1 Corinthians 9:1-14. ST PAUL’S DEFENCE OF HIS APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY This chapter is devoted to a defence of the Apostolic authority of St Paul, but there is an under-current of thought connecting it with the last which may easily be missed. In ch. 8 St Paul has been exhorting the Corinthians to sacri... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΛΕΎΘΕΡΟΣ … ἈΠΌΣΤΟΛΟΣ. This is the order of אAB, Vulg. Peshito. Rec. inverts the order with DEFG, Vetus Lat. and one MS. of Vulg. 1. ΟΥ̓ΧῚ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν ΤῸΝ ΚΎΡΙΟΝ ἩΜΩ͂Ν ἙΏΡΑΚΑ; One distinction drawn by St Paul’s opponents between him and the other Apostles was that they had seen and associated with Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΛΛΆ ΓΕ. In the classics these two particles are separated by another word. ΣΦΡΑΓΊΣ ΜΟΥ ΤΗ͂Σ�. If any Church had less right than another to question his Apostolic authority, it was the Church of Corinth, which he had founded (ch. 1 Corinthians 4:15), and on which so many spiritual gifts had been pou... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ ἘΜῊ�. MY DEFENCE TO THOSE WHO ARE PUTTING ME ON MY TRIAL. See ch. 1 Corinthians 2:15. The Judaizers of whom we hear in the Epistle to the Galatians and in Acts 15 are now heard of here also, and this Epistle seems to have stirred them up to a still stronger antagonism, for St Paul is obliged to tr... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῊ ΟΥ̓Κ. ‘Is it really true that we have not’? μή containing the question, οὐκ the denial of the right. ἘΞΟΥΣΊΑΝ ΦΑΓΕΙ͂Ν ΚΑῚ ΠΙΕΙ͂Ν. THE RIGHT TO EAT AND TO DRINK, i. e. at the expense of the Church, cf. Luke 10:7. This privilege, said St Paul’s opponents, was confined to the original twelve Apostl... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΔΕΛΦῊΝ ΓΥΝΑΙ͂ΚΑ ΠΕΡΙΆΓΕΙΝ. The ordinary interpretation of this passage is (1) that St Paul here asserts his right, if he pleased, to take with him a wife who was a member of the Christian body, and to have her maintained at the expense of the community. The word _sister_, like the words _brother, b... [ Continue Reading ]
6. [τοῦ] after ἘΞΟΥΣΊΑΝ omit אABDEFG. Rec. inserts with E. 6. Ἢ ΜΌΝΟΣ ἘΓῺ ΚΑῚ ΒΑΡΝΆΒΑΣ. St Paul and St Barnabas (1) resigned their claim to support on the part of the Church, (2) were not of the number of the Twelve, (3) were left by the Apostles to undertake the sole charge of the missions to the h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸΝ ΚΑΡΠΌΝ אABCDFG. ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ E, Vulg. Peshito. Some copies of the Vetus Lat. have text and some follow rec. 7. ΤΊΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΎΕΤΑΙ. The charge is now refuted on five different grounds. The first argument is derived from the analogy of human conduct. Three instances are given, (1) the soldier, (2)... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῊ ΚΑΤᾺ ἌΝΘΡΩΠΟΝ. See note on 1 Corinthians 3:3. Cf. Romans 3:5 and Galatians 3:15. This _second_ argument is drawn from the law of Moses, and its force would be admitted by the Judaizing section of St Paul’s opponents.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΗΜΏΣΕΙΣ BDFG. φιμώσεις rec. with אACE. 9. ΓΆΡ. ‘The law _does_ say so, for it is written,’ &c. ΚΗΜΏΣΕΙΣ. The word is derived from κημός, a muzzle. It is somewhat rarer than the rec. φιμώσεις, but is found in Classical Greek. ΜῊ ΤΩ͂Ν ΒΟΩ͂Ν ΜΕΛΕΙ͂ ΤΩ͂Ι ΘΕΩ͂Ι; Luther and Estius are here fully of one... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠ' ἘΛΠΊΔΙ ΤΟΥ͂ ΜΕΤΈΧΕΙΝ אABC Peshito. And so (with _fructus_ added) Vulg. Rec. τῆς ἐλπίδος αὐτοῦ μετέχειν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι with E. 10. ΔΙ' ἩΜΑ͂Σ. ‘On account of us preachers of the Gospel.’ ΓΆΡ. ‘Yes, for on our account was written what follows, that he who plougheth,’ &c. Ὁ�' ἘΛΠΊΔΙ ΤΟΥ͂ ΜΕΤΈΧΕΙΝ. HE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΕΡΊΣΟΜΕΝ אABD. θερίσωμεν CDEFG Vetus Lat. Vulg. 11. ΕἸ ἩΜΕΙ͂Σ ὙΜΙ͂Ν. St Paul’s third argument is drawn from the principles of natural gratitude. If we have conferred on you such inestimable benefits, it is surely no very burdensome return to give us our maintenance. Not, says Estius, that the one... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ἌΛΛΟΙ … ΜΕΤΈΧΟΥΣΙΝ. Fourth argument. You have admitted the cogency of these arguments in the case of those who have less claim upon you than we have, to whom (ch. 1 Corinthians 4:15) you owe your Christian life itself. ΤΗ͂Σ ὙΜΩ͂Ν ἘΞΟΥΣΊΑΣ. Genitive of relation; this RIGHT IN REGARD TO (or POWER... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺ ἘΚ ΤΟΥ͂ ἹΕΡΟΥ͂ אBDFG Vulg. Rec. omits τά with ACE Peshito. The MSS. of the Vetus Lat. differ. ΠΑΡΕΔΡΕΎΟΝΤΕΣ אABCDEFG. Rec. προσεδρεύοντες. 13. ΟΥ̓Κ ΟἼΔΑΤΕ ὍΤΙ ΟἹ ΤᾺ ἹΕΡΑ ἘΡΓΑΖΌΜΕΝΟΙ. Fifth argument. The Jewish priests are maintained by the sacrifices of the worshippers. See Leviticus 6:17; Numbe... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΚΎΡΙΟΣ ΔΙΈΤΑΞΕΝ. In Matthew 10:10, and Luke 10:7. Cf. ch. 1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Corinthians 7:12; 1 Corinthians 7:25. The R.V. ‘ordained’, with the more definite meaning attached to the aorist, gives the best sense here.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΚΈΧΡΗΜΑΙ ΟΥ̓ΔΕΝΊ אABCDEFG. οὐδενὶ ἐχρησάμην rec. ΟΥ̓ΔΕῚΣ ΚΕΝΏΣΕΙ. κενώσει is read by אABCDEFG, οὐδείς by אBD Vetus Lat. A reads οὐθεὶς μή. FG read τις. The rec. ἵνα τις is supported by C and probably E. The text is supported by the authority of Tertullian, and the Old Latin version has quam glo... [ Continue Reading ]
ST PAUL’S USE OF HIS CHRISTIAN LIBERTY IS RESTRAINED BY THE THOUGHT OF THE NEEDS OF OTHERS... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΑΓΓΕΛΊΖΩΜΑΙ 2nd time אA. εὐαγγελίσωμαι is marked doubtful by Westcott and Hort, read by Lachmann and Tregelles on the authority of BCDEFG Vulg. The MSS. of the Vetus Lat. differ. 16. ἈΝΆΓΚΗ ΓΆΡ ΜΟΙ ἘΠΊΚΕΙΤΑΙ. See Acts 9:6; Acts 22:21. ΟΥ̓ΑΊ. The Alexandrian form of the classical ὀά. See note on... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΓᾺΡ ἙΚΏΝ. Whether St Paul did his work willingly or unwillingly, he could not escape his responsibility. He had been chosen (Acts 9:15; Acts 13:2; Romans 1:5; Romans 15:16; Galatians 1:15-16; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11, also ch. 1 Corinthians 1:1) to bear the good tidings to the Gentiles, and [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΊΣ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΜΟΎ ἘΣΤΙΝ Ὁ ΜΙΣΘΌΣ; For μισθός see last verse. Either (1) as in our version, the preaching the Gospel without charge, and the consciousness of having served God faithfully thus obtained; or (2) as some would interpret, suspending the construction until the end of 1 Corinthians 9:19, the sa... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΜΑΥΤῸΝ ἘΔΟΎΛΩΣΑ. Literally, ENSLAVED MYSELF. ΤΟῪΣ ΠΛΕΊΟΝΑΣ. Not _more than other people_, nor even as A.V. implies, _more than he would otherwise have gained_, but _the majority of those to whom he preached_. See 2 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 9:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῊ ὪΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ ὙΠῸ ΝΌΜΟΝ. אABCDEFG Vetus Lat. Vulg. Rec. omits the words with Peshito. It is curious that Chrysostom has the words in his Commentary, but makes no remark on them, while in other places he omits them when citing the passage. It is impossible to account for the insertion of the words, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΝΟΜΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ͂ … ἜΝΝΟΜΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ אABCDFG. Rec. θεῷ and χριστῷ. ΚΕΡΔΆΝΩ here אABCFG. κερδήσω (as in 1 Corinthians 9:20) rec. with DE. The latter is clearly an alteration to agree with 1 Corinthians 9:20. Both forms of the future are in use. 21. ΤΟΙ͂Σ�. Literally, TO THE LAWLESS, AS A LAWLESS MAN, i.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΙ͂Σ�, i.e. by an affectionate condescension to their prejudices (ch. 1 Corinthians 8:13). The omission of ὡς strengthens the Apostle’s identification with those to whom he preached; cf. Romans 15:1; 2 Corinthians 11:29. An interesting parallel is given in Origen’s Homilies on Matt. (Matthew 17:21)... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΆΝΤΑ אABCDEFG Vetus Lat. Vulg. τοῦτο rec. with Peshito. 23. ΠΆΝΤΑ ΔῈ ΠΟΙΩ͂. This gives a better sense than the rec. τοῦτο. ‘And I do everything for the Gospel’s sake.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Κ ΟἼΔΑΤΕ ὍΤΙ. The Apostle now introduces the figure of a race-course. He does not mean that in the Christian course only one receives the prize, but that each should manifest the same eagerness and sustained effort as if the prize could be given to one only. The Corinthians are now exhorted to fo... [ Continue Reading ]
EXHORTATION TO SELF-RESTRAINT... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑ͂Σ ΔῈ Ὁ�. EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH IN THE GAMES. R.V. The words _might_ refer to the race. See Hebrews 12:1. So Plutarch has ἀγωνίζεσθαι στάδιον. But 1 Corinthians 9:26 decides in favour of the R.V. rendering. The temperance of which the Apostle speaks was no light matter. For ten months had the ca... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΊΝΥΝ. This particle does not occur elsewhere in St Paul’s writings. ὩΣ ΟΥ̓Κ�. ‘As one who is not running uncertainly.’ So in the next member of the sentence, ‘so fight I, as one who is not beating the air.’ μή would have required us to render ‘As if I were not running uncertainly’; ‘as if I were... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠΩΠΙΆΖΩ. Literally, I STRIKE UNDER THE EYE, or I BEAT BLACK AND BLUE. So the ancient Latin version of Irenaeus renders it _Corpus meum lividum facio_. The Vulgate, less forcibly, _castigo_. Tyndale, _tame_. R.V. _buffet_. The same word is used in Luke 18:5 of the effect of the repeated complaints o... [ Continue Reading ]