2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yca, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge hothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of dark ness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. - 2 Ὁ δε λοιπον, ζητείται εν τοις οικονομοις, ἵνα πιςος τις ευρεθῃ. 3 Εμοι δε εις ελαχιςον εςιν, ἵνα ὑφ' υμων ανακρίνω, η υπο ανθρωπινης ημερας, αλλ' ουδε εμαυτον ανακρινω. 4 Ουδεν γαρ εμαυτῷ συν οιδα, αλλ' ουκ εν τουτῳ δε δικαιωμαι· ὁ δε ανακρινων με, Κύριος εςιν 5 Ώστε μη προ καιρου τι κρινετε, έως αν έλθῃ ὁ Κύριος ὃς και φωτίσει τα κρυπτα του σκοτους, και φανερώσει τας βουλας των καρδιών και το τε ὁ επαινος γενησεται ἑκασ τῷ απο του Θεου. observed, chap. ii. 7. note 1. And he called himself the steward, or mystagogue of these mysteries, to intimate, that the deepest doctrines, as well as the first principles of the gospel, were entrusted to him to be dispensed or made known; and that his faithfulness as a steward, consisted not only in his discovering them exactly as he had received them from Christ, but in his discovering them as his hearers were able to receive them. Ver. 3. 1. That I be condemned by you. The word ανακρίνειν, properly signifies to examine, in order to pass a judicial sentence, either of acquittal or of condemnation, Luke xxiii. 14. Acts iv. 9. But as the simple verb κρίνειν, to julge, signifies also to condemn, Rom. xiv. 22. the compound verb ανακρίνειν, to examine, may signify to condemn in consequence of examination : it being usual in all languages, to put the cause for the effect. This sense, the word ανακρίνεy evidently hath in the latter part of the verse: Ουδε εμαυ τον ανακρίνω, I do not condemn myself : for the apostle could not say, I do not examine, or judge myself. It is the duty of every good man to examine and judge himself and it is what the apostle recommended to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xi. 31. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 2. Human julgment. Ανθρωπινης ημερας ; literally, buman day, namely, of judgment, in allusion to the great day of judgment. Ver. 4.1. For I am conscious to myself of no fault. The like form of ex 2 Now, it is required in the stewards of these mysteries, that every one of them be found by his master Christ, faithful in dispensing them. 3 Therefore, to me it is a very small matter, that I be condemned as unfaithful, by you, or by any man's judgment, for not having taught you more fully; because I do not condemn myself as unfaithful in that respect: neither will Christ my master condemn me. 4 For I am conscious to myself of no fault in the discharge of my stewardship. However, I am not by this justified, I know, in your eyes. But I add, he who condemneth, he who alone hath a right to condemn me, is the Lord my master. 5 Wherefore, as ye cannot search mens' hearts, do not, before the time I am to be tried, pass any judgment on me as a steward, until the Lord my master come, who both will bring to light things secretly done, and lay open the designs of the hearts; the motives from which men have acted: and then reward shall be to every faithful steward, from God his Judge. pression was used by the Latins: Nil conscire sibi,nulla pallescere culpa.We have the Greek phrase complete, Job xxvii. 6. LXX. Ov jag ouroida εμαυτώ άτοπον πράξας. Ver. 5.-1. Do not before the time pass any judgment. Neither in church nor state could order and peace be maintained, if rulers were not to pass judgment on offenders, and punish them. This, therefore, is one of those general expressions, of which there are a number in scripture, which must be limited by the subject to which they are applied. See another example, ver. 7.-The Corinthians were not to pass any judgment on Paul's general behaviour as an apostle, till Christ his master came and judged him. In such, and in many cases of a like nature, to judge rightly, we ought to have the knowledge of men's hearts, as the apostle insinuates in the latter part of the verse. 2. Lay open the counsels of the hearts. What the apostle hath written here concerning Christ, is agreable to what Christ says of himself, Rev. ii. 6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself, and to Apollos, for your sakes : that ye might learn in us not to think of men, above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it. 8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9 For I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were - Ταυτα δε, αδελφοι, μετ εσχηματισα εις εμαυτον και Απολλω δι' ύμας, ἵνα εν ήμιν μαθητε το μη ύπερ ὁ γεγραπται φρονειν, ἵνα μη εις ὑπερ του ἑνος φυσιούσθε και τα του ἑτερου. 7 Τις γαρ σε διακρινει ; τι δε εχεις ὁ ουκ έλαβες; ει δε και ελαβες, τι καυχασαι μη λαβων; 8 Ηδη κεκορεσμένοι εστε, ηδη επλουτησατε, χωρίς ἡμων εβασίλευσατε και οφελον γε εβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα και ήμεις ἱμιν συμβασιλευσωμεν. 9 Δοκω γαρ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ήμας τους αποστολους εσχατους απέδειξεν, ὡς επιθανατ 23. All the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and the hearts. God is called the searcher of all hearts, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. Ver. 6.1. I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos ; 1 mean by substituting our names, chap. i. 12. iii. 4. in place of the names of the teachers among you, whom I meant to reprove. 2. Not to esteem any teacher. Wolf on Philip. i. 7. observes, that the word φρονείν denotes the paying a peculiar regard or attention to a person. 3. Above what bath been written, namely, chap. iii. 5.-9. 21. iv. 1. This great apostle, by thus stripping himself of all honour, and by taking to himself the simple character of a servant of Christ, ver. 1. taught the heads of the faction to lay aside their boasting, and to behave with modesty, especially as all the teachers at Corinth did nothing but build upon the foundation which he had laid, and exercised 'no spiritual gift but what they had received, either from him, or from some other apostle. 4. Be pufed up against another. The word φυσις, signifies the state of a person's mind, who is filled with an high opinion of himself, and who, in consequence of that high opinion, indulges hatred and wrath against all who fail in paying him the respect which he thinks his due. This latter operation of pride, is the evil which the apostle condemns in the passage 6 Now these things, brethren, concerning the heads of the factions, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos, for your sakes, that by us, who disclaim all pre-eminence inconsistent with the honour due to Christ, ye may learn not to esteem teachers above what hath been written, ver. 1. and that no one of you may, on account of any teacher, be puffed up with anger against another who does not esteem that teacher as he does. 7 Besides, to the false teacher, I say, who maketh thee to differ from others? For what spiritual gift hast thou, which thou didst not receive from some apostle? And now, if thou didst receive thy gift from the apostles, why dost thou boast as not receiving it, by setting thyself up against me, who am an apostle ? 8 Now ye false teachers are living in plenty; now ye are become rich with the presents ye have received from your admirers. Ye have reigned during my absence, and I wish, indeed, ye had reigned in a due subordination to Christ, that we also might rule the church at Corinth, with you. 9 Yours is not the lot of the apostles of Christ, (John xvi. 33.) For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles, last of all the prophets, before us, as is plain from the turn of his expression: That no one of you may, on account of one, be puffed up against another. Ver. 8.-1. Are become rich. Whitby understands this of their being rich in spiritual gifts, as well as in worldly wealth. 2. Ye have reigned. The apostle expresses the behaviour of the false teacher by the word reigning, either because he governed the faction in an imperious manner, and attempted to rule the sincere part of the church according to his own pleasure, or because he lived at Corinth in affluence. Ver. 9.-1. Set forth us the apostles last, we eidavarius, as persons appointed to death. This is an allusion to the Roman theatrical spectacles. For from a passage of Seneca's epistles, quoted by Whitby, it appears appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for ιους, ότι θεατρον εγενήθη μεν τῷ κόσμῳ και αγγελοις και ανθρωποις. 10 Ημεις μωροι δια Χρι Christ's sake, but ye are στον, ὑμεις δε φρονιμοι εν wise in Christ: we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this pre sent hour, we both Irunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffetted, and have no certain dwelling-place; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless : being persecuted, we suffer it: δε Χριστῷ' ήμεις ασθενεις, ύμεις ισχυροι ύμεις ενδοξοι, ήμεις δε ατιμοι. 11 Αχρι της αρτι ώρας και πεινωμεν, και διψωμεν και γυμνητευομεν, και κολαφιζο μεθα, και αςατούμεν, 12 Και κοπιωμεν εργαζο μενοι ταις ιδιαις χερσι· λοιδορούμενοι, ευλογονμεν· διωκομενοι, ανεχομενα that in the morning, those criminals to whom they gave a chance of escaping with their life, fought with the wild beasts armed. But in the afternoon, the gladiators fought naked, and he who escaped, was only reserved for slaughter to another day: So that they might well be called sridavarius, persons appointed to death. By comparing the apostles to these devoted persons, Paul hath given us a strong and affecting picture of the dangers which the apostles encountered in the course of their ministry : dangers, which at length proved fatal to the most of them. Their labours and sufferings were greater than those of the ancient prophets. 2. A spectacle to the world, even to angels, and to men. By the angels, to whom the apostles were made a spectacle, some understand the evil angels, who may be supposed to delight in the blood of the martyrs. Others understand the good angels, to whom the faith and constancy of the apostles gave great joy. I doubt not but both were intended. For it must have animated the apostles in combating with their persecutors, to think that they were disappointing the malice of evil spirits, while they were making the angels in heaven, and good men on earth, happy, by the faith, and patience, and fortitude which they were exerting in so noble a cause. Ver. 10.1. We are fools on account of Christ, &c. In this verse, the apostle repeats ironically the things which his enemies in Corinth said of him. And in the same spirit of irony, he attributes to them the contrary qualities. Ver. 11.1. Το the present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked. This, with his working with his own hands, mentioned ver. 12. being written at Ephesus, where he abode near three years, it shews us, that the apostle took no maintenance from the Ephesians, any more than he had |