An Exposition of Pauls Epistles, Letter 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
THE THIRD AND FOURTH ARTICLE CONCERNING LAW SUTES, AND AVOIDING FORNICATION.
IN this Chapter the third and fourth Article of the Epistle is handled, concerning the avoiding of going to Law before the judgement seat of Infidels, to vers. 12 and of shunning Fornication, to the end.
Vers. 1. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to Law before the unjust, and not before the Saints?
By eleven Arguments hee proveth that Christians ought not to contend before Heathen Judges: Argum. 1. It is a shameful thing, when there are holy Judges, to go to Law under Infidel Judges: Therefore wee must not contend before Infidel Judges.
Vers. 2. Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall bee judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Argum. 2. The Saints which shall judge the World, are much more worthy of judging matters pertaining to this world: Therefore wee must not contend under Infidels.
Vers. 3. Know yee not that wee shall judge Angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Argum. 3. The Saints shall judge Angels, viz. Evil Angels, in the day of judgement; therefore they are much more fit to judge of temporal things: Therefore wee must not contend under Heathen Judges: The Saints are said to judge Angels and the world, Because they being now acquitted in judgement, as assessors in judgement with Christ, shall consent to the sentence of the Judge against the enemies of God and the Church.
Vers. 4. If then yee have judgements of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the Church.
Argum. 4. Those that are of least esteem in the Church, are rather to bee appointed Judges, than that wee should betake ourselves to Infidels: Therefore, &c.
Vers. 5. I speak to your shame, is it so, that there is not a wise man amongst you? no not one that shall bee able to judge between his Brethren?
Hee corrects himself in this Argument, by shewing that hee would have appointed Judges, not simply those that are least esteemed in the Church, but this hee would have done by a comparative concession, from what they practised, that hee might with shame restrain them.
Is it so] Argum. 5. You have amongst you those that are wise men, and yet you betake your selves to prophane judicatories, as if there were not wise men amongst you, which might decide controversies: Therefore it behoves you not thus to behave your selves.
Vers. 6. But Brother goeth to Law with Brother, and that before the unbeleevers.
Argum. 6. Seeing that you are Brethren, yee ought not to contend one with another in going to Law: Therefore much less under Heathens.
Vers. 7. Now therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to Law one with another; why do yo not rather take wrong? why do you not rather suffer your selves to bee defrauded?
Argum. 7. Strivings and contentions, discover your weakness, infirmities, and sin: Therefore you must not contend, especially before Infidels.
Wherefore] Argum. 8. I… would bee better to suffer injury and wrong, than with scandal to contend: Therefore wee ought not to contend, especialy under Infidels.
Vers. 8. Nay, you do wrong, and defraud, and that your Brethren.
Argum. 9. Those that are active in contending amongst you, joyn it with injury, and defrauding of your Brethren, inasmuch as the actors are full of revenge, pride, and covetousness: Therefore your contending is unjust, and especially under Infidels.
Vers. 9. Know yee not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God? bee not deceived: neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10. Nor Theeves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdome of God.
Argum. 10. These unjust contendings, as well as other kinds of wickedness, and abominable impurity, which are here reckoned up, keep men out of the Kingdome of Heaven: Therefore you ought not to contend, &c.
Vers. 11. And such were some of you; but yee are washed, but yee are sanctified, but yee are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Argum. 11. And last: Seeing you Corinthians have been defiled with all, or most, or at least with some of these fore-said vices, and now, so far as in charity wee may judge of you, yee have obtained remission of sins, and are sanctified through the Spirit, and cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ; you ought to beware (receiving power from the Grace of Christ) le…t you fall again into the same filthiness, either by stirring up contentions with others, or defiling your selves any other way.
Vers. 12. All things are lawful unto mee, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for mee, but I will not bee brought under the power of any.
The other part of the Chapter containing the fourth Article of the Epistle followes, concerning the avoiding simple Fornication (as it is called) which the Corinthians accounted a thing indifferent, as other Gentiles did: Hee proceeds to reproof, by preventing their Apology which they were ready to make: The Corinthians might say, All indifferent things are lawful for us, but as meat, so also Fornication is indifferent: Therefore it is lawful for us. First, Hee answers in general, by limiting of the Major, viz, that all indifferent things are lawful, so far as they are convenien…, and lawful, so that wee bee not brought into bondage to our affections, by the intemperate use of our liberty, for in those and the like cases▪ hee sins in the use of indifferent things.
Vers. 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.
Further hee answers in special to the minor, shewing the difference betwixt meats and fornication, granting that it is lawful to use any kind of meat, because God hath ordained to the good of nature, meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but yet with a temporary conjunction; for as God will destroy meats, so hee will destroy the belly, as to the use it now hath; so that for the sake of the belly, wee ought not to endanger our eternal Salvation, or the Salvation of others, eating with offence: As to that which concerns fornication, hee denies it lawful upon any necessity, as meat is lawful, but simply to be a sin, and to be avoided; and that he proves by six Arguments.
Argum. 1. Because the body is not made for fornication, or ordained to that end, as the belly for meats, and meats for the belly, but that it should bee a member of Christ our Lord, who is ordained to bee the head of the man, to govern the whole body, that it may bee kept holy: Therefore Fornication is no way lawful.
Vers. 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
Argum. 2. Our bodies shall bee raised glorious in the Resurrection, as the Body of Christ was raised: Therefore they ought not to bee defiled with fornication.
Vers. 15. Know you 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.
Argum. 3. The Faithful which are members of Christ, are not by fornication to bee made the members of an Harlot, which argument hee sharpens with an Interrogation: Therefore, &c.
Vers. 16. What, Know yee not, that hee that is joyned to an Harlot, is one body? For two (saith hee) shall bee one flesh.
That hee may confirm this argument, hee proves from the Analogy of Marriage, that fornication with an harlot, makes the fornicators one flesh; and by consequence the fornicator is made the member of an harlot: Therefore fornication is unlawful.
Vers. 17. But hee that is joyned unto the Lord, is one spirit.
Further hee proves that Believers are members of Christ, because joyned by Faith, and are one Mystical Body with Christ, one Spiritual Body, or one Spirit.
Vers. 18. Flee fornication: every sin that a man doth, is without the body: but hee that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body.
Hee turns the Position into a Dehortation, and adds the fourth Argum ▪ by way of comparison with other sins; other sins abuse the object without, chiefly and principally, but fornication abuses its own body, and more dishonors the body than any other sin: Therefore it is unlawful.
Vers. 19. What, know yee not that your own body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which yee have of God, and you are not your own?
20. For yee are bought with a price: therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.
Argum. 5. Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in us, given us of God: Therefore they are not to bee polluted with fornication.
Neither are yee] Argum. 6. The Faithful are not their own, but purchased with the Blood of Christ: Therefore they ought to take heed, that they defile not themselves with fornication, but rather endeavour by an holy conversation, both of body and soul, to glorifie God their Redeemer, whose they are.