The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 226

in the letter to Philemon) to be "trembling taken of the previous verse. Christ's servant. on Pa.ul's lips," but he never utters it, '.rhe sharp antithesis of this verse was often beca.use to do so would have been to kindle present to the mincl of the early Christians. soci11I revolt, 11nd lead to the total overthrow They knew that the bondage of Satan was of Christi11nity at the very commencement so crushing that mere earthly bondage was, of its career. Our Lord had taught the in comparison, 68 nothing ; and that the apostles to adapt means to ends; and the liberty wherewith Christ has made ns free, method of Christianity was to inculcate though it might seem to take the form ol great p1inciples, the accept.a.nee of which service, was the sole perfect freedom. The involved, with all the certainty of a law, the freedmen of sin are the most hopeless slaves; ultimate regeneration of the world. Christi- the servants of God lllone are free (see Rom. anity ea.me into the world as the dawn, not as vi. 22; 2 Tim. ii. :i6; 1 Pet. ii. 16). the noon-a shining light, which brightened Ver. 23.-Ye are bought with a prioe; more and more unto the perfect day. Care rather, ye were bough!, namely, by Christ; not for it. Do not be troubled by the fact, and the price paid for you was his blood because in Christ "there is neither bond (see eh. vi. 20; I Pet. i. 18, 19). Be not nor free" (Gal. iii. 28), and because earthly ye; rather, become not. The servants of freedom is as nothing in comparison with men. There is a grand play of words in ,the freedom which Christ gives (Johu viii. the advice to them not to become slaves, at 36). But if thou mayest be made free, use the very moment when he is advising them it rather. The words may mean, (I) "use to continue in slavery. In that which the freedom "-avail yourself of the opportunity world called "slavery" the Christian slave of emancipation; or (2) "use slavery "-be might enjoy absolute liberty. The price coutent to remain a slave. In favour of the which a master paid for them was but e.n un- first in terpretatiou is the fact that there is meaning shadow; they had been bought once nothing extravagant or fantastic in Christian 11nd eternally by an infinitely nobler price, morality; and that, considering what ancient llnd that purchase was the pledge of absolute slavery we.a-how terrible its miseries, how emancipation. shameful and perilously full of temptations Ver. 24.-Therein abide with God. The were its conditions-it sounds unnatural to verse is 11 summa.ry o.nd reiteration of the advise a Christian slllve to remain a slave 11dvice contained in the whole pllragrllph. when he might gaiu his freedom. Yet the " With God;" literally, by the side of God; other interpretation, remain a slave by pre- "as in God's sight;" "doing service as to ferlJ'Tlce, seems to be required: I. By the strict the Loru;" "for conscience towards God." interpretation of the Greek pllrticles. 2. By The words sum up the essence of 1111 apostolic the entire context, which turns on the rule counsels to Christian slaves in Eph. vi. 5- thllt each mlln should stlly in the earthly 8; 1 Tim. vi. 1, 2; Titus ii. 9, 10; 1 Pet. condition in which he first received God's ii. 18, 19, etc. <'.nil. 3. By the fact th11t even the Stoio Vera. 25-40.-.A.dvice respecting the ,,.,. momlists-like Epictetus, who was him- married. self a slllve-gllve similar advice (Epict., Ver. 25.-Now oonoerning virgins. This • Dissert.,' iii. 26 ; • Enchir.,' x. xxxii.) is doubtless another reference to questions 4. By the indifference which St. Paul felt contained in the letter from Corinth. No and expressed towa.rds mere earthly con- oomma.ndment of the Lord. Christ h11d ditions (Gal. iii. 28), as things of no real never directly delllt with this subject. I significance (Col. iii. 22). 5. By his appeal give my judgment. The word "commllnd- to the Dellrness of the day of Christ (vers. ment" is rendered in the Vulgo.te consiliu.m, 29-31). 6. By the prepondernnce of high 11nd the word "judgment" prteceptum; llnd nuthorities-Ohrysostom, Theodoret, Luther, thus, 68 Stanley points out, has originated Bengel, De Wette, Meyer,. Alford, etc.-in the modern Romish distinction between favour of this view. 7. By its parallelism ·" precepts " and "counsels of perfection," ,to the advice given to Christian slaves in which, however, h11ve cle11rly no connection 1 Tim. vi. 2, where they llre urged to serve with the real meaning of tile pllSSllge. To Christian masters all the more zelllously be faithful, As o. stewllrd of his Word, because they were brethren. 8. Lllstly, llll which is the first essentilll of true ministry <the appllrent harshness of the advice is (1 Tim. i. 12). "Fllith makes ll true oosuist" ;removed when we remember that St. Paul (Bengel). was probably thinking only of the Christian Ver. 26.-I auppo■e. St. Paul only states slaves of Chrlstian masters, between whom tl1is modestly, and somewhat hesitatingly, the refotion might be as happy as that of as his personlll opinion. For the present Philemon to the forgiven Onesimus. diatreas; rllther, on account of !he presnng Ver. 22.-Is the Lord's freema.n; rather, necessity; in the urgent ancl trying con- freedman. Clearly the entire bearing of ,litions which at the present moment sur- -lhis verae favours the view which we have round the Christilln's life, o.nd which were  :::2s THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [cu. vu. 1-40.