The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 273

merel., human teacher or leader. One who was on the one hand so closely united to, the Di,:ine Father and on the other hand so truly a Son of man, as Jesns, Immanuel, could atone be spoken of thus. It was not possible to go further in expostulation than by the use of such language as this, addressed to those who considered too little the conscience of a weak brother," Ye sin against Christ." To act without due sympathy, ?o~sideration, and charity towards a brother Christian is to sin against Christ, because It I S - I. To OFFEND AGAI:,;"ST CHRIST'S COMMANDMENT. Our Lord's great commandment, his new commandment, his oft-repeated comruandmeut, was a commandment to his disciples to love one another. He even went so far as to make obedience to this law of charity a test and note of discipleship: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." A disregard for the feelings, the conscience, the spiritual health, of a Christian brother was an evident and flagrant violation of the Lord's great precept, and was therefore "sin against Christ." II. To CONTRADICT CrrnisT's EXAMPLE. Our Lord did not enjoin a spirit or conduct which he did not exemplify in his own life. Whoever reads the record of that life must observe that his spirit in dealing with his disciples was one of forbearance, consideration, pity, and benevolence. He washed his disciples' feet; he bore with their infirmities. and their slowness to understand him; he pitied and instructed their ignorance; he overlooked and forgave their cowardice and desertion; in a word, he laid himself out in e,ery way for their spiritual good. How then could any Corinthian, how can any other professing Christian, be a follower of the blessed Lord, if he display an inconsiderate, contemptuous, unforgiving spirit towards a brother in Christ? In so doing he sins against the Master. III. To INJURE CHRIST IN THE PERSON OF ONE OF HIS LITTLE ONES. Jesus laid down this principle with great clearness when he identified himself with his own, assuring us that what was done-good or ill-to his little ones he should, in the· judgrnent, regard as_ done unto himself.. The Head is insulted when the member is injured; the King is aggrieved when his subject is attacked; the Shepherd is smitten when his sheep are scattered. Whosoever is indifferent to the welfare of the Lord's servant sins against that Lord himself, and shall not ·be held guiltless. Christ expects all his people to act as if he were present in the person of every one whom he loves and. for whom he died.-T. Vers. 1-11.-T/ie two guides-knowledge and love. I. TrrEY ARE BOTH EXCELLENT- This requires no proof. 'l'he apostle who sat at the feet of Gamaliel, would have been the last to speak slightingly of real knowledge. We are made capable of ~n. eve_r- increasincr knowledO'e. 0 How much knowled(J'e has been the means of accomphshmg m this world! IO'nora 0 nce is but a "fool's paradise;" "Knowledge is power." .And how excellent is lov e. How dull and sad this world would be without it! How much more, prolific in crime and evil even than it now is! One's o_nly regret about love is that there is so little of it. It is the world's great want. Herem heaven and earth contrast, seeing that there is much love there and little here. The triumphs of knowle,!ge are great, but greater are the victories of love. II. THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY. One is not without the other. 1. Knowledge without love leads to (1) pride; (2) intolerance; (3) selfishness; (~) injury to others; (5) manv blunders in thou(J'ht, feelin", and action. Knowledge 1s not enough for a people. ·we may have abundance of k;owledge, and yet be very unwise, very injuriou~, and very unlovable. 2. Love without knowledge leads to moral_ catastrophe. It )B impossible to predict what conduct may result fro!'n mere affectwn. Knowled~e. 1s necessary to determine within what limits we may rightly act. Knowledge can <lec1de for us what is "lawful." Love determines what, within the circle of the lawful, we shuuld choose. Knowled(J'e and love united lead to that more perfect, that penetrating, that true practical knowledge, the opposite of whicl~ P~ul d?scribes in ver. 2. Truo Jove controllin" sound knowled(J'e leads to a deeper insight-In other words, to a truer knowled;:!:e. for example, a ma~ may know God as God; may have somo conception of the Divine attributes, etc. But when he loves God his knowled~e makes incalculable strides· he now knows God so much more fully and truly that his former knowledge· lll littl~ better real[.)•. al.Id no better practically, than crass ignorance. Knowledge- ou. vm. 1-13.J THE FIRS'l' EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 275