The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 117

world may use as it likes; they are a sacred enclosure, marked off and devoted to holy uscH. 'l'hey are God's temple-body, soul, and spirit corre8ponding to the three divisions of the ancient tabernacle. 'J.'his applies also to the Church, which is holy because dwelt in by God, II. Gon's TF.MPLE MUST NOT DE MAnRED, This follows from what has been said. If God dwells in believers, an injury done to them is done to his sanctuary. Consider: 1. How the temple may be marred. Si11 in every form pollutes and injures the soul. It is an outmgo on God's temple. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell with unholiness. More particularly: (1) By setting up idols. 'l'o place any person or thing beside God is to be guilty of idolatry. He will not dwell in the temple where other gods are worshipped; it is polluted (Isa.· xiii. 8; I John v. 21). (2) By throwing it open to all. The temple was holy ground, which none but consecrated feet might tread. The heart of the believer is not to be flung open to the world or to unholy thoughts an,t desires; the Church is not to act on worldly principles, or employ carnal means, or seek secular ends. All such intruders defile God's temple (John ii. 14-17). 2. Tl,e penalty threalened against those that mar God's temple. He who defiled God's sanctuary was punished by death (Lev. xv. 31; comp. N urn b. xix. 20). He who destroys God's spiritual temple shall himself be destroyed. The grieved Spirit will depart and spiritual death will ensue. A warning to Christians against espousin~ error, or practising sin, or cherishing party spirit. A warning to teachers lest, by preaching false doctrine or fomenting strife, they incur this awful punishment. How watchful should we be over onr own hearts I How careful should we be in our treatment of fellow-Christians !-B. Vera. 18-20.-Tlie way to wisdom. "Wisdom" is one of the key-words of these early chapters of the Epistle. Here again the contrast between true and false wisdom appears in the form of a warning against self-conceit. "Let no man deceive himself." I. To BE WISE WE MUST FIRST BECOME FOOLS. The wisdom of this world has it~ uses within its own sphere, but it is no help to the understanding of the things of God. It is a hindrance which must be removed ere we can learn the Divine wisdom. We must divest ourselves of our fancied wisdom and become fools in our own eyes, in order to be spiritually wise. This is a general Jaw. Pride or self-conceit in reg:mi to any branch of knowledge or art is an effectual bar to progress. We must confess onr ignorance in order to knowledge, our weakness in order to strength, our folly in order to wisdom. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." This truth holds: 1. As to the beginning of the Christian life. How often are anxious souls kept back from entering iuto peace because they will not renounce their own ideas of tho way of salvation I Only when they submit entirely to God's way as little children do they enter the kingdom. 2. As to progress in tlie Christian life. Even after conver- sion we must be careful "to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. x. 5). We can grow in spiritual insight, in holiness, in patience, in power for service, in faith and hope and love, only by esteeming ourselves foolish and being content to sit as learners at the Lord's feet. II. 'l'HE WISDOM OF 'l'IIIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS. This explains why our own wisdom must be renounced, In the _iudgment of the All- wise it is folly. The specula- tions of men regarding God and our relation to him, however much of trnth they contn.in, are yet on the whole vain, inasmuch as they fail to reach an adequate knowledge of him. Those who have worked the longest at the great problems of life are the readiest to confess this. One after another of the world's wise men have wrestled with them and passed them down to their successors unsolved. Or look at the schemes of men for the regeneration of the world. Education, resthetic culture, the teaching of morality, social communism, religion made easy,-all have been tried and found wanting. None of them can redeem mankind from sin and restore them to their lost dignity. And in nothing do men seem so foolish as just in those things i_n which they think themselves wise. They are caught in their own net. 'J.'he1r schemes of salvation work their ruin.-B. Vers. 21-23.-The Christian's heritage. Since the wisdom of men is foolishness, and even the ministers of Divine wisdom are but servants, all glorying in men is to be  120 THE FlilST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [cH. m. 1-23,