TEXT. 20 And unto the jews, I became as a jew, that I might gain the jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them, that are under the law; 21 To them, that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them, that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 24 Know ye not, that they, which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. PARAPHRASE. man, I yet subject myself to every one, to the end that 20 I may make the more converts to Christ. To the jews, and those under the law of Moses, I became as a jew, and one under that law, that I might gain the jews, and 21 those under the law; To those without the law of Moses, I applied myself, as one not under that law, (not, indeed, as if I were under no law to God, but as obeying and following the law of Christ) that I might gain 22 those, who were without the law. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that I might leave no lawful thing 23 untried, whereby I might save people of all sorts. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I myself may share 24 in the benefits of the gospel. Know ye not that they, who run a race, run not lazily, but with their utmost force? They all endeavour to be first, because there is but one that gets the prize. It is not enough for you to run, but so to run, that ye may obtain: which they cannot do, who running only, because they are bid, do not 25 run with all their might. They, who propose to themselves the getting the garland in your games, readily submit themselves to severe rules of exercise and abstinence and yet their's is but a fading, transitory crown; TEXT. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that, by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away. PARAPHRASE. that, which we propose to ourselves, is everlasting; and therefore deserves, that we should endure greater hard26 ships for it. I therefore so run, as not to leave it to uncertainty. I do what I do, not as one who fences 27 for exercise, or ostentation; But I really and in earnest keep under my body, and intirely enslave it to the service of the gospel, without allowing any thing to the exigencies of this animal life, which may be the least hindrance to the propagation of the gospel; lest that I, who preach to bring others into the kingdom of heaven, should be disapproved of, and rejected myself. SECT. VI. N°. 1. CHAP. X. 1-22. CONTENTS. It seems, by what he here says, as if the corinthians had told St. Paul, that the temptations and constraints they were under, of going to their heathen neighbours feasts upon their sacrifices, were so many, and so great, that there was no avoiding it: and, therefore, they thought they might go to them without any offence to God, or danger to themselves; since they were the people of God, purged from sin by baptism, and fenced against it, by partaking of the body and blood of Christ, in the Lord's supper. To which St. Paul answers, that, notwithstanding their baptism, and partaking of that spiritual meat and drink, yet they, as well as the jews of old did, might sin, and draw on themselves destruction from the hand of God: that eating of things, that were known, and owned, to be offered to idols, was partaking in the idolatrous worship; and, therefore, they were to prefer even the danger of persecution before such a compliance; for God would find a way for them to escape. TEXT. 1 MOREOVER, brethren, I would not, that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized, unto Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: (for they drank of that spiritual rock, that followed them: and that rock was Christ.) 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. PARAPHRASE. 1 I WOULD not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers, the whole congregation of the children of Israel, at their coming out of Egypt, were, all to a man, 2 under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all, by this baptism, in the cloud, and passing through the water, initiated into the mosaical institution and government, by these two miracles of the cloud and 3 the sea. And they all eat the same meat, which had a 4 typical and spiritual signification; And they all drank the same spiritual, typical drink, which came out of the rock, and followed them, which rock typified Christ: all which were typical representations of Christ, as well as the bread and wine, which we eat and drink in the Lord's 5 supper, are typical representations of him. But yet, though every one of the children of Israel, that came out of Egypt, were thus solemnly separated from the rest of the profane, idolatrous world, and were made God's NOTE. 2 The apostle calls it baptism, which is the initiating ceremony into both the jewish and christian church: and the cloud and the sea, both being nothing but water, are well suited to that typical representation; and that the children of Israel were washed with rain from the cloud, may be collected from Psalm bevis. 9. TEXT. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed; and fell in one-day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. PARAPHRASE. peculiar people, sanctified and holy, every one of them to himself, and members of his church: nay, though they did all partake of the same meat, and the same drink, which did typically represent Christ, yet they were not thereby privileged from sin: but great numbers of them provoked God, and were destroyed in the 6 wilderness for their disobedience. Now these things were set as patterns to us, that we, warned by these examples, should not set our minds a-longing, as they did, 7 after meats, that would be safer let alone. Neither be ye. idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up 8" to play "." Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and 9 twenty thousand. Neither let us provoke Christ, as some of them provoked, and were destroyed of serpents. NOTES. 5 b It may be observed here, that St. Paul, speaking of the israelites, uses the word warts, all, five times in the four foregoing verses; besides that, he carefully says, τὸ αὐτὸ βρῶμα, the same meat, and τὸ αὐτὸ πόμα, the same drink, which we cannot suppose to be done by chance, but emphatically to signify to the corinthians, who, probably, presumed too much upon their baptism, and eating the Lord's supper, as if that were enough to keep them right in the sight of God: that though the israelites, all to a man, eat the very same spiritual food, and, all to a man, drank the very same spiritual drink; yet they were not all to a man preserved; but many of them, for all that, sinned and fell under the avenging hand of God, in the wilderness. 6 Kaxar," evil things:" the fault of the israelites, which this place refers to, seems to be their longing for flesh, Numb. xi. which cost many of them their lives: and that, which he warns the corinthians of, here, is their great propension to the pagan sacrifice feasts. 74 Play, i, e. dance; feasting and dancing usually accompanied the heathen sacrifices, TEXT. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. PARAPHRASE. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and 11 were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened to the jews for examples, and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the 12 ages are come. Wherefore, taught by these examples, let him that thinks himself safe, by being in the church, and partaking of the christian sacraments, take heed lest he fall into sin, and so destruction from God 13 overtake him. Hitherto, the temptations you have met with, have been but light and ordinary; if you should come to be pressed harder, God, who is faithful, and never forsakes those, who forsake not him, will not suf NOTES. 10 e 'Onolpevτos, "Destroyer," was an angel, that had the power to destroy, mentioned Exod. xii. 23, Heb. xi. 28. 11 f It is to be observed, that all these instances, mentioned by the apostle, of destruction, which came upon the israelites, who were in covenant with God, and partakers in those typical sacraments abovementioned, were occasioned by their luxurious appetites, about meat and drink, by fornication, and by idolatry, sins, which the corinthians were inclined to; and which he here warns them against. So I think Tà téλn Tŵy aiúver should be rendered, and not, contrary to grammar, "the end of the world;" because it is certain, that rean and oviléMelα TO αINI, or Tŵv aiúrav, cannot signify every where, as we render it, "the end of the world;" which denotes but one certain period of time, for the world can have but one end; whereas those words signify, in different places, different periods of time; as will be manifest to any one, who will compare these texts, where they occur, viz. Matt. xiii. 39, 40, and xxiv. S, and xxviii. 20, 1 Cor. x. 11, Heb. ix. 26. It may be worth while, therefore, to consider, wie her alwv hath not ordinarily a more natural signification in the New Testament, by standing for a considerable length of time, passing under some one remarkable dispensation. |
