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Christians must not associate

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I. CORINTHIANS.

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with transgressors.

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9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not ater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or
an extortioner; with such an one,
not to eat.

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10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idol

12 For what have I to do to judge that are without? do not ye judge are within ?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked

person.

See ver. 2, 7. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Eph. 5. 11. 2 Thess. 3. 14.- ch. 10. 27. ch. 1. 20.- John 17. 15. 1 John 5. 19. Matt. 18. 17. Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thess. 3. 6, 14. 2 John 10.

f Gal. 2. 12.- Mark 4. 11. Col. 4. 5. 1 Thess. 4. 12. 1 Tim. 3. 7. hch. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4.- Deut. 13. 5. & 17. 7. & 21. 21. & 22. 21, 22, 24.

The apostle refers here not more to wicked principles than to wicked men: let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, the impure principles which actuated you while in your heathen state; neither with the leaven of malice and wicked. ness, xaxias xaι wornpias, wickedness, radical depravity, producing unrighteousness in the life; nor with the persons who are thus influenced, and thus act; but with the unleavened bread, aλλ' ev aluμois, but with upright and godly men, who have sincerity, sixpivia, such purity of affections and conduct that even the light of God, shining upon them, discovers no flaw; and truth, who have received the testimony of God, and who are inwardly as well as outwardly, what they profess to be.

which either this text or antiquity affords. The principal evidence against this is 2 Cor. vii. 8. where av Ty Erison, the same words as above, appear to refer to this first epistle. Possibly the apostle may refer to an epistle which he had written though not sent; for, on receiving further informa tion from Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaïcus, relative to the state of the Corinthian church, he suppressed that, and wrote this, in which he considers the subject much more at large. See Dr. Lightfoot.

Not to company with fornicators] With which, as we have already seen, Corinth abounded. It was not only the grand sin, but staple of the place.

Verse 10. For then must ye needs go out of the world.] What an awful picture of the general corruption of manners does this exhibit! The Christians at Corinth could not transact the ordinary affairs of life with any others than with fornicators, covetous persons, extortioners, railers, drunk

The word wonpias, which we translate wickedness, is so very like to Topvelas fornication, that some very ancient MSS. have the latter reading instead of the former; which, indeed, seems most natural in this place; as xaxias, which we translate malice, includes every thing that is implied in T-ards, and idolaters, because there were none others in the pias wickedness; whereas, Topvelas, as being the subject in question; see ver. 1. would come more pointedly in here, Not with wickedness and fornication, or rather not with wicked men and fornicators: but I do not contend for this reading.

Verse 9. I wrote unto you in an epistle] The wisest, and best skilled in Biblical criticism, agree that the apostle does not refer to any other epistle than this; and that he speaks here of some general directions which he had given in the foregoing part of it; but which he had now, in some measure, changed and greatly strengthened, as we see from ver. 11. The words εypaya ε Th Emisoλn, may be translated I HAD written to you in THIS EPISTLE; for there are many instances in the New Testament, where the aorist, which is here used, and which is a sort of indefinite tense, is used for the perfect, and the plusquam perfect. Dr. Whitby produces several proofs of this, and contends that the conclusion drawn by some, viz. that it refers to some epistle that is lost, is not legitimately drawn from any premisses

place! How necessary was Christianity in that city!

Verse 11. But now I have written] I not only write this, but I add more, that if any one who is called a brother, i. e, professes the Christian religion, be a fornicator, covetous, idolater, railer, drunkard, or extortioner; not even to eat with such; have no communion with such an one, in things either sacred or civil. You may transact your worldly concerns with a person that knows not God, and makes no profession of Christianity, whatever his moral character may be; but ye must not even thus far acknowledge a man professing Christianity, who is scandalous in his conduct. Let him have this extra mark of your abhorrence of all sin; and let the world see that the church of God does not tole. rate iniquity.

Verse 12. For, what have I to do to judge them also that are without] The term without, Tov, sw, signifies those who were not members of the church, and in this sense its cor respondent term ' ha-chilsonim, those that are without, is generally understood in the Jewish writers, where it fre

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quently occurs. The word xxi, also, which greatly disturbs the sense here, is wanting in ABCFG, and several others, with the Syriac, Coptic, Slavonic, Vulgate, and the Itala; together with several of the Fathers. The sentence, I think, with the omission of xa; also, should stand thus; Does it belong to me to pass sentence on those which are without, which are not members of the church? By no means, (ov.) Pass ye sentence on them which are within, which are members of the church-Those which are without, which are not members of the church, God will pass sentence on, in that way in which he generally deals with the heathen world-But put ye away the evil from among yourselves. This is most evidently the apostle's meaning, and renders all comments unnecessary. In the last clause there appears to be an allusion to Deut. xvii. 7. where the like directions are given to the congregation of Israel, relative to a person found guilty of idolatry. Thou shalt put away the evil from among you-where the Version of the Septuagint is almost the same as that of the apostle; και εξαρεῖς τον πονηρον εξ ύμων αυτών.

preceding chapter.

what is vitiated. A backslider is one who once knew less or more of the salvation of God. Hear what God says concerning such, Turn, ye backsliders, for I am married unto you. See how unwilling He is to give them up! He suffers long, and is kind; do thou likewise; and when thou art obliged to cut off the offender from the church of Christ, follow him still with thy best advice and heartiest prayers.

3. A soul cut off from the flock of God, is in an awful state! his outward defence is departed from him; and being no longer accountable to any for his conduct, he generally plunges into unprecedented depths of iniquity; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Reader, art thou without the pale of God's church? remember it is here written, them that are wITHOUT, God judgeth, ver. 13. 4. Christians who wish to retain the spirituality of their religion, should be very careful how they mingle with the world. He who is pleased with the company of ungodly men, no matter howsoever witty or learned, is either himself one with them, or is drinking into their spirit. It is impossible to associate with such by choice, without re

There are several important subjects in this chapter which ceiving a portion of their contagion. A man may be amused intimately concern the Christian church in general.

or delighted with such people, but he will return even from the festival of wit, with a lean soul. Howsoever contiguous they may be, yet the church and the world are separated by an impassable gulf.

1. If evil be tolerated in religious societies, the work of God cannot prosper there. If one scandal appear, it should be the cause of general humiliation and mourning to the followers of God where it occurs; because the soul of a bro5. If all the fornicators, adulterers, drunkards, extortionther is on the road to perdition; the cause of God so far be- ers, and covetous persons which bear the Christian name, trayed and injured; and Christ re-crucified in the house of were to be publicly excommunicated from the Christian his friends. Pity should fill every heart towards the trans-church, how many, and how awful would the examples be! gressor, and prayer for the backslider, occupy all the mem-If, however, the discipline of the visible church be so lax, bers of the church.

2. Discipline must be exercised in the Christian church; without this, it will soon differ but little from the wilderness of this world. But what judgment, prudence, piety, and caution are requisite in the execution of this most important branch of a minister's duty! he may be too easy and tender, and permit the gangrene to remain till the flock be infected with it. Or he may be rigid and severe, and destroy parts that are vital, while only professing to take away

that such characters are tolerated in it, they should consider that this is no pass-port to heaven. In the sight of God they are not members of his church; their citizenship is not in heaven, and therefore they have no right to expect the heavenly inheritance. It is not under names, creeds, or professions, that men shall be saved at the last day—those alone who were holy; who were here conformed to the image of Christ, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Those who expect it in any other way, or on any other account will be sadly deceived.

CHAPTER VI.

The Corinthians are reproved for their litigious disposition; brother going to law with brother, and that before the heathen, 1-6. They should suffer wrong, rather than do any, 7, 8. No unrighteous person can enter into the glory of God, 9, 10. Some of the Corinthians had been grievous sinners, but God had saved them, 11. Many things may be lawful, which are not at all times expedient, 12. Meats are for the belly, and the belly for meats; but the body is not for uncleanness, 13. Christ's resurrection a pledge of ours, 14. The bodies of Christians are members of Christ, and must not be defiled, 15-17. He that commits fornication sins against his own body, 18. Strong dissuasives from it, 19, 20.

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to law with each other.

the world? and if the world shall be A. M. 4060.
judged by you, are ye unworthy to
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3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels?

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge how much more things that pertain to this life?

. Ps. 49. 14.

Dan. 7. 22. Matt. 19. 28. Luke 22. 30.

Rev. 2. 26. & 3. 21. & 20. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI. Verse 1. Dare any of you, &c.] From the many things that are here reprehended by the apostle, we learn that the Christian church at Corinth, was in a state of great imperfection; notwithstanding there were very many eminent characters among them. Divided as they were among themselves, there was no one person who possessed any public authority to settle differences between man and man; therefore, as one party would not submit to the decisions of another, they were obliged to carry their contentions before heathen magistrates; and probably these very subjects of litigation arose out of their ecclesiastical divisions. The thing, and this issue of it, the apostle strongly reprehends.

of his justice. On reviewing this subject, I am fully of opi nion that this cannot be the meaning of the words; and that no such assessorship, as is contended for, ever will take place; and that the interpretation is clogged with a multitude of ahsurdities.

1. The saints themselves are to appear before the judgmentseat of Christ, and shall be judged by him, after which they shall reign with him; but it is never said in scripture that they shall judge with him.

2. It would be absurd to suppose that thrones should be erected, for the purpose of saints sitting on them to give their approbation in the condemnation of the wicked; of what use can such an approbation be? is it necessary to the vali

doom? I therefore think with Dr. Lightfoot that these words of the apostle refer to the prediction of Daniel, chap. vii. 18, 27. and such like prophecies, where the kingdoms of the earth are promised to the saints of the Most High; that is, that a time shall come when Christianity shall so far prevail, that the civil government of the world shall be ad

Before the unjust, and not before the saints?] The heathen dity of Christ's decision? and will not even the damned judges were termed Aixa5a1, from their presumed righteous-themselves, without this, acknowledge the justice of their ness in the administration of justice: here the apostle, by a paronomasia, calls them Adixo, unrighteous persons-and it is very likely that at Corinth, where such corruption of manners reigned, there was a great perversion of public justice; and it is not to be supposed that matters relative to the Christians, were fairly decided. The Christians the apostle terms ayı, saints, which they were all, by profession; and doubt-ministered by Christians, which, at that time, was admiless many were so in spirit and in truth.

nistered by Heathens. And this is even now true of all those parts of the earth, which may be considered of the greatest political consequence. They profess Christianity, and the kings and other governors are Christians in this general sense of the term.

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Verse 2. The saints shall judge the world] Nothing can be more evident than, that the writers of the New Testament often use & xoopos, the world, to signify the Jewish people; and sometimes the Roman Empire, and the Jewish state; and in the former sense it is often used by our Lord. When, says he, the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, then shall ye sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Matt. xix. 28. It is supposed that he refers to the same subject as that mentioned here, the saints judging the world; and that St. Paul has his words in view, in what he says here to the Corinthians. By judging the twelve tribes of Israel, some have imagined, that having authority in the church, is merely intended; but Dr. Lightfoot contends that the words refer to the coming of our Lord to execute judgment on the Jews, and to destroy their state; and that the doctrine of the apostles, not themselves, was to judge and condemn that most disobedient people. The place before us is generally understood to imply that the redeemed of the Lord shall be, on the great day, assessors with Him in judgment; and shall give their award in the determinationsnisters judge devils."

Verse 3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels] Dr. Lightfoot observes that "the apostle does not say here, as he said before, the saints shall judge angels; but we shall judge them. By angels all confess that Dæmons are intended; but certainly all saints, according to the latitude with which that word is understood; i. e. all who profess Christianity, shall not judge angels. Nor is this judging of angels to be understood of the last day; but the apostle speaks of the ministers of the gospel, himself and others, who, by the preaching of the gospel, through the power of Christ, should spoil the devils of their oracles and their idols; should deprive them of their worship; should drive them out of their seats and strip them of their dominion. Thus would God subdue the whole world under the Christian power, so that Christian magistrates should judge men, and Christian mi

No worker of iniquity shall

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4 If then ye have judgments of wrong? why do ye not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded?

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5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his

brethren ?

8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, Cand that your brethren.

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9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves

6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and with mankind, that before the unbelievers!

7 Now, therefore, there is utterly a utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. "Why do ye not rather take

Ch. 5. 12.- b Prov. 20. 22. Matt. 5. 39, 40. Luke 6. 29. Rom. 12. 17, 19. 1 Thess. 5. 15. 1 Thess. 4. 6. ch. 15. 50. Gal. 5. 21.

Verse 4. Things pertaining to this life] They could examine all civil cases among themselves, which they were permitted to determine without any hindrance from the heathen governments under which they lived.

Who are least esteemed in the church.] Tous cuDEVY, LLEVOUS, those who were in the lowest order of judges; for the apostle may refer here to the order in the Jewish benches, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures; of which there were five, viz.

1. The great Sanhedrin, consisting of 72 elders, which presided in Jerusalem.

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

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Verse 7. There is utterly a fault among you] There is a most manifest defect among you-1. of peaceableness—2. of brotherly love-3. of mutual confidence, and, 4. of reverence for God, and concern for the honour of his cause.

Why do ye not rather take wrong] Better suffer an injury than take a method of redressing yourselves, which must injure your own peace, and greatly dishonour the cause of God.

Verse 8. Nay, ye do wrong] Far from suffering, ye are the aggressors, and defraud your pious, long-suffering bre

2. The little Sanhedrin of 25, in large cities, out of thren, who submit to this wrong, rather than take those Jerusalem.

3. The Bench of Three in every Synagogue.

4. The Authorized, or authentic Bench.

5. The Bench not authorized, εoubevuevos. This latter Bench was so called, because it received not its authority immediately from the Sanhedrin; but was chosen by the parties between whom the controversy depended. The apostle certainly does not mean persons of no repute; but such as these arbitrators who were chosen for the purpose of settling private differences, and preventing them from going before the regular magistrates. The following verse makes it pretty evident that the apostle refers to this lower kind of tribunal; and hence he says;

Verse 5. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you] Have you none among yourselves that can be arbitrators of the differences which arise, that you go to the heathen tribunals!

methods of redressing their grievances which the spirit of Christianity forbids. Probably the apostle refers to him who had taken his father's wife.

Verse 9. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom] The unrighteous, adixo, those who act contrary to right; cannot inherit, for the inheritance is by right. He who is not a child of God, has no right to the family inheritance; for that inheritance is for the children. If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, Gal. iv. 5, 6. There are here ten classes of transgressors which the apostle excludes from the kingdom of God: and any man, who is guilty of any one of the evils mentioned above, is thereby excluded from this kingdom, whether it imply the church of Christ here below, or the state of glory hereafter.

Several of the evils here enumerated will not bear to be particularly explained: they are, however, sufficiently plain of themselves, and shew us what abominations were com

Verse 6. Brother goeth to law with brother] One Chris-monly practised among the Corinthians. tian sues another at law ! This is almost as great a scandal as can exist in a Christian society. Those in a religious community who will not submit to a proper arbitration, made by persons among themselves, should be expelled from the church of God.

Verse 11. And such were some of you] It was not with the prospect of collecting saints, that the apostles went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom. None but sinners were to be found over the face of the earth; they preached that sinners might be converted unto God, made saints, and

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ye are washed, but ye are sancA. U. C. 809. tified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

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which are not expedient.

things are not expedient: all things
are lawful for me, but I will not be
brought under the power of any.

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13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all meats; but God shall destroy both it and them.

Ch. 10. 29. Or, profitable.

Matt. 15. 17. Rom. 14. 17. Col. 2. 22, 23.

constituted into a church; and this was the effect, as well as justified freely, having their sins forgiven through the rethe object, of their preaching.

But ye are washed] Several suppose that the order in which the operations of the grace of God take place in the soul, is here inverted; but I am of a very different mind. Every thing will appear here in its order, when we understand the terms used by the apostle.

Ye are washed, amehouσarbe; ye have been baptized into the Christian faith and ye have promised in this baptism to put off all filthiness of the flesh and spirit; and the washing of your bodies is emblematical of the purification of your souls.

Ye are sanctified] 'Hylarbyre; from a privative, and the earth; ye are separated from earthly things, to be connected with spiritual. Ye are separated from time, to be connected with eternity. Ye are separated from idols, to be joined to the living God. Separation from common earthly, or sinful uses, to be wholly employed in the service of the true God, is the ideal meaning of this word, both in the Old and New Testaments. It was in consequence of their being separated from the world that they became a church of God. Ye were formerly workers of iniquity, and associated with workers of iniquity: but now ye are separated from them, and united together to work out your salvation with fear and trembling before God.

demption that is in Jesus; they received the Spirit of God, to attest this glorious work of grace to their consciences; and thus became possessed of that principle of righteousness, that true leaven which was to leaven the whole lump; produc ing that universal holiness without which none can see the Lord.

Verse 12. All things are lawful unto me] It is likely, that some of the Corinthians had pleaded that the offence of the man who had his father's wife, as well as the eating the things offered to idols, was not contrary to the law as it then stood. To this the apostle answers, though such a thing be lawful, yet the case of fornication, mentioned chap. v. 1. is not expedient, ou oupapel, it is not agreeable to propriety, decency, order, and purity. It is contrary to the established usages of the best and most enlightened nations; and should not be tolerated in the church of Christ.

Ye are justified] Edixante Ye have been brought into a state of favour with God, your sins having been blotted out through Christ Jesus; the Spirit of God witnessing the same to your conscience, and carrying on by his energy, the great work of regeneration in your hearts. The process here is plain and simple:-1. Paul and his brother apostles preached the gospel at Corinth, and besought the people to turn from darkness to light: from idol vanities to the living God; and to believe in the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins. 2. The people who heard were convinced of the Divine truths delivered by the apostle; and flocked to baptism. 3. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus took upon them the public profession of the gospel. 4. Being now baptized into the Christian faith, they were separated from idols and idolaters, and became incorporated with the church of God. 5. As penitents, they were led to the Lord Jesus, for justification; which they received through faith in his blood. 6. Being

They might also be led to argue in favour of their eating things offered to idols, and attending idol feasts thus; that an idol was nothing in the world: and as food was provided by the bounty of God, a man might partake of it any where without defiling his conscience, or committing sin against the Creator; this excuse also the apostle refers to. All these things are lawful, taken up merely in the light that none of your laws is against the first; and that, on the ground that an idol is nothing in the world, there can be no reason against the last.

But I will not be brought under the power of any.] Allowing that they are all lawful, or at least that there is no law against them, yet they are not expedient; there is no necessity for them; and some of them are abominable and forbidden by the law of God and nature, whether forbidden by your's or not: while others, such as eating meats offered to idols, will almost necessarily lead to bad moral consequences: and who, that is a Christian, would obey his appetite so far, as to do these things for the sake of gratifica tion? A man is brought under the power of any thing which he cannot give up. He is the slave of that thing whatsoever it be, which he cannot relinquish ; and then, to him, it is sin. Verse 13. Meats for the belly] I suppose that means the animal appetite, or propensity to food, &c. and we may conceive the apostle to reason thus: I acknowledge that God has provided different kinds of aliments for the ap

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