with Gentile converts on terms of perfect ba,l even thrown tho Olympia gn111es into equality (Gnl. ii. 12). Not without law to the shade. 'rhe words "in n race,'' nre God. Not even "without law" (anomo,) rather, in the •ladium. The trnces of the Much less "opposed to law" (antiiiomos), great Corintbinn stndium, where the games though free from it ns a bondnire (Gal. ii. were held and the rnres run, are still visible l!l). The need for this qualifkation is on the isthmus. 'l'his metaphor of "the shown by the fact thnt in the Clementine race," which has pervaded the common writings, in the spurious Jetter of Peter lilnguage of Christianity, is also found in to James, St. Paul is surreplitiously calum- Heb. xii. l; Phil. iii. 14 ; 2 Tim. iv. 7. nintcd o.s .. the lawless one." Even the The prize. The bravium was the wreo.th Gentiles were "not without Jaw to God" given to the victor by the judges. The (Rom. ii. 14, 15). So that St. Paul is here Cb1·istinn prize is that of " the high oalling using language which base opponents mi~bt of God in Jesus Christ,'' towards which distort, but which the common sense of St. Paul himself wo.s pressing forward. honest readers would prevent them from Ver. 25.-Tho.t striveth for the mastery; misinterpreting. rather, that strives to win in a contest. St. Ver. 22.-To the weak. His whole argu- Po.ul never o.llows bis converts to dream ment here is a pica for condescension to the of the indefcctibility of gro.ce, and so to infirmities of weak cou,·erts. A similar slide into o.ntinomian security. He often condescension to their prejudices might be reminds them of the extreme severity o.ud necessary to win them to Christianity o.t nil continuousness of the contest (Eph. vi. 12; (eh. viii. 13; "\Ye that nre strong ought 1 Tim. vi. 12). Is temperate in o.11 things. to benr the infirmities of the weak, and not One good more.I result which sprang from to please ourselves," Rom. xv. 1). St. Paul the nncient system of o.thleticism was the often touches on onr duties to weak brethren self-denial and self-mastery which it re- (eh. viii. 7; ltom. xiv. 1; l These. v. 14; quired. The eandidate for a prize bo.d to Acts xx. 35). All thlngs to o.ll men. He be pure, sober, o.nd enduring (Horace, • Ara repeats the so.me principle in eh. x. 33, Poet.,' 412), to obey orders, to cat spa.rely "I please all men in o.11 things, not seeking o.nd simply and to bear effort and fatiguo mine own profit, but the profit of many, (Epict., 'Enchir.,' 35) for ten months before that they may be saved;" o.nd once more, the contest. A oorruptible orown. A fading at the end o( his course (2 Tim. ii. 10 ). garland oflsthmiu.n pine, or Ncrnean parsley, This condescension le.id him open to the or Pythian olive, or Olympian bay. An malicious attacks of religious enemies ( Gal. incorruptible j "unwithering '' (1 Pet. ii. 4); i. 10). But not on that account would St. "nmaranthine" ( l Pet. v. 4); "a. crown Paul ever be led to abandon the fruitful o.id of righteousness" (2 'l'im. iv. 8); "o. crown of that universal sympathy and tolerance of life" (Ja.s. i. 12; Rev. ii. 10; comp. also which is one of the best tests of Christian 2 Tim. ii. 5; Rev. iii. 11). lo,·e. That I might by all means se.ve some. Ver. 26.-Not o.s uncertainly. 11:[y eye He adds this explanation of the motive of is fixed on e. definite goal (2 Tim. i. 12). his condescension to various scruples (o-v')'Ka• So fight I (Rom. vii. 23; Eph. vi. 12; 2 Tim. ..-tffjau,s) Jest e.ny should accuse him of iv. 7); litemlly, so bo:e 1. Not o.s one that men-pleasing, a.a some of his Galatian beateth the o.ir; rather, as not beating the air. opponents had done (Go.I. i. 10). In his Not what the Greeks co.lied "o. shndow- desire to win Roule he acted with the wisdom battle." I strike forthright blows, not and sympathy taught by experience, sup- feints, or blows o.t random. pressing himself. Ver. 27.-I keep under my body, and bring Ver. 23.-And this I do. The better it into subjection j litorally, I bruise my body, reading i.B, and I do all things. For tl:.e and lead it about as a slave. The word gospel's sake. This is a wider feeling than tamely rendered "keep in subjection" means even "for the elccl's sakes" of Z Tim. ii. 10. literally, I smite under the eyes. 'fhe pugi- With you. The " you " is not expressed in listic metaphor is kept up, and the pic- the original, where we only bo.ve "e. fellow- turesque force of the words would convey partaker [cnry,co,vc.,vbs, Rom. xi. 17] of it." a vivid impression to Corinthians familiar But the word illustrates the deep humility with tbo contests of the Pnncro.lum, in which of the apostle. boxing wilh tl.J0 hco.vy lend-bound caistus Vera. 24--27.-Exlwrlation lo earneBtness played o. prominent pa.rt. Th0 only other as a corollary from the principles here stated. pince in th<J N0w 'l'estnment where the Ver, 24.-Know ye not that they whioh word occurs is Luke xviii. 5, where it run in a race run all l Tliey as Corin- seems (on the lips of tho unjust judge) tbio.ns would well know the full bearing of to have o. sort of slang sense. How St. Pnul every illustrntion derived from the triennio.l " bruised bis body " may be seen in 2 Cor. Isthmian games, which were the chief vi. 4, 5; Col. iii. 5; Rom. viii. 13. It Wall glnry C1f their city, and which at this period not by nbsurcl nncl hurmful self-torture, but -en. 1x. 1-27.] 'l'HE FIUST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 291
by noble labour and self-denial for the good "rej ectcd " W(IS reg(lrded as e. deadly insult of others. When I have preaohed to others, The word "rejected," "reprob.1te "-her0 I myself should be a oastaway. "Lcst"- rendered "a castaway "-is e. metaphor auch is the meo.ning of the meto.phor- derived from the testing of metals, and the " o.fter proclo.iming to others the laws of the easting aside of those which are spurious . .contest (as o. hero.Id), I should myself That Paul should see the necessity for such violate those eondi tions, o.nd be not only serious and unceasing effort shows how little ,defeo.ted os a combatant, but ignominiously he believed in the possibility of saintly rejected from the lists o.nd not allowed to " works of supererogation, over and above contend at all." The ruelo.phor is not strictly what is commanded." " When the ced(lr adhered to, for the herald did not personally of Lebanon trembles, what shall the reecl contend. No candidate could compete by the brookside do ?" ~vithout a pl'elimin(lry scrutiny, o.nd to be