82 WITH SUCH NO NOT TO EAT. [I. COR. *if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, 17. 2 Thess. iii. or an extortioner; with such an one no not to x Matt. xviii. 17. Rom. xvi. 6, 14. 2 John (Epistolary Aorist) unto you not to keep company," &c.; but if the "I wrote " refers to what he had written in the former letter, then we must understand it as meaning, "but really I wrote," or "but, as it is, I wrote." They seem to have taken generally what he only meant to apply to those making a Christian profession. " Really I wrote to lay upon you not to eat with any professing Christian who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner." Notice how, whilst limiting the prohibition to those calling themselves Christians, he extends its application to those practising many evil things besides fornication to covetous, idolaters, extortioners, &c. It has been asked, how could any idolaters be reckoned amongst professing Christians? But is it not very probable that in such a mixed society of heathen and Christian, many professing believers should take part in idolatrous shows or feasts? In chap. viii. 10 he supposes the case, as if it were not by any means unknown, of Christians sitting at meat in an idol's temple; and many, in order not absolutely to break with their idolatrous relations and friends, might go even further, and affect some semblance of worship. I have heard of Christian Englishmen in India attending feasts in honour of Vishnu.1 A question also has arisen whether by the words "with such an one no not to eat," the Apostle alludes to the partaking of the Agapæ, or even of the Eucharist, with such sinners. His injunction seems to me to refer to private life, and it would seem most incongruous to exclude sinners from the Eucharist, and yet eat with them in private. This would be undoing privately what they had attempted to do publicly by Church censures. Eschewing the com 1 Dean Stanley and others understand this idolatry, not of worshipping false gods, but of sensuality and impurity: such sensuality and impurity being called idolatry because it was characteristic of the worship of such deities, as Aphrodite; but, in the first place, is it at all likely that the Apostle would veil fornication and lasciviousness under another name? Why should he? And, again, if Christians were under temptation to compromise themselves by taking part in idolatrous worship, surely it was the duty of the Apostle to denounce it. CHAP. V.] PUT AWAY THAT WICKED PERSON. a 12 For what have I to do to judge them also without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 83 that are Mark iv. 11. Thess. iv. 12. Col. iv. 5. 1 1 Tim. iii, 7. a ch.vi. 1,2,3,4. b Deut. xii. 5, & xvi. 7. & xxi. 21. & xxii. 21, 22, 24. 12. "Them also." So D. (Greek), E. (Greek), L., most Cursives, Arm., Goth.; but , A., B., C., F., G., P., 17, 31, 39, 46, 67, 73, d, e, f, g, Vulg., Copt., Syriac, Eth., omit "also." 13. "God judgeth," or "shall judge." "Therefore put away.” "Therefore" omitted by N, A., B., C., D., F., G., P., fifteen Cursives, d, e, f, g, Vulg., Copt., Arm. pany of fornicators, covetous persons, and drunkards, would form a necessary part of "purging out the old leaven " which he had just been pressing upon them. 12. "For what have I to do to judge them that are without?" As if he said, "Ye need not have misunderstood my meaning, for I have nothing to do in the way of judgment with those without, those external to the Church; but ye yourselves, by Church censures or excommunication, judge your fellow-members of the Church, and so ye might have known that I referred solely to them." 13. "But them that are without God judgeth." Either judgeth in the present, inasmuch as He now passes a judgment upon all, and in some cases exercises a present judgment, for He is “the Judge of all the earth "—or "shall judge," i.e., at the last day. 66 If a "Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." These words are taken verbatim from Deut. xxiv. 7 : man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him or selleth him, then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you." The "therefore" is perhaps not genuine. If it is not, it seems to read as if the Apostle dismissed the subject somewhat abruptly: "I have written enough. Put away at once the cause of offence." 84 DARE ANY OF YOU? [I. COR D4 CHAP. VI. ARE any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? a Ps. xlix. 14. Matt. xix. 28. iii. 21. & xx. 4. a 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ? 1. "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law," &c. Bengel, who is quoted by most expositors, notices that the Apostle uses here a very lofty expression, as if going to law in heathen courts against one of the brethren is treason against the Church, the Body of Christ. ("Grandi verbo notatur læsa majestas Christianorum.") If any Christians dared such a thing they came short in this matter of the faith and piety of the Jews, amongst whom it was a law that all disputes should be referred to the arbitration of approved men of their own faith and nation. This seems to have been recognized by Gallio, when he said to them, "If it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it, for I will be no judge of such matters" (Acts xviii. 15). "Go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints." The unjust, most probably because, being unbelievers, they were not justified. It can scarcely allude to any essential injustice in their modes of judicial proceedings, and this is confirmed by the heathen as adíkoɩ, and the saints as you, being opposed: the saints here can only mean those dedicated to God, the members of the Church of Christ, and so the unjust are those heathens whom God has at present not seen fit to make partakers of His righteousness. 2. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" There seems here a clear reference to Daniel vii. 22: "Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the 1 The Rabbinical prohibitions against going to law before Gentiles may be seen in Wetstein, e.g. "Statutum est ad quod omnes Israelitæ obligantur, eum qui litem cum alio habet non debere eam tractare coram Gentilibus " (Tauchuma, xcii. 2). CHAP. VI.] WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS. 85 b 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? b 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude 6. most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." This place should not be explained away as if the saints should judge the world in the sense of condemning it by the manifestation of their superior righteousness, nor that they should judge the world by the Imperial throne belonging, in the course of events, to a Christian Emperor as Constantine. It must refer to the saints being called by Christ, to be in some sort His assessors at the last day. Against this it is urged that Christ alone will judge, for He Himself said, "the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" but it is not meant, when we plead for the literal meaning of this verse, that the judgment by the saints will be in the least degree apart from Christ, but simply under Him, by an act of His grace, and a sort of extension of His judgment. As Godet remarks, "The idea of a real judicial act is demanded by the context." The Apostle speaks throughout of the judgment administered in this world by judges and courts of law, and his argument is that they who will actually take part in the judgment of the world are certainly competent to settle between themselves comparatively trivial matters of dispute which may arise among themselves. 3. "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that," &c. Fallen angels must here be meant. It is scarcely conceivable that we shall pass sentence upon, or otherwise judge those who have, as ministering spirits, assisted us as heirs of salvation. Twice (2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude 6) we are told that evil angels have not yet been consigned to their final doom, and we may be called upon under Christ to judge them. This also is one of those numerous places of Scripture which is taken little or no account of in our popular Eschatology. The circumstances under which we shall exercise this judgment are not told us, nor can we well imagine them; but the fact is revealed as one of the wonders of the Great Day. If men in the Name of Christ could cast out these evil spirits—if our conflict is not with flesh and blood, but with these principalities and powers-if they are (the very chief of them) even now bruised under our feet, it is no marvel if the Lord chooses to make those who were once their victims through sin, the instruments of His triumph over them. 86 I SPEAK TO YOUR SHAME. [I. COR 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in ech. v. 12. the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. d be 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, cause ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded ? d Prov. xx. 22. 19. 1 Thess. 7. "A fault among you." So many Cursives; but N, A., B., C., D., E., L., P., most Cursives, &c., read, "to you" (μ), omitting v. 4. "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set," &c. Many understand this as an interrogative, "do ye set them to judge," &c.; others as if it was imperative, but spoken ironically. Taken in connection with the next verse it makes good sense either way. 5. "I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man," &c. They boasted of their knowledge and spiritual gifts, and yet acted as if there was not a prudent and intelligent person among them whom they could constitute arbiter in these secular matters. 6. "But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers." Here those who were in verse 1 called unjust are here called unbelievers. Quesnel remarks, "The good things of this world divide those who are most closely united to one another. The good things of heaven will reunite those who are most opposite and divided." 7. "Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another," &c. Translated by the Revisers, Nay, already it is altogether a defect in you, that ye have lawsuits. one with another." 66 The mere fact of your having these lawsuits is a loss of Christian grace to you. They manifest a loss of mutual forbearance and charity amongst those who by God's grace are one in Christ, and |