1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 1 CORINTHIANS 4:1 Paul showeth in what account such as he should be held, of whose fidelity it should be left to God to judge. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:6,7 He dissuadeth the Corinthians from valuing themselves in one teacher above another, since all had their respective distinctions f... [ Continue Reading ]
It is required of all servants, but especially of chief servants, such as stewards are, who are intrusted with their masters goods, to be dispensed out to others. The faithfulness of a steward in dispensing out his master's goods lies in his giving them out according to his master's order, giving to... [ Continue Reading ]
Those who said, _I am of Apollos, and I_ am _of Cephas, _ did at least tacitly judge Paul, and prefer Apollos and Cephas before him; and it is probable, and will appear also from other parts of these Epistles, that they passed very indecent censures concerning Paul: he therefore tells them, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW NOTHING BY MYSELF; nothing amiss, nothing that is evil; yet this must not be interpreted universally, as if St. Paul knew nothing that was evil and sinful by himself; himself, ROMANS 7:1, tells us the contrary; but it must be understood with respect to his discharge of his ministerial office:... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME, UNTIL THE LORD COME; seeing that the judgment of secret things belongs to God, _judge nothing before the time, _ which God hath set to judge all things. The works of the flesh are manifest, and men may judge of them; but for secret things, of which it is impo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE THINGS, BRETHREN, I HAVE IN A FIGURE TRANSFERRED TO MYSELF AND TO APOLLOS FOR YOUR SAKES: by these words the apostle lets us know, that though he had said, 1 CORINTHIANS 1:12, that some of them said: We are of Paul, and others: We are of Apollos; yet the names of Paul and of Apollos were b... [ Continue Reading ]
It is apparent that pride was the reigning sin of many in this church of Corinth; pride, by reason of those parts and gifts wherein they excelled, whether they were natural or acquired habits, or common gifts of the Spirit which were infused: to abate this tumour, the apostle minds them to consider,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW YE ARE FULL, NOW YE ARE RICH; you that are the teachers at Corinth, or you that are the members of the church there, think yourselves full of knowledge and wisdom, so as you stand in need of no further learning or instruction. YE HAVE REIGNED AS KINGS WITHOUT US; ye think now you have got a king... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I THINK THAT GOD HATH SET FORTH US THE APOSTLES LAST, AS IT WERE APPOINTED TO DEATH; the lot of us who are the apostles of Christ is not so externally happy, but a lot of poverty and misery, as if we were the worst of men, men APPOINTED TO DEATH. FOR WE ARE MADE A SPECTACLE UNTO THE WORLD, AND T... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE accounted FOOLS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE by the _wise_ men of the world, and we are willing to be so accounted; but you think yourselves wise, and yet IN CHRIST. WE ARE WEAK in the opinion of men, we suffer evil, and do not resist; BUT YE account yourselves, and are by the world accounted, STRONG: Y... [ Continue Reading ]
Our state in the world is low and mean; though you be full, we are hungry and thirsty; though you be richly clothed, yet we ARE next to NAKED, clothed with rags; though you be hugged and embraced by the men of the world, yet we ARE BUFFETED; though you have rich and famous houses, yet we HAVE NO CER... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LABOUR, WORKING WITH OUR HANDS; we do not only labour in the word and doctrine, but we labour with our hands, that we might not be burdensome to the church, our hands ministering to our necessities, ACTS 20:34; though, as he saith, 1 CORINTHIANS 9:4, they had a _power to eat and drink, _ that is... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING DEFAMED, WE ENTREAT: we are blasphemed, Gr. that is, spoken evil of, which is the same with _defamed_ in our language, men speak all manner of evil of us to take away our reputation; but _we entreat_ God for them: the word signifieth to exhort, entreat, comfort, we exercise ourselves in all pi... [ Continue Reading ]
I tell you not of this to make you blush, as having had any hand in these indignities which are put upon us, nor yet TO SHAME YOU (though possibly you have reason to be ashamed, either for your neglect of us, or for your adding to our affliction); I look upon you as my SONS, and sons whom I love: I... [ Continue Reading ]
The great lesson of this text is: That people ought to have a tender respect for those ministers whom God hath hononred with their first conversion, and bringing them home to Christ. God may make use of a multitude of ministers to instruct Christians, and carry on his work in their souls to perfecti... [ Continue Reading ]
I might as a father command you, but I BESEECH YOU, BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME, in preserving the unity and promoting the holiness of the church. He expounds this, 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1: _Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ._ Holiness of life and conversation is necessary to a true minister of Christ;... [ Continue Reading ]
This Timothy Paul found at Lystra, ACTS 16:1. _His father was a Greek, _ his mother _a Jewess, _ therefore Paul circumcised him; her name was Eunice, the daughter of Lois, 2 TIMOTHY 1:5. Paul took him along with him in his travels. He was ordained by the imposition _of the hands of the presbytery,_... [ Continue Reading ]
I hear that some of your teachers, and some of your members, are so conceited of themselves, that they would persuade you that I durst not see their faces, or come to discourse with them face to face, and therefore WOULD NOT COME UNTO YOU.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL COME TO YOU SHORTLY: Paul intended in his journey to Rome to pass through Macedonia and Achaia, but he knew that God could hinder him, and therefore he adds, IF THE LORD WILL: neither did Paul go to them so soon as he intended, but had time before he went to write another Epistle, as we s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGDOM OF GOD in the church, or _the kingdom of God_ in the particular soul. God hath not sent his ministers to subdue souls to himself by fine, florid words and phrases, but by a lively preaching the gospel, while his power attends their plain preaching; and the power and efficacy of the preac... [ Continue Reading ]
Which will ye rather choose? That I should come unto you as a father cometh to his child under some guilt for which he must punish and correct him, or as a father cometh to his child that hath done nothing provoking his displeasure, in love, and meekly? I am not willing to come to you to correct and... [ Continue Reading ]