TEXT. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 17 But, as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk: and so ordain I, in all churches. PARAPHRASE. the heathen husband or wife, in respect of conjugal duty, can be no more refused, than if they were christian. For in this case, the unbelieving husband is sanc tified, or made a christian, as to his issue, in his wife, and the wife sanctified in her husband. If it were not so, the children of such parents would be unclean, i. e. in the state of heathens, but now are they holy, i. e. 15 born members of the christian church. But if the unbelieving party will separate, let them separate. A christian man, or woman, is not enslaved in such a case: only it is to be remembered, that it is incumbent on us, whom God, in the gospel, has called to be christians, to live peaceably with all men, as much as in us lieth; and, therefore, the christian husband, or wife, is not to make a breach in the family, by leaving the unbelieving 16 party, who is content to stay. For what knowest thou, O woman, but thou mayest be the means of converting, and so saving thy unbelieving husband, if thou continuest peaceably as a loving wife, with him? or what knowest thou, O man, but, after the same manner, thou 17 mayest save thy wife? On this occasion, let me give you this general rule: whatever condition God has al NOTE. 11 d'Hylara, "sanctified, aya, holy, and arάapla, unclean," are used here by the apostle, in the jewish sense. The jews called all that were jews holy, and all others they called unclean. Thus, " proles genita extra sanctita"tem," was a child begot by parents, whilst they were yet heathens; "genita "intra sanctitatem," was a child begot by parents, after they were proselytes. This way of speaking St. Paul transfers from the jewish into the christian church, calling all, that are of the christian church, saints, or holy; by which reason, all that were out of it, were unclean. See note, chap. i. 2. TEXT. 18 Is any man called, being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: is any called, in uncircumcision? let him not become circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Let every man abide in the same calling, wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called, being a servant? Care not for it; but, if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. PARAPHRASE. lotted to any of you, let him continue and go on contentedly in the same state, wherein he was called; not looking on himself as set free from it by his conversion to christianity. And this is no more, than what I order 18 in all the churches. For example, Was any one converted to christianity, being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised: was any one called, being un19 circumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circum cision or uncircumcision are nothing in the sight of God, but that which he has a regard to, is in obedience to his 20 commands. Christianity gives not any one any new privilege to change the state, or put off the obligations 21 of civil life, which he was in before. Wert thou called, NOTES. 17 signifies here, not the manner of his calling, but of the state and condition of life he was in when called; and therefore rw, must signify the same too, as the next verse shows. 20f MT, "Let him abide." It is plain, from what immediately follows, that this is not an absolute command; but only signifies, that a man should not think himself discharged, by the privilege of his christian state, and the franchises of the kingdom of Christ, which he was entered into, from any ties or obligations he was in, as a member of the civil society. And, therefore, for the settling a true notion thereof, in the mind of the reader, it has been thought convenient to give that, which is the apostle's sense, to ver. 17, 20, and 24, of this chapter, in words somewhat different from the apostle's. The thinking themselves freed by christianity, from the ties of civil society and government, was a fault, it seems, that those christians were very apt to run into. For St. Paul, for the preventing their thoughts of any change, of any thing, of their civil state, upon their embracing christianity, thinks it necessary to warn them against it three times, in the compass of seven verses; and that, in the form of a direct command, not to change their condition, or state of life. Whereby he intends, that they should not change upon a presumption that christianity gave them a new, or peculiar liberty so to do. For, notwithstanding the apostle's positively bidding them remain in the same condition, in which they were at their conver TEXT. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's free-man: likewise also he, that is called being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 1 25 Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. PARAPHRASE. being a slave? Think thyself not the less a christian, for being a slave; but yet prefer freedom to slavery, if 22 thou canst obtain it. For he that is converted to christianity, being a bond-man, is Christ's freed-man. And he that is converted, being a free-man, is Christ's bond23 man, under his command and dominion. Ye are bought with a price, and so belong to Christ; be not, if you 24 can avoid it, slaves to any body. In whatsoever state a man is called, in the same he is to remain, notwithstanding any privileges of the gospel, which gives him no dispensation, or exemption, from any obligation he 25 was in before, to the laws of his country. Now concerning virgins' I have no express command from Christ NOTES. sion; yet it is certain, it was lawful for them, as well as others, to change, where it was lawful for them to change, without being christians. 22 ATEXEúdep, in Latin, "libertus," signifies not simply a freeman, but one who having been a slave, has had his freedom given him by his master. 23 h Slaves were bought and sold in the market, as cattle are; and so, by the price paid, there was a property acquired in them. This, therefore, here is a reason for what he advised, ver. 21, that they should not be slaves to men, because Christ had paid a price for them, and they belonged to him. The slavery he speaks of is civil slavery, which he makes use of here, to convince the corinthians, that the civil ties of marriage were not dissolved by a man's becoming a christian, since slavery itself was not; and, in general, in the next verse, he tells them, that nothing in any man's civil estate, or right, is altered by his becoming a christian. 25 By virgins, it is plain St. Paul here means those of both sexes, who are in a celibate state. It is probable he had formerly dissuaded them from marriage, in the present state of the church. This, it seems, they were uneasy under, ver. 28 and 55, and therefore, sent some questions to St. Paul about it, and particularly, What, then, should men do with their daughters? Upon which occasion, ver. 25-37, he gives directions to the unmarried, about their marrying, or not marrying; and in the close, ver. 38, answers to the parents, about marrying their daughters: and then, ver. 39 and 40, he speaks of widows. TEXT. 26 I suppose, therefore, that this is good for the present distress; I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned; nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh; but I spare you. 29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short. It remaineth, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none; SO And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not. PARAPHRASE. to give you: but I tell you my opinion, as one whom the Lord has been graciously pleased to make credible*, 26 and so you may trust and rely on, in this matter. I tell you, therefore, that I judge a single life to be convenient, because of the present straits of the church; and 27 that it is best for a man to be unmarried. Art thou in the bonds of wedlock? Seek not to be loosed: art thou 28 loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. But if thou marriest, thou sinnest not; or, if a virgin inarry, she sins not: but those that are married, shall have worldly troubles; but I spare you, by not representing to you how little enjoyment christians are like to have from a married life, in the present state of things, and so I leave you 29 the liberty of marrying. But give me leave to tell you, that the time for enjoying husbands and wives is but short'. But be that as it will, this is certain, that those who have wives, should be, as if they had them not, and 30 not set their hearts upon them; And they that weep, as if they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as if they possessed not: all these things should be done with resignation and a NOTES. k In this sense he uses πισὸς ἄνθρωπο», and πιτὸς λόγΘ», 2 Tim. ii. 2. 291 Said, possibly, out of a prophetical foresight of the approaching persecution under Nero. TEXT. 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 32 But I would have you without carefulness. He, that is unmarried, careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married, careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin: the unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirit: but she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her hus band. 35 And this I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction. PARAPHRASE. 31 christian indifferency. And those who use this world, should use it without an over-relish of it, without giving themselves up to the enjoyment of it. For the scene of things is always changing in this world, and nothing can 32 be relied on in it". All the reason why I dissuade you from marriage is, that I would have you free from anxious cares. He that is unmarried, has time and liberty to mind things of religion, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married, is taken up with the cares of the 34 world, how he may please his wife. The like difference there is, between a married woman and a maid; she that is unmarried, has opportunity to mind the things of religion, that she may be holy in mind and body; but the married woman is taken up with the cares of the 35 world, how to please her husband. This I say to you,' for your particular advantage, not to lay any constraint. upon you, but to put you in a way, wherein you may 31 Kalaxpaper does not here signify "abusing," in our English sense of the word, but "intently using." All, from the beginning of ver. 28, to the end of this ver. 31, I think, may be looked on, as a parenthesis. 35 Bpóx, which we translate, a snare, signifies a cord, which possibly the apostle might, according to the language of the hebrew school, use here for binding; and then his discourse runs thus: Though I have declared it my opinion," VOL. VIII. K |