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and by confirming those Explanations by the Power of A. D. 57. Miracles

14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him,

neither can he know

14. Now it would have been impoffible for you or I to have ever understood thofe Scripture Prophecies, or to have feen the Truth of the Gofpel-Doctrines

.

by the mere Help of † natural Yuxinos them, because they are Reafon and Philofophy, or Jewish avgfpiritually difcerned. Traditions; becaufe they are Mat- T ters of pure Revelation, and quite wide of all Methods of human Sciences; much lefs ftill can a fenfual † Man, a Man poffeffed with the Cares, Pleafures and Lufts of the prefent Life, be supposed to have any true Taste or Knowledge of the Doctrines and Virtues of Chriftianity, which can be relished by none but virtuous and fincere Minds.

15. But he that is 15. Nor ought any of you, upfpiritual, judgeth all on those bare human Principles, things, yet he himself to judge, or pofitively determine is judged of no man. who are the beft and able Minifters of the Gospel Religion. It must be a Perfon endowed with true Notions of that Religion as a Revelation, that can pafs a true Judgment upon either its Doctrines or its Preachers. And for a Man that thinks and acts nothing but upon Maxims of human Learning, tơ determine about the Orthodoxy of a Chriftian Teacher, and an infpired Apoftle, is to act quite out of his Sphere, and to meddle with what he cannot understand. 16. For

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Ver. 13. Comparing Spiritual Things with Spiritual. Πνευματικά πνευματικοῖς συγκρίνοντες. The πνευματικοῖς, Spiritual, may fignify either ipiritual Things, as in the Paraphrafe, or fpiritual Perfons; the Senfe then being this, viz. Declaring or adapting thefe fpiritual Doctrines of the Gospel to Spiritual Perfons, i. e. Chriftians endowed with the Holy Spirit to enable them to understand them, as Le Clerc thinks. But this latter feems to be a very forced Interpretation, and not agreeable even to the Word, TVsuμalinois, which is plainly of the fame Gender with veuμalind, and fo ought to be render'd Things, viz. the Things mention'd in Ker. 9 10, 11 and 12.

16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may inftru&t him? But we have the mind of

Chrift.

us

*

16. For how is it poffible fuch a Perfon can understand the revealed Will of God, so as to be able to inform, and correct who act and preach only by the Dictates and Power of his Holy Spirit? You have no Reason then to prefer other Teachers before me, upon Account of their Eloquence, or Philofophy; for 'tis not that, but Inspiration that denominates a true Chriftian Apoftle.

Ver. 16. Ος συμβιβάσει αυτόν, That he may infrua him. 'Auloy him, is thought by fome to relate to Kugie the Lord; and then the Senfe muft be, That to pretend to know more of Christ than he has revealed, is to pretend to teach Chrift bimfelf. But the natural Conftruction, and the Scope of the Apoftle, feem plainly to determine it to relate to the sup Jinds, the infpired Perfon, as in the Paraphrase.

Ibid. Who bath known the Mind of the Lord? These Words feem plainly to be quoted from Jerem. xxiii. 18. where the Prophet ufes them in the fame Manner against the false Prophets, as St. Paul does here against the Grecian Philofophers.

CHAP. III.

The CONTENTS.

The new Teachers preferred themselves before St. Paul, for preaching higher and deeper Points of Chriftianity than he did. The Apoftle tells them, their exceffive Pride in human Learning, and their factious Temper was a just Reafon why he taught them only the firft and fundamental Points of the Chriftian Religion, and made their Progrefs fo flow, to Ver. 5. No Teachers ought to exalt themfelves, for all are but Minifters of Christ, and not their own Masters, to Ver. 10. They did but build upon the Apoftle's Foundation, and it behoved them to take Heed what Doctrines they built, for they must pass a fevere Examination. The Danger of false Doctrines, to Ver. 18. The Folly of preferring any Teachers for their mere human Accomplishments.

I.

4.D. 57.1. AND I, brethren, could

not

I. Nother Reason why you prefer your new Teachers

A

before

not speak unto you as unto fpiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Chrift.

you

before me is, that they teach further and deeper in the Chriftian Religion than I did. Now, the true Cafe why I, at first, instructyou in none of the higher and more particular Points of this Faith was, that I found you unfit for them. Your Bigottry to philofophical Learning, and the factious difputing Temper that reigned in you, made you perfect Children in the Knowledge of the true Gospel Principles.

2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

2: And as fuch Children I was forced to treat you, by spending the greatest Part of my Time Doctrine of the Chriftian Faith, with you in the first and plain viz. That of a crucified Saviour, and could hardly bring you to a right Apprehenfion of that. Nay, I perceive you are not yet brought to it.

3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divifions, are ye not carnal, and walk

as men?

4. For while one faith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of

3 & 4. For had you made any
confiderable Progrefs in the Chrif-
tian Religion, and were not ftill
wedded to your old human Noti-
Differences and Contentions, fuch
ons; how could there be fuch
ranking into Leaders and Parties,
as I find among you?
Apollos, are ye not carnal?

5. Who then is
5. But, pray, what is Paul, or
Paul, and who is A- Apollos, or Peter? What are the
pollos, but minifters most powerful Teachers you fo
in whom ye believed, much boaft of, and lift yourselves
even as the Lord gave under? The very best of us are
to every man?
no Authors of the Religion they
preach; they are but Chrift's Commiffioners, endowed
with feveral Sorts of Gifts from him; all preaching to
you the fame Doctrines and Principles by which you
were at first converted.

6. I have planted, Apollos watered: but God gave the increase. 7. So

6 & 7. For Inftance, I planted the Gospel first among you; Apollos came afterward and inftructY 2

ed

A. D 57:

A. D. 57. 7. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase.

ed you further in it, and others perhaps after him carried you on ftill higher. But was not mine and his and their Doctrine all from one and the fame God, and

to the fame End and Purpose ? Are we or any of you more than Minifters of Chrift, that you fhould thus value and set up one above another, as if they were your perfect Mafters and Saviours?

8. Now he that

planteth, and he that
watereth are one: and
every man fhall re-
ceive his own reward,
according to his own

8. Our Apoftolical Office is all one and the fame, *and the fame, as derived from the Authority of Heaven. And therefore thofe who would be magnified above me, ought to confider, it is God, not Men, that is to reward us according to the Degrees of Diligence and Fidelity wherewith every one discharges his Ministry.

labour.

9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are Gods husbandry t, ye are Gods building.

9. We are all equally the Minifters and Servants of God, and the beft of us are no more; and you Chriftian People whom we convert are the Field + or Fabrick we work upon; you ftill are equally God's Workmanfhip, let who will of us have the Hand in cultivating and building you up in his Faith.

10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wife mafter-builder I have laid the foundation, and another

buildeth thereon. But

10. It was I that firft inftructed you in this Religion, and according to the Tenour of my Office, and the fpiritual Knowledge and Powers beftowed on me, I did fincerely, and like a true Architect, lay the Foundation of your Chriftian Faith, in this plain and folid Truth of a crucified Redeemer. Others came after me and built upon my Foundation. But let them have a Care what Doctrines they build on it; and take you

let every man take
heed how he buildeth
thereupon.

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Heed

Heed how you magnify and extol them above me your A. D. 57. firft and principal Teacher.

11. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift.

11. For as this Article is the first and only fure Foundation of all Chriftian Doctrines, so no Doctrines can be true that are not a

greeable to, and confiftent with it.

12. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, filver, precious tones, wood, hay, ftubble. 13. Every mans work fhall be made

manifeft. For the day fhall declare it, be

12 & 13. And whatever the
Doctrines be that
your new Teach-
ers raife, whether found and or-
thodox, or falfe and deceitful:
Let them know there is a * Day
a coming that will as perfectly try
and diftinguifh them, as the Fire
does the Drofs from the Silver.

cause it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every
mans work, of what fort it is.

14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15. If any mans work fhall be burnt, he fhall fuffer lofs: but he himself fhall be faved; yet fot, as

by fire.

it.

14. Whoever teaches what is good and wholfome, and will ftand the Teft, he fhall receive a Reward proportionable to his Diligence and Sincerity.

15. But whoever broaches and propagates any falfe and dangerous Doctrines, they will prove then like a Houfe of Straw that cannot ftand the Fire, but is immediately burnt and confuined by Only if the Man preached them through mere Ignorance, and not from any bafe and malicious Defign; through his Work, i. e. his Doctrine be condemned, he may himself be faved; but then he is faved, just as a Man is, that is pulled out † of the Fire when his House is in Flames about his Ears, i. e. not without great Hazard and Difficulty.

Y 3

16. Let

Ver. 13. 'Huez, The Day. Either the Time of the Destruction of Jerufalem, or the Day of Judgment, or elle both. But the latter feems to be principally intended.

+ See Jude 23.

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