1 Corinthians 3:18

Accordingly, the Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω looks forward, not backward: one may “deceive himself” about the mixing of man's wisdom with God's, but scarcely about the truth of the threatening of 1 Corinthians 3:17. “If any one thinks to be wise amongst you, in this age (αἰῶνι, world-period: see parls.) let him become foolish, that he may become wise.” δοκεῖ not videtur (Vg [607], A.V.), but putat “ seemeth to himself, the usual (though perhaps not universal) sense of δοκεῖν in St. Paul” (Lt [608] : see parls., esp. 1 Corinthians 14:37): the danger is that of self -deception (cf. the irony in 1 Corinthians 4:10; 1 Corinthians 8:1 ff.), a danger natural in the case of teachers, esp. if intellectual and cultured there were a few such at Cor [609] (1 Corinthians 1:26); cf. the exhortations of James 3:1; James 3:13-18. ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ is antithetical to ἐν ὑμῖν (put the comma between them), “amongst you ” God's temple, Christ's property (1 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 3:23, etc.) in accordance with 1 Corinthians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:13, and with the contrast between the two wisdoms that dominates this whole Division. Men must not think to be wise in both spheres; the Church's wise are the world's fools, and vice versâ. The cross is μωρία to the world, and he who espouses it a μωρὸς in its opinion a fool with a criminal for his Master; and one can only be a Christian sage wise after the manner of 1 Corinthians 2:8 ff. upon condition of bearing this reproach (so Or [610], Cm [611], Luther, Hf [612], Gd [613], Hn [614]). Paul was crazy in the eyes of the world (1 Corinthians 4:10; 2 Corinthians 5:13; Acts 26:24), but how wise amongst us! Cf. Christ's paradox of losing the soul to gain it.

[607] Latin Vulgate Translation.

[608] J. B. Lightfoot's (posthumous) Notes on Epp. of St. Paul (1895).

[609] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[610] Origen.

[611] John Chrysostom's Homiliœ († 407).

[612] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[613] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

[614] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).