Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

clufion he would eftablish on his misrepresentation of it, is utterly groundless and false.

In this Epistle (as appears from chap. i. 1.) St. Paul is writing to all Chriftians in general, but to thofe at Corinth in particular, profeffedly in the character of an undoubted Apostle, called by the will of God to preach the Gofpel. And in the Chapter in queftion he is anfwering authoritatively, in his Apoftolical character, some questions, which, as appears from ver. 1, the Chriftians at Corinth had wrote to him for his directions upon. He tells them firft, (ver. 1.) that with refpect to marrying, he thought it most convenient for them (in the difficult and diftreffed circumstances of those times, as appears plainly by ver. 26, which is an explanation of ver.i.) not to marry. Nevertheless, that to avoid vice; which it was not to be expected they would otherwife avoid; it would be best for every man to have his own wife, and every woman her own husband. (ver. 2.) Then, after fome other inftructions, he adds, (ver. 6.) But this I fay by way of ADVICE only, not by way of COMMAND §. In other words, that though he had said, to avoid vice they fhould all marry; and given them fome other directions; he did not mean by this to enjoin them to marry; but left every one to judge for themselves, upon the principles he fuggefted to them both for and against it at that time, whether they would marry or not.-And here it is evident at firft fight, that the care St. Paul takes to prevent the Corinthians from fuppofing, that in what he had faid he meant to comMAND them which course to take; is a clear proof, both that St. Paul himself knew, and that they acknowledged, that if he had given them any

This is the exact sense of ver. 6, rendered as closely as

may be.

N

command,

command, it would have been their duty to have obeyed it implicitly; as the command of an AposTLE acting under the fuperintending guidance of the Spirit of God.

In ver. 7, 8, 9, he explains more fully what he had already faid, ver. 1, 2. — Then, (ver. 10.) he proceeds to direct them with relation to the diffolution of marriages. And on this point he first introduces the direction he gives them, as an authoritative Command from Himself, an INSPIRED APOSTLE, whofe directions they could not poffibly difpute: - And unto the married, I COMMAND:But because the Authority of CHRIST himself was confeffedly the higheft of All, and to which they muft neceffarily pay the greatest Deference; and it happened, that CHRIST himfelf, as they well knew, had been occafionally led to deliver an exprefs Precept with regard to Divorces, while he was on earth; St. Paul immediately adds, That the Command he gave them, was not properly fpeaking his own; but the exprefs Command of JESUS himfelf:- Yet not I, but THE LORD; Let not the wife depart from her husband.

Having thus given them, for their direction in this particular, a well known Precept of JESUS himfelf, and JESUS not having been occafionally led to deliver any exprefs Precept upon the other Points, with refpect to which he proceeds to anfwer their enquiries, through the remainder of the Chapter; he accordingly tells them, (ver. 12, 25,) that he had no Precept of CHRIST's to give them upon thofe Points, as he had upon the former; but that he would give them his own judgment; as that of one, whom the LORD in his Mercy had been pleased to select for an undoubted APOSTLE; (alluding manifeftly to his own mi

* See Matth. xix. 9.

raculous

raculous Converfion, which he had reminded them of, chap. i. ver. 1;) and in whom therefore they could not but confide, as acting under the fuperintending guidance of the Spirit of God.-Ver. 12. But to the rest speak I, not THE LORD.-And (ver. 25) Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of THE LORD; yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful; i. e. to be deferving of your reliance upon me, as an undoubted Apostle of CHRIST.- And at length, in the close of his directions on these subjects (ver. 40.) he tells them, not only that he spoke, according to his judgment; but adds (alluding to the divifions among them, mentioned chap. i. 12, and the difpofition of fome among them to depreciate his authority;) and I also think, that I have the Spirit of God: not fignifying by this expreffion, that he was in any fort of doubt, whether he did act under the guidance of the fpirit, or not; but intending by this modeft and not unusual form of fpeech, to remind them of a truth, which they could not poffibly queftion; and thus to prefs upon them in the strongest manner; by adopting fo modeft a form of fpeech upon a point that could admit of no doubt; the neceffity of their observing those directions he had given them as an authorised APOSTLE.

That this is St. Paul's true meaning here is not only evident from hence, that the words themfelves naturally admit it, and his authoritative manner of giving his preceding directions, throughout the Chapter, plainly requires it; but further, because he has elfewhere most expressly declared in this very Epistle, that the directions he gave them in it were the commandments of THE LORD; and in another Epiftle, hat whatever he taught, he taught by THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Thus Chap. xiv. 37, of this Epistle, after having given them

N 2

them injunctions upon a variety of points; in all of which he directed them exprefsly, as here in Chap. vii, according to his judgment, without having any precept of CHRIST's to fend them; he adds, If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge, that the things that I write unto you are THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. And agreeably to this, in his 1ft Epistle to the Theffalonians, after reminding them of fome precepts he had formerly given them; he takes occafion to speak particularly to the point of chaftity; one part of the very fubject he is here upon to the Corinthians; and tells them,-He therefore that defpifeth, (the precepts I give you,) defpifeth not man, (not me only, who am the immediate deliverer of them to you,) but GOD; WHO ALSO, (or, WHO VERILY, HATH GIVEN UNTO US HIS HOLY SPIRIT.-Thefe fignal paffages, as well as indeed the whole tenour of the very Chapter before us, prove beyond queftion, that St. Paul could not here make use of the term, I think, from not having certain knowledge that he really wrote under the fuperintending influence of the Spirit of God; of which he has even in this very Epiftle fo exprefsly declared himself abfolutely certain; but that he chofe to make use of this term as a modest form of speech; and very far from an uncommon one; to remind them of his Divine Authority as a chofen Apostle, which they could not dare to difpute.

*

+ Ibid. ver.

8.

These

I Theff. iv. 1, 2. In addition to what has been proved, it may not be improper to apprize the Author, of what it is very poffible he may not be aware; that the word,-Aoxew, " I think,”—here ufed by St. Paul, is fo far from neceffarily implying any doubt or uncertainty; that it is used upon occafions where no doubt or uncertainty can poffibly be admitted.Thus when it is faid, (Luke viii. 18;) And whosoever bath not, from him shall be taken, (ó Dones extir) even that which he seemeth to have, or,

that

Thefe paffages therefore, in 1 Cor. vii. which the Author has totally misunderstood, are so far from being, as he afferts, "Alone fufficient to

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

prove beyond contradiction, that God did not "effectually reftrain all the writers of the New Teftament, from fometimes blending their own opinions and doctrines with thofe of divine Authority," That, on the contrary, these very paffages fupply us with as ftrong a proof as fo many fuch paffages can, that all the precepts which St. Paul himself, and the reft of the Apoftles delivered, were delivered under the immediate fuperintendence of the Spirit of God; and were all therefore, without exception, of Divine Authority.

But the Author has a fact ready at hand, to prove undeniably, that St. Paul was liable to miftake, and cannot therefore be relied on. Contending that God was no otherwife unknown to the Sages of Antiquity, than as to the mode of his

!

that which he THINKETH he hath; the meaning evidently is, That which he ACTUALLY, and CERTAINLY bath; fince what a man hath not, cannot be taken from him. Thus again, when JESUS puts the queftion, (Luke xvii. 8, 9;) "Whether

a mafter, when he had ordered his fervant upon coming home from his work, to wait upon him, before he took re“ freshment himself; would return thanks to his fervant for obeying his commands ?-And anfwers it (ou dox) 1 "trow," i. e. "I THINK not ;" Evident it is he uses the word as being fully equivalent to a pofitive affirmation; fince the point itself is of fuch a nature as not to admit a doubt; and was instanced in by JESUS for this very reafon, because it admitted none.-And fo again, when Jesus faid to the Jews; John v. 39.) Search, (or, Ye do fearch) the Scriptures, because (Jondite) ye THINK, that in them ye have eternal life; notorious it is, he did not mean to say, that they were under any doubt or uncertainty, whether they had eternal life in the Scriptures, or not; but that he made ufe of the word, in a customary manner, to fignify their fure and certain knowledge that they had. And thus it is that St. Paul has used it likewife in 1 Epift. Cor. vii. 40; the paffage under confideration.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »