The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 260

Vers. 29-10.-An cwgument f1·om the shortness of the time. It is impossible to understand a large number of the apostolic allusions unless we recognize the early Church conception that the Christian dispensation would be very brief, and in all probability closed and completed in the first century, by the expected reappearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. This idea certainly prevailed among the disciples. To some extent at least it was shared by the apostles; but it is evident that they found it necessary to check a tendency to extravagance and fanaticism, and in some quarters the sentiment was allowed to nourish an. antinomian spirit, which seriously imperilled the Christian morality. The notion of our Lord's second coming in some kind of earthly manifestation could only have been entertained by those who failed to under- stand that the words which he spake were" spirit and life,'' and were to be spiritually understood. "The letter killeth, the spirit giveth life." Yet there is a proper sense in which the Christian should bil impressed with the" shortness of the time." Life at the longest is but brief. Life, in comparison with eternity, is but as a passing breath to the long day. To the Christian, life is so full of solemn claims and responsibilities that it seems impossible to fulfil them all in the narrow limits of an uncertain earthly career. The apostle argues here that a sense of the "shortness of time" should influence- I. OuR BUMAN RELATIONSHIPS. Having this particular influence on them, that it prevents our being wholly absorbed in them, nnd helps us to the right use of them. St. Paul's principle is that we should "use this world as not abusing it." Here Christianity stands between the worldly spirit and the narrow religious spirit. The worldly spirit says," 'rime is short; take your fill; live while you can." 'l'he narrow religious spirit says," All the pleasure here is a snnre, and dangerous; keep out of it altogether." In opposition to this narrow spirit, Christianity says," Use the world;" and in opposition to the worldly spirit, "Do not abuse it. All thin:i;s are yours. Take them and use them; but never let them interfere with the higher life which you arc called on to lead. 'A man's life consistcth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth '" (F. \V. Robertson). Illustrate, in relation to wives, the early notions of the value of celibacy, and show that the married state can be prcser,ed without interfering with the soul's culture, and that, indeed, tho married ~tnte is found, for most men, singularly helpful to the religious life. II. OuR HUMAN JOYS AND SORROWS, Expla.in what nn amelioration of both is fonnd in the fact that they are strictly limited. Joys soon fade. Affiiction is but for a moment. For both the" time is short," and we need not, therefore, be unduly nITcctc,l by either. We may gratefully accept the pleasure and patiently bear tho trouble; fur "we soon fly away" to be at rest. III. OuR EARTHLY TOILS, St. Paul argues, from the shortness of the time, that .. those who buy'' should bo "as though they possessed not." Resisting the tende~cy to fix t.hought and heart on what we can gain, and realizing that we can t,ike uothrng of it away with us. Moderation and sobriety may well mark our very acquisitions. '!'he cner:ry that wins success needs to be kept within reasonable bounds. '!'hough not in precisely the sense in which St. Paul used the term, still for us also the "timo is ~62 THE FIRST EPISTLE '1'0 THE COilIN'l'HIANS. [err. vm. 1-13.