A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
1. LEt a man ſo account of us, as of the miniſters of Chriſt, and ſtewards of the myſteries of God.
1. I ſpeak not all this to draw you from the due honour of faithful Miniſters: Account us neither more nor leſs, but as the Miniſters of Chriſt for your Salvation, and Stewards called and truſted with the juſt miniſtration of the myſteries of God; that is, the ſound preaching of his word, and due application of it, and adminiſtration of his Sacraments, and power of the Keyes to judge who ſhall be baptized, and live as fit in holy Communion with his vi…ible Churches.
2. Moreover it is required in ſtewards, that a man be found faithful.
2. And it is required of Stewards, eſpecially that have ſo great a truſt, that they be faithful and anſwer that truſt, in matter, and manner, and application; and that they falſifie not God's word, nor corrupt his Worſhip, or Church, nor betray or neglect Souls, nor turn over their proper truſt and work to others.
3. But with me it is a very ſmall-thing that I ſhould be judged of you, or of mans judgment: Yea, I judge not mine own ſelf.
3. And if any among you cenſure me, I account it a very ſmall matter; tho I deſpiſe no mans juſt admonition, Man's Judgment ſignifieth little as to my ſelf, further than it may be hurtful to others: For my caſe will not be finally determined by any Mans Judgment, nor by my own.
4. For I know nothing by my ſelf, yet am I not hereby juſtified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
4. For my Conſcience is witneſs of my ſincerity, and I know no unfaithfulneſs in my Stewardſhip, though I am yet imperfect; but this is not my deciding Juſtification, nor is my Conſcience any publick or final Judge, but only the diſcerner of my Caſe. It is Chriſt only whoſe Judgment muſt publickly and finally paſs my doom.
5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs, and will make manifeſt the counſels of the hearts: and then ſhall every man have praiſe of God.
5. Therefore uſurp not God's part in uncalled, bold, and peremptory judging: Stay till God's day come; he will bring works of darkneſs into light, and open the ſecrets of Mens Hearts; and then thoſe that indeed are excellent perſons ſhall have God's approbation and praiſe, which is better than the applauſe of factions and partial followers.
6. And theſe things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to my ſelf, and to Apollos for your ſakes: that ye might learn in us, not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one againſt another.
6. All this I have ſpoken as if the caſe had been my own and Apollos, to warn you of the ſin and danger of making men the heads of Factions and Diviſions, by thinking over highly of your ſelves, or them; and that you think of all Miniſters but as God's Stewards for your good, as I wrote here-before, and uſe them for Concord and not for Sects.
7. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what haſt thou that thou didſt not receive? Now if thou didſt receive it, why doſt though glory, as if thou hadſt not received it?
7. And if really any of you are wiſer than others, who gave thee that wiſdom which maketh the difference? and what haſt thou which was not freely given thee without deſert? And if it was ſo given thee, why art thou puft up and boaſteſt, as if it had been deſerved, or was from thy ſelf?
8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as Kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we alſo might reign with you.
8. You take your ſelves to be grown much wiſer and better under your exalted envious teachers, than you were under us, and ſo ſet light by thoſe that converted you: You are as Kings in your fulneſs and proſperity in your own conceits, ſince I was with you: And I would you were ſo indeed, that we might rejoyce and partake with you, and be refreſhed with you under all the perſecution which we yet endure.
9. For I think God hath ſet forth us the apoſtles laſt, as it were appointed to death. For we are made a ſpectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
9. For God ſeemeth to have called us Apoſtles to be expoſed on the Theatre of the world, as laſt, and appointed to greater ſufferings than the Prophets were, who ſuffered before us, in our Martyrdom to be made publick ſpectacles to the world, both Angels and Men.
10. We are fools for Chriſts ſake, but ye are wiſe in Chriſt: we are weak, but ye are ſtrong: ye are honourable, but we are deſpiſed.
10. While you are conceited of your ſelves as wiſe in the things of Chriſt, and as ſtrong and honourable, we are deſpiſed by the boaſters of the world, as fools and weak.
11, 21. Even unto this preſent hour we both hunger, and thirſt, and are naked, and are buffetted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labour working with our own hands:
11, 12. Your proſperous ſtate, and our ſuffering ſtate much differ: Formerly, and to this day, we are taken for contemptible vagab…nds, and live in hunger and thirſt, and poor cloathing, abuſed and buffetted without Juſtice or Relief, having no fixed habitation of our own, and put to get our Bread by our handy labour, while we preach to others.
12, 13. Being reviled, we bleſs, being perſecuted, we ſuffer it: 13. Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and as the off-ſcouring of all things unto this day.
12, 13. Being reviled by opprobrious words, we wiſh them well that do it: being unjuſtly perſecuted, we put all up, and patiently bear it: Being defamed by vilifying falſe accuſers, we intreat and ſpeak them fair; we are eſteemed and uſed as the filth of the world, and the off-ſcouring, refuſe and ſcum of the Earth, as unworthy of Humane Society or Peace to this day.
14. I write not theſe things to ſhame you, but as my beloved ſons I warn you.
14. And though we ſuffer all this for you, and ſuch others, and ſome of you have added to my Afflictions, which you ſhould have eaſed, I write it to warn you, and not to reproach you with it; even as to my Sons, and not mine Enemies.
15. For though you have ten thouſand inſtructors in Chriſt, yet have you not many fathers: for in Chriſt Jeſus I have begotten you through the goſpel.
15. For though you have never ſo many Teachers, you owe ſome ſpecial Reſpect to me, who am your Father, or firſt Converter by my Miniſtry.
16. Wherefore I beſeech you, be ye followers of me.
16. Wherefore I beſeech you, let no teachers draw you from the Doctrine which I delivered to you from Chriſt, but conſtantly adhere to it.
17. For this cauſe have I ſent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved ſon, and faithful in the Lord, who ſhall bring you into remembrance of my ways, which be in Chriſt, as I teach every where in every church.
17. And till I can come my ſelf, I have ſent Timothy, who is my Son and faithful, who knoweth my Doctrine and Practice, in the things of Chriſt, and will faithfully remember you of them.
18. Now ſome are puffed up as though I would not come to you.
18, Some envious teachers vaunt as if I durſt not come to you, and ſtand before them.
19. But I will come to you ſhortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the ſpeech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
19. But I will come ſhortly if the Lord will, and will trie your boaſting envious teachers, not who hath the ſmootheſt Tongue, but who hath the greateſt power of the Spirit.
20. For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
20. For the Kingdom of Chriſt is not raiſed, nor diſtinguiſhed from the World, or carried on by ſmooth Words, but by Works of Divine Efficacy and Power.
21. What will ye? ſhall I come unto with a rod, or in love, and in the ſpirit of meekneſs?
21. And had you not rather that I come in love and meekneſs, than with puniſhing Power, to delivet any offenders to Satan as Gods Executioner on their bodies?