The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 484

of the Lord; " c'lr (2) even if he no longer The apostles and evangelists, not liohling -entertRined that expectation, the" we" may the slavish and superstitious fetieh-worabip 1111.turally apply to the continuity of 1he of the dead lettor, often regard it as suffi- Christian Church. For in 2 Cor. iv. 14 he cient to give the generol sense of the uses ·• us " of those who shall <lie and be passages to which they refer. 0 grave, raised. The universal expectation of the where is thy viotory 1 In the best-atte~ted immediate return of Christ in the first reading ( , A, D, CJ, D, E, F, G), "death" century rose (1) from their non-apprehension is repeated, and in the best manuscripts this of the truth that the close of the old dis- clause precedes t.he last. But if the reading, pensation wa,.< the "coming " to which our "0 H11des," wern correct, our translators, Lord had primarily referred in his great since they held it here impc>ssible in accord- eschatological discourse (Matt. xxiv. 3-l ), and :mco with their views to render it by "hell," (2) from the fact that watchfulness was ought to have taken warning, and seen fotendc<l to be the attitude of the Church, the pernicious inapplicability of that render- and the day and hour of Christ's coming ing in other places where they have used it were kept absolutely unrevealed (Matt. xxiv. to express this same Greek word. Here :36; xx,·. 13). "Hades" has probably been introduced Yer. 52.-The trumpet shall sound. The iuto the Greek text from the LXX., which Lord, he says, in l Thess. iv. l 6, "shall <le- uses it for the Sheol of the original. • scend from heaven with ... the voice of the Ver. 56.-The sting of death is sin. archangel, and with the trump of God." The Because death is the wages of sin (Rom. vi. trumpet is, of course, only a natmal symbol. 23). Death is represented as a venomous It is also found in rabbinic writers, and in serpent. The strength of sin is the La.w. the Old Testament (Zeeb. ix. 14), as well as The best comment on this expression is to in Rev. xi. 15. We shall be changed. 'fbe be found in the Epistle to the Ilomans; see dead shall be changed by resurrection, the especially Rom. iv. 15; vii. 10-12. It living by transition, into a glorified body. must be admitted that this passing allusion St. Paul, dealing with the essence of the to a distinct doctrine docs not seem, at first question as it bore on the difficulties of his sight, to harmonize with the glorious unity readers, says nothing here (1) of those who of the subject. No one can read it without will arise to judgment, or (2) of any a slight sense of jar, because it seems to intermediate condition. As to the former introduce the element of dogmatic contro- question, he scarcely ever alludes to it with versy. But this sense of incongruity is any definiteness, but seems with deliberate removed when we remember how intensely clwice to contemplate the final and absolute St. Paul felt that man is confronted with triumph of good (Rom. viii. 19-23; xi. 30- the horror of a broken Law, which at once 36). To the intermediate state he does not here reminds him of a Being infinitely holy, and allude. He is here only speaking of death of his own self-condemnation (Rom. vii. ; and glorious resurrection. In 2 Car. v. 1-4 2 Cor. iii.). It is the sense that the Law in he says all that he has to say on this latter its deathful aspect is annulled, and the question. It was not prominent in the sinful soul delivered, which prompts the out- minds of the early Christians, who, as burst of the next verse. Calvin says, were awaiting the return of Ver. 57.-Thanks be to God, whioh giveth Christ "from bour to hour." us the victory. The victory consists in the Yer. 53.-This mortal must put on immor- defeat of death by the Resurrection, nnd the tality. When we are " clothed upon" by forgiveness of sin through Christ's atone- our "house from heaven," and have put off ment, and the nailing to his cross of the "this tabernacle," in which we groan being torn and abrogated Law which made us burdened, then" mortality will be swallowed slaves to sin and death (Col. ii. 14). "In up of life'" (2 Cor. v. 3, 4, where we also all these things we are more than con- find the metaphor of a robe of immortality, querors through him that loved us" (Rom. mixed up witlt the metaphor of a building). viii. 37). Through our Lord Jeane Christ. Ver. 5-l.-Death is swallowed up in Who, by fulfilling tbo Law, has robbed it of victory. A free citation from the Hebrew its condemning power (Rom. viii. 1), and of Isa. xxv. 8. The words "into victory" by bis death " hatb destroyed him that had are the LXX. rendering in other passages the power of death, that is the devil" (Heh. (Amos i. 11; viii. 8) for the Hebrew la- ii. 14, 15). netsach, for ever. The metaphor, "is swal- Ver. 58.-Therefore. Seeing that you lowed up," implying "the swallowing of ought not to despair, but to shnre in this 1he all-swallower," is found in the rabbis confidence of triumph. Steadfast. Firmly (comp. Heh. ii. 14, 15). fixed in your own conviction (Col. i. 23; 2 Ver. 55.-0 death, where is thy sting t John 9). Unmoveable. Dy others (Epb. A triumphantly fervid exclamation of tlw iv. 14). Abounding in the work of the Lord. apostle, loo&ely cited frow Hos. xiii. H. Doing diligently and ungrudgingly tlie orr, xv. 1-58.J THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 493