The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 197

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-11.-Civil relations and Church membership; litigation before heathen courts. The chapter opens abruptly. "Dare any of you "-a strong expression of dis- appro'l'al-" having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust?" Judaism. had taught the Jews not to go before Gentile judges with a lawsuit against their brethren; the Romans bad accorded to the Jews the right to settle their disputes among themselves, and Christians at that time might avail themselves of this rule (Lange). But St. Paul, true to his ruling method, views the matter froni Christian ground and treats it solely on the principles of the gospel. The argument in the preceding chapter concerned social relations, the present argument applies to civil relations, and yet they are sympathetic in his mind. Emotion is an associative force, and often establishes or rather discloses connections of ideas not perceptible in the "dry light" of intellect. In both these arguments the underlying sentiment is the same, viz. the dignity of Christian character and the supremacy of its obligations over interest, custom, usage, and every form of self not compatible with the generous spirit of sacrifice "for Christ's sake." Bear in mind, then, in reading St. Paul's Epistles, that if at times you lose the compactness of logic and its tenacious unity, you are always sure to find that more interior tie which binds thought to sentiment and displaces order for the gain of a higher method. Method, rather than order, marks the thinker whose vocation is tl) instruct the mass of mankind. Saints, as saints exist in the ideal of Christianity, "shall judge the world." They are to rule with Christ, to share his glory, a11d be- acknO\dedged by the universe as participants in the final triumph of his mediatoria1 authority. If so, the mediatorial honour in fature prospect bas a certain scope of present activity, since it could not be then unless it were now. Of the character ot' these functions and the circumstances incident to their display, what know we? They fall under that law of reserve which the Lord Jesus spoke of when he said, "Of the time!l- or the seasons, which the Father bath put in his own power,'' we are kept ignorant, and are the better for the ignornnce. Details of great facts may intensify the intellect of sense, and work damage to the higher mind. If Christ was the Son of man, and as such filled the sphere of humanily, while admitting as such the limitation of his knowledge· in one direction, viz. "of that day and hour knoweth no man," surely we need not perplex ourselves as to specific theories bearing on this subject. Christianity bys the stress on intelligence rather than on information, and, in fact, assures us that restraint. is essential in our condition to equable development. 8t. Paul argues from the future to the present; thus," shall judge the world, ... shall judge angels;" and the conclusion is emphasized,-" how much more things that pertain to this life!" On this grounw CJrr. v1. 1-20.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. Hl9