The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 314

disable the powers of the mind in hope of purifying the soul. Such has been the practice of men and wonien in the ascetic life, :ind ,it one time it took the form of a· frenzy, when the Flagcllants traversed a consideraLle part of Europe in long proces- sions, with covered faces, chanting penitential hymns, and continually applying the scourge to one another's naked backs. Those fanatics meant well, and, indeed, supposed that they were following the Apostle Paul. But to such foolish and cruel actions few of us are prone at the present day. Our danger lies on the opposite side. We do not hold the body sufficiently under control. \Ve give it ease and luxury and orna- ment; we allow dangerous scope to those cravings and passions which have a physical basis, and so our spiritual life languishes, and we can put no o-low of feelin" or stren"th of p_urpose into the service of Christ. Cori_nth was a city notgrious for profligacy. The Clmstians there must have known that, 1f a young athlete did not hold himself apart from the vic~s of the place_, he_ could win no dis~incUon in the public games. Every such competitor had to resist mdnlgence, and brmg his frame to a firmness of muscle and a full strength of vitality which would enable it to bear the fatic,ue 0 and strain of the Isthmian contests. In like manner St. Paul, for a higher purpose, restrained and governed himself, cultivated simplicity in the ta.stes and habits of his outward life studied to keep himself in spiritual health and vigour, that he might run well and fight well for lus heavenly Master. III. AN EYE TO CONSEQUENCES. To sustain his purpose, St. Paul kept in view the prize of success and the disgrace of failure. 1. The prize would be an incorruptible crown. In desiring this, the good servant is not open to any charge of selfishness or vai11-glory. He thought of no prize, conceived of no praise or glory for himself which was not wrapped up in the praise and glory of Jesus. He had no desire to sit by himself on a high scat, with a chaplet or garland on his brow, drinking in his own praises. To sec the people who had been converted to Christ through his labours safe in the king- dom would be to him a crown of rejoicing. And to see Christ praised and ma~nified would be to the good servant a great recompense of reward. 2. 'J.'he disgrace of failure would be the JIJaster's disapproval. How mortifying for one who had been a herald to others to be excluded at last as unworthy of a prize! Paul had preached to others, and called them to the Christian race, like the herald at the public games of Greece, who proclaimed the rules and co11ditions of the contest, and summoned runners or com- batants to the lists. Alas for him if, through self-indulgence or want of thoroughness in his ministry, he should be disapproved by the great Judge at the close of the day! It is quite a mistake to infer from this that St. Paul was still uncertain about his ultimate salvation, and afraid of being east away in his sins. That would, indeed, be strange and perplexing in the face of his strong expressions to the contrary in such passages as Rom. viii. 38, 39; 2 'l'im. i. 12. 'l'be question here is not of a sinner's salvation, but of a believer's service-of doing well or ill in ministry; and fear of failure was an<l always is the obverse side of the desire of success. St. Paul was a very favoured servant of Christ, but it was none the less necessary for him to remembc~ the need of dili"ence and self-aovernmcnt in view of the day when the Master will call all his servant; to account, ~nd either reward or disapprove them at his coming. Indeed, the remembrance of this is needful for all of us as a caution against presump- tuous and careless living. If the doctrine of salvation by grace be taught alone, meu are apt to abuse it and become spiritually conceited and morally heedless. The cor- rective is the call to service. "If a man serve me, him will my Father honour." Bo not half-hearted. So run as to attain: so fight as to overcome. .Be not faint-hearted. Pray as you run: pray as you fight. "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength."-F. Vers. 1, 2.-The rights of apostleship. One of St. Paul's chief difficulties arose from the efforts of his enemieM to <lisprove his claims to apostleship. There does not seem to have been in the early Church a common understanding as to what constituted an apostle, aud it was readily observed that the groumls of 8t. Paul's claim differed from the grounds on which the older apostles claimed. '!'his, indeed, was but a surface appearance of difference, and did not reach the heart of the matter; but it sufficed to give the enemies of St. Paul an opportunity of questioning his authority, and oven of asserting that, in the extravagance of his self-esteem, he had assumed r. position nn,1 en. 1x. 1-2i.] THE FIIlST EPISTLE 'l'O '!'HE CORINTilIA:'.\S. 317