The first instance which the apostle gives of his freedom and liberty was this, That when he preached the gospel amongst them at Corinth, he had. liberty either to live on the gospel, and take maintenance of them for preaching, or to live upon his labour, following his trade of tent-making, accordin... [ Continue Reading ]
As if he had said, "Whatever others do, you of all men should not question my apostleship, for you were converted by it. You confirm and ratify my ministry, that it is of God, and that God is in it of. truth: the conversion of sinners, and the building up of saints, is God's seal to our ministry.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle instances in another branch of his Christian liberty, and that was marriage; he could have taken. wife, as Peter and other apostles did, had he pleased, and have put the church to further charges in maintaining himself,. wife, and family, as did others, without blame: and he and Bar... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "As soldiers are paid by those that employ them, and as husbandmen and shepherds live upon the fruits of their labours, so may I, and all the ministers of the gospel with me." Where note, 1. That the ministerial function is represented here as. warfare: the ministers of... [ Continue Reading ]
A second argument produced by the apostle for the people's cheerful maintenance of the ministers of the gospel, is taken from the Levitical law: SAY. THESE THINGS AS. MAN; OR SAITH NOT THE LAW THE SAME ALSO? As if he had said, "I do not speak this only rationally, as. thing very agreeable to the lig... [ Continue Reading ]
A third argument for the ministers' maintenance is here taken from common justice: THEY SOW SPIRITUAL THINGS. That is, they dispense the word and sacraments, and endeavour to make men spiritual and holy here, and happy hereafter; and therefore they ought to reap some of their people's CARNAL THINGS,... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have. fourth argument for the Corinthians allowing St. Paul and other apostles. sufficient maintenance; namely, from their own example to other teachers at Corinth: as if he had said, "You maintain others, why not us? do not you owe more to us, who first laid the foundation of. Christian chu... [ Continue Reading ]
A fifth argument is here produced for the ministers' maintenance, which is taken from the example of the Levites, who lived upon the things that were offered in the temple, and at the altar, and had. considerable part of the sacrifice allowed them by God himself for their ministration, under the law... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having thus asserted his liberty, now shows his great moderation in the use of it: although he had. liberty to marry, and to demand maintenance for his ministry as well as others, yet he denied himself in both. The apostle was charged by false teachers, that he preached the gospel for h... [ Continue Reading ]
That which the apostle glories in, is not his bare preaching of the gospel, but his preaching of it freely and without maintenance: "For, says he, though. preach the gospel, that has nothing singular in it, others do it as well as myself, and. am bound to do it as well as others; for necessity is la... [ Continue Reading ]
The scene is, "This gives me hopes of. reward extraordinary from God; namely, that. have preached the gospel to you, without being chargeable to any of you; for had. received maintenance from you,. found my reproaches would have brought an ill report upon me. To prevent which,. made use of my Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
In these verses our apostle proceeds to show the Corinthians farther, how mightily he did abridge himself of his Christian liberty, which was the argument he was insisting upon. For, says he, THOUGH. BE FREE FROM ALL MEN, as being. servant to none, yet HAVE. MADE MYSELF AS. SERVANT to all, THAT. MI... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle, according to his custom in sundry epistles, does in the end of this chapter fall upon the use of terms agonistical, borrowed from the olympic and other Grecian games, celebrated near Corinth, in which the contending parties did put forth all their strength, to out-do one another. These... [ Continue Reading ]
It was. custom amongst those that used at Corinth the fore-mentioned games of running and wrestling, to tie themselves to. strict prescribed diet, both for quality and quantity, by way of preparation. They did not indulge themselves in gluttony, or any sort of excess, but were temperate in all thing... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, "I run this race of Christianity myself, which. advise you unto. But my care is to run sure, not at uncertainties; to make sure of the crown at the end of the race, and. do not only run, but fight;. oppose whatever opposeth me." Here observe, The apostle changes the metaphor from that of r... [ Continue Reading ]
The original word may be fitly rendered,. give myself blue eyes; alluding to the olympic game of cuffing, in which the combatants were wont with their blows to beat one another, till they made each other livid, their eyes black and blue. The sense is, that by mortification he used great severity upo... [ Continue Reading ]