A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
1. AM I not an apoſtle? am I not free? have I not ſeen Jeſus Chriſt our Lord? are not you my work in the Lord?
1. It ſeems ſome among you object againſt me, 1. That I am no Apoſtle. 2. That I get my Living by Tent-making. 3. That I am none of thoſe that knew Chriſt. 4. That my Knowledge is lower than theirs. To all which I ſay, 1. That Chriſt made me an Apoſtle by his Miſſion. 2. That I may uſe my own Liberty, either to live on the Church, or on my Labour, as is moſt for the furtherance of the Goſpel. 3. That I have ſeen Chriſt from Heaven, though not on Earth. 4. That you are the Fruit and Seal of my Miniſtry, which therefore is not to be queſtioned by you.
2. If I be not an apoſtle unto others, yet doubtleſs I am to you: for the ſeal of mine apoſtleſhip are ye in the Lord.
2. You of all Men ſhould not queſtion my Apoſtleſhip, who were converted by it.
3. Mine anſwer to them that do examine me, is this, 4. Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5. Have we not power to lead about a ſiſter, a wife as well as other apoſtles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6. Or I onelyonly and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
3, 4, 5, 6. And as to my Labour, I anſwer, That I own my Power to live on the Church: And I that perſuade you to forbear the uſe of your Liberty when it would do hurt, do go before you by my own Example. I have right to be maintained by my Hearers, and to put the Church to the charge of a Wife and Family with me, as other Apoſtles do. I and Barnabas have power to forbear working for our Living.
7. Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit therereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
7. Soldiers are paid by thoſe that uſe them; and the Husbandman and Shepherd live on the Fruit of their Labour: and ſo may I.
8. Say I theſe things as a man? or ſaith not the law the ſame alſo? 9. For it is written in the law of Moſes, Thou ſhalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10. Or ſaith he it altogether for our ſakes? for our ſakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth ſhould plow in hope; and that he that threſheth in hope, ſhould be partaker of his hope.
8, 9, 10. Do I ſpeak this as a Man pleading his own Intereſt? Doth not God ſay it in his Law? &c. And doth God make Laws chiefly for the good of Oxen, or for Men? For Men, no doubt, to encourage them by juſt Expectations of the Fruit of their own juſt Labours.
11. If we have ſown unto you ſpiritual things, is it a great thing if we ſhall reap your carnal things?
11. The Spiritual things which we ſowed with you, are far greater than the Carnal things which we may reap: And if you maintain others, you owe more to us.
12. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheleſs, we have not uſed this power; but ſuffer all things, leſt we ſhould hinder the goſpel of Chriſt.
12. Yet have I not claimed or taken that which is my due, leſt it ſhould hinder the Succeſs of my Miniſtry.
13. Do ye not know that they which miniſter about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar?
13. You know that the Levites and Prieſts live on the Things that are offered in the Temple and at the Altar.
14. Even ſo hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the goſpel, ſhould live of the goſpel.
14. So is it the Lords own Appointment, (who ſaid, The labourer is worthy of his hire) that they who are called to preach the Goſpel as a ſtated Office, (and not only occaſionally) ſhould be maintained in and for that Labour, and not be taken off by Cares and Worldly Labour.
15. But I have uſed none of theſe things. Neither have I written theſe things, that it ſhould be ſo done unto me: for it were better for me to die, then that any man ſhould make my glorying void.
15. But as I have not made uſe of this my Due, ſo I write not as expecting it: For I value my Advantages for the Goſpel as my Glory, above my Right, and above my Life.
16. For though I preach the goſpel, I have nothing to glory of: for neceſſity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the goſpel.
16. For my bare Preaching would have nothing ſingular, to vindicate me from Calumny, or extraordinarily further the Succeſs of my Labours: Even bad Men preach, and I am under a Command or Law of Chriſt, which will puniſh me if I do not.
17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if againſt my will, a diſpenſation of the goſpel is committed unto me.
17. For if my Preaching, and that without Maintenance from you, be done willingly, God will reward me (who accepteth no unwilling Service): But if I preach but for fear of Puniſhment, and take not Maintenance becauſe Men will not give it, I do but a Task impoſed on me, and forfeit my Reward ſo far as I am unwilling.
18. What is my reward then? verily that when I preach the goſpel, I may make the goſpel of Chriſt without charge, that I abuſe not my power in the goſpel.
18. What then is that Qualification of my Service which God will ſpecially reward? Not the meer Task of Preaching; but that I ſo do it, as to devote all my own Rights and Intereſt to the Great Ends of the Goſpel; and whatever I loſe or ſuffer by it, take that courſe which tendeth moſt to promote the deſirable Succeſs.
19. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made my ſelf ſervant unto all, that I might gain the more.
19. I am no Mans Slave or Bond-man, to ſerve him againſt my will: but I am a voluntary Servant to all Men, in charity to ſave them, and in obedience to Chriſt.
20. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21. To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Chriſt) that I might gain them that are without law. 22. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means ſave ſome.
20, 21, 22. To the Jews, and thoſe whoſe Education and Conſciences keep them under Moſes's Law, I behaved my ſelf by all Lawful Compliance and Conformity to that Law, that I might win them, (preſerving the Truth of the Goſpel, and my own and the Gentiles Liberty.) When I converſe with the Gentiles that are not under the Law of Moſes, and have no written Law of God, as the Jews have, but only the Law of Nature, and Mens Laws, I fit my ſelf and Doctrine to their State and Capacity, to win them, not pleading the written Law with them, as I do with the Jews: (Though I am far from thinking or living as lawleſs; for I am under Chriſts own Government and Law) To the ſcrupulous ignorant ſort of Chriſtians, and thoſe that are yet unſetled, and liable to temptation, I behaved my ſelf with all winning Compliance and Pleaſingneſs; knowing, that ſtiff Singularity, and affected or unneceſſary Croſſneſs to others, is not the way to gain, but to alienate them. And though I know that all will not be won by ſuch Compliance, yet I am made all things lawful towards all Men, that by this my duty I may ſave ſome.
23 And this I do for the goſpels ſake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
23. All this I do, not as a man pleaſing Flatterer, for Lucre or Repute; but to promote the Ends of the Goſpel with you, that you and I may rejoice therein together.
24. Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
24. As it is not every one that runneth that wins the Prize; ſo it is not every one that preacheth, or profeſſeth Chriſtianity, that is accepted to Salvation. Therefore ſo preach, and ſo live, as anſwereth your Covenant and Profeſſion, and as God hath promiſed to accept and reward.
25. And every man that ſtriveth for the maſtery is temperate in all things: Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
25. Even in Ludicrous Plays, Races, Combates, &c. Men prepare their Bodies by Abſtinence and ſtrict Diet, and this but for a withering Garland, Applauſe, or Prize: And ſhall not we do much more for the Heavenly Glory?
26. I therefore ſo run, not as uncertainly: ſo fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
26. I therefore do not run in vain, as not knowing for what, or as by Sloth to loſe the Prize; nor fight I as Fencers, for meer Shew and Oſtentation.
27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into ſubjection: leſt that by any means when I have preached to others, I my ſelf ſhould be a caſt-away.
27. But my firſt work is about my ſelf, to mortifie and ſubdue all my Fleſhly Deſires, which ſtand againſt my Duty, and to keep my Body in conſtant ſubjection, leſt when by Preaching I have won others, I ſhould as a carnal Man be loſt and caſt away my ſelf.
(And if you are true to the Goſpel, and to your own Souls, and would not prove ſelf-deceiving Hypocrites, take you the ſame courſe, and devote all your Intereſts to the Ends of your Profeſſion, and the ſaving of Souls, in ſtead of pleading for and abuſing your real or pretended Liberties, to the tempting of others, and hindring their Salvation, and boaſting of this pernicious Folly, as the Knowledge wherein you excel others.)
ANNOTATIONS.
I. THe Darkneſs of this Chapter comes from the Uncertainty in Matter of Fact, what was the Accuſation that was made by the envious proud Teachers againſt Paul. 1. Whether it were that he laboured like a Secular Man, and lived not on the Church. 2. Or, That he was a poor Mechanick Fellow, that at laſt muſt be caſt on their Charge or Charity. 3. Or, That he ſollicited them for Contributions to the Poor at Jeruſalem, or for others; and they ſuggeſted, that he partly meant himſelf. It were eaſier to expound many Verſes, did we certainly know the Caſe objected.
II. They that from ver. 16, 17, 18. gather a ſort of Counſels which make no Duty or Sin, and a State of Perfection which is no Duty, utterly abuſe the Text, which intimateth no ſuch thing; and are ſufficiently before confuted, on Chap. 7. about the Caſe of Marriage.
III. Though Paul's becoming all things to all men, condemn their Humour that in Converſe, Congregations, Opinions, Practiſes, do proudly affect unneceſſary Oddneſs, that they may ſeem wiſer and better than the reſt, and juſtifie Auſtin's Reſolution, to do as the Church doth whereever he cometh, in all lawful things, to win Men by Approach, and not to alienate them by Croſneſs; yet it no way countenanceth them, who as Temporizers, Man-pleaſers, or for Worldly Ends, or an Indifferency in Religion, for want of Judgment, or tender Conſciences and true Obedience to God, will conform themſelves to any Sin which Mens Laws or Cuſtoms ſhall make needful to their carnal Intereſt. And yet in things antecedently Indifferent, Law and Cuſtom may weigh down lighter Motives that are on the other ſide, but not weightier Motives. True Prudence here muſt hold the Scales, and determine what is Duty, and what is Sin.