Observe here, 1. That it was not simply and absolutely their going to law which the apostle condemns, but their impleading one another at pagan tribunals, and before heathen judges; THE LAW IS GOOD, IF USED LAWFULLY; but the best thing may be abused; so is oft the law itself. Most evident it is, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
It must be still obsreved, that the apostle, doth not go about to abolish the use of secular judgments, or condemn going to law; but only reproves the abuses that were found among them therein. BROTHER GOING TO LAW WITH BROTHER; that is, one Christian with another: and this not before. Christian but... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. Our apostle's positive assertion, and categorical proposition, THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD; where by unrighteousness, is meant injustice and injuriousness towards our neighbour, as appears by the context, which speaks of defrauding: unrighteousness will... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have another argument, which our apostle uses to dissuade them from all gross wickedness in general, and from such unchristian behaviour one towards another, as he had before reproved in particular: namely, that great and mighty change which had been wrought upon several of them by means of... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle still proceeds in the reprehensory part of his epistle, and begins here to reprove the growing heresy of the Gnostics and Nicolaitans among them, who allowed the eating OF THINGS SACRIFICED TO IDOLS, AND FORNICATION, as things indifferent. The apostle grants, that all indifferent things... [ Continue Reading ]
From this verse to the end of the chapter our apostle labours, by sundry arguments, to convince the Corinthians of the exceeding sinfulness of the sin of fornication; partly, because they reckon it amongst the number of indifferent things, and also because the Corinthians before their conversion to... [ Continue Reading ]
Here. second argument against fornication is taken from the body's resurrection: Our bodies are to be raised, therefore not to be defiled; to be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body in heaven, therefore not to be defiled with lusts here on earth. As if he had said, "Were your bodies to be fin... [ Continue Reading ]
A third argument here follows: "Our bodies are the members of Christ, as well as our souls; that is, the union is made between Christ and us, consisting of soul and body both. Now, shall we dispose of our bodies, the members of Christ, to so base an use? Shall our bodies, which are joined to Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
The sense is, "That as wedlock makes man and wife one body lawfully, so fornication makes the man and the harlot one body sinfully; all the difference is in the morality of the act, but the species or kind of act is the same: thus the fornicator and the harlot are one flesh; but he that is joined to... [ Continue Reading ]
FLEE FORNICATION. Note, 1. The apostle's advice to escape fornication; and that is, to flee it, namely, by shunning all occasions of it, all temptations leading to it, all incentives and provocations of it, not suffering our eye to wander, or our thoughts to muse, much less to dwell, upon any unlaw... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have the apostle's fifth argument against fornication and uncleanness, and it runs thus: "Temples which are peculiarly consecrated unto God and his service, ought not to be profaned or polluted; but the bodies of Christians are the temples of God, the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, and theref... [ Continue Reading ]