thinks you are better than others ? ' Tour superiority over your brethren is mere self-conceit and inflation. The differ- ence between you is only imaginary. Or, it may mean, ' Who is the author of this superiority ? * Admitting you to be as superior to others as you imagine, to whom are you indebted for it ? According to the latter explanation the verse con- tains but one argument against their pride, viz., that all distin- guishing advantages are derived from God. According to the former, there are two distinct considerations urged : first, that they had no ground for thinking themselves better than others ; and second, if they had any superiority it was due not themselves, but to God. So that in either case their inflation was absurd and unchristian. It is here assumed that every thing, Avhether natural or gracious, by which one man is fa- vourably distinguished from another, is due to God ; and be- ing thus due to him and not to the possessor^ is a cause of gratitude, but not of self-complacency or of sell-applause. This is true even of those things which are acquired by great self-denial and exertion. Paul was as much selt-formed as any man ever was, and yet he said, By the grace of God I am what I am.
8. Now ye are full, now ye are ricli, ye have reigned as kings without us : and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
Having, says Calvin, repressed their self-conceit, he here derides it. That the passage is ironical, and even sarcastic, cannot be denied. This is not the only instance in which these weapons are used by the inspired writers. The prophets especially employ them freely in their endeavours to convince the people of the folly of trusting to idols. The propriety of the use of weapons so dangerous depends on the occasion and the motive. If the thing assailed be both wicked and foolish, and if the motive be, not the desire to give pain, but to con- vince and to convert, their use is justified by Scriptural exam- ples. There is an evident climax in the verse. Ye are not only full, but more than full ; ye are rich, you have more than enough ; and ye are not only rich, ye are as kings. Now (^S?/) already. ' You have reached the goal of perfection very quick ; and that without us. You have left us poor apostles far be- hind you.' The reference is to the benefits of redemption. Paul represents the Corinthians as thinking that they had al-