A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1. DAre any of you having a matter againſt another, go to law before the unjuſt, and not before the ſaints?
1. Another Scandal I hear of among you, is, That you go to Law againſt one another before Heathen Judges, when you might decide your Differences among your ſelves. How dare you do this, when Heathens are unjuſt, and will deride you?
2. Do ye not know that the ſaints ſhall judge the world? And if the world ſhall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the ſmalleſt matters?
2. Know ye not that Chriſt will commit that Honour to his Saints, with him to judge the World of the Ungodly? And you ſhould be all Saints your ſelves? And if the World ſhall be judged by you, are you not meet to decide your own little Differences?
3. Know ye not that we ſhall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?
3. And as Chriſt is the Judge of the Evil Angels, we ſhall be honoured to join with him in that Judgment alſo, when all his Enemies ſhall be put under his Feet and ours. How much more are we meet to decide theſe Worldly Strifes?
4. If then you have judgment of things pertaining to this life, ſet them to judge who are leaſt eſteemed in the church.
4. If then it be a thing belonging to you, though you are no Magiſtrates, to arbitrate your own Differences, if you have no Wiſe M…n and Elders among you whom you will truſt, chuſe the weakeſt; for the loweſt of you ſhould be fitter than unjuſt Heathens.
5. I ſpeak to your ſhame. Is it ſo, that there is not a wiſe man among you? no not one that ſhall be able to judge between his brethren?
5. I ſpeak Ironically, to your ſhame. Are you the Men that boaſt of Wiſdom? and is there not one Man among you wiſe enough to judge of the Differences of Chriſtians?
6. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
6. But you muſt take the contentious and chargeable way of Publick Judicatures, and that before Infidels, that are unjuſt, and will deride you?
7. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, becauſe ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather ſuffer your ſelves to be defrauded?
7. Why have you not learnt of Chriſt to put up Injuries, and let go your Right, rather than violate the Laws of Love and Peace? It is your Sin to be uncharitable, and contentious Seekers of your own Right. Is patience, and Forbearing, an… Forgiving a ſtrange thing to you? Is it not your certain Duty?
8. Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that your brethren.
8. Nay, you that are bound to forgive Wrongs, do wrong others, even your Chriſtian Brethren.
9. Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankind, 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, ſhall inherit the kingdom of God.
9, 10. Think not you can be ſaved either by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, or by a dead Belief, or Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, without a Perſonal Righteouſneſs, conſiſting in ſincere Obedience to God: and you are not ſuch, if you live in ſuch Sins as theſe here named. Let no Deceivers perſuade you otherwiſe: You may, by neglect of Diſcipline, be in the Church Viſible; but you are, while ſuch, uncapable of Salvation.
11. And ſuch were ſome of you: but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the ſpirit of our God.
11. Though ſome of you were ſuch in your Heathen State, you have ſince been baptiſed unto Chriſt and the Holy Spirit, and renouncing theſe Sins, have been Sacramentally waſhed from them, and dedicated as holy to God, and numbred with the Juſt; and if you are ſincere Believers, you are ſuch indeed, as well as Sacramentally, by the Merits of Chriſt, and the Spirits Sanctification.
12. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
12. As to them that ſay, That there is no Law againſt the pleaſing of our Appetites, or ſimple Fornication, they take notice onelyonly of Political Laws, with Humane Executions. I confeſs, that Moſes's Law, as ſuch, being Political, leſt ſome Exceſſes and Fornications, as Polygamy, &c. unpuniſhed, or but lightly puniſhed; and the Roman Laws neglect them; and Moſes's Law, as ſuch, is abrogated, and ſo I am under no Political Law which puniſheth theſe: But I am a Servant of Chriſt, whoſe Law of Grace forbiddeth all things that are inexpedient, and contrary to the Purity and Hopes of Chriſtianity, or to the Law of Love. And if you plead Chriſtian Liberty, I anſwer, 1. As to Meats, and other things indifferent, though they are in themſelves lawful, yet it is not indifferent how we uſe them, whether we do hurt or not, when they are inexpedient and hurtful. 2. And I wlll not be ſo enſlaved to my fleſhly appetite, as to obey it to my own or others hurt.
13. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God ſhall deſtroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
13.2. And I further anſwer, That you do ill to joyn Fornication with things Indifferent: Meats indeed are to feed Fleſh and Appetite, and the Belly and Appetite are for them; but both muſt be uſed as, periſhing things; but our Bodies are not made for Fornication, but to ſerve the Lord, who alſo will take care of them as his Redeemed.
14. And God hath both raiſed up the Lord, and will alſo raiſe up us by his own power.
14. And accordingly, God that raiſed up the Body of Chriſt, will alſo raiſe us by his Power.
15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Chriſt? ſhall I then take the members of Chriſt, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
15. It is ſo far from being lawful, that it hath this odious aggravation, to make thoſe Bodies the united Members of an Harlot, which are united and related to Chriſt as his Members, that is, of the holy Society of which he is the Head.
16. What, know ye not that he which is joyned to an harlot, is one body? for two (ſaith he) ſhall be one fleſh.
16 Fornication is a ſort of Union with a Harlot for to G…neretion they are as one fleſh.
17. But he that is joyned unto the Lord, is one ſpirit.
17. But thoſe that by a true Faith are joyned to Chriſt, are qui…kned and acted in holineſs by the very Spirit of Chriſt, and ſo are one Spirit with him, by a Union which deſtroyeth not their perſonal individuation, nor maketh them Chriſt, but maketh them more bleſſedly one with him than we can now comprehend: (Even Plants live by the Sun-beams, and yet are not the Sun.)
18. Flee fornication. Every ſin that a man doth, is without the body: but he that committeth fornication, ſinneth againſt his own body.
18. Hate and avoid Fornication alſo on this account: Moſt other ſins in their outward acts, are but the ab…ſe of things without you (as your Money, Lands, Houſes, Friends, Enemies, Power, &c.) But Fornication is the abuſive polluting and debaſing your own Bodies.
19. What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghoſt, which is in you, which ye have of God?
19. When God giveth his Spirit to Believers to ſanctifie them to himſelf, he thereby maketh them as Temples, Holy, for his holy Spirit to dwell in and actuate.
19, 20. And ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a Price: therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods.
19, 20. And ſeeing you are not at all your own, you may not do with your bodies what you liſt: God is your abſolute Owner, (not only by the right of Creation and Preſervation, but) by that of Redemption, …y the price of the Blood and Merits of Chriſt: Therefore you rob and wrong him (though you cannot hurt him) if you alienate his own, and glorifie not that God whoſe you wholly are, by the faithful Love and Service of Soul and Body which are his. (And to be thus his, is your Honour, Safety, and Felicity.)