The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 290

HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-21.-T/ie leading characteristics of a truly great gospel minister. "Am I not an apostle? am I not free?" etc. 'l'aking these verses as a whole, they illustrate some of the leading characteristics of a truly great gospel minister, and I offer the following remarks:- I. 'l'he greater the minister of Christ, the MORE INDEPENDENT OF CEREMONIAL RESTilIC- TIONS. Paul was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ministers of Christ that ever existed. He was an apostle, and had "seen Christ "-a qualification that distinguished him as a minister from all, but eleven others, that ever lived. Besides this, his natural and acquired endowments placed him in the very first rank of reasoners, scholars, and orators. He was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, etc. llut see how this great minister regarded the mere conventionalities of religious society. "Am I not an apostle? am I not free?" He refers in all probability to the preceding chapter, which treats of the eating of meat offered to idols, and concerning which he says, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the -world standcth." As if he had said, "I am free to eat tbat meat, and free to reject it ; I am not bonnd by any conventional custom or ceremonial law, for I am' e.n apostle.'" Now, it may be laid <lawn as a universal truth that, the greater a gospel minister, the more independent of ceremonies. Indeed, the greater the man, always the more independent he is of forms, fashions, customs. Hezekiah called that which his countrymen worshipped "Nehush- tau "-a piece of brass. Cromwell called that glittering insii(Ilia of authority on the table of the Bouse of Commons, and at which most of the members, perhaps, trembled with .awe, a "bauble." 'l'homas Carlyle called all the pageantry of office o.nd the glitter of wealth "shams." Burns called the swaggering lordling a "coof." How much more would a man like Paul-who possessed that spirit of Christ which gave him an insight auto tbe heart of things-look down, not merely with indifference, but with contempt, ·Upon all that the world considered great and grand I 'l'he more Christly inspiration (I man has, the more he will discern degradation on thrones and pauperism in mansions. A famous French preacher began his funeral address over the coflin of his sovereign with these words, "'l'here is nothing great but God." 'l'o the man whose soul is .::barged with the great ideas of God, all the distinctions amongst men are only as the distinctions existing among the various bubbles on the flowing stream. Some are a little larger than others, some are tinged by the sunbeam, and some arc pallid in the shade; but all have the same common nature, and all, breaking into the abyss, are lost for ever. "Am I not free?" says Paul. A grand thing this, to be free from all tho conventionalities of society and the ceremonies of religion. What cared Elijah for the kings of Syria, or Israel, or Judah? Nothing. Agrippa trembled before the moral majesty of Paul, even in chains. Oh for such ministers as Paul in this ago of hypocrisies and forms l 11. The greater the minister of Christ, the HIGHER THE SERVICE HE RENDEns TO SOCIETY. "What high service did this great minister St. Paul render to the members of ,the Corinthian Church! "Are not ye my worK iu the Lord? . . . 'l'he seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord." Ye are, as far as ye arc Christians," my work." I converted you; I turned you away from idols to the one true aml living God, from the  THE FmST EPISTLE TO THE COTII~THIANS. [cu. Ix, 1-21.