The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 52

,lmlns or "Matthias), the term invokes personal knowledge of Christ and dfrect rece}'tion of the commissionfrnm him (Acts i. 21, 22). I. THE c.nou~D OF PAUL'S CLAIM. It could not rest on personal knowledge of Christ's ministry. V{ e have no good reason for assuming that Paul ever saw Christ in the flesh. That, however, was not the more essential of the two qualifications. Paul had received a direct call to his ofilcc from the Lord himself. For the historical facts, sec Acts ix.; xiii. 2. Such a direct ,call did not involve infallibility; but it did form a ground for feeling _personal confidence, for speaking with prophetic boldness, and for exercising mea.sures of authority. More especially when we find the "call" was followed up with signs of the Divine presence and approval in the working of miracles. Paul ever makes much of the directness of his "call." This point be most emphatically insists on when writing to the Galations (Gal. i. 1, 11, 12). It is characteristic of l'aul's training and habit of thought, as a Jew, that even this'' call'' from Christ should be conceived only as agency carrying out the sovereign and holy "will and purpose" of God the Father. It was, through all the ages, a characteristic of pious Jews that they traced everything to God's supreme will, and saw that will working through all. Compare and illustrate by the Mohammedan conception of Islam, or submission to the will of God. II. THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF PAUL'S COMMISSION. It was in full harmony with, yet perfectly distinct from, that of the other apostles. Such distinction may be traced in its sphere. He was to go to the Gentiles, and find opportunities of labour among them. He was the pioneer of Christian missions to the Gentile world. But adaptation to this sphere and work involved a further distinction in the subject of his commission. 'l'here is a marked individuality in the form of Paul's presentation of the truth in Christ. We must give full recognition to that individuality, and its adaptation to the thought and life of the people among whom Paul laboured; but we should carefully guard against exaggerations which would set Paul's apprehension 0£ the Christian truths out of harmony with that of the earlier apostles. Paul's leading subject may be thus stated: Christ is risen; then his life-work is accepted by God; and he is living, prepared for direct saving relations with all who look to him in penitence and faith. To enter into direct, personal, living relations with Christ is to find perfect freedom from all other religious or ecclesiastical bondages, old or new. Apply by showing what is the call to Christian office and ministry now. There is a selection of men by Divine endowment and Divine providence. These two go together, and the recognition of them may be made by other than tbe man himself. Such a "call" still involves teaching power, persuasive influence, and gracious authorities.-R. T. Ver. 2.- Wnat the Church is, and what the Church ought to be. In introduction deal with the features of Christian life in towns and cities, as represented in Corinth, noticing its relation to complicated civilization, diversity of sects, class distinctions, society evils, and intellectual pride. Out of the population of such a town as Corinth Paul gathered what he calls a Church, and this body he regards ideally and practically. Here the full conception of what it should be is the prominent thing. His advice, given later on, applies to the Church as it actually was. I. THE CmmcH rs A WHOLE, WITH A SPECIALITY, A whole, for it is the Church- the Church of God, who is One; and it includes "all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place." We fittingly call it the "one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." But it has a characteristic speciality. It can be localized. It C!Ln be the Church at Corinth or at any other place, but the localization does not break up the unity. It is but a condition of the earthly sphere which the Church must of necessity have, and need in no way destroy our sense of the complete oneness and wholeness of the Church. The tendency to sectarian division can best be checked by ful!ar presentations of the essential, ideal "wholeness" of Christ's Church. And the same truth alone gives efficient place to the conception of Christ's living and universal rule with its related fact, the unity and brotherhood of all believers. Ii. THE CHURCH rs A BODY ACTUALLY SANCTIFIED. The two senses in which the term "sanctified" may be used need ea reful consideration. It may mean " made holy; " and it may mean" set apart," or "consec_r~ted," "_devot~d to one spe~ial o~ject," nnd this latter is the more frequent and familiar use 1n Scripture, especially lil the Old en. I. 1-31.] 'fllE FIRST EPISTLE 'IO THE CORINTHIANS. 53