is it unreasonable that we should receive fi'om you another class ? And if the benefits which we bestow are spiritual^ such as knowledge, faith and hope,…
395 wordsSECTION 178160 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 13. 14. 15.
of the temple^ i. e. they derive their support from the temple. Those attending the altar share with the altar^ i. e. the priests receive a portion of the sacrifices offered on the altar. If this was an institution ordained by God himself, under the old dis- pensation, it has the sanction of divine authority. The apos-…
403 wordsSECTION 179I. CORINTHIANS 9, 15. 16. 17. 161
with according to the law of God in the Old Testament, and of Christ in the New. ' I have used none of these rights.' Neither have I written these things that it should (in future) be so done (i. e. according to what I have written) imto me (cV e/Aot), in my case. Paul had no intention of changing his course in this ma…
404 wordsSECTION 180162 I. CORINTHIANS 9, 17.
t joy and glory, is abundantly evident from his history and is writings. Rom. 1,5. 11,13. 15,15.10. 1 Cor. 15, 9. 10. Gal. 1, 15. 16. Eph. 3, 8. The difference, therefore, here expressed between (ckwv and aKwv), willing and unwilling^ is not the difference between cheerfully and reluctantly, but be- tween optional and…
454 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.