if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a a Rom.16.17. 2Jno.10. coarse, harsh, and bitter words; a man whose characteristic it was to abuse others; to vilify their character, and wound their feelings. It is needless to say how much this is contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and to the example of the Master, "who when he was reviled, reviled not again." ↑ Or a drunkard. Perhaps there might have been some then in the church, as there are now, who were addicted to this vice. It has been the source of incalculable evils to the church; and the apostle, therefore, solemnly enjoins on Christians to have no fellowship with a man who is intemperate. With such an one no not to eat. To have no intercourse or fellowship with him of any kind; not to do any thing that would seem to acknowledge him as a brother; with such an one not even to eat at the same table. A similar course is enjoined by John. 2 John 10, 11. This refers to the intercourse of common life, and not particularly to the communion. The true Christian was wholly to disown such a person, and not to do any thing that would seem to imply that he regarded him as a Christian brother. It will be seen here that the rule was much more strict in regard to one who professed to be a Christian than to those who were known and acknowledged heathens. The reasons may have been, (1.) The necessity of keeping the church pure, and of not doing any thing that would seem to imply that Christians were the patrons and friends of the intemperate and the wicked. (2.) In respect to the heathen, there could be no danger of its being supposed that Christians regarded them as brethren, or showed to them any more than the ordinary civilities of life; but in regard to those who professed to be Christians, but who were drunkards, or licentious, if a man was on terms of drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are with intimacy with them, it would seem as if he acknowledged them as brethren and recognised them as Christians. (3.) This entire separation and withdrawing from all communion was necessary in these times to save the church from scandal, and from the injurious reports which were circulated. The heathen accused Christians of all manner of crime and abominations. These reports were greatly injurious to the church. But it was evident that currency and plausibility would be given to them if it was known that Christians were on terms of intimacy and good fellowship with heathens and intemperate persons. Hence it became necessary to withdraw wholly from them; to withhold even the ordinary courtesies of life; and to draw a line of total and entire separation. Whether this rule in its utmost strictness is demanded now, since the nature of Christianity is known, and since religion cannot be in so much danger from such reports, may be made a question. I am inclined to the opinion that the ordinary civilities of life may be shown to such persons; though certainly nothing that would seem to recognise them as Christians. But as neighbours and relatives; as those who may be in distress and want, we are assuredly not forbidden to show towards them the offices of kindness and compassion. Whitby and some others, however, understand this of the communion of the Lord's supper, and of that only. 12. For what have I to do, &c. I have no authority over them; and can exercise no jurisdiction over them. All my rules, therefore, must have reference only to those who are within the church. To judge. To pass sentence upon; to condemn; or to punish. As a Christian apostle I have no jurisdiction over them. ↑ Them also that are without. Without the pale of the out? do not ye judge them that God judgeth. Therefore put are within? away from among yourselves 13 But them that are without that wicked person. a Mark 4.11. Christian church; heathens; men of the world; those who did not profess to be Christians. Do not ye judge, &c. Is not your jurisdiction as Christians confined to those who are within the church, and professed members of it? Ought you not to exercise discipline there, and inflict punishment on its unworthy members? Do you not in fact thus exercise discipline, and separate from your society unworthy persons and ought it not to be done in this instance, and in reference to the offender in your_church? 13. But them, &c. They who are unconnected with the church are under the direct and peculiar government of God. They are indeed sinners, and they deserve punishment for their crimes. But it is not ours to pronounce sentence upon them, or to inflict punishment. God will do that. Our province is in regard to the church. We are to judge these; and these alone. All others we are to leave entirely in the hands of God. Therefore. Gr. And (xal). Since it is yours to judge the members of your own society, do you exercise discipline on the offender, and put him away.' ↑ Put away from among yourselves. Excommunicate him; expel him from your society. This is the utmost power which the church has; and this the church is bound to exercise on all those who have openly offended against the laws of Jesus Christ. REMARKS. 1st. A public rumour with regard to the existence of an offence in the church should lead to discipline. This is due to the church itself that it may be pure and uninjured; to the cause, that religion may not suffer by the offence; and to the individual, that he may have justice done him, and his character vindicated if he is unjustly accused; or that if guilty he may be b Matt.18.17. reclaimed and reformed. - Offences should not be allowed to grow until they become scandalous; but when they do, every consideration demands that the matter should be investigated. ver. 1. 2d. Men are often filled with pride when they have least occasion for it. ver. 2. This is the case with individuals who are often elated when their hearts are full of sin-when they are indulging in iniquity; uity; and it is true of churches also, that they are most proud when the reins of discipline are relaxed, and their members are cold in the service of God, or when they are even living so as to bring scandal and disgrace on the gospel. 3d. We see in what way the Christian church should proceed in administering discipline. ver. 2. It should not be with harshness, bitterness, revenge, or persecution. It should be with mourning that there is necessity for it; with tenderness toward the offender; with deep grief that the cause of religion has been injured; and with such grief at the existence of the offence as to lead them to prompt and decided measures to remove it. 4th. The exercise of discipline belongs to the church itself. ver. 4. The church at Corinth was to be assembled with reference to this offence, and was to remove the offender. Even Paul, an apostle, and the spiritual father of the church, did not claim the authority to remove an offender except through the church. The church was to take up the case; to act on it; to pass the sentence; to excommunicate the man. There could scarcely be a stronger proof that the power of discipline is in the church, and is not to be exercised by any independent individual, or body of men, foreign to the church, or claiming an independent right of discipline. If Paul would not presume to exercise such discipline independently of the church, assuredly no minister, and no body of ministers have any such right now. Either by themselves in a collective congregational capacity, or through their representatives in a body of elders, or in a committee appointed by them; every church is itself to originate, and execute all the acts of Christian discipline over its members. • 5th. We see the object of Christian discipline. ver. 5. It is not revenge, hatred, malice, or the mere exercise of power that is to lead to it; it is the good of the individual that is to be pursued and sought. While the church endeavours to remain pure, its aim and object should be mainly to correct and reform the offender, that his spirit may be saved. When discipline is undertaken from any other motive than this; when it is pursued from private pique, or rivalship, or ambition, or the love of power; when it seeks to overthrow the influence or standing of another, it is wrong. The salvation of the offender and the glory of God should prompt to all the measures which should be taken in the case. 6th. We see the danger of indulging in any sin-both in reference to ourselves as individuals, or to the church. ver. 6. The smallest sin indulged in will spread pollution through the whole body, as a little leaven will effect the largest mass. 7th. Christians should be pure. ver. 7, 8. Their Saviour-their paschal lamb, was pure; and he died that they might be pure. He gave himself that his people might be holy; and by all the purity of his character; by all the labours and self-denials of his life; by all his sufferings and groans in our behalf, are we called on to be holy. draw almost entirely from the world. And they ask with deep solicitude often, what course they are to pursue? Where shall the line be drawn? How far shall they go? And where shall they deem the intercourse with the world unlawful or dangerous?-A few remarks here as rules may aid us in answering these questions. (1.) Christians are not wholly to withdraw from intercourse with the people of this world. This was the error of the monastic system, and this error has been the occasion of innumerable corruptions and abominations in the papal church. They are not to do this because, (a) It is impossible. They must needs then, says Paul, go out of the world. (b) Because religion is not to be regarded as dissocial, and gloomy, and unkind. (c) Because they have many interests in common with those who are unconnected with the church, and they are not to abandon them. The interests of justice, and liberty, and science, and morals, and public improvements, and education, are all interests in which they share in common with others. (d) Many of their best friends-a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, may be out of the church, and religion does not sever those ties, but binds them more tenderly and closely. (e) Christians are inevitably connected in commercial dealings with those who are not members of the church; and to cease to have any connexion with them would be to destroy their own business, and to throw themselves out of employment, and to break up society. (f) It would prevent the possibility of doing much good either to the bodies or the souls of men. The poor, the needy, and the afflicted are, many of them, out of the church, and they have a claim on the friends of Christ, and on their active beneficence. Sth. We are here presented with directions in regard to our intercourse with those who are not members of the church. ver. 10. There is nothing that is more difficult to be understood than the duty of Christians respecting such intercourse. Christians often feel that they are in danger from it, and are disposed to with-are to be increased and replenished go to law before the unjust, and (g) It would break up and destroy the church altogether. Its numbers CHAPTER VI, DARE any of you, having not before the saints? a matter against another, from age to age by the efforts of Christians; and this demands that Christians should have some intercourse with the men of the world whom they hope to benefit. (h) An effort to withdraw wholly from the world injures religion. It conveys the impression that religion is morose, severe, misanthropic; and all such impressions do immense injury to the cause of God and truth. (2.) The principles on which Christians should reg regulate their intercourse with the world, are these: (a) They are not to be conformed to the world; they are not to do any thing that shall countenance the views, feelings, principles of the world as such, or as distinguished from religion. They are not to do any thing that would show that they approve of the peculiar fashions, amusements, opinions of the people of the world; or to leave the impression that they belong to the world. (b) They are do justice and righteousness to every man, whatever may be his rank, character, or views. They are not to do any thing that will be calculated to give an unfavourable view of the religion which they profess to the men of the world. (c) They are to discharge with fidelity all the duties of a father, husband, son, brother, friend, benefactor, or recipient of favours, towards those who are out of the church; or with whom they may be connected. (d) They are to do good to all men -to the poor, the afflicted, the needy, the widow, the fatherless. (e) They are to endeavour so to live and act-so to converse, and so to form their plans as to promote the salvation of all others. They are to seek their spiritual welfare; and to endeavour by example, and by conversation; by exhortation and by all the means in their power to bring them to the know ledge of Christ. For this purpose they are kept on the earth instead of being removed to heaven; and to this object they should devote their lives. 9th. We see from this chapter who are not to be regarded as Christians, whatever may be their professions. ver. 11. A man who is, (1.) a fornicator; or, (2.) COVETOUS; or, (3.) an idolater; or, (4.) a railer; or, (5.) a drunkard; or, (6.) an extortioner, is not to be owned as a Christian brother. Paul has placed the covetous man, and the railer, and extortioners, in most undesirable company. They are ranked with fornicators and drunkards. And yet how many such persons there are in the Christian church-and many, too, who would regard it as a special insult to be ranked with a drunkard or an adulterer. But in the eye of God both are alike unfit for his kingdom, and are to be regarded as having no claims to the character of Christians. 10th. God will judge the world. ver. 12, 13. The world that is without the church-the mass of men that make no profession of piety, must give an account to God. They are travelling to his bar; and judgment in regard to them is taken into God's own hands, and he will pronounce their doom. It is a solemn thing to be judged by a holy God; and they who have no evidence that they are Christians, should tremble at the prospect of being soon arraigned at his bar. CHAPTER VI. THE main design of this chapter is to reprove the Corinthians for the practice of going to law before heathen courts, or magistrates, instead of settling their differences among themselves. It seems that after their conversion they were still in the habit of carrying their causes before heathen tribunals, and this the apostle regarded as contrary to the genius and spirit of the Christian religion, and as tending to expose religion to contempt in the eyes of the men of the world. He, therefore, (ver.1-7,) reproves this practice, and shows them that their differences should be settled among themselves. It seems also that the spirit of litigation and of covetousness had led them in some instances to prac 2 Do ye not know that the saints "shall judge the world? a Dan.7.22. Matt. 19.28. Jude 14,15. Rev.20.4. unwillingness to have justice done that is so often wrong. Against another. Another member of the church. A Christian brother. The apostle here directs his reproof against the plaintiff, as having the choice of the tribunal before which he would bring the cause. tice fraud and oppression of each other, Before the unjust. The heathen and he, therefore, takes occasion (ver. 8-11) to show that this was wholly inconsistent with the hope of heaven and the nature of Christianity. It would seem, also, that some at Corinth had not only indulged in these and kindred vices, but had actually defended them. This was done by plausible, but sophistical arguments, drawn from the strong passions of men; from the fact that the body was made for eating and drinking, &c. To these arguments the apostle replies in the close of the chapter, (ver. 12-20,) and especially considers the sin of fornication, to which they were particularly exposed in Corinth, and shows the heinousness of it, and its entire repugnance to the pure gospel of Christ. 1. Dare any of you. The reasons why the apostle introduced this subject here may have been, (1.) That he had mentioned the subject of judging (ch. v. 13), and that naturally suggested the topic which is here introduced; and, (2.) This might have been a prevailing evil in the church of Corinth, and demanded correction. The word dare here implies that it was inconsistent with religion, and improper. *Can you do it; is it proper or right; or do you presume so far to violate all the principles of Christianity as to do it.' 1 Having a matter. A subject of litigation; or a suit. There may be differences between men in regard to property and right, in which there shall be no blame on either side. They may both be desirous of having it equitably and amicably adjusted. It is not a difference between men that is in itself wrong, but it is the spirit with which the difference is adhered to, and the tribunals; for the word unjust here evidently stands opposed to the saints. The apostle does not mean that they were always unjust in their decisions, or that equity could in no case be hoped from them, but that they were classed in that division of the world which was different from the saints, and is synonymous with unbelievers, as opposed to believers. And not before the saints. Before Christians. Can you not settle your differences among yourselves as Christians, by leaving the cause to your brethren, as arbitrators, instead of going before heathen magistrates? The Jews would not allow any of their causes to be brought before the Gentile courts. Their rule was this, "He that tries a cause before the judges of the Gentiles, and before their tribunals, although their judgments are as the judgments of the Israelites, so this is an ungodly man," &c. Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrim, ch. xxvi. §7. They even looked on such an action as as bad as profaning the name of God. 2. Do ye not know, &c. The object of this verse is evidently to show that Christians were qualified to determine controversies which might arise among themselves. This the apostle shows by reminding them that they shall be engaged in determining matters of much more moment than those which could arise among the members of a church on earth; and that if qualified for that, they must be regarded as qualified to express a judgment on the questions which might arise among their brethren in the churches. The saints. Christians, for the word is evidently used in the same sense as in ver. 1. |