A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
1. ANd I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of ſpeech, or of wiſdom, declaring unto you the teſtimony of God.
1. Accordingly I my ſelf being ſent by Chriſt to preach to the World, did not come to you with the admired Philoſophy and Oratory of the World, in declaring the Goſpel-Myſtery, and Gods Atteſtation of it.
2. For I determined not to know any thing among you, ſave Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified.
2. For I reſolved to make no Oſtentation of any other Learning, and to teach you no other, than the Knowledge of a Crucified Chriſt, in an humble manner preached.
3. And I was with you in weakneſs, and in fear, and in much trembling.
3. And accordingly I was humbled among you, by Perſecutions, and Abuſe, and continual Dangers and Sufferings, in conformity to the Croſs of Chriſt, which I preached.
4. And my ſpeech, and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wiſdom, but in demonſtration of the ſpirit and of power.
4. And my manner of preaching was not by the witty Inſinuations of Artificial Learning, (Oratory or Logick;) but ſo as did demonſtrate the ſupernatural Gift of the Spirit of God, and in the Power thereof, manifeſted by Miracles and Succeſs.
5. That your faith ſhould not ſtand in the wiſdom of men, but in the power of God.
5. That your Faith, the Effect, which will be like its Cauſe and Motives, might not be meerly Humane, founded on and reſolved into the Art of the Speaker; but Divine, grounded on and reſolved into the Evidence of Divine Revelation and Authority.
6. Howbeit we ſpeak wiſdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wiſdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.
6. Yet we are not without uſeful Learning, and ſublimity and accurateneſs of Speech; but uſe ſuch with thoſe that are knowing and capable of it: But not the vain and frothy Learning which is now moſt applauded in the World by Men of Name and Power, which periſheth as a Bubble, and ſaveth not them that have it.
7. But we ſpeak the wiſdom of God in a myſtery, even the hidden wiſdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
7. But we ſpeak the Myſtery of Redemption, the Product and Diſcovery of the Wiſdom of God, which hath been kept in much darkneſs, and little known, but ordained before the World was to be opened in the fulneſs of time to our Glory.
8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: For had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
8. Which none of the Rulers of this Age of the World knew; elſe they had not crucified Chriſt, &c.
9. But as it is written, Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
9. For the great Gifts of Gods Grace, decreed and prepared for all that love him, are ſuch as Man ſeeth not, and hardly believeth, and cannot comprehend: As it is written, Eye hath not ſeen, &c.
10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his ſpirit, for the ſpirit ſearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.
10. But God by his Spirit hath revealed them to us his Apoſtles (and to others that have his Spirit in the meaſure that they have it): For the Spirit of God is given us (in our ſeveral meaſures) to teach us all things fit for us to know, even the Depths of God.
11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of man which is in him? even ſo the things of God knoweth no man, but the ſpirit of God.
11. As a Mans Spirit is conſcious of its own ſecret Actings and Thoughts, which no Man elſe can know; ſo the Spirit of God knoweth the Secret things of God, and maketh us know them in our meaſures, which they that have not the Spirit cannot by all their Learning know.
12. Now we have received, not the ſpirit of the world: but the ſpirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
12. And this Spirit God hath given to us; not the Spirit of the World, to make us carnally and worldly wiſe; but the Spirit of God, to make us ſavour and know God's great myſterious Gifts of Grace.
13. Which things alſo we ſpeak, not in the words which mans wiſdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghoſt teacheth, comparing ſpiritual things with ſpiritual.
13. And theſe are the things which we preach to you, not in the Words and Manner now counted by the Heathens to be Learned and Wiſe, nor after their vain Arts; but in the very Words and Manner which God's Spirit teacheth us, who teacheth us the Matter, fitting Spiritual Words to Spiritual Things, that all may be of God.
14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the ſpirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſs unto him; neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned.
14. But they that have not the Spirit themſelves, but meer Nature, cannot with all their Learning receive theſe ſpiritual Myſteries revealed to us by God; for they will ſeem but Fanatick Dreams and Fooliſhneſs to them, not to be believed. Nor can they underſtand them; for only a Mind illuminated by God's Spirit doth diſcern them.
15. But he that is ſpiritual judgeth all things, yet he himſelf is judged of no man.
15. But he that is Spiritual diſcerneth theſe revealed things of the Spirit in his Meaſure; when yet he himſelf, and his own Spiritual Apprehenſions and Affections, are unknown to Carnal Men that hear him.
16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may inſtruct him? But we have the mind of Chriſt.
16. For who hath pried into God's ſecret Counſels, or known his Mind, further than he hath opened it to him? But Chriſt our Teacher hath told us his own and his Fathers Mind, which we are to preach to the World for Mens Salvation.
ANNOTATIONS.
1. IT is none of Paul's meaning here, to vilifie true Philoſophy, Logick, or Oratory, or any uſeful Knowledge or Art: And all Knowledge is uſeful to one that referreth it to right Ends, which is Knowledge indeed: For God hath made nothing knowable in vain. True Phyſicks is the Knowledge of the knowable Works of God, and God in them, that we may admire, love, ſerve, and truſt him. True Logick is but the Skill of uſing our Reaſon truly and orderly. True Grammar and Oratory are but fitting Words to Things, and to the Hearers Minds, as moſt tendeth to their Edification. God is againſt none of theſe, which are his precious Gifts. But carnal Men have carnal Ends, and fit all theſe abuſively to their Ends, to wrangle againſt Truth, and divert their Minds from Things to Words, and from great and everlaſting Things to Trifles, and to feed their Pride, and Ambition, and Covetouſneſs, and to make their Malignity more keen and hurtful. And ſuch was the Learning of theſe Heathens, which then paſt for Wiſdom in the World.
2. Nor doth Paul here favour falſe Pretenſes of the Spirit, or true Fanaticiſm; when Men take the Deluſions of Satan, or every ſtrong Imagination, or the boiling of their Pride and erroneous Paſſions, fed by Prejudice, for the Work of God's Spirit. Theſe ſin more dangerouſly than many others, by charging their Sin and Errour upon God, and tempting Men to deride the Spirit. Even as falſe Prophets are ſharplieſt reproved, and the counterfeit uſe of Chriſt's Name by the Sons of Sceva did but ſtrengthen the Devil againſt them. Therefore we are bid to try the Spirits.