As if the apostle had said, "Although. warned you, in the foregoing chapter, against an undue esteem of your pastors, and against. factious preference of some before others, to the great scandal of religion, and the prejudice of the gospel; yet. speak not this to draw you off from paying that due ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Not as if the apostle was unconcerned whether the Corinthians had. good esteem of him, or not; or were regardless of his reputation among men: but the meaning is, he did not much value himself upon the opinion and judgment which any persons had of him, knowing that his case would not be finally dete... [ Continue Reading ]
These words are not to be understood absolutely and universally, but relatively and respectively; not as if the apostle knew no sin in himself, (for he went groaning under. body of sin to his grave,) but with respect to his ministry; his conscience cleared him of all unfaithfulness and neglect of du... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle's design in these words, is not to condemn all judgment of persons, words, or actions, or to oblige us to suspend our judging till the day of judgment; but only forbids rash censuring, unadvised, uncertain, and unseasonable judging of the hearts and final states of men. We may judge what... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle prosecutes his former argument afresh, that neither the Corinthians, nor any other Christians, should so overvalue and magnify some ministers of the gospel, as to undervalue and despise others, making men of eminency the heads of factions and parties; but that they esteem all minist... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "Who is it that maketh one minister to differ from and excel another? Is it not God? If so, then let those ministers that have received the greatest gifts from God, whom the inspiration of the Almighty hath made most wise and understanding, be most humble themselves; and... [ Continue Reading ]
These words are looked upon by interpreters as an ironical reproof given by St. Paul to the Corinthians, in which with an holy derision he rebukes the over-weening and high opinion which they had of their present attainments and spiritual perfections; YE ARE FULL, &C. As if he had said, "Now you th... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The several kinds of sufferings which the holy apostles were exposed to, and exercised with; namely, hunger, and want, poverty, and reproach, persecution, and death. They suffered in their bodies by hunger, and nakedness, and stripes; in their names, by scandals and reproaches, bein... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The holy ingenuity of the apostle, discovered in the sharp reproofs given to the Corinthians: it was to warn them of their duty, not to reproach them for their crimes: I WRITE NOT THESE THINGS TO SHAME, BUT WARN YOU. The ministers of God take far greater pleasure in exhorting people... [ Continue Reading ]
No sooner had St. Paul planted. church in Corinth, but, by the envy and malice of Satan, most notorious disorders, and scandalous abuses, were cast into it. To obviate which great and growing mischief, he writes them his mind in this epistle. But lest this method should prove ineffectual, because wr... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The advantages which the height and haughtiness of some envious teachers took, upon St. Paul's absence from Corinth; they entertained low and contemptuous thoughts of him, and vaunted that he durst not come before them, nor stand among them. Observe, 2. St. Paul's positive resolutio... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "Come. will among you, to regulate disorders, and to rectify abuses: now choose how. shall come; whether in the milder way of kindness, love, and meekness towards you, or exercising the power God has given me, of inflicting corporal punishments on offenders, by delivering... [ Continue Reading ]