.IU^! 3 191S 
 
 Sectioa £^ ^ ■ 
 
THE EPISTLES 
 
 Romans 
 
 and 
 
 I and II Corinthians 
 
EXPOSITORY WORKS 
 
 By WILLIAM EVANS 
 
 Associate Dean of Bible Institute, Los Angeles, California 
 
 Epochs ia the Lite of Chri^ 
 
 12mo, cloth, net $1.00 
 
 A series of addresses, given on Sunday afternoons to 
 large audiences, dealing with the birth, Bapti8m,Temp- 
 tation. Transfiguration, Death and Resurrection of our 
 Lord, and presenting cogent and concrete arguments 
 for their inviolability and acceptance as chief among 
 the tenets of the Christian faiths. Couched in popular 
 language and presented in popular style. 
 
 THROUGH THE BIBLE, BOOK BY BOOK 
 
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 Bible st\idy."—PreJace, 
 
THROUGH THE BIBLE— BOOlt W BOOK 
 
 Romans 
 
 and 
 
 I and II Corinthians 
 
 
 H 3 191? 
 
 By 
 WILLIAM EVANS, Ph. D., D.D. 
 
 Atithor of *^ Great Doctrines of the Bible," "Personal 
 Soul- Winning" "How to Prepare Sertnons and Bible 
 Addresses," "Outline Study of the Bible," "Book Method 
 of Bible Study," "How to Memorize," " The Christian's 
 Creed and Conduct," " The Book of Books," " Epochs 
 in the Life of Christ," " Through the Bible— the Penta- 
 teuch" "The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles." 
 
 New York Chicago 
 
 Toronto 
 
 Fleming H. Revell Company 
 
 London and Edinburgh 
 
Copyright, 1918, by 
 FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
 
 New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
 Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. 
 Toronto: 25 Richmond Street, W, 
 London : 2 1 Paternoster Square 
 Edinburgh: 100 Princes Street 
 
Preface 
 
 IT is a real question as to whether there has ever been 
 a time when so many so-called "gospels" have 
 been proclaimed as divinely ordained ways of sal- 
 vation as we find extant at the present time. Cults and 
 isms there are by the scores, each with its pretension to 
 be the infallible voice of God speaking to the crying needs 
 of the human soul. 
 
 The mere fact of the existence of spurious gospels is not 
 in itself peculiar to this time. Even at the time when 
 Luke wrote his gospel many false gospels, so-called, were 
 extant. In the preface to Luke we read : " Forasmuch as 
 many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declara- 
 tion of those things which are most surely believed among 
 us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the 
 beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word : 
 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect under- 
 standing of all things from the first, to write unto thee in 
 order, most excellent Theophilus." 
 
 There is, however, a great need to-day that the pure, 
 simple, unalloyed gospel of Jesus Christ be definitely and 
 unmistakably set forth with all the positiveness and high 
 accentuation of apostolic days. The Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ alone is the panacea for the ills of the race — 
 domestic, political, industrial, commercial, social, mari- 
 tal, military. 
 
 In the Epistle to the Eomans, Paul, the writer, claims 
 that the message of the Epistle is the very "Gospel of 
 God" (cf. i. Iwith ii. 16 and xvi. 25). "For I certify 
 you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of (by) 
 
 5 
 
6 Preface 
 
 me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, 
 neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus 
 Christ " (Galatians ii. 11, 12). 
 
 The study of the Epistle to the Eomans, therefore, will 
 be exceedingly refreshing in these days when so many are 
 preaching ''another gospel" which in reality is not a 
 '' gospel " or " good news " at all. 
 
 First and Second Corinthians, dealing as they do with 
 internal Church problems and the question of authority 
 in matters of religion, will also be of peculiar interest in 
 these days when so many people within the church are 
 being led astray by abuses in connection with the gifts of 
 the Spirit. 
 
 May the blessing of God rest upon this volume as upon 
 the preceding volumes of this "Through the Bible" 
 Series. 
 
 W. E. 
 
 Los AngeleSf CaZ. 
 
Contents 
 
 Introductory 9 
 
 The Epistle to the Romans 
 
 Synopsis 17 
 
 Introductory 19 
 
 I. Introduction to the Book .... 28 
 
 II. Sin — The Wrath of God — Man Destitute 
 
 OF God's Righteousness — Despair . . 34 
 
 III. Justification — The Righteousness of God 
 
 — Hope .... 
 
 OF God 
 
 IV. Sanctification — The Holiness 
 Assurance 
 
 {Continued^ The Problem of the 
 OF Israel {Parenthetical') 
 
 {Continued) Sanctification — The Holiness 
 OF God — Assurance 
 
 Conclusion .... 
 I Corinthians 
 
 Rejection 
 
 Synopsis 
 
 Introductory 
 
 I. The Exposition of the Book — Intro 
 
 DUCTION 
 
 II. Party Factions .... 
 
 55 
 94 
 
 lOI 
 
 105 
 109 
 
 114 
 119 
 
8 Contents 
 
 III. Social Purity — Failure to Exercise Dis 
 
 ciPLiNE IN Moral Affairs . 
 
 IV. Marital Problems .... 
 
 V. Christian Liberty .... 
 
 VI. Church Decorum — Abuses in Connection 
 
 WITH Public Worship . 
 
 VII. Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 
 
 VIII. Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrec- 
 
 tion 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 131 
 
 140 
 146 
 
 152 
 
 160 
 
 180 
 189 
 
 II Corinthians 
 
 Synopsis 193 
 
 Introductory 195 
 
 I. The Introduction to the Book . . .198 
 
 II. Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 
 
 to the Church at Corinth . . . 201 
 
 III. Matters Concerning the Collection for 
 
 the Poor Saints at Jerusalem . . 230 
 
 IV. Paul's Apostolic Character and Author- 
 
 ity Vindicated 237 
 
 Conclusion 253 
 
Introductory 
 
 The Didactic (or Epistolary) Part of the 
 New Testament 
 
 The Pauline Epistles : Romans to Hebrews. 
 The General Epistles : James to Jude. 
 
 THE Epistles (fourteen Pauline and seven Gen- 
 eral) form the second grand division of the 
 New Testament, called the Didactic (teaching) 
 or Epistolary^ the first division being the Historical (the 
 Gospels and the Acts). Not that there is no teaching in 
 the Historical books — for there is ; indeed, there is no 
 teaching in the Epistles that has not been already found 
 in germ in the Gospels. All apostolic teaching grows 
 out of the teaching of Christ. The main purpose of the 
 Gospels and the Acts, however, is to present the history 
 and life of Christ and the apostles. The Epistles lay 
 special emphasis on the doctrines and creed of the Church 
 which Christ promised in "The Gospels" (Matthew xvi. 
 16-18), and the apostles established in "The Acts" 
 (chaps, i. and ii.). 
 
 The Epistles contain the inspired correspondence of 
 the apostles and those chosen by our Lord to communi- 
 cate His truth to His Church. Paul wrote fourteen of 
 the twenty-one epistles (including Hebrews) ; the re- 
 maining seven being written by Peter (2), James (1), 
 John (3), Jude (1). 
 
 9 
 
lo Introductory 
 
 I. THE PAULINE EPISTLES 
 
 Some Eeasons for Writing of the Pauline 
 Epistles ^ 
 
 1 and 2 Thessalonians — To correct false impressions 
 which were working mischief in the churches. 
 
 1 Corinthians — To reform abuses which threatened to 
 sap the morality of the church. 
 
 Fhilippia7is, (Hebrews) — To encourage churches which 
 were passing through special trials. 
 
 Colossians, Ephesians — To crush heresies in the germ, 
 especially those relating to the person and office of Christ 
 and the relation of the Church to Him. 
 
 GalatianSf Romans, 2 Corinthians — To combat the machi- 
 nations of the party of Judaism in the church, the emis- 
 saries of which constantly labored to undo the Apostle 
 Paul's work in two ways : First, by insisting that faith 
 in Christ was insufficient for salvation, without conform- 
 ity to the ritual of the Mosaic law ; second, by impugn- 
 ing his authority as an apostle, and misrepresenting his 
 character and motives. 
 
 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus — To strengthen the hands of 
 fellow-laborers, and to advise them on matters of church 
 administration. 
 
 Note: — All but three of Paul's letters emphasize his 
 apostolic commission from God : Thessalonians, because 
 written before this claim was challenged ; Philippians, 
 for his enemies had probably not yet got in their deadly 
 work. 
 
 A General View of the Pauline Epistles 
 The Plan and Purpose of God in Our Salvation.' 
 1. God^s Way of Salvation. 
 
 (a) Eomans ; not by law ; the Moralist (iii. 19, 20). 
 
 » " Letters of Paul, " by A. S. Way. ' After Dr. D. S. Gregory. 
 
Introductory 1 1 
 
 (b) 1 and 2 Corinthians ; not by culture ; the 
 Eationalist (1 Cor. i. 18-ii. 16). 
 
 (c) Galatians ; not by ceremonialism j the Eitual- 
 
 ist (v. 1-6). 
 
 2. God's Purpose in Salvation. 
 
 (a) Ephesiaus; for whole world (chap. ii.). 
 
 (b) Colossians ; for the Church (i. 22). 
 
 (c) Philippiaus ; for the individual (iii. 12-15). 
 
 3. God's People in Felloicsliip. 
 
 (a) 1 Timothy ; God's plan for the Church (iii. 15). 
 
 (b) 2 Timothy ; God's ideal pastor (ii. 21-26). 
 
 (c) Titus ; Conduct of membership (ii. 11-14). 
 
 (d) Philemon ; Equality of all in Christ (ver. 16). 
 
 4. The Goal of Salvation : The Second Coming. 
 
 (a) 1 Thessalonians ; Comfort of the doctrine (iv. 
 16-18). 
 
 (b) 2 Thessalonians; Warnings of the doctrine 
 (ii. 1-3). 
 
 The Pauline Epistles Arranged According 
 TO THE Missionary Journeys of Paul 
 
 I. The epistles of the second missionary journey (Acts 
 XV. 36-xviii. 22). Includes the first visit to Europe : 
 Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth (a. d. 
 51-54). 
 
 1 and 2 Thessalonians^ A. D. 52 and 53. 
 
 II. The epistles of the third missionary journey (Acts 
 xviii. 23-xxi. 20). Included more than two years spent 
 in visiting the churches in Galatia, Phrygia, and Ephe- 
 8U8 ; renewed visit to Macedonia and Corinth (a. d. 58). 
 
 1 and 2 Corinthians, A. D. 57 ; Galatians, A. D. 58 ; 
 Romans, A. D. 58. 
 
 III. Epistles of the Boman imprisonment (Acts xxviii. 
 14-31). 
 
 Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, A. D. 60-63. 
 
12 Introductory 
 
 IV. The Pastoral epistles, written after the temporary 
 release from imprisonment at Eome. 
 
 1 Timothy, Titus, A. d. 67 ; 2 Timothy, A. D. 68 (dur- 
 ing second imprisonment at Rome). 
 
 The two charts following give a general view of the 
 order and teaching of the Pauline Epistles. They are 
 also grouped according to their doctrinal presentations 
 and the missionary journeys and activities of the Apostle 
 Paul. The General Epistles are included in this general 
 view to set forth the epistolary scheme completely. 
 
 It is well-nigh impossible to lay too much emphasis 
 and insistence on the necessity of getting a picturesque, 
 graphic, structural and chart view of the contents of the 
 Epistles of Paul as a whole. Only when thus seen in 
 their relative bearing can anything like an adequate con- 
 ception of their truth and teaching be secured. 
 
 It is therefore urged upon the student that he endeavor 
 to fix in his mind such a general chart view of the Epistles 
 as is set forth in the charts herewith presented. 
 
Introductory 
 
 13 
 
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The Epistle to the 
 ROMANS 
 
Synopsis of Romans 
 
 Introductory 
 
 I. The Introduction to the Book (i. 1-17). 
 
 1. The address and salutation (i. 1-7). 
 
 (tf) The writer and the readers (i. i, 7). 
 (J>) The substance of the message (i. 2-6 ; cf. 
 iii. 21-31). 
 
 2. The apostle's personal interest in and relation to the 
 
 church at Rome (i. 8-15). 
 
 (a) Thanksgiving for the world-wide faith of the 
 Roman Christians (i. 8). 
 
 (^) He prays for them (i. 9). 
 
 (c) He longs to visit them and impart some spiri- 
 tual gifts (i. 10-15). 
 
 3. Definition of the Gospel (i. 16, 17). 
 
 II. Sin — The Wrath of God — Man Destitute of 
 
 God's Righteousness — Despair (i. i8-iii. 20). 
 
 1 . The failure of the Gentiles (i. 1 8-ii. 1 6). 
 
 (<?) The failure of the immoral, degraded Gentile 
 
 (i. 18-32). 
 (^) The failure of the respectable Gentile (ii. 
 
 1-16). 
 
 2. The failure of the Jew (ii. 1 7-iii. 9). 
 
 (/?) The Jew is a sinner equally with, and above 
 
 the Gentile (ii. 17-24). 
 (i) Cornering the Jew (ii. 25-29). 
 (<■) Certain objections answered (iii. 1-8). 
 
 3. The whole world, Jew and Gentile, sinners before 
 
 God and under the divine wrath (iii. 9-20 ; cf. 
 v. 12-21). 
 
 17 
 
i8 Synopsis of Romans 
 
 III. Justification — The Righteousness of God — 
 
 Hope (iii. 21-v. 21). 
 
 1. The new way of life briefly described (iii. 21-31). 
 
 {a) God's plan of salvation is clearly and concisely 
 
 stated (iii. zi, 22). 
 (/J) The scheme of salvation developed (iii. 23-31). 
 
 2. The new way of life in full (iv. i-v. 11). 
 
 {a) The new way of life viewed from the negative 
 side — Not by works (iv. 1-25). 
 
 (i) The new way of life described with reference 
 to its method — Positively, by faith (v. i-i i). 
 
 3. The new way of life described in relation to the race 
 
 (v. 12-21). 
 
 IV. Sanctification — The Holiness of God — Assur- 
 
 ance (vi. i-xv. 1 3). 
 
 1. The possibility of a holy life (vi. 1-23). 
 
 2. The method of a holy Hfe (vii. i-viii. 39). 
 
 (a) The fruitless struggle after holiness (vii. 1—25). 
 (J>) The secret of a holy life — The Holy Spirit 
 (viii. 1-39). 
 The problem of the rejection of Israel (Chaps, 
 ix.-xi.). (Parenthetical.) 
 
 3. The sphere of a holy life (xii. i-xv. 13). 
 
 (tf) The Christian's relation to the Church and his 
 fellow believers — Ecclesiastical (xii. 1-2 1). 
 
 (F) The Christian's relation to matters civil and 
 political (xiii. 1-14). 
 
 (f) The Christian's relation to the weaker brother 
 (xiv. I-xv. 13). 
 
 Conclusion (xv. 14-xvi. 2y). 
 
Introductory 
 
 THE epistle to the Romans has been called "The 
 profoundest book in existence, " ' ' The cathedral 
 of Christian faith," " The chief part of the New 
 Testament and the perfect gospel." Luther said that if 
 a tyrant should succeed in destroying the Holy Scriptures 
 and only a copy of the epistle to the Eomans and the 
 gospel of John escaped, that Christianity would be saved. 
 
 "Forasmuch as this epistle is a light and way to the 
 whole Scripture, I think it meet that every Christian man 
 not only know it, by rote and without the book, but also 
 exercise himself therein evermore continually, as with 
 the daily bread of the soul. No man verily can read it 
 too oft, or study it too well ; for the more it is studied, 
 the easier it is ; and the more profoundly it is searched, 
 the more precious are the things found in it, so great 
 treasure of spiritual things lieth hid therein." 
 
 Every great spiritual revival will be found connected 
 as effect and cause with a deeper understanding of the 
 book of Romans. 
 
 This epistle has been called the world-wide gospel. It 
 certainly presents to us a world-wide idea of the Apostle 
 Paul in connection with our Lord's parting commission 
 as he understood it — "Go ye Into all the world, and 
 preach the gospel to every creature. " The Apostle Paul 
 was not only a Hebrew — a man of religion ; not only a 
 Greek — a man of culture ; but also a Roman — a man of 
 imperial universalism. In his spiritual conquests he had 
 won the East for Christ ; he would now win the West. 
 In this gospel of Paul there is "no respect of persons" 
 
 19 
 
20 Romans 
 
 (ii. 11) ; the whole world (iii. 19) is under indictment ; 
 God is not *' the God of the Jews only," but " also of the 
 Gentiles" (iii. 29). 
 
 The Name. This epistle has been called ** the gospel 
 according to Paul," presumably because of the expression 
 ' ' my gospel ' ' found in ii. 16 and xvi. 25. Paul is the 
 author of thirteen (fourteen if Hebrews is included) of 
 the epistles of the New Testament, which contain the 
 great body of Church doctrine. It is necessary, there- 
 fore, to understand Paul — his conversion, his call to 
 apostleship, and his relation by a special divine revela- 
 tion to the Church of Christ. 
 
 Many expositors are of the opinion that the apostles 
 were right in their choice of Matthias as the twelfth 
 apostle to take the place of Judas (Acts i. 15-26). The 
 twelve were apostles to the Jews ; Paul was not, but was 
 distinctly the apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians ii. 8, 9). 
 It is questioned whether Paul ever really considered him- 
 self one of the twelve. It might seem from 1 Corinthians 
 XV. 7, 8 as though the Apostle Paul separated himself 
 from the twelve. But whether this be true or not, it is 
 absolutely certain that Paul claimed to have been the 
 recipient of a special unique revelation (Eomaus xvi. 25, 
 26 ; Ephesians iii. 1-13, cf. Galatians i. 11-ii. 10), such as 
 had not been made to any of the other apostles. This 
 revelation concerned' the doctrine of the Church. 
 
 The Time and Place of Writing. This epistle to the 
 Eomans was probably written in the spring of 58 A. D. 
 in the house of Gaius, a Corinthian Christian merchant 
 (1 Corinthians i. 14 ; Romans xvi. 23). Tertius, a com- 
 panion of Paul, is the scribe or amanuensis (xvi. 22). 
 Paul is about to leave Corinth (" these parts ") for Jeru- 
 salem (xv. 23) by way of Macedonia (Acts xxiii. ) on his 
 third missionary journey. Paul arrived at Jerusalem 
 with the collection for the saints at Pentecost (Acts xx. 
 
Introductory 2 1 
 
 16 ; xxi. 26). This leads us to place the date about 
 68 A. D. 
 
 The Church at Rome. The claim of the Eomau 
 Catholic Church that Peter was the founder of the church 
 at Eome is without adequate historical basis. Outside of 
 Eoman tradition, we have no dependable evidence that 
 Peter was the first bishop of the church at Eome, or in- 
 deed that he was ever in Eome at all. If Peter had been 
 in Eome at the time of the writing of this epistle, Paul 
 would surely have greeted him together with the others 
 mentioned in chapter sixteen. It would surely have been 
 discourteous for Paul not to have saluted Peter even be- 
 fore the others named. 
 
 Further, it seems improbable that Peter was in Eome 
 at the time of the writing of the epistle to the Philippians 
 (63 A. D.), for Paul speaks in ii. 20 of being practically 
 forsaken except for Timothy. The words of this passage 
 could hardly be true of a fellow apostle, had he been 
 there. Paul needed specific direction from Christ to pass 
 over into Europe (Acts xvi. 9). Such direction, it seems 
 to us, would have been unnecessary if any other apostle 
 had been in that place. May not the reason that the 
 Holy Spirit did not allow Paul to go to Asia (Acts xvi. 6) 
 have been that Peter had already been working there? 
 Peter was not the apostle to the Gentiles, but to the Jews 
 (Galatians ii. 7-9). It seems most plausible, therefore, 
 that Paul, and not Peter, should be the first apostle 
 directly connected with the great church at Eome, repre- 
 senting, as it did, in a unique way the church of the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 Further, it should be remembered that Paul made his 
 boast that he would not build upon any other man's 
 foundation (xv. 16-24). '* For Paul the writing of such 
 a didactic epistle to a church of which he knew Peter to 
 be the founder and bishop, would not have been accord- 
 
22 Romans 
 
 iug to the principle of his apostolic independence, an im- 
 possible inconsistency (cf. xv. 15 ; xvi. 17 with xv. 20)." 
 
 The church of Eome was in existence at and before the 
 time of Paul's writing this epistle (i. 8-13). It was al- 
 ready in a well-organized form (xii. 5, £f., cf. Acts xvi. 5). 
 It seems evident from i. 8, in which it is said that the 
 faith of the Eoman church had spread throughout the 
 then-known world, that the church had already been 
 some time in existence. 
 
 The church at Eome seems to have been founded by 
 converts under the preaching of Peter and the apostles 
 on the Day of Pentecost and of the Apostle Paul during 
 some of his missionary journeys (Acts ii. 10 ; Eomans 
 xvi. 7). 
 
 Doubtless the persecution that arose at the time of the 
 stoning of Stephen drove many to seek refuge in the 
 capital city, which at that time was noted for its religious 
 toleration. The edict of Claudius (Acts xviii. 2) may 
 also have caused many to flee to Greece, where they heard 
 the Apostle Paul preach, were converted, and went back 
 to Eome as preachers of the gospel, and thus founded the 
 Christian Church there. We know certainly that Aquila 
 and Priscilla fled from Eome (Acts xviii. 2) and stayed 
 with Paul at Corinth, and then went again to Eome 
 (1 Corinthians xvi. 19) as teachers of the gospel and 
 leaders of the church (Eomans xvi. 3). It is evident that 
 at the time of Paul's writing, the church met in their 
 house. The list of salutations in the sixteenth chapter 
 includes many of Paul's friends, converts, and pupils 
 (xvi. 1-16). 
 
 The Composition of the Church at Rome. From 
 the study of the epistle itself, we learn that the church at 
 Eome, while containing many Jewish Christians (ii. 17 ; 
 iv. 1 ; vii. 1 ; chap, xiv.), had a preponderance of Gentile 
 Christians, both as to numbers and doctrinal influence 
 
Introductory 23 
 
 (i. 5, 6, 13-15 ; xv. 15-21, indeed, the whole of chaps, 
 ix.-xi. presuppose this condition). That the church was 
 composed of this mixed element is clear from ii. 9 ; xv. 
 7-13 ; vi. 7-19 ; cf. Acts xix. 17-28. 
 
 The Occasion of Writing the Epistle, The immedi- 
 ate occasion of Paul's writing this epistle is clearly stated 
 (xvi. 1). Phoebe, one of Paul's converts, a Christian 
 Greek woman, is about to leave Corinth for Eome. The 
 apostle would commend her to the Christian brethren 
 there, and also take the opportunity of expressing to them 
 his personal longings to visit the capital city, the joy he 
 has in hearing of their faith, and his speedy expectation, 
 since he has "now no more place in these parts" (xv. 
 22-23), of seeing them face to face. 
 
 The Aim and Object of the Epistle. The immediate 
 occasion of Paul's writing the epistle, as we have just 
 seen, is clearly stated. The aim and purpose of the 
 epistle are not quite so apparent. Paul had received in- 
 formation with regard to certain important doctrinal 
 questions which were calling for solution ; the problem 
 of the Jew and the Gentile in their relation to each other ; 
 justification by faith alone ; sin in the life of the believer. 
 The main purpose of the epistle, however, seems to be to 
 set forth the great central truths of the gospel in such a 
 manner as to serve as a rule of faith for the churches of 
 all time. In no other of his epistles does Paul present to 
 us such a systematic, doctrinal exposition of the whole 
 gospel scheme of salvation in contradistinction to a Ju- 
 daizing gospel. 
 
 The Key-Thought of the Epistle. It is God's way 
 of saving men according to the gospel as preached by 
 Paul. It is God's way of salvation for lost mankind. 
 The epistle to the Eomans is the answer to Job's ques- 
 tion, " How can a man be just with God ? " It is a won- 
 derful unfolding of the plan of salvation. 
 
The Gospej 
 GOD'S METHO 
 
 How Can a Bad Mart 
 
 
 Sin- 
 
 -The Wrath of God 
 
 Justification — Th( 
 
 
 Convince Him That He Is Bad— Destitute 
 of Righteousness (i. 18-iii. 20). 
 
 Convince Him 
 Good in An 
 
 
 
 Despair 
 
 
 All may have 
 because Christ ha 
 
 I The New 
 
 
 All under 
 tute of the rij 
 
 T>ii» n 
 
 the wrath of God 
 jhteousness of Go 
 
 because desti- 
 d. 
 
 Introduction 
 
 <>«»;la /4 iS ii I 
 
 (i. 1-17) 
 
 1. Immoral Gentile (i. 18-32). 
 
 (The man of conscience. ) 
 
 2. Moral Gentile (ii. 1-16). 
 
 (The moral man.) 
 
 (iii. 21- 
 Not Heii 
 
 Personal 
 
 Judaistii 
 II. The New i 
 
 Relations 
 
 
 (iv. i-\ 
 
 of 
 
 Writer 
 
 to 
 
 Romans 
 
 II. The Jew (ii. 17-iii. 8). 
 
 (The religious man.) 
 
 III. Whole world — Jew and Gentile (iii. 
 
 9-20; of. V. 12-21). 
 
 1. Negatii 
 iv.). 
 
 Ri 
 
 (a) A 
 (6) A 
 
 Were 
 
 
 All under sin and the judgment of 
 God. 
 
 2. Positive 
 
 
 («): 
 
 
 
 (^)B 
 
 
 
 III. Our Choic 
 or of Ch( 
 
cording to Paul 
 
 OF SAVING MEN 
 
 Made and Kept Good ? 
 
 i'hteousness of God Sanctification — The Holiness of God 
 
 He^Can Be Made 
 
 I (hi. 2I-V. 21). 
 
 <ghteousness of God 
 
 n epitome) 
 
 (tic, Moralistic, or 
 Theistic. 
 
 I n full) 
 
 Not by Works (Chap. 
 
 piot a new way, for : 
 
 fcai, personally 
 
 km, representatively 
 
 tied by faith. 
 
 ^y Faith (v. i-ii). 
 ;\braham and Moses. 
 \ : ws xi. a cloud of wit- 
 si. 
 
 ils which faith brings: 
 t|cation, peace, favor 
 3d, hope, rejoicing in 
 i^ition, etc. 
 
 i|Lemaining in Adam 
 HChrist (v. 12-21). 
 
 Assure Him That He Can Be Kept Good 
 (vi. i-xv. 13). 
 
 Assurance 
 
 Is salvation by grace a safe doctrine ? 
 
 II. 
 
 The Possibility of a Holy Life 
 (vi. 1-23). 
 
 1. As to state of sin (vi. I-14). 
 " Reckon." 
 
 2. As to acts of sin (vi. 15-23). 
 " Present." 
 
 The Method of a Holy Life 
 (Chaps, vii., viii.). 
 
 1. Negatively (Chap. vii.). 
 
 (rt) Not by law — Legality 
 
 (vii. I-13). 
 (b) Not by self-effort 
 
 (vii. 14-25). 
 
 2. Positively (Chap. viii.). 
 
 (a) The indwelling Holy Spirit 
 gives : Freedom from out- 
 ward and inward condem- 
 nation, new element of life, 
 heirship and sonship, future 
 glory, no separation. 
 
 The problem of the Jew (Chaps, ix.-xi.). 
 
 III. The Sphere of ^a Holy Life (xii. i- 
 XV. 13). 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 (xv. 14-xvi. 27) 
 
 Personal 
 Greetings 
 
 to 
 Roman 
 Christians 
 
26 Romans 
 
 Two dominant phrases in the first chapter give us the 
 key-thought of the whole epistle: "the wrath of God" 
 — which is revealed against all unrighteousness, and 
 under which all men, because they are sinners, rest ; 
 *' the righteousness of God " — God's own righteousness — 
 which is revealed in Christ, and is reckoned to sinners 
 when they, by faith, appropriate the redemptive work 
 of Christ. In harmony with these thoughts, the epistle 
 continues by showing : 
 
 First. The need of " the righteousness of God" by all 
 men, whether Jew or Gentile, whether controlled by the 
 law of conscience (chap. i. ; ii. 15), or the specific revela- 
 tion of law (Sinai) from God (ii. 1-iii. 10). 
 
 Second. The method of obtaining this *' righteousness 
 of God ' ' : negatively, not by works of human merit 
 (chap, iv.) ; but by faith in the redemptive work of our 
 Lord (chap. v.). 
 
 Third. " The righteousness of God " exhibited in life 
 and conduct — the doctrine of sanctification, just as chap- 
 ters one to five deal with the doctrine of justification, 
 comprising the possibility of a holy life (chap, vi.) ; the 
 method of a holy life, negatively, not by the law of self- 
 effort (chap, vii.), positively, by the indwelling Spirit 
 (chap, viii.) ; the sphere for the manifestation of a holy 
 life: ecclesiastical (chap, xii.) ; political (chap, xiii.) ; 
 fraternal (chaps, xiv., xv.). 
 
 The conclusion of the epistle consists of salutations and 
 greetings (chap. xvi.). 
 
 General View of Contents. The general thought of 
 this epistle may also be comprehended in the following 
 question : How can a bad man be made good 1 or God's 
 method of making bad men good. This question is an- 
 swered in a threefold way : 
 
 First. By convincing men that they are bad (chaps. 
 i.-iii.). 
 
Introductory 27 
 
 Second. By sLowing them that they can be reckoned 
 good in another (chaps, iv., v.). 
 
 Third. By assuring them that they can be kept good 
 (chaps, vi.-xvi.). 
 
 Thus we have despair (chaps, i.-iii.) ; hope (chaps, iv., 
 V.) ; assurance (chaps, vi.-viii. ; xii.-xvi.). 
 
 The epistle deals with three great Christian doctrines : 
 sin (chaps, i.-iii.) ; salvation (chaps, iv., v.) ; sanctifi- 
 cation (chaps, vi.-viii. ; xii.-xvi.). 
 
Introduction to the Book 
 
 (i. 1-17) 
 
 THE Introduction falls into three sections : The 
 address and salutation (i. 1-7) ; The apostle's 
 personal interest in and relation to the church 
 at Eome (i. 8-15) ; The statement of the thenie'(i. 16, 17). 
 
 I. The Address and Salutation (i. 1-7). 
 
 (a) The Writer and the Readers (i. 7). It has been well 
 said that it is God's call and not our progress that makes 
 us saints. "We are saints by calling and not by character 
 merely or primarily. 
 
 (6) Tlie Substance of the Message (i. 2-6 ; cf. iii. 21-31). 
 Note the importance of the message by the length of the 
 sentence, which begins with verse 2 and ends with 
 verse 6 — one hundred and twenty-seven words in all. 
 Verses 2 and 6 are really a parenthetical statement 
 between the writer — "Paul the apostle," and those writ- 
 ten to — " the saints in Eome. " Here is set forth in broad 
 outlines the gospel as preached by Paul. With these 
 verses should be compared iii. 21-31. 
 
 Six thoughts are expressed in this broad outline view 
 of the gospel. 
 
 First. It is the gospel of God (i. 1 ; cf. Galatians 
 1. 11-16). It is "not after man" — that is, it is not ac- 
 cording to man's thoughts, human notions, or even our 
 common sense. All sorts of little difficulties will be 
 raised about the gospel unless we remember that it is 
 "not after man" (cf. 1 Corinthians i. 18 with ii. 7). 
 
 28 
 
Introduction to the Book 29 
 
 We should not be surprised, therefore, to find some things 
 in the gospel of God which are difficult to understand. 
 
 Second. The gospel is related to the Old Testament 
 Scriptures (i. 2). There was a gospel in the Old Testa- 
 ment which was preached to Abraham and to David. 
 There is a unity of the message of the Old and New Testa- 
 ments which is clearly evident from Paul's treatment of 
 the theme in Acts xxviii. 23-28. A careful study of the 
 ''fulfilments" of Matthew's gospel sets forth the inter- 
 dependence of the one Testament upon the other.* 
 . Third. The gospel concerns Jesus Christ (i. 3-7). Four 
 things are to be here noted : first, Christ's human nature ; 
 He was of the ''seed of David" ; second, His divine na- 
 ture ; declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection ; 
 third, sovereign Lord ; fourth, equal with the Father 
 (i. 4, 5, 7). Such a Christ is the foundation of the gospel 
 according to Paul — " the gospel of God." 
 
 Fourth. The gospel has its basis in the atoning merits 
 of the death of Jesus Christ and the seal of its truth in 
 His resurrection from the dead (i. 4, cf. iii. 24-26). 
 
 Fifth. The gospel has as its condition personal faith — 
 a faith Unto obedience (i. 5, cf. John iii, 36 E. V.) of the 
 believer in the person and work of the Son of God (i. 5, 
 cf. iii. 26-30). 
 
 Sixth. The gospel has its glorious result in the justi- 
 fication of the believer (i. 17, cf. iii. 24-26, 30). It in- 
 cludes the sanctification of the believer, also (cf. viii. 
 29, 30). 
 
 2. The Apostle's Personal Interest in and Re- 
 lation to the Church at Rome (i. 8-15). 
 
 (a) The Apostle Offers Thanksgiving for the World- 
 Wide Faith of the Roman Christians (i. 8). Note the ex- 
 pression " my God," which is used (except John xx. 28) 
 only by Christ and Paul, indicating the apostle's inti- 
 • See volume, " The Gospels and Acts," by author, p. 19, 
 
30 Romans 
 
 macy with Christ and his personal appropriation of and 
 identification with this great truth. How personal is 
 Paul's relation to the Lord: "He loved me;" "He 
 gave Himself for me." The apostle is not afraid to 
 praise the saints for good he finds in them. 
 
 (&) He Prays for Them (i. 9). Paul was unceasing in 
 his prayer for his converts and for all Christians. Doubt- 
 less he felt it a sin not to pray for them (cf. 1 Samuel xii. 
 23). He " wrestles " in prayer for them (Colossians ii. 1). 
 Praying is a part of Christian service. The appeal to 
 God is mentioned because it may have seemed surprising 
 to the Eoman Christians that the apostle, who had not 
 founded the church there, should be so interested in them. 
 He would have them know that he was not indifferent to 
 their spiritual welfare. In return he asks them to pray 
 for him (xv. 30). Here is a lesson in reciprocal prayer. 
 
 (c) He Longs to Visit Them and Impart Some Spiritual 
 Gifts (i. 10, 11). So great a Gentile city as Eome is envi- 
 able ground for the great apostle to the Gentiles. Note 
 his purpose : 
 
 First. This thing of "mutual faith," the desire to 
 share the blessings of the gospel. Oh, the humility of 
 it ! The great preacher expressing his need of them for 
 the perfecting of his faith. The strong needing the 
 weak. Note the words, " that I may be comforted in 
 you, and each of us by the other's faith, " What a lesson 
 in the necessity of mutual helpfulness, and also in the 
 nature of the gifts of the spirit ! (cf. Ephesians iv. ; Eo- 
 mans xii.). 
 
 Second. To impart some spiritual gift (i. 11). This 
 gift is probably the establishing of the saints in the 
 faith (cf. xvi. 25). Establishing grace is needed in our 
 day also and can be found in Paul's gospel. Here, too, 
 is a hint as to the greater value of the human voice as 
 compared with the preached sermon. The work of the 
 
Introduction to the Book 31 
 
 pastor is to establish his people in the faith (Ephesians 
 iv. 11-16). 
 
 Third. He longs for fruit among them. Here is the 
 apostle's gracious avarice for fruit. He was always look- 
 ing for results. Barrenness is unscriptural and disap- 
 pointing. We are commanded to ''bring forth fruit" 
 (John XV.). The only reason for the Christian's exist- 
 ence on the earth is fruit-bearing (Luke xiii. 6-9). 
 
 Fourth. Paul's intended visit had, for some reason or 
 other, been hindered (i. 13). Just why, we may not be 
 able exactly to say. It may have been the call of other 
 fields (Acts XV. 19-22) ; or Satan may have hindered him 
 (1 Thessalonians ii. 17-19) ; or, again, he may have met 
 with opposition of another kind (Acts xix. 22 ff.). That 
 the hindrance was not in Paul himself is clear from Eo- 
 mans i. 15. The doors were shut, but the apostle stands 
 ready to enter when they are open (i. 15). The time of 
 the visit rests with God and — shall we say it 1 — the peo- 
 ple's prayers. 
 
 Here is the problem of making plans. It is right to 
 make plans providing we submit them to God (Romans 
 i. 10 ; XV. 32 ; Acts xviii. 21 ; James iv. 13-17). Some- 
 times plans are broken up and come to nothing, at least 
 this is what Paul states without apology or misgiving. 
 How strangely God fulfills our plans ! Paul expected to 
 visit Eome just as he expected to enter Damascus (Acts 
 ix.), but not as a prisoner. 
 
 Fifth. The apostle considers himself a debtor to the 
 Eomans (1. 14), yea to all men, irrespective of class, rank, 
 or position ; to the cultivated classes and the ignorant 
 masses. He has a gift that makes him a debtor and not 
 a creditor. This is the spirit of which missionaries are 
 made. No other religion lays the burden of the world on 
 the shoulders of its adherents. Paul claims the whole 
 world for his parish. 
 
32 Romans 
 
 Do we thus regard ourselves as debtors ? If so, what 
 should we be doing in the way of evangelizing the world? 
 
 This debt, Paul was neither afraid nor ashamed to pay. 
 The enemies of Paul had doubtless intimated that he 
 was afraid or ashamed to visit Rome (of. " for " ver. 16 
 with ver. 15). It was not this that had held him back 
 from visiting them. He did not dread the issues from 
 the preaching of such a gospel. 
 
 Why might the apostle be tempted to be ashamed! 
 Various reasons are suggested : 
 
 First. Put yourself back in the first century and 
 under Pauline conditions, and consider the moral and 
 religious condition of the Greek and Eoman world. 
 
 Second. Think of what Paul had to offer such a world 
 from the Greek and Eoman view-point : a gospel origi- 
 nating in Palestine, a despised province of the Eoman 
 Empire ; a religion which called for faith in a dead Jew ; 
 a religion with no elaborate priesthood or gorgeous 
 temples, the adherents of which consisted mostly of the 
 poor and ignorant ; a gospel which Greeks, Eomans and 
 Jews alike looked upon as "foolishness" (cf. 1 Corin- 
 thians i. 18-25). It is difficult for us to-day to conceive 
 of such a condition, for we look at Christianity after 
 twenty centuries of triumphal march. 
 
 Third. Paul, the foremost exponent of the gospel, was 
 not only a Jew, but an apostate in the estimation of his 
 own nation. A Jew was despised by Eoman and Greek ; 
 an apostate Jew was despised by his own countrymen. 
 
 Fourth. His gospel called for repentance and change 
 of life, and such a call was not popular in those days of 
 gross immorality. 
 
 Are we ashamed to-day of the gospel because of what 
 it is in the eyes of the world ? (1 Corinthians i. 18, 23 ff.)- 
 
 There were reasons why Paul was not ashamed : 
 
 First. The gospel was a great power, and men are 
 
Introduction to the Book 33 
 
 usually not ashamed to be allied to great powers or great 
 parties. Here was the greatest of all powers— "the 
 power of God unto salvation." 
 
 Second. Because of what the gospel could do. Paul 
 looked at the moral condition of the world (cf. chaps, 
 i.-iii. ; 1 Corinthians chaps, i., ii.) and was convinced 
 that nothing but the power of God could remedy such 
 condition ; indeed, that the gospel was the only force to 
 that end. True, the powers of nature also are God's 
 forces, but to other ends ; the gospel is the only power 
 unto salvation ; through it alone does God work for the 
 redemption of men. 
 
 Paul's Definition of the Gospel. It is not the mere 
 presentation of an ideal or the enunciation of an ethic, 
 but a power, the power that enables man to live the life 
 and character of God. Ideals and ethics may be pos- 
 sessed, and yet man may be powerless to realize them. 
 The gospel is the announcement that God has provided a 
 righteousness for unrighteous men, a righteousness to be 
 received by faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, 
 His Son. 
 
 This is the gospel to produce fruit, the gospel that has 
 done so in other lands, that will do so (and as we know 
 did do) in Eome, that is doing so to-day, and will con- 
 tinue to do so. It is the power and the wisdom of God, 
 compared with which all schemes of men are weak and 
 foolish (cf. 1 Corinthians chaps, i. and ii.). Is this the 
 gospel we are preaching to-day ? 
 
II 
 
 Sin — The Wrath of God — Man Destitute 
 of God's Righteousness — Despair 
 
 (i. IS-iii. 20) 
 
 H 
 
 OW can a bad man be made good ? By con- 
 vincing him that he is totally bad. The argu- 
 ment of this section seems to be this : the wrath 
 of God is resting upon all those who hold down the truth 
 in unrighteousness. In other words, the wrath of God 
 rests upon all sinners. Deliverance from this wrath can 
 come only by the bestowment upon the sinner of the 
 righteousness of God. Having stated this general propo- 
 sition, the apostle proceeds to show that all men are sin- 
 ners and have fallen short of their respective standards 
 of righteousness : whether the Gentile, who is taught by 
 nature and conscience (i. 18-32), or the Jew, who has 
 been the favored recipient of a special revelation from 
 God (ii. 17-iii. 8). It is evident, therefore, as the Old 
 Testament clearly states, that all the world, both Jew and 
 Gentile, is guilty and under the judgment of God (iii. 19) 
 and is, therefore, in need of the righteousness of God 
 (iii. 9, 20). 
 
 Having declared the nature of the gospel (i. 16-18), the 
 apostle now proceeds to show the need for such a gospel : 
 the wrath of God is justly revealed against the wilful, 
 persistent sin of man, both Gentile and Jew, moral and 
 immoral. Mankind is totally bad. 
 
 I. The Failure of the Gentiles (i. 18-ii. 16). This 
 division is discussed under two sections : First, the im- 
 
 34 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 35 
 
 moral, degraded Geutile (i. 18-32) ; second, the respect- 
 able, moral Gentile (ii. 1-16) (although some think that 
 the latter passage refers to the Jews). 
 
 (a) The Failure of the Immoral^ Degraded Gentile 
 (i. 18-32). The awful picture of the natural man here 
 presented is worthy of profound reflection. It shows 
 three stages in man's sin, particularly the sin of the 
 Gentiles or the heathen : 
 
 First. God has afforded all mankind an opportunity 
 to know Him, both innately and in creation (i. 19-20). 
 
 Second. Such offered knowledge has been deliberately 
 ignored, with the result that those rejecting such knowl- 
 edge have been plunged into idle speculations regarding 
 the Godhead, which have ended in gross idolatry and 
 sensuality (i. 21-23). 
 
 Third. The consequent judgment upon all who are 
 unwilling to receive and retain the knowledge of God — 
 they are given up totally to sin (i. 24-32). 
 
 A Picture of the Natural Man and a Natural Beligion. 
 It is worthy of note that the awful condition described in 
 these verses is not the result of not knowing God, for 
 three things are definitely stated in this regard : 
 
 First. The persons here described — whether they be 
 heathen as we understand that word, or, which is more 
 likely. Gentiles or Oreeks, such Greeks even as the cul- 
 tured men of Athens and Corinth — had an innate knowl- 
 edge of God, an inner consciousness of God (ver. 19, cf. 
 ii. 15) ; a knowledge of God was within them (cf. John 
 1.9). 
 
 Second. They had a revelation outside of themselves, 
 in nature and in providence (ver. 20, cf. Acts xiv. 17 ; 
 xvii. 22-31 ; Jeremiah v. 21 ff. ; Psalm xix. ; xiv. 1). 
 
 Third. The knowledge of God possessed by these 
 people, both inward and outward, was an adequate, full, 
 suflScient knowledge, by means of which the Divine 
 
36 Romans 
 
 Beiug, at least in some of His attributes, was made so 
 intelligible, so clearly visible that they were without an 
 excuse in their wickedness (21, 28, 32). 
 
 The guilt of the Gentiles lay in a refusal to retain this 
 knowledge, indeed their immoral and idolatrous condition 
 was the direct result of " holding down the truth in un- 
 righteousness " (ver. 18). They had suppressed the truth 
 by their sin ; they had imprisoned it by their immoral- 
 ity ; they had it, but in unrighteousness ; they "changed," 
 or perhaps better, exchanged the truth for a lie (vers. 22, 
 23). They willingly bartered truth, exchanged the spir- 
 itual for the material, the seen for the unseen, the good 
 for the bad. Like Israel in the wilderness, they ex- 
 changed the knowledge of the true God for the worship 
 of the beast (Psalm cvi. 20). The expression here is 
 very strong, and indicates that these people had not only 
 possessed the truth, but had, after weighing it, specula- 
 ting and reasoning about it, deliberately given it up them- 
 selves and applauded those who indulged in such conduct 
 (ver. 32), and even delighted in the society of those who 
 had made this exchange. 
 
 The result of this surrender of the knowledge of God is 
 emphasized by the threefold repetition of the fact that 
 "God gave them up" (vers. 24, 26, 28). Of course, we 
 are to understand this expression in a judicial sense ; that 
 is to say, that God gave them up after they had really 
 and actually given themselves up to work all manner of 
 uncleanness (Ephesiaus iv. 19 ; 1 Timothy iv. 2 ; Isaiah 
 xliv. 20). 
 
 Men's thoughts of their fellow men are judged by their 
 thoughts of God. When one thinks little of God, he is 
 likely to think little of his fellows. So in verses 24-32. 
 we have a picture of the spiritual, moral, mental, and 
 physical insensibility and corruption of these people. 
 
 In the giving up of the true knowledge of God, they 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 37 
 
 had ''shown themselves to be fools"; that is, they 
 had become insipid, utterly senseless, and worthless in 
 thought (vers. 22, 23, 28), and had incurred the wrath of 
 God (vers. 18, 32). Just at the point where men think 
 they become wise (by denying the true doctrine of the 
 Godhead) they actually become fools (Psalm xiv. 1). 
 
 Thus is the failure of the Gentile people set forth by 
 the apostle. The Gentile world was under the wrath of 
 God, lost and perishing, not because it had actually re- 
 jected Jesus Christ — although men are lost who, when 
 Christ is presented to them, reject Him — but because 
 they, by reason of their sin, were destitute of the righteous- 
 ness of God, without which no man is acceptable in His 
 sight. All men are by nature sinful and therefore under 
 condemnation. It may be that some of these Gentiles 
 had never heard of Christ, and consequently could not 
 reject Him. The thing we need to remember in this 
 connection is that men are lost and subject to the wrath 
 of God because they are sinners by nature, and destitute 
 of the righteousness of God. This righteousness can be 
 obtained now only through faith in Jesus Christ, and, of 
 course, it naturally follows that, so far as divine revela- 
 tion goes, those without Christ are lost (Acts iv. 12 ; John 
 xiv. 6 ; Eomans x. 14-17). 
 
 The verses in this chapter, so far considered, present to 
 us a summing up of paganism, and show us that the 
 natural religion of the Gentiles was not able to make bad 
 men good. Hence the need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Lessons from Bomans i. 18-82. 
 
 First. That God gives a sufficient knowledge of Him- 
 self to men to enable them to know Him sufficiently to 
 obey Him. If men will persist in sinning against God, 
 God has given them sufficient light so that their sin shall 
 not be excused. 
 
 Second. Whatever knowledge of God we have, if not 
 
38 Romans 
 
 obeyed, leads to sin and ruiu. It is an awful thing for a 
 man to fail or refuse to live up to the light he has re- 
 ceived. Man never does as well as he knows, nor will 
 he do always what he knows is right. Man always 
 knows better than he does. A man's aim should be to 
 live up to the light he has (cf. Luke xii. 47, 48). 
 
 Third. Man's religious evolution is not upward, but 
 downward. These verses teach us that men had sufficient 
 light to lead them to God and a deeper knowledge of 
 Him, but they had refused to retain that light. Conse- 
 quently their knowledge of the one true God was de- 
 graded into the sin of idolatry and polytheism. We do 
 not gain our knowledge of the true God by an evolution- 
 ary process, that is, from the lower to the higher. The 
 opposite seems to have been the case. Men began with 
 the knowledge and worship of the true God — monothe- 
 ism, but gradually degraded their belief into the worship 
 of many gods — polytheism. This is not evolution, but 
 devolution (devU-ntion). This would seem to indicate 
 that all idolatry springs from man's dislike of God ; and 
 back of all idolatry there are similar immoral beings 
 (1 Corinthians x. 20, 21 ; 1 Timothy iv. 1 ; Eevelation 
 ix. 20 ; xvi. 14). With the growth of idolatry there is 
 always the loss of restraint on all animal passions, and 
 the violation of all the commandments of the second 
 table. This is the genesis and evolution (?) of paganism. 
 
 Fourth. God punishes sin with sin (Pharaoh is an il- 
 lustration ; Eomans ix. 17 ; Exodus viii. 15, 19, 32 ; 
 ix. 12). If men do not care to retain their knowledge of 
 God, He punishes them by the withdrawal of the power 
 of chastity and morality. One sometimes wonders if the 
 efforts of reformers to rid the world of moral ills is not 
 an attempt to change the punitive j ustice of God. God 
 punishes sin with sin. This is a manifestation of His 
 wrath against sin. There is something in God to be 
 
Sin — The Wrath of God 39 
 
 afraid of (Hebrews x. 26-31 ; xii. 29 ; Luke xii. 4-5). 
 "We need to preach the wrath of God in this day. 
 
 Fifth. Natural religious cannot transform human na- 
 ture into godlikeness, but only into brutes. Natural re- 
 ligions are immoral — of which fact we have abundant 
 evidence in our day by the expose of certain cults of 
 natural religion. 
 
 Sixth. The difficulty with atheism and infidelity is 
 moral, not intellectual. At the root of unbelief lies im- 
 morality and sin. It is a thing of the heart more than of 
 the head, of morality rather than intellectuality. 
 
 Seventh. In view of all this, we can understand why 
 Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for it alone was the 
 power that God was using to transform mankind, and to 
 rescue fallen humanity from divine judgment against sin. 
 While the gospel was not removing the tide of immorality 
 which was in the world, it was lifting men out of that 
 tide, and making pure and strong those that believed in 
 the gospel. The brazen serpent raised by Moses in the 
 ■wilderness for the smitten Israelites was not more lightly 
 esteemed than the gospel to-day, but Moses' remedy was 
 the only remedy ; so the gospel is the only cure for the 
 sins of men. Hence we need not be ashamed of it. 
 
 Eighth. Do we have in the first chapter of Eomans a 
 description of the heathen only, or is it a picture of 
 civilization too? Is the apostle describing the low, 
 brutal Hottentot alone, or is he including the refined 
 Greek of Ephesus (cf. Ephesians ii. 1-4) and of Corinth 
 (cf. 1 Corinthians chaps, v. and vii.) ? Was not this same 
 catalogue of sins repeated in Pompeii, and was it not 
 probably for this reason that God destroyed that city ? 
 Let the immoral drawings and paintings still portrayed 
 on the walls of houses in excavated Pompeii bear wit- 
 ness ! Is not this same catalogue of sins true of condi- 
 tions in certain parts of our own country at this present 
 
40 Romans 
 
 hour ? Is not this catalogue of sins a description of the 
 age in which we live until the time of the end (cf. first 
 and second epistles to Timothy) ? Have we not here a 
 description, not of the sins of some men, so much as the 
 sin of man? We may well ask ourselves, " Do we, you 
 and I, stand outside this chapter? Are we ready and 
 willing to say that the hearts we carry within our breasts 
 are not capable of these sins if we were let go of by God, 
 if He did not hold us fast ? ' ' 
 
 (6) The Failure of the Respectable Gentile (ii. 1-16). The 
 apostle, having shown that the openly and notoriously 
 immoral Gentile is destitute of the righteousness of God, 
 and consequently under God's wrath and in need of 
 justification, proceeds now to show that the respectable 
 and so-called moral Gentile is in practically the same 
 condition before God. It is a much more difficult task 
 that the apostle has before him to convince the moral man 
 that he is in need of the righteousness of God. The kind 
 of person that Paul has in mind in this section is the man 
 of Pharisaic spirit who, instead of taking his place with 
 the sinner at the bar of God as a condemned man, would 
 take his place beside the Judge in the chair, listening un- 
 moved and undismayed at the sentence of the court upon 
 the person at the bar, instead of realizing that he himself 
 is an actual accomplice and should be by the prisoner's 
 side receiving the sentence. It is the man who sits in 
 judgment upon his fellow men, who says, "This indict- 
 ment of the apostle may be true of others, but it is not 
 true of me. I am not a bad man like the rest of men ; " 
 the man who, like the Pharisee in the temple, said, 
 **God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, 
 . . . even as this publican" (Luke xviii. 11). 
 
 It is the purpose of the apostle to show that the so- 
 called moral man is as destitute of the righteousness of 
 God as the man who is called grossly immoral. 
 
Sin — The Wrath of God 41 
 
 What is a Moral Man ? The question arises, What is 
 morality ? and who may properly be called a moral man ? 
 Is there such a thing in the world as a strictly moral man ? 
 Morality is the observance of the law, the strict keeping 
 of the commandments of God. The moral man, therefore, 
 is the man who keeps the law and commandments of God 
 — inwardly as well as outwardly, in thought as well as 
 act, in motive as well as deed. To break one, even the 
 least of the commandments, constitutes immorality : 
 " For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend 
 in one point, he is guilty of all " (James ii. 10). 
 
 Where is the man, then, who, in the light of all this, can 
 say, ''I have not sinned"? If we have not sinned in 
 deed, we have in word ; if we have not sinned in word, 
 we have in thought and imagination, and that a thousand 
 times. " There is none righteous ; no, not one " (Romans 
 iii. 10). *' For all have sinned, and come short of the glory 
 of God" (Romans iii. 23). One act of stealing consti- 
 tutes a man a thief ; so one act of disobedience to the 
 moral law constitutes a man immoral. Judged by this 
 standard, then, there is no such thing as a moral man. 
 For this reason salvation by morality or by character is 
 impossible (cf. Romans iii. 19, 20 ; Galatiaus ii. 16). 
 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under 
 the curse ; for it is written, Cursed is every one that con- 
 tinueth not (literally: perpetually) in all things which 
 are written in the book of the law to do them " (Gala- 
 tiaus iii. 10). Such an obedience is impossible to man ; 
 therefore salvation by works is out of the question. 
 
 Degrees of Sin. It is not to be understood by this that 
 all men are immoral in the same sense or degree. The 
 Apostle Paul himself was not an immoral man in the 
 sense of immorality as graphically depicted in Romans 
 i. 18-32 (cf. Philippiansiii.). He was immoral, however, 
 when his character was compared with God's perfect 
 
42 Romans 
 
 standard. Then, he discovered his own righteousness to 
 be "as filthy rags" (Isaiah Ixiv. 6) j his best acts, he 
 discovered to be but selfish sins. Paul's estimate of his 
 life, moral as it was from the human point of view, but 
 as viewed in the light of God's perfect standard as it 
 flashed on the vision of the apostle in his conversion, is 
 graphically set forth in Philippians iii. 4-11: ''Though 
 I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other 
 man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the 
 flesh, I more : Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock 
 of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the He- 
 brews ; as touching the law, a Pharisee ; Concerning zeal, 
 persecuting the church ; touching the righteousness which 
 is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to 
 me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and 
 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowl- 
 edge of Jesus Christ my Lord ; for whom I have suffered 
 the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I 
 may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine 
 own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is 
 through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of 
 God by faith : That I may know him, and the power of 
 his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being 
 made conformable unto his death ; If by any means I 
 might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Paul's 
 estimate of his life before conversion is his estimate of 
 morality in relation to his personal salvation. 
 
 Of course, there is a great difference in the grades and 
 degrees of sin. All men are not sinners alike in degree, 
 but they are sinners alike in fact. In the estimation of 
 God, the intent, motive, and thought of the heart and life 
 are weighed, and enter into the estimation of a man's 
 character just as much as his outward acts and deeds 
 (Luke xvi. 15 ; 1 Samuel xvi. 7). This is the truth 
 taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew v. 21, 22, 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 43 
 
 28, 43-48) and in Romans ii. 16 — **In the day when God 
 shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according 
 to my gospel." This is true of God's estimation of a 
 man's character now, but it is especially true as relating 
 to the criterion of judgment at the bar of God in the 
 future, and really it is the future judgment that is the 
 prominent fact set forth in this section of Romans. 
 
 The difference between the sin of the moral and im- 
 moral man lies not so much in its nature as in its mani- 
 festation. God judges the motives of the heart as well as 
 the actions of the life (Luke xvi. 15 ; 1 Samuel xvi. 7). 
 Judged, then, by motive, thought, and purpose, the so- 
 called moral Geutile is as destitute of the righteousness 
 of God as the Gentile called immoral. It is such a 
 reader, in fact, whether Jew or Gentile, that the apostle 
 has in mind, and he would distinctly teach such a man 
 that the Judge of all the earth is about to sentence him. 
 
 The True Principles of Judgment. There are four prin- 
 ciples of judgment set forth in these verses. The argu- 
 ment of the entire section is somewhat as follows : The 
 judgment of God upon human life and character is of 
 such a nature that men, no matter what their position in 
 this life may be or to what grade of society they belong, 
 are totally unable, by anything derived from their first 
 birth, to stand accepted at the judgment bar of God. 
 Judged by the law of conscience, by the law of morality, 
 or even, as we shall see in the next section, by the re- 
 vealed law of God, all men are by nature alike destitute 
 of God's righteousness, and subject to the visitation of 
 His wrath. The following are the principles of the judg- 
 ment as set forth in this section : 
 
 First. "The judgment of God is according to truth 
 against them which commit such things" (ii. 2, cf. 
 vers. 1-5). 
 
 This means that the judgment of God deals with naked 
 
44 
 
 Romans 
 
 facts ; that at the bar of God a man appears as he really 
 is, not as what he seems to be ; that character, not repu- 
 tation, is emphasized. These facts should keep the re- 
 spectable, moral Gentile and the Jew from looking with 
 disdain and censure upon the so-called notoriously sinful. 
 The same propensities that manifest themselves in the 
 openly sinful act are operative and active in the hearts of 
 the so-called moral and religious, in thought, imagina- 
 tion, and motive. The moral man who is nasty within is 
 just as guilty before God as the immoral man who is nasty 
 without. " And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest 
 them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou 
 shalt escape the judgment of God 1 Or despisest thou the 
 riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffer- 
 ing ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee 
 to repentance" (ii. 3, 4)? God deals with realities, not 
 professions. Men stand before Him in their true char- 
 acter. 
 
 We should be careful lest we fall into the error of 
 thinking that the sin which we look upon with contempt 
 and yet is existent in our own hearts will be overlooked 
 by God in the judgment. *'As a man thinketh in his 
 heart, so is he." God looks at the heart, that is what we 
 are in reality, and many a moral Gentile would be just 
 like the immoral Gentile were it not for the shame that 
 such indulgence in sin would bring to his name or family. 
 The difference between the sin of the moral and immoral 
 is in manifestation only. Outward respectability does 
 not save anybody. God deals with realities, not pro- 
 fessions. His judgment is according to truth, not accord- 
 ing to masquerade (cf. 2 Corinthians v. 10 E.V.). 
 
 Severer Judgment for the Moral Man. Indeed, it is the 
 teaching of the Scripture that the privileges of environ- 
 ment, education, culture, training, and knowledge of the 
 moral man, will be as so many witnesses against him in 
 
Sin—The Wrath of God 45 
 
 the judgmeut day, uuless they have led him to a sur- 
 render of his life to God. If these blessings and priv- 
 ileges have not been as eagle wings to lift us up to God, 
 they will be as nether millstones to drag us down to per- 
 dition. The moral man is solemnly warned not to forget 
 this great principle of the judgment (of. ii. 3, 4 ; cf. Luke 
 xii. 47, 48). Man's brighter light will send him into the 
 deeper darkness if he does not use it in the divinely ap- 
 pointed way. 
 
 Second. The second principle of judgment is '* ac- 
 cording to our deeds " (ii. 6 ; cf. 6-10). These verses do 
 not teach salvation by works, for not salvation but judg- 
 ment is the thought under consideration here (cf. ver. 
 12). The doctrine of salvation by works is totally denied 
 elsewhere in this epistle (iii. 19, 20). If a man lived up 
 to all the light he had, that would not save him according 
 to the gospel (Galatiaus ii. 16 ; Acts iv. 12 ; Eomans x. 
 12-14). Such a man might be ' ' acceptable " or ready to 
 be saved as in the case of Cornelius (Acts x. 33 ; xi. 14), 
 but even then it would be necessary for him to receive 
 instruction as to what to do to be saved (cf. Acts x. 43). 
 
 Even the believer, who does not enter into the judg- 
 ment of life and death, mast stand before the judgment 
 seat of Christ to be rewarded according to the deeds he 
 has done in the body, whether they be good or bad (cf. 
 2 Corinthians V. 10). 
 
 Third. The judgment is without respect of persons 
 (ii. 11 ; cf. 11-15). We note that the judgment is accord- 
 ing to deeds and^according to what we really are. God 
 pays no attention to class distinctions such as those de- 
 scribed in ii. 1-16, contrasted with i. 18-32. There is no 
 respect of persons with God. As a true Judge, He deals 
 only with the case. Justice is sometimes represented 
 with a bandage over her eyes, indicating that she is blind 
 to class distinctions. The man who has sinned without a 
 
46 Romans 
 
 written law shall be judged accordingly. The man who 
 has sinned with a written law and in spite of it, shall be 
 dealt with accordingly. No man will perish who has had 
 no knowledge of God, or to whom God has not in some 
 degree at least revealed Himself. The standard of the 
 judgment will be in accordance with a man's light and 
 knowledge of God, or his opportunity of possessing such 
 light and knowledge. 
 
 That the Gentiles possess a law — that of conscience, is 
 clear from ii. 14, 15. Some standard of right and wrong 
 exists, even among them. If the Jew can be saved by 
 his law, then the Gentile can be saved by his, even though 
 the Jew would not admit this to be a fact. Of course, in 
 neither case is it true — no law of conscience, or moral 
 law, can save. Christ alone is our righteousness. 
 
 Fourth. The judgment is "according to my gospel " 
 (ii. 16). The day of judgment will come to both Gentile 
 and Jew. The new element in connection with the judg- 
 ment introduced in the message of Paul, is that Jesus 
 Christ will be the Judge. This is the teaching of Christ 
 Himself (John v. 25, 27) and also of Paul (1 Timothy 
 iv. 1 ; 2 Corinthians iii. 5 ; v. 10). 
 
 Summing up this entire section (ii. 1-16), we may say 
 that the judgment of God is of such a nature that no sin- 
 ner, be he Jew or Gentile, will be able to stand without 
 the righteousness of Jesus Christ. No man, with or with- 
 out law, religion or revelation, can make any effective 
 plea in the judgment. All are equally without excuse. 
 Neither the Jew, nor the moral Gentile, nor the immoral 
 Gentile, will be able to stand the close scrutiny of the 
 Judge. " All have sinned. " 
 
 Here are four great things for us to remember regard- 
 ing the judgment : the Judge is just ; the day is certain ; 
 the time is unknown ; the standard is " my gospel." 
 
 2. The Failure of the Jew (ii. 17-iii. 9). Some 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 47 
 
 would begin this section, which deals with the failure of 
 the Jew, with ii. 1. But for reasons which seem evident 
 from the treatment we have given ii. 1-16, we have 
 placed these verses (ii. 1-16) under " The Failure of the 
 Moral Gentile." It is likely that both the moral Gentile 
 and the Jew are referred to in this section. 
 
 The apostle, having shown that the Gentile is guilty 
 before God and in need of His righteousness, and that, 
 because of the absence of such righteousness, is under the 
 wrath and judgment of God (i. 18-ii. 16), now proceeds 
 to show the Jew that he also is in the same condition — 
 destitute of the divine righteousness, and consequently 
 under the wrath of God (ii. 17-iii. 9). It is a much more 
 difficult task to prove the Jew to be a sinner and destitute 
 of the divine righteousness than to show the Gentile to 
 be in a like condition. The sin of the Gentile was open 
 and patent to every eye. All the apostle had to do was 
 to point to the experience of the Gentile peoples, so 
 graphically depicted in i. 18-32. Such evidence was 
 sufficient. But with the Jew it was very different. He 
 had been granted divine revelations ; he had been given 
 a system of divine laws ; to him had been committed 
 ''the oracles of God." When, therefore, the Jew sinned, 
 he sinned under the cloak of religion. It should not be 
 overlooked, either, that the Jew rested in a righteousness 
 by law. It was harder, therefore, to prove to the Jew 
 that he was a bad man, too, and equally under the wrath 
 and judgment of God with the Gentile. The Jew, at 
 once, in his spirit of Phariseeism, agreed with the 
 Apostle Paul that the Gentiles were in this deplorable 
 condition, but could not feel that such a state of things 
 could be true of him (cf. Luke xvi. 15 ; xviii. 9-14). 
 
 (a) The Jew is a Sinner Equally with, and Even Above 
 the Gentile Because of His Great Privileges (ii. 17-24). 
 The apostle is not ignorant of the honors and privileges 
 
48 Romans 
 
 couferred upon the chosen race. He ackuowledges that 
 the Jews had something that the Gentiles did not possess 
 (ii. 17, 19, 23), namely, the Mosaic law. And right here, 
 by the way, lies the fallacy of some phases of modern 
 teaching that would fasten the Mosaic law upon the 
 Christian (cf. also Acts xv. ; Colossians ii. 8-20 ; Eomans 
 vii. 1-6). 
 
 The apostle names ^ye peisonal privileges which the Jew 
 claims for himself above all other men. " Behold, thou 
 art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy 
 boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the 
 things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the 
 law " (ii. 17, 18). 
 
 ''Behold, thou art called a Jew." Paul was a Jew 
 (Philippians iii. 3-6) ; so was Christ (Matthew i. 1 ; John 
 iv. 9, 22). The Jews were the chosen people of God. 
 That in itself was an honor. 
 
 ''Thou restest in the law." The Jews found relief for 
 their spiritual perplexities and a solution for their spiri- 
 tual troubles in a divine revelation which they acknowl- 
 edged as the basis of all God's dealings with men. This 
 was a great privilege. 
 
 " Thou gloriest in God." The Jews put no confidence 
 in idols, as did their heathen neighbors. They gloried 
 in the knowledge of the one true God. This, too, was a 
 matter of honor and privilege. 
 
 " Thou knowest his will." They were not groping in 
 the dark as to what was in the law, nor as to the will of 
 God concerning themselves. They were the recipients of 
 a revelation concerning their destiny, past, present, and 
 future. 
 
 They were "expert in testing things." They could 
 test religious truth with discrimination. They were ex- 
 pert in matters of casuistry because of their knowledge 
 and instruction in the law. 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 49 
 
 No Gentile laid claim to such privileges as these, all of 
 which were claimed by the Jew and admitted by Paul. 
 The apostle names these privileges one by one in order 
 that he may emphasize them and show the responsibility 
 of the Jew in connection therewith. 
 
 Five Things are Enumerated in Which, the Jew Claimed 
 Superiority to Others (ii. 19, 20). He was a ''guide to the 
 blind" ; a 'Might of them which are in darkness" ; a 
 * ' corrector of the foolish " ; possessing the form and 
 scheme of the law of truth ; mature, as contrasted with 
 " babes," in their understanding of truth. 
 
 In ii. 21-24, Paul admits the truth of all these points 
 of advantage, and, by a series of questions, asks them if 
 they had lived up to these privileges. The Jews claimed 
 that they "knew " more of truth than the Gentiles. The 
 question the apostle asks is, Did their superior knowledge 
 profit them any ? Did it affect their lives for godliness ? 
 
 The apostle answers the question in the negative, and 
 shows that the Jews, with all their superior privileges, 
 were guilty on the same three counts as the Gentiles : they 
 were immoral ; they were sensual ; they were idolatrous. 
 It is interesting to note in this connection that the order 
 of these three indictments is the opposite to that set forth 
 in i. 18-32, because here he is dealing with a people who 
 had the knowledge of God, but being immoral in life, 
 were led into idolatry ; whereas in speaking of the 
 Gentiles, they, through their idolatry and loss of the true 
 knowledge of God, were led into sensuality and immoral- 
 ity. 
 
 However much the Jew himself boasted of his own self- 
 righteousness, the Gentile was fully aware of the fact that 
 the Jew, equally with him, was a sinner, destitute of 
 God's righteousness and under the divine wrath : "For 
 the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles 
 through you, as it is written" (ii. 24). 
 
^o Romans 
 
 Practical Application. In dealing with the Jew, the 
 apostle has much to say to us, who have even more 
 privileges than the Jew ever had over the Gentiles in the 
 days gone by. What did the privilege of the Jew profit 
 him? What do our privileges profit us? The Jews 
 boasted of their superior honor and privileges, but failed 
 to live a life adequately and proportionately superior. 
 They were merely hearers of the Word and not doers. 
 Are we % To whom much is given, of him much is re- 
 quired (Luke xii. 47, 48;. Of us to whom, by reason 
 of favorable circumstances, religious environment, and 
 spiritual privileges, much has been given, much shall be 
 required in that great day. *'What do ye more than 
 others?" 
 
 (&) Cornering the Jew (ii. 25-29). Having shown the 
 Jew that he, equally with the Gentile, is a sinner, the 
 apostle now seeks to drive the Jew from his confidence in 
 those things — ceremonialism and Mosaism — in which he 
 had taken refuge. All the privileges of which the Jew 
 has boasted and which the apostle has admitted, while 
 valid, may be of no saving value. To have the name of 
 a "Jew," to have submitted to the rite of "circumcision," 
 may have been something from a national point of view, 
 but such things had no spiritual value in themselves. 
 Outward profession alone doe* not count for either Jew 
 or Gentile. Before these names can count, a Jew must 
 be a real Jew (ii. 28, 29), and a Gentile, a real Christian 
 (Eomans x. 9 ; vi. 17). The racial seal and the spiritual 
 reality are separable. The Jew may be a Gentile, and 
 circumcision may become uncircumcision. The Jew must 
 not confound these things. If the aim of circumcision 
 was uprightness, and if the Gentile exhibited a more up- 
 right character than the Jew, then was not the Gentile a 
 better man than the Jew, even though he did not have 
 the religious name or rite ? 
 
Sin— The Wrath of God 51 
 
 We are not to mistake the signs of membership in the 
 church, our denominational name, and our having sub- 
 mitted to a church rite or sacrament for real Christian 
 living any more than the Jew had to rest in the name 
 " Jew " or the rite of circumcision as constituting a real 
 Jew. These signs really prove nothing in themselves 
 considered. A religious rite and Christian name are 
 worthless unless attended by a corresponding Christian 
 life. These things are no substitute or atonement for 
 wrong living, but rather an aggravation of the same. 
 Those who make no claim to such a name or ceremonial 
 may be more acceptable to God than those who do. 
 Bullion is gold, even though it have no government 
 stamp upon it, but base metal is not gold, even though it 
 be so stamped. The terms " Jew ' ' and " circumcision ' ' 
 are nothing more than signs, just as $ and £ are 
 monetary symbols. These are not money, but simply 
 money signs. One may have a million of these signs and 
 yet not be worth a cent or a farthing. '* Beware of false 
 prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but in- 
 wardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them 
 by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs 
 of thistles ? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good 
 fruit : but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A 
 good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a cor- 
 rupt tree bring forth good fruit. . . . Wherefore by 
 their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that 
 saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom 
 of heaven : but he that doeth the will of my Father which 
 is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day. Lord, 
 Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy 
 name have cast out devils'? and in thy name done many 
 wonderful works'? And then will I profess unto them, I 
 never knew you : depart from me ye that work iniquity." 
 
 (c) The Apostle Takes up Certain Objections to the Argu- 
 
^2 Romans 
 
 ments He has Made, and to the Conclusion Drawn Therefrom, 
 and Answers Them (iii. 1-8). The objectious may be 
 looked upoD in a threefold manner : 
 
 First. What advantage was there in being a Jew and 
 forming a part of a great religious organism, seeing that 
 the blessings of the covenants made with these people 
 were of altogether a spiritual nature *? 
 
 Second. Circumstances and history seem to show that, 
 while the Jews were the recipients of a divine revelation 
 from God, yet the overwhelming majority of these people 
 did not accept by faith this divine revelation. Inasmuch, 
 therefore, as its benefits were conferred by spiritual 
 rather than national means, of what advantage was it to 
 be a Jew ? 
 
 Third. If the sin of man can only really bring God's 
 righteousness into clearer light, where, then, lies the 
 righteousness of God in punishing man for the committal 
 of that which contributes only to God's glory ? 
 
 The apostle seems to sum up his answer to these ques- 
 tions in one bold affirmation : ' ' Much every way : 
 chiefly, because that unto them were committed the 
 oracles of God" (iii. 2). 
 
 By the word " oracles " is doubtless meant the revela- 
 tion of God's will as contained in the Old Testament. 
 Primarily, this word doubtless referred to the most holy 
 place in the Tabernacle, where the high priest ascer- 
 tained the mind of God. It also, later, designated the 
 revelation of the mind of God given at Sinai — the Law. 
 
 It was the wonderful honor and privilege of the Jew 
 that to him had been committed such a revelation of the 
 will of God. He had not kept it, however. He had been 
 unfaithful to the trust. The failure lay, not with God, 
 but with the Jew himself. There doubtless were many 
 "advantages " which the Jew had, and there was " much 
 every way " in which he was honored above other na- 
 
Sin-— The Wrath of God 53 
 
 tions, but in this ''chiefly " that he was the depository 
 of God's revealed truth, and for this he should never 
 cease to be grateful. 
 
 But even though the Jew was unfaithful, God had re- 
 mained faithful. He could not do or be otherwise, for 
 God is unchangeable. Even the unfaithfulness of men 
 only brings the faitlifulness of God's character into 
 greater prominence (iii. 3, 4). God will make the wrath 
 of men to [praise Him, and so it will be seen at last that 
 even the sin of man will be made to work out to the glory 
 of God. Just how, we may not be able to determine or 
 explain. There is no unrighteousness with God because 
 He punishes sin, even though sin itself will finally be 
 made to redound to His glory. The thought of unright- 
 eousness with God is abhorrent to the apostle, for how 
 could God then judge the world? 
 
 Note the five things which belong to God in iii. 1-7. 
 "The oracles of God" (iii. 2); "The righteousness of 
 God" (iii. 5); "The judgment of God " (iii. 6) ; "The 
 truth of God " (iii. 7) ; " The glory of God " (iii. 7). 
 
 3. The Whole World, Jew and Gentile, Sinners 
 Before God and Under the Divine W^rath (iii. 9-20 ; 
 cf. V. 12-21, which is really a continuation from 
 iii. 23). Having established the guilt of the Jew and 
 the Gentile independently, he now represents all man- 
 kind, as summed up in these two divisions of universal 
 humanity and declares all to be sinners equally before 
 God. In these verses (iii. 10-18) thirteen indictments are 
 brought against mankind. This is not a very flattering 
 picture of the human race. It is an untouched negative 
 rather than a finished picture, and yet it is absolutely 
 accurate and true to life. The experience of the race, as 
 well as the five Old Testament quotations referred to, 
 corroborate the truth of the apostle's indictment. In 
 the day of Beckoning we shall find the charges proven 
 
j'4 Romans 
 
 (Jude 14, 15 ; Eevelation xx. 14, 15). How about the 
 so-called divinity of human nature so much spoken of 
 to-day when viewed in the light of these verses ? 
 
 This section (i. 18-iii. 20) shows that the whole human 
 race is guilty and lost because of sin (iii. 19, 20). The 
 law, by which some try to be saved, only aggravates and 
 emphasizes sin. Consequently there is no salvation by 
 law. All that the law can do is to make one feel more 
 deeply the consciousness of guilt and sin. Nor can any 
 man stand before his conscience and feel guiltless. Be- 
 fore the judgment bar of God, the whole race stands 
 guilty, sinful, speechless. Humanity, whether with or 
 without law, is a total failure. The picture presented to 
 us here is that of humanity in utter darkness, and speech- 
 less. This awful condition of sin, as we shall see in our 
 next section, is but a background for the glorious light of 
 redemption to stand out in bolder relief. 
 
Ill 
 
 Justification — The Righteousness of 
 God — Hope 
 
 (Hi. 21-v. 21) 
 
 HOW can a bad man be made good ? By showing 
 him that he can become good in another — that 
 is, in Jesus Christ. This section shows us how 
 a bad man may be made good, and how sinners may get 
 from under the wrath of God and become recipients of 
 the righteousness of God. If section II—" Sin " — shows 
 all men, Irrespective of condition, to be alike under con- 
 demnation ; then section III — " Justification "—shows 
 that all men alike may receive the righteousness of God, 
 which will enable them to stand accepted in the judg- 
 ment. If all men need justification as they do (II), then 
 all men may have it (III). The atonement is sufiBcient 
 for all ; it is ef&cient for those who believe and accept it. 
 If there is no salvation by works of the law, there is sal- 
 vation by the grace of God. Here we have set before us 
 a new way of life for all mankind : a by-faith-in-Christ 
 righteousness, not a by-works-of-the-law righteousness. 
 
 I. The New Way of Life Briefly Described (iii. 
 21-31). Out from amid the silence of a guilty and speech- 
 less world is heard the voice of God : ** But now a right- 
 eousness of God without the law is manifested. " Here, 
 in substance, is the new way of life for the fallen race. 
 This new way is not heathenistic (cf. i. 18-32) ; it is not 
 moralistic (cf. ii. 1-16) ; it is not Judaistic (cf. ii. 17- 
 iii. 8) ; it is theistic (iii. 21-31). It is not by conscience, 
 
 55 
 
^6 Romans 
 
 morality, or religion, but in God's appointed way : faith 
 in the redemption procured by our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 (a) God's Plan of Salvation Clearly and Concisely Stated 
 (iii. 21, 22). It is a new way, a '* by-faith," not a '' by- 
 works " way. The message of God is not a gospel of de- 
 spair, but of hope. It is God's gospel, not man's, and is 
 of faith, not of self-righteous effort. No penitence, hu- 
 man merit, or good works can earn salvation. There are 
 no self-made men in heaven. Salvation does not come 
 from law-keeping (Galatians ii. 16 ; iii. 10, 11 ; James 
 ii. 10). That should be good news to us, for no living 
 man can keep the law. The righteousness which is re- 
 quired for acceptance in the judgment is not something 
 which God demands from men, but something which He 
 offers to them — His own righteousness which is received 
 by faith in Christ. It is a ''faith-in-Christ" righteous- 
 ness. Eedemption centers in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 This is the " union brand " of redemption. We know it 
 by the print of the nails. 
 
 This faith-in- Christ righteousness is for all, without 
 distinction. All have sinned. There may be a difference 
 in the degree, but not in the fact of sin ; so all, without 
 distinction, can have the righteousness of God. 
 
 (6) The Scheme of Salvation, Briefly Suggested in iii. 21y 
 22, is Developed in iii. 23-31. The apostle drives home 
 the fact of individual guilt and conscious sin, whether 
 according to the law of conscience or the written law, by 
 the expression "all have sinned," not merely *'all are 
 sinners." 
 
 The gift of divine righteousness is granted " freely, by 
 His grace." It cost God and Christ much, as we shall 
 see later, but it costs us nothing. It is free to us because 
 it cost God and Christ so much. 
 
 The redemption, although of grace, and free, is 
 ''through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, " thus 
 
Justification — The Righteousness of God 57 
 
 showing us that, while it costs us nothing, it cost Christ 
 His life. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was the re- 
 demption price to buy back lives that through sin and 
 disobedience had been forfeited. Calvary was the ran- 
 som price paid for the deliverance of sinful men. 
 
 The Threefold Purpose of Chrisfs Death. We have here 
 set before us a very graphic description of the purpose of 
 Christ's death. 
 
 First. It is a declaration of God's righteousness. We 
 do not disparage the cross as an exhibition and manifes- 
 tation of the great love of God, but do assert that that 
 was not its primary meaning. The cross stood, first and 
 foremost, for the holiness and the justice of God. This is 
 clear by the reference to the Old Testament sins — '' the 
 sins done aforetime," which God is said to have, in a 
 sense, "overlooked." Because, in the Old Testament, 
 God had not at once summarily punished sin, it seems 
 that mankind had come to doubt whether God really con- 
 sidered sin seriously or not, and whether He would in 
 any way seriously punish it. The death of Jesus Christ 
 on Calvary shows how seriously God looks upon and 
 deals with sin. Those Old Testament saints were saved 
 by looking forward to a hope— the cross of Christ, just 
 as the New Testament saints are saved by looking back- 
 ward to a fact — the cross of Christ. 
 
 Here is a lesson for the day in which we live and for 
 future generations. Because God does not at once punish 
 sin when it is committed, we may think that He does not 
 care, or that He will not punish sin. This is a mistake 
 (cf. Malachi ii. 17 ; iii. 13-iv. 13 ; Jude 6, 7 ; 2 Peter 
 iii. 3-14). God will surely deal with the sinner and his 
 sin. Christ was " set forth," that is to say, exhibited on 
 Calvary for this very purpose. 
 
 Second. The death of Christ was to provide a right- 
 eousness for man. That righteousness man had forfeited 
 
58 Romans 
 
 naturally by disobedience to the revealed will of God by 
 sin. The death of Christ was the payment of the penalty 
 incurred by such lack and disobedience. It was Christ's 
 death, mark you, not His life, that provided the required 
 righteousness. Even as perfect a life as Christ's could 
 not atone for a broken law. "The wages of sin is 
 death, " and so Christ had to die to atone for sin. 
 
 The term '^ propitiation " is used here to describe the 
 death of Christ. This word is used to designate the 
 mercy seat that covered the ark of the covenant, which 
 contained the law as the revealed will of God. The high 
 priest took of the blood from the sacrifice on the brazen 
 altar, and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the ark, thus 
 signifying that the blood of an innocent victim had taken 
 the place of guilty man who had violated the divine law. 
 The sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat was an act in- 
 dicating the covering by atonement of a broken law. 
 God accepted that offering, and thus the claims of a 
 broken law were met, and God could deal in favor with 
 a sinner without doing violence to His own righteousness 
 (cf. 2 Corinthians v. 21 ; 1 Corinthians i. 30). 
 
 Third. To justify the ungodly. ''Justification" 
 means, not only to pardon, but to reckon innocent, and 
 to treat accordingly. So because Christ died, those who 
 by faith accept Him as Saviour are treated by God as 
 though they had never sinned. 
 
 Thus we see that the cross of Christ is the very heart 
 and core of the gospel of God's salvation. The gospel of 
 substitution is the gospel of Paul, and the gospel of Paul 
 is " the gospel of God." 
 
 The Wisdom of This Plan. In iii. 27-31 the apostle 
 sums up his argument by showing that it was God's in- 
 tention, in providing such a new way of life, to forever 
 stop all human boasting. Whatever salvation God has 
 to bestow upon a sinner comes to him, not because of 
 
Justification — The Righteousness of God 59 
 
 what he himself can do, but because of what Christ, the 
 divinely appointed Eedeemer, has done for him. Such a 
 method of salvation is not only in harmony with God's 
 law, but is honoring to God Himself. 
 
 2. the New Way of Life Described in Full 
 (iv. 1-v. 11). 
 
 (a) The New Way of Life Viewed from, the Negative 
 Side — Not by Works (iv. 1-25). The new way of life, as 
 here set forth, is in harmony with God's purposes as set 
 forth in the Old Testament, and His dealings with His 
 covenant people. 
 
 First. In verses 1-5 the apostle shows that Abraham 
 was justified by faith, and not by works. Circumcision 
 in the case of Abraham was but an outward sign of a 
 faith already within. Self-saved men would make God 
 their debtor, but God is the debtor of no man. 
 
 Second. David also was justified by faith. David, 
 the royal head of the chosen race, as Abraham was the 
 national head, was justified in the same way — by faith. 
 Circumcision is a sealing, not a saving ordinance. 
 
 Third. What has been said of Abraham is true of him, 
 not only as an individual, but as the representative head 
 and the father of the Jewish nation (ix. 18, cf. 19-22). 
 Just as the blessing of God came to Abraham through 
 faith, so must it come to his seed in the same way. It 
 was when all human hope of becoming the father of a 
 great nation had passed away that by faith Abraham 
 believed the promise of God that he would become the 
 father of a multitude of people. Thus it was by faith he 
 became the father of the nation. Note the close connec- 
 tion between '' counted " or "reckoned " and '' righteous- 
 ness" (iv. 3-6, 8, 11, 22-24) eleven times ; also between 
 ''faith" and ''righteousness" (3, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 20, 22, 
 24) nine times ; and again the apartness between " faith" 
 and "works" (iv. 2, 5, 6, 13, 14, 16), six times. 
 
6o Romans 
 
 Fourth. The story of Abraham's life has been recorded 
 for our sakes (iv. 23-25). Abraham's biography was 
 " written for our learning." What is true of Abraham's 
 history is true of the entire Old Testament. * ' All these 
 things happened unto them for ensamples " (1 Corinthians 
 X. 11 ; of. 2 Timothy iii. 16, 17). Abraham's faith was a 
 resurrection faith (cf. Genesis xxii. ) ; so is ours, for Christ 
 was raised from the dead for our justification (Eomans 
 iv. 24, 25). So against all feelings, moods, emotions, we 
 must believe what God's "Word says regarding our re- 
 lationship to Him through Christ. 
 
 (b) The New Way of Life Described with Reference to 
 its Method — Positively, by Faith (v. 1-11). Nine blessed 
 results of accei^ting this new way of life by faith are set 
 forth in this chapter : 
 
 First. Justification (v. 1). Justification is more than 
 pardon and forgiveness. It involves both these elements, 
 but is more than these. It is that act of God by which 
 a sinner, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, is reckoned 
 or counted righteous in God's sight, and treated as though 
 he had never sinned. 
 
 Second. Peace with God (v. 1). ''Being justified by 
 faith, we have peace with God. " The Authorized Version 
 is to be preferred to the Eevised Version which reads, 
 ''Let us have peace with God." The peace spoken of 
 here is one of relationship, and suggests an end of strife 
 and enmity. It indicates that the moment a man by 
 faith receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour, the enmity and 
 strife which existed between God and him passes away. 
 This is a transaction which takes place absolutely outside 
 of the sinner, and is not to be gauged by the sinner's 
 emotion in connection with it. Peace with God has 
 actually taken place, even though the sinner may not en- 
 joy the consciousness of that fact. There is a " peace of 
 God " which comes to the believer's heart when he comes 
 
Justification — The Righteousness of God 61 
 
 to believe and appreciate that ''peace with God" has 
 been made by Christ. That heart feeling of peace is the 
 result of faith in the Word of God. ' ' The peace of God ' ' 
 which we enjoy will be in proportion as we are able to view 
 the finished work of Christ as being thoroughly satis- 
 factory to God. We should not forget, however, that 
 the "peace of God" of which this verse speaks is a 
 peace of relationship, and not of condition or state. 
 
 Third. The believer is brought into the favor of God 
 (v. 2). He has free and unlimited access into the divine 
 presence. He has confidence of approach. He has been 
 introduced by Christ to the Father for the purpose of 
 better and deeper acquaintanceship. This is a wonderful 
 blessing, and should be appreciated by the believer. Let 
 us make use of our introduction for the purpose of further 
 acquaintanceship. "Seeing then that we have a great 
 high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the 
 Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have 
 not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feel- 
 ing of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like 
 as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly 
 unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and 
 find grace to help in time of need ' ' (Hebrews iv. 14-16). 
 
 Fourth. The believer rejoices in hope of future glory 
 (v. 2). We get not only a glimpse of what Christ has 
 done for us by reason of His finished work for us on the 
 cross in the past, but we get large visions of what Christ 
 has provided for us in the future. " Behold, what man- 
 ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
 should be called the sons of God : therefore the world 
 knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, 
 now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear 
 what we shall be : but we know that, when he shall ap- 
 pear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he 
 is" (1 John iii. 1, 2). Some day these bodies of our 
 
62 Romans 
 
 humiliation will be changed and fashioned like unto the 
 glorious resurrection body of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 (Philippians iii. 21). This is the Christian's expectation, 
 and is so different from the expectations of the world 
 which so often disappoint us. This expectation surpasses 
 our fondest anticipations. This hope will not make us 
 ashamed (v. 5). 
 
 Fifth. The believer rejoices even in tribulations (v. 
 3, 4). So great is the change that has come into the be- 
 liever's life through belief in the Lord Jesus that all of 
 life has assumed a different meaning to him. He can no 
 longer look upon things as he used to do. What hereto- 
 fore seemed disappointments are now changed into His 
 appointments. Loss is gain ; death is life ; tribulation is 
 glory ; persecution is blessing. All these are considered 
 as part of the experience of life, and which the believer 
 is called upon to count as a benediction (cf. Matthew v. 
 12 ; Acts V. 41). 
 
 Sixth. The Holy Spirit is given to the believer (v. 5). 
 The Spirit has already revealed Christ to the believer, for 
 no man can see Christ unless the Holy Spirit reveals Him 
 (1 Corinthians xii. 3-13 ; Eomans viii. 9). From the 
 moment of a man's conversion, the Holy Spirit takes up 
 His abode in his heart and abides with him always in 
 more or less fulness and power, according as by faith He 
 is appropriated and given place in the believer's heart 
 and life. All believers have the Holy Spirit indwelling, 
 but not all believers have the fulness of the Holy Spirit. 
 All may have that fulness, however. Indeed, it is 
 probably disobeying a command of God not to be '' filled 
 with the Spirit" (Ephesians v. 18). Many Christians 
 have the indwelling Holy Spirit for the satisfaction of their 
 own spiritual state, but they do not have the overflow of 
 the Spirit for the blessing of others (John vii. 37, 39). 
 It is interesting to note here in what special connection 
 
Justification — The Righteousness of God 63 
 
 the Holy Spirit is bestowed— with sufferiug, and with joy 
 triumphing over shame (Acts vii. 54-58; 1 Thessalouiaus 
 i. 6, 7). 
 
 Seventh. The believer has the assurance of God's love 
 and favor, in spite of his own conscious weakness (v. 6-8). 
 If we are tempted to doubt our relationship to God by 
 faith because of dissatisfaction with our condition, we are 
 reminded of the fact that when we were weak and abso- 
 lutely helpless to do anything to save ourselves, then 
 Christ died for us, then God saved us. There are doubt- 
 less times when all God's people doubt whether there is 
 anything in them worth saving. It is in such moments 
 as these that the comfort of these verses receives its full 
 value, and brings its appropriate blessing. 
 
 Eighth. The believer is saved from wrath through 
 faith in Christ (v. 9). One wonders very much, after 
 listening to much present day preaching, whether there 
 is any such thing as the "wrath of God," or whether 
 there is anything in God to be afraid of. Our fathers 
 used to preach the wrath of God, and men trembled, 
 feared, and cried out in agony of soul, " What shall I do 
 to be saved ? " Then there flashed upon their hearts and 
 minds light from Calvary, and the gospel of light dis- 
 pelled the darkness of the law, and men believed and 
 found rest of soul. Is there such a thing as future wrath ? 
 Undoubtedly the Apostle Paul believed so (Romans ii. 
 5, 8, 9 ; 2 Thessalonians i. 7-9). Jesus taught that there 
 was something in God to be feared (Mark ix. 42-50 ; Luke 
 xii. 4, 5). It is also the burden of the prophetic message 
 (cf. Malachi iii. 1, 6, 13-18 ; iv. 1-3). 
 
 Ninth. The believer has the blessed assurance of 
 eternal security (v. 10). We are assured that if when we 
 hated God, when we were at enmity with Him, when we 
 were virtually enemies and rebels against His whole law 
 and will, He then saved us, He surely will keep us now 
 
64 Romans 
 
 that we love Him aud are seeking to glorify Him in our 
 lives. Thus we are not ouly saved, but kept by faith. 
 The risen life of our Lord Jesus Christ is the secret of a 
 life of victory. The Christ of the cross saves from the 
 guilt of sin ; the Christ of the throne, from the power of 
 sin. Paul was desirous of knowing the power of Christ's 
 resurrection (Philippians ill. 10). He will keep us ' ' for 
 His name's sake" (Psalm xxiii. 3). ''Of all that thou 
 hast given me, I have lost none" (John xvii. 12). 
 "My sheep . . . shall never peVish ; neither shall 
 any man pluck them out of my hand " (John x. 27-29), 
 
 3. The New Way of Life Described in Relation to 
 the Race — Our Choice of Remaining in Adam or C boos- 
 ing Christ (v. 12-21). Up to this point in the epistle, 
 the apostle has been endeavoring to show only the fact 
 that all men are sinners by nature as well as by act, and 
 are therefore under the divine wrath, and destitute of the 
 righteousness of God. In this section the apostle identi- 
 fies the sin of the race with the sin of the natural repre- 
 sentative head of the race — Adam: "Wherefore, as by 
 one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; 
 aud so death passed upon all men, for that all have 
 sinned" (v. 12). Certain death comes to man through 
 Adam's sin (v. 12), so assurance of perpetuity of life 
 comes from union with Christ by faith (v. 11). " By the 
 trespass of the one the many died" (ver. 15). "The 
 judgment came of one unto condemnation" (ver. 16). 
 "By the trespass of the one, death reigned through the 
 one" (ver. 17). "Through one trespass the judgment 
 came unto all men to condemnation " (ver. 18). "Through 
 the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners" 
 (ver. 19). It is, therefore, the clear teaching of the 
 Apostle Paul that in the fall of Adam the race fell. 
 
 It is also the purpose of the apostle to show that no 
 man need necessarily be lost because of the sin of Adam, 
 
Justification — The Righteousness of God 65 
 
 for there is presented to him, in the good news of salva- 
 tion, a remedy for the guilt incurred on the race through 
 Adam's sin. Man, who is a sinner in Adam, may be- 
 come righteous in Christ. * ' For if, by the trespass of the 
 one, death reigned through the one ; much more shall 
 they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift 
 of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus 
 Christ. So then as through one trespass the judgment 
 came unto all men to condemnation ; even so through one 
 act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to 
 justification of life. For as through the one man's diso- 
 bedience the many were made sinners, even so through 
 the obedience of the one shall the many be made right- 
 eous" (v. 17-19 E. v.). 
 
 Man is here recognized as a free moral agent. Whether 
 he remains under the guilt incurred by the sin of Adam, 
 the natural representative head of the race, or whether he 
 will become a partaker of the righteousness of God which 
 is offered in Christ, the spiritual representative Head of 
 the race, is a matter each man must decide for himself. 
 Whosoever will may, by relating himself to the second 
 Adam, be freed from the guilt and condemnation incurred 
 by the disobedience of the first Adam. Or if he chooses, 
 he may, by persisting in disobedience, and refusing to 
 accept the gospel of God's free grace, exclude himself from 
 the glorious and blessed results of the work of the second 
 Adam. 
 
 We have in these verses (v. 12-21) a corroboration of 
 the actual historicity of the Genesis account of the fall. 
 It would be very difficult for us to conceive of the Apostle 
 Paul building so important an argument, as is dealt with 
 here, on something which is mere fiction or allegory. 
 
 The Old Testament is " the book of the generations of 
 Adam" (Genesis v. 1). The New Testament is ''the 
 book of the generation of Jesus Christ " (Matthew i. 1). 
 
66 Romans 
 
 By nature every man is born into, and his name enrolled 
 on the pages of " the book of the generations of Adam." 
 This book is characterized by disobedience and death, 
 and closes with a curse (Malachi iv., cf. Galatians iii. 10). 
 Every man may by faith be born into, and have his name 
 enrolled in "the book of the generation of Jesus Christ," 
 which is characterized by life, obedience, and final bless- 
 ing (Revelation chaps, xxi. , xxii. ; Galatians iii. 13). We 
 are in the book of Adam by nature ; we ai'e enrolled in 
 the book of Jesus Christ by faith. 
 
 " Lord, I care not for riches, 
 
 Neither silver nor gold ; 
 I would make sure of heaven, 
 
 I would enter the fold ; 
 In the book of Thy kingdom, 
 
 With its pages so fair, 
 Tell me, Jesus, my Saviour, 
 
 Is my name written there ? " 
 
 Only those whose names are found written in the 
 Lamb's book of life— the Lamb slain from the foundation 
 of the world, will, at last, find admittance into the eternal 
 city (Eevelation xx. 15). To be refused a place in the 
 kingdom of the Father would, in itself, be fearful enough, 
 but what must it be to hear the words of doom, ** Depart 
 from me . . . into everlasting fire prepared for the 
 devil and his angels" (Matthew xxv. 41, 46)? The mo- 
 ment we accept Christ as Saviour, that instant we may 
 rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke x. 20). 
 
IV 
 
 Sanctification — The Holiness of God — 
 Assurance 
 
 (vi. 1-xv. 13) 
 
 CAN a man, who has thus been made good, be kept 
 good ? We are told in this section that he can. 
 The question — Is salvation by grace a safe doc- 
 trine % — is here answered in the affirmative. 
 
 In section II, the apostle has dealt with the question 
 of Sin, and has proved that all men, without respect of 
 person, circumstance, nationality, or privilege, are alike 
 sinners and under the wrath of God, and destitute of His 
 righteousness, thereby showing that the first step in sav- 
 ing a man is to cause him to realize that he is destitute 
 of any inherent goodness or righteousness. 
 
 In section III, Paul has dealt with the doctrine of 
 Justification, showing that a man is not justified by any 
 human merit or works (chap, iv.), but by faith in the 
 redemptive work of Jesus Christ (chap. v. ; cf. iii. 21-25), 
 thus setting forth the fact that, although a man may be 
 destitute of goodness in himself (II), yet he may be 
 counted and reckoned good in another, that is Jesus 
 Christ (III). 
 
 In the section before us now (vi. 1-xv. 13), the ques- 
 tion of Sanctification is discussed. Put in another way, 
 the proposition may be stated thus : Is the doctrine of 
 free grace a safe doctrine 1 Can it be safeguarded against 
 license in Christian living ? The answer is, Yes ; for the 
 righteousness of God, which this epistle emphasizes, is 
 
 67 
 
68 Romans 
 
 active as well as passive. The justification of the believer 
 is not a mere matter of right reckoning ; it inevitably 
 issues in right living. Justification is not merely an act 
 of God by which He reckons a sinner righteous in His 
 sight and deals with him accordingly ; it is also an im- 
 partation of the character of God, who is just and holy, 
 to the sinner who has been justified by the free grace of 
 God through the redemption in Christ Jesus. Justifica- 
 tion may be looked upon as a crisis with a view to a 
 process — that process, sanctification. Justification and 
 sanctification go together. We cannot have one without 
 the other. The same Christ who justifies a man, sanctifies 
 him too. The man who is reckoned good is also kept 
 good. The same divine provision which deals with the 
 guilt of sin in the death of Christ deals also with the 
 power of sin by giving it its death blow in the resurrec- 
 tion of Christ. Where there is death for sin there is 
 death to sin. The righteousness of God begins with justi- 
 fication, but ends with sanctification. The doctrine of 
 the free grace of God is not an apology for sin, but, on 
 the contrary, argues for a life of holiness. 
 
 A general view of chapters six to eight may be set forth 
 as follows : In chapter six we have the principle of holi- 
 ness dealt with — Christ ; in chapter seven, the futile 
 sti-uggle after holiness — self and legalism ; in chapter 
 eight, the secret of victory — the Holy Spirit. 
 
 I. The Possibility of a Holy Life (vi. 1-23). It is 
 apparent from a careful reading of the chapter that the 
 apostle supposes an antagonist who brings forth an argu- 
 ment against the doctrine of God's free grace. The 
 apostle has already shown in the concluding verses of 
 chapter five — the contrast between the sin of Adam and 
 the righteousness of Christ — how the work of Christ not 
 only thoroughly undoes all the evil that the sin of Adam 
 did, but " much more ' ' (cf. v. 10, 15, 17, 20). " Granted, 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 69 
 
 then," says some one, "that grace exceeds sin and that 
 sin brings grace into such a magnificent light, why should 
 we not sin in order that grace may be all the more mag- 
 nified ? " " What shall we say then 1 Shall we continue 
 in sin, that grace may abound 1 " (vi. 1). It is a similar 
 argument to a similar objection in iii. 8, 31 — '' Let us do 
 evil, that good may come?" "Do ye then make void 
 the law through faith ? God forbid." 
 
 The apostle would have the Eoman Christians under- 
 stand that the doctrinQ of God's free grace is not, by any 
 means, to be looked upon as allowing, permitting, or 
 encouraging man to sin. On the contrary, the justified 
 man has been delivered, not only from the guilt, but 
 from the power of sin. The doctrine of lawlessness or 
 antinomianism finds no support in the teaching of Paul. 
 He who looks upon the gospel as a thing of license mis- 
 understands the liberty of the gospel, which is a liberty 
 to serve, and not a license to sin. Christ delivers us from 
 sin in order that we may bring forth the fruits of holi- 
 ness. He who has died to sin in Christ lives unto right- 
 eousness for God. A Christian cannot be both dead and 
 alive to sin at the same time. 
 
 The sixth chapter deals with the fundamental principles 
 of a life of holiness from a twofold point of view : 
 
 First. With regard to sin in the nature, and as a 
 state (vers. 1-14). This thought is indicated by the word 
 "therein." No justified man need or will live in sin as 
 an element. The sinful nature shall not have control 
 over him. In God's sight the justified man died with 
 Christ. He must " reckon himself to be dead indeed unto 
 sin." 
 
 Second. With reference to individual sinful acts (vers. 
 15-23). Not only is it true that a man need not be con- 
 trolled by his sinful nature or live in a state of sin, but 
 it is also asserted that he may have complete mastery 
 
yo Romans 
 
 over individual acts of sin. This mastery is accom- 
 panied by the presentation of the members of the body 
 to God. 
 
 In verses 1-14 the question is looked at from God's 
 side, and the key- word is ** reckon." In verses 15-23 
 the question is looked at from man's side, and the key- 
 word is ''present." Further enlarged upon, the point is 
 this : Because the believer has become identified with 
 Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection, he will not 
 be able to live a life such as he formerly lived (vers. 1-14), 
 nor will he want to commit individual or single acts of 
 sin, if he realizes what it is to be under grace (vers. 15-23). 
 
 That these are the two thoughts in this chapter is clear 
 from the two questions in verses 1 and 15 — " Shall we sin, 
 that grace may abound?" and "Shall we continue in sin 
 because it does abound ? " Or shall we continue to sin in 
 order to obtain grace? And shall we continue in sin 
 because we are in grace ? 
 
 Shi's Beigning Power. The grace of God delivers from 
 the thraldom of sin (vi. 2). A proper knowledge of what 
 took place in our regeneration and justification should 
 lead us to see clearly that the life of the justified is like 
 the life of the risen Christ. The justified man actually 
 died with Christ. That is to say, he died to sin. He 
 cannot, therefore, live any longer "therein."' 
 
 Sin as a state and an element of life is impossible to the 
 Christian, for his life communion with sin was destroyed 
 at the cross. To acknowledge that this actually took 
 place at the time of justification is to admit the force of 
 the apostle's argument for a holy life, because the be- 
 liever has entered into a new condition of life by reason 
 of his identification with Jesus Christ in His death and 
 resurrection. He cannot possibly live in sin as a state or 
 an element (vi. 2, 3). 
 
 Every conversion is, in a sense, a funeral — the "old 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 71 
 
 man" died, and the believer arose by the power of the 
 risen Christ into newness of life. The *' old man ' ' of sin 
 was crucified, died, and was buried with Christ. It was 
 a new creature in Christ Jesus that came forth (vi. 4-6). 
 The ''old man," by which is meant the unregenerate self, 
 the former life, a sinful and fallen nature, " was cruci- 
 fied " and " done away with. " This does not mean that 
 the old nature was annihilated, but that it was rendered 
 ineffective, became paralyzed, entered into a condition of 
 impotency and inactivity as though it icere dead. In- 
 deed, the believer is to '' reckon " the old nature as though 
 it were actually dead. 
 
 The apostle next shows that a life of holiness is possi- 
 ble, not only because of our identification with Christ in 
 His death and resurrection, but also because every claim 
 that sin and a broken law have made against the sinner 
 has been met by the death of Christ (vi. 7-14). Faith in 
 the crucified and risen Son of God means acquittal from 
 the guilt of sin, and redemption from its power. Sin 
 and a broken law have no claims upon the man who ac- 
 cepts Jesus Christ as his substitute. Just as the resur- 
 rection of Christ meant that death had no more hold on 
 Christ, and also that the life he lived after the resurrec- 
 tion was different from the life he lived before, in the 
 sense that the resurrection released Christ from the sinless 
 limitations of human nature, so the believer who by faith 
 has not only died with Christ, but has also risen with 
 Him, finds himself living in the element of a life alto- 
 gether new and different from his former experience. 
 Sin no more has dominion over the believer. He who is 
 risen with Christ is thereby constituted a complete victor 
 over sin. Sin shall not reign over him. He may not be 
 able to banish it altogether nor entirely expel it, for it 
 will ever remain with him until the resurrection, but he 
 can, by the power of the risen Christ, prevent it reigning 
 
"jl Romans 
 
 and ruling or having the upper hand over him. He need 
 not obey it in the lust thereof (vi. 8-12). 
 
 A man and his ' ' self ' ' are to be distinguished. ' ' Self " 
 is not the whole self, but only that part of man which lay 
 under sin's dominion. This truth kept \\\ mind will help 
 us to understand the great argument of chapter seven. 
 This "self" is dead; the new and true *'self" is alive 
 unto God through this union with the risen Christ who 
 can live only after God. 
 
 The word ''reckon" is an important one in this con- 
 nection. We are to regard and acknowledge something 
 to be a fact which really is a fact by God's grace, namely, 
 that deadness to sin is the element in which the believer 
 lives. "In Christ Jesus " is the atmosphere and environ- 
 ment of the Christian, just as the air is for the bird, and 
 water is for the fish. 
 
 Sin is not to " reign " in our mortal bodies. We may 
 not be able to entirely expel or banish it, for the old na- 
 ture will doubtless still remain with us until we get our 
 resurrection body, but we can prevent it reigning and 
 ruling and getting the upper hand in our lives. The 
 "lusts," the perverted bodily appetites, must not hold 
 sway. 
 
 Another important word in this connection is the word 
 "present." Twice in vi. 13 is it used, and with a change 
 of tense in each case. We present ourselves by one defi- 
 nite, decided act, one resolute effort to the service of our 
 Lord, and then as new opportunities confront us, we con- 
 tinually present ourselves to Him for these individual 
 acts of service. 
 
 We are to present "ourselves," which means our en- 
 tire personality; and we are to present "our members," 
 which indicate the different partial presentations from 
 time to time. Such a surrendered life is made possible 
 because of the omnipotence of the grace of God, in which 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 73 
 
 element the believer now lives. His identification with 
 Christ permits him to do things it was impossible for him 
 to do when " under the law." 
 
 Lessons From vi. I-I4.. There are some interesting and 
 helpful lessons to be derived from a general view of these 
 verses. They may be summarized as follows : 
 
 First. The identification of the believer with Christ 
 in His death and resurrection makes it impossible for 
 such an one to live in a state of sin (cf. 1 John iii. 3-9). 
 
 Second. Nor is it necessary for the believer to commit 
 individual acts of sin. To him has been granted 'Uhe 
 expulsive power of a new affection ' ' (cf. 1 John ii. 1). 
 
 Third. When a believer comprehends what has ac- 
 tually taken place in his life, in his state and standing 
 because of his relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, he has 
 found the secret of a victorious life (cf. the expressions, 
 ''Know ye not?" vi. 3, 16; vii. 1). Just as failure to 
 enjoy the peace of God comes from failure to grasp the 
 fact that peace with God has already taken place through 
 Christ (v. 1), so is it with regard to a victorious Chris- 
 tian experience. There is great need to-day of teaching 
 these deeper truths of the believer's standing in Christ 
 Jesus. 
 
 Fourth. To understand the import of the words, 
 ** reckon," *' reign," "present" is to enter into the 
 divine secret of triumphant living. 
 
 Christian Freedom. The first part of this chapter 
 (vers. 1-14) presented the matter of sanctification from 
 the divine side — the key- word was "reckon." The sec- 
 tion we are now to consider (vers. 15-23) presents it from 
 the human side — the key- word is " present." 
 
 The method of victory over sin is set forth by an illus- 
 tration from slavery (vers. 15-23). Our identification 
 with Christ has brought us into the service and under the 
 control of a new Master. The recognition of this fact 
 
74 
 
 Romans 
 
 leads the believer to make, not only a definite surrender 
 of his members to Christ, his new Master, once and for 
 all, but also to make a constant series of such surrenders 
 or presentations of his members as opportunity may arise 
 from time to time. There is a sense in which the state of 
 grace is a state of slavery, but this service is perfect 
 freedom. The Christian is saved to serve. Like the 
 servant in the Old Testament who was unwilling to leave 
 his master, and to exhibit his devotion, was willing to 
 have his ear bored to the post, and say, ''I shall not go 
 away free, " so is the believer in relation to Christ, his new 
 Master. Antecedent to our conversion we were slaves to 
 Satan, the master of sin. To him and his service we 
 yielded our members — eyes, lips, tongue, feet, hands, and 
 mind— but now having died unto that life, and having 
 risen to the new life in Christ, we have our service unto 
 righteousness. Just as sin grew by the continual handing 
 over of our members to its service, so we grow in sancti- 
 fication by the constant and continual handing over of 
 our members to righteousness. 
 
 To practice sin would be to belie our new Master. "We 
 have taken His form of doctrine, and so must take His 
 form of life. 
 
 Christians or believers can do just what they want to 
 do. They are free in this respect, but they will not want 
 to do what is displeasing to their new Master. It is pos- 
 sible for them to do always those things that please Christ. 
 To this position the Eoman Christians had evidently at- 
 tained (cf. vers. 17, 18) by the process mentioned in verse 
 19. When they were living in sin they were free from 
 the claims of righteousness (ver. 20). Now that they are 
 living in righteousness they are free from the claims of 
 sin. The fruit of their former service, as they look back 
 upon their past, was shame (ver. 21) ; the fruit of their 
 new service is life and peace (vers. 22, 23). 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 75 
 
 2. The Method of a Holy Life (vii. 1-viii. 39). 
 
 (a) The Fruitless Struggle After Holiness (vii. 1-25). 
 There has been considerable discussion with regard to the 
 contents of this chapter as to whether or not the Apostle 
 Paul was relating his own experience before, during, or 
 after conversion but before he had discovered the secret 
 of holiness. It does not seem to be absolutely necessary, 
 in order to understand this chapter, to thus relate it to 
 the apostle's personal experience, although the arguments 
 of the chapter may have found some place in the apostle's 
 life at one time or another. Any reference to Paul's 
 personal experience, however, is to be understood only 
 by way of illustrating the main argument, which is that 
 the law cannot sanctify, nor can fleshly struggle nor hu- 
 man willing. The main purpose of this chapter, it would 
 seem, is to show the inability of the law to sanctify (vers. 
 1-6), just as it was unable to justify (cf. chaps, iii.-v.) ; also 
 the uselessness of the energy of the flesh (vers. 7-25) to 
 sanctify, just as it was helpless to justify (i. 19-iii. 20). 
 Not ''the commandment" (vers. 1-6), not "I" (vers. 
 7-25) can sanctify. No outward legalism, nor inward 
 personal self-effort can make men holy. This is impos- 
 sible because there is something wrong without (vers. 
 1-6) and there is something wrong within (vers. 7-25). 
 Not by "the commandment" are we sanctified, for "the 
 commandment " but intensifies the failure of our conduct. 
 Not by the personal "I," for the flesh is weak and in it 
 dwelleth no good thing. Help must come from the 
 mighty Christ. Vain is the help of man. ' ' O wretched 
 man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of 
 this death? I thank God . . . Jesus Christ." 
 
 Sanctification is Not to be Attained by Legalism (vii. 1-14). 
 The word "law" is mentioned twenty times in these 
 verses. That this part of the chapter deals with the 
 function of the law with reference to sanctification is 
 
y6 Romans 
 
 clear from the expression in the first verse of the chapter, 
 ' ' Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know 
 the law)?" According to the apostle's argument it is 
 just as necessary to die to the law for sauctification as it 
 was to die to the law for justification. The only thing 
 the law can do is to make sin exceedingly aggravating 
 and plunge the sinner into deeper despair. Indeed, the 
 very purpose of the law is to show us how wicked and 
 sinful we are and how utterly impossible it is for fallen 
 human beings to keep the holy law of God. 
 
 Is the law then sin? God forbid. "The law is holy, 
 just, and good." It becomes sin to us only because we, 
 by reason of our sinful nature, are not able to keep it. 
 " For what the law could not do " — that is could neither 
 save nor sanctify, because it was weak through the flesh, 
 not weak or unholy in itself, mark you, but because of 
 the weakness of our sinful nature — these sentences indicate 
 the drift of the apostle's argument here : the inability of 
 the law to sanctify. 
 
 Sanctification is Not to he Attained by Self-Effort (vii. 
 14-25). No self-effort, no energy of the flesh can make 
 one " holy." Just as in the preceding section the prom- 
 inent words were "the law," "the commandment," so 
 here the prominent words are "I myself" and "the 
 flesh," all of which would indicate self-effort. Just as no 
 outward legalism, so now no inward personal effort can 
 sanctify, for in the flesh dwelleth no good thing; "not 
 I," for sin dwelleth in me. 
 
 The failure of the flesh to sanctify is set forth graphic- 
 ally in verses 15, 18, 21, 23. There is something wrong 
 within as there was something wrong without. The will 
 is weak, the nature is sinful, the "law of sin " is in the 
 members, and spiritual law cannot be kept by one who 
 is fleshly and carnal. Because of these things man finds 
 himself a slave instead of free. That he knows the law. 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 77 
 
 consents to it that it is good, endeavors to keep it, is quite 
 clear from verses 16-21. But notwithstanding all this, he 
 finds evil lying in ambush for him and ready to spring on 
 him at the first opportunity (ver. 21). 
 
 And so at last, when at the end of all his efforts, *' slain 
 by the law he had diligently sought to keep, enslaved by 
 the sin he had fought so desperately to overcome, be- 
 trayed by the flesh in which he had so determinedly 
 trusted, the apostle at last turns to and catches a glimpse 
 of a new power, a new Master, and this glimpse arouses 
 hope and enables him to enter into another realm." 
 Outside help is what he clearly needs, and so the struggle 
 is given up to Christ. ''In Christ" all struggle is past. 
 By faith rest and sanctification come. 
 
 What a lesson these verses have for all those who are 
 tempted to think that while they are justified by faith, 
 they are yet sanctified by conflict and struggle. Jesus 
 Christ is Himself our sanctification just as He is our 
 justification (1 Corinthians i. 30). This is the argument 
 of chapters six and seven. Chapter eight will let us into 
 the secret of the sanctified life. 
 
 (6) The Secret of a Holy Life — The Holy Spirit (viii. 
 1-39). It has been well said that chapter seven, setting 
 forth the fruitless struggle after holiness, is like a starless 
 night, whereas chapter eight, setting forth the secret of 
 victory, is like a midsummer morning with promise of a 
 brighter to-morrow. Chapter eight begins with *'no 
 condemnation" and ends with "no separation." There 
 is no mention of the Holy Spirit in chapter seven ; 
 whereas in chapter eight He is mentioned some sixteen 
 or more times. Failure comes from absence of the Holy 
 Spirit in the life ; success from the fulness of His presence. 
 In chapter seven the voice of the Holy Spirit is not heard ; 
 whereas in chapter eight it is heard everywhere. One 
 wonders whether any other part of the Scripture is as 
 
^8 Romans 
 
 full of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit iu relation to the 
 believer as this chapter. Iu chapter seven (the chapter 
 of failure) the law, which cannot sanctify, is mentioned 
 twenty times, and the Holy Spirit not once ; whereas iu 
 chapter eight (the chapter of victory) it is mentioned but 
 four times, and the Holy Spirit some sixteen times. There 
 need be no defeat in the Christian life if one learns the 
 secret of victory set forth in this chapter, and if the full 
 blessing of the gospel is allowed absolute sway in the 
 heart. 
 
 Verses 1-4 describe the believer's complete freedom 
 from condemnation, whether from causes without or 
 within. ''There is therefore now no condemnation to 
 them which are in Christ Jesus." The moment a man 
 believes in Christ he passes out of the realm of condemna- 
 tion and death into the realm of life and acceptance 
 (cf. John iii. 18 ; v. 24). Past sin is all atoned for ; the 
 future is secure because of Christ's complete redemptive 
 work. The believer is now "in Christ Jesus." In Him 
 there is no condemnation; outside of Him all is con- 
 demnation (John iii. 18, 19). 
 
 " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus " delivers 
 the believer from "the law of sin and death." A new 
 law is introduced into his heart and life by virtue of 
 which he receives deliverance from the law of sin and 
 death. The secret of putting sin to death is by possessing 
 the life of the Holy Spirit. Death comes by life, not life 
 by death. We cannot gain the Holy Spirit by putting to 
 death the deeds of the body, but we put to death the deeds 
 of the body by being filled with the Holy Spirit. The 
 very liberty for which the soul had cried out (vii. 25) is 
 here granted (viii. 3) through the power of the Spirit. 
 
 Note the words "in Christ Jesus." The Holy Spirit 
 is not separated from Christ. Any blessing that comes 
 to us as the result of the fulness of the Spirit is always 
 
Sancdfication — The Holiness of God 79 
 
 connected with our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are 
 Spirit-filled will speak of Christ more than of the Spirit. 
 Where the Spirit resides there Christ is most prominent 
 (cf. John xiv. 26 ; xv. 26, 27 ; xvi. 7-14). There is no 
 such thing in real Christian experience as an advance- 
 ment from Jesus Christ to the Holy Spirit. Every ac- 
 tivity of the Holy Spirit concerns Jesus Christ. Were it 
 otherwise, He would bear witness of Himself and not to 
 Christ, and this would be contrary to the expressed pur- 
 pose of the Spirit's advent into the world (John xvi. 13). 
 
 It is through the efficacious offering of Christ on the 
 cross that the claims and power of sin have been neutral- 
 ized in the life of the believer. The law's righteous de- 
 mauds have been met and the believer has entered into a 
 life^of joyful and victorious service. 
 
 Verses 5-11 describe the element in which the Spirit- 
 filled believer lives — the element of the Spirit and not of 
 the flesh. 
 
 Note that " the flesh " is mentioned ten times, and *' the 
 Spirit" twelve times in eleven verses. The believer no 
 longer walks after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He is 
 still in the flesh, but is not living according to it. It may 
 reside, but does not reign in him. " Sin should not exist 
 in his life, surrounding him and rising up like a swarm 
 of flaming serpents, but as worms beneath his feet." If 
 this is not true of the believer, then he has no right to the 
 name of Christ, for "if any may have not the Spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his " (viii. 9). 
 
 Sins of the mmd as well as sins of the flesh are to be 
 overcome. The man who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit 
 receives a spiritual disposition. Sins of thought may not 
 be as apparent, but they are just as disastrous as sins of 
 the body. Deliverance in the realm of thought seems to 
 come last of all in the experience of the believer. How 
 often do we complain of lack of spiritual disposition and 
 
8o Romans 
 
 purpose. We full iu our relish or desire for the study of 
 the Scriptures, for prayer, or attendance at the house of 
 God. True liberty in Christ gives liberty of thought and 
 furnishes a spiritual disposition. If a man is truly Spirit- 
 filled, he will have a desire and disposition for these 
 spiritual things. 
 
 The end and object, then, of being Christ's is that a 
 man should be free, both in the realm of thought and 
 activity, to do the will of God. The result of such a life 
 will be a life of peace and the hope of a glorious resur- 
 rection, an earnest of which has already been given us 
 (cf. viii. 11). 
 
 Obligations of the Believer. In viii. 12-30 the obliga- 
 tions of the justified man are set forth. The challenge is 
 thrown out, " We are debtors." 
 
 There is obligation and responsibility arising from son- 
 ship (viii. 12-17). If we are sons of God and indwelt by 
 His Spirit, we will live as God would have us live — a 
 holy life. Holiness is a duty, an obligation, not an 
 ambition or a luxury ; it is a duty, not an adornment. 
 If we are really controlled by God's Holy Spirit, we 
 are actually putting to death the deeds of the body. 
 The power to accomplish this is the Holy Spirit who 
 resides in the believer (viii. 13, cf. Philippians ii. 12). 
 This power will doom sin. Either we kill sin or sin will 
 kill us. The indwelling Spirit will help us to kill sin. 
 
 The obligation of sonship carries with it the element of 
 reward (viii. 18-30). The believer is an heir of God and 
 joint-heir with Jesus Christ. To what is Christ heir? 
 (Hebrews i. 2 ; ii. 7). In Christ, God has given all this 
 to us (cf. Eomans viii. 32 ; 1 Corinthians iii. 21-23). It 
 is this glorious prospect of future reward in glory that 
 enables the believer to bear manfully and in a Christlike 
 spirit the sufferings of this present time. The believer 
 awaits that grand moment of the revealing of the sons of 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 81 
 
 God. He has within him a pledge of that day, a kind of 
 first-fruits. He knows there will be a renovated nature 
 for a regenerate life. He is saved by hope. The in- 
 dwelling Spirit assures him of facts which he himself 
 may not be able to express. For this reason he knows 
 that all things are working together for good. He can 
 triumphantly exclaim : " What shall we then say to these 
 things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He 
 that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for 
 us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all 
 things ? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's 
 elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that con- 
 demneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is 
 risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who 
 also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us 
 from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, 
 or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or 
 sword ? As it is written. For thy sake we are killed all 
 the day long ; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors 
 through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that 
 neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
 powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, 
 nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sepa- 
 rate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
 Lord"(viii. 31-39). 
 
lY 
 (Continued — Parenthetic) 
 
 The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 
 
 (Chapters ix.-xi.) 
 
 SOME think that chapters nine to eleven are not 
 necessary to the main argument of the epistle, that 
 if one began with chapter twelve, following the 
 end of chapter eight, no break in the argument would be 
 noticeable. Indeed, some teachers suggest leaving out 
 chapters nine to eleven in order that the drift of the ar- 
 gument may not be broken. 
 
 It seems to us, however, that Paul's discussion of the 
 righteousness of God, its need, its ground, and the method 
 of its appropriation, makes these chapters necessary. In 
 chapters one to eight the statement has been made that 
 salvation is for the Jew first ; that such an application 
 of the gospel to the Jew first was in accord with certain 
 promises which had been made to the chosen people, 
 promises which seemed to give them, if not the monopoly, 
 certainly the precedence. The history of the proclama- 
 tion of the gospel, however, showed that the Jews, more 
 than the Gentiles, seemed to be excluded from its bless- 
 ings. Alienation from the gospel was apparently the lot 
 of the Jew, but how could such alienation be reconciled 
 with the promises of God — promises which surely were 
 not null and void, even though Israel was unworthy, un- 
 believing, and untrue ? 
 
 We should remember, further, that to the chosen na- 
 tion of Israel was granted a clearer and deeper revelation 
 
 82 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 83 
 
 concerning the Messiali and His coming tlian tliat given 
 to the Gentile nations. In a unique sense " salvation was 
 of the Jews." It was of and to Israel that Christ came. 
 The question naturally arises, How comes it, then, that 
 Israel, more than the Gentiles, failed to recognize Christ, 
 for whom they were looking ? If the Christ whom Paul 
 preached was really the Messiah, would not the Jew, 
 rather than the Gentile, be first to recognize this fact ? 
 Did not the Jew possess the oracles of God ? Was he not 
 in a unique and peculiar relation of nearness to God ? 
 Was he not, in a favored sense, the recipient of the reve- 
 lation of the divine will ? Was it not natural, then, for 
 the Jew to accept what God would have made clear to 
 him, that the Christ as proclaimed in the gospel of Paul 
 was the true Messiah? How can the rejection of the 
 Messiah by the Jews be reconciled with these facts'? 
 Chapters nine to eleven present the answer to these ques- 
 tions. They set forth the true relation existing between 
 God and Israel, between the promises of the old dispen- 
 sation and the gospel of the new. 
 
 As we know from the history of Paul, he was now about 
 to bid farewell to Jewish territory. His face was turned 
 towards Gentile Eome. No more fitting opportunity 
 could present itself for the discussion of the whole prob- 
 lem of the relation of the Jew to the promises of God and 
 the gospel than in connection with the letter to the 
 Eomans. 
 
 The truth of these chapters may be summed up some- 
 what as follows : While it is true that God had entered 
 into certain peculiar relations with the nation, Israel, 
 those relations were necessarily sovereign and gracious. 
 They did not leave the dealings of God open to challenge 
 or discussion. Whatever favors God bestowed upon 
 these people were of pure grace. If God at any time de- 
 sired to withdraw those gracious favors. He was at 
 
84 Romans 
 
 liberty to do so without beiug suspected of unfaithfulness 
 or of being untrue to His promises. If the Jew would 
 closely consider the promises made, he would find that 
 they were based on faith and applied just as well to a Gen- 
 tile as to a Jew. Indeed, that Jew alone was a true Jew 
 who was a Jew in heart by reason of his faith in God. 
 If the promises made have not been fulfilled, the fault is 
 with Israel, and not with God, and yet the fault is not 
 with all Israel, because there is a remnant who have faith. 
 The day is coming when the reconciliation of Israel as a 
 nation shall take place. In that day Jesus will be seen 
 and acknowledged to be the Messiah. 
 
 What great purposes God has for the world ! How 
 we limit them by making them individual ! Let us be- 
 ware lest that which was given us for service we lose by 
 selfishness. We keep what we give away ; we lose what 
 we keep. What an encouragement lies in these chapters 
 to believe in the ultimate and final purposes of God and 
 His gospel. The true Christian is the best kind of an 
 optimist. Christ shall see of the travail of His soul and 
 be satisfied. Eighteousness will cover the earth as the 
 waters cover the sea. The kingdoms of this world shall 
 become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ. 
 "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive 
 journeys run." This means glory and blessing for every 
 true believer in the Lord Jesus. Canst thou, my heart, 
 canst thou lift up thy voice and sing, " I know that my 
 Eedeemer liveth and because He lives, I too shall live " ? 
 
 A general view of the argument of these chapters may 
 be presented from a threefold point of view : 
 
 First we have the argument from God's side, setting 
 forth the divine sovereignty and dealing with the ques- 
 tion of election (chap. ix.). Second. We have the ar- 
 gument from man's side, setting forth human responsi- 
 bility and dealing with the question of rejection (chap. x.). 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 85 
 
 Third. We have the purpose of God set forth with re- 
 gard to Israel, assertiDg that the rejection is but tempo- 
 rary and not final, and that ultimately Israel will be 
 restored, concluding with the comforting thought that 
 what seems to be severity on the part of God is but His 
 kindness working out His purposes for both Jew and 
 Gentile (chap. xi.). 
 
 I. The Argument from God's Side (chap. ix.). 
 
 The apostle, after expressing his deep sorrow for the 
 rejection of Israel, declares that that rejection is by no 
 means inconsistent with God's faithfulness to His prom- 
 ises, with His justice, or with His work of prophecy. 
 
 I. The Apostle's Sorrow for Israel's Rejection 
 (ix. 1-5). It may have been that Paul had been accused 
 of being disloyal to his nation. The expressions of these 
 verses show the opposite to be the case. The sincerity 
 of the apostle is witnessed to by his conscience, by Christ, 
 and by the Holy Spirit. Paul really meant what he said. 
 There may be some question as to whether we really un- 
 derstand his statement, which may be rendered as fol- 
 lows : '' I could pray, if such a prayer would be heard, 
 if it would be possible, that I myself might be separated 
 from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to 
 the flesh." Or, others would read the verse as follows : 
 ''Myself was once wishing to be separated or accursed 
 from Christ, that is, when I was in my Jewish condition, 
 before conversion." In this sense, then, he prays for his 
 brethren, for their condition now is what his was for- 
 merly. It is probably best to see truth in both these 
 views. 
 
 The privileges of Israel are set forth in verses 4 and 5, 
 privileges which are described also in iii. 1-8. These are 
 set forth in order to show the purpose of such blessiugs, 
 namely, to be a benediction to the world. How sad that 
 
86 Romans 
 
 a nation with such a high calling and such glorious priv- 
 ileges should have had such a sad fall ; that a nation 
 from which the Messiah had sprung should, after all, be 
 shut out from the blessings of the gospel and in a sense 
 be cast away ! 
 
 2. The Righteousness of Israel's Rejection (ix. 
 6-29). 
 
 (a) Tlie Question of God's Faithfuhiess to His Promises 
 is Dealt with in Verses 6-lS. The apostle asserts that be- 
 cause some Jews were excluded from the blessings of the 
 gospel, no violence has been done to the faithfulness of 
 God, for while some are rejected, others, through faith, 
 were accepted. 
 
 (6) God's Promise was Not Made to All Israel, nor is 
 All Israel Eejected (ix. 14-18). Physical descent is not 
 enough to prove a man to be a Jew. Ishmael and Esau 
 were children of Abraham, although neither was a child 
 of promise. God has always worked along the lines of 
 selection, as His dealings with the nation in the past 
 clearly show. God's blessings are by promise, not by 
 birth. God is not bound to save Israel, even though 
 it has fallen, for the covenant He made with them 
 was not one which could not be dissolved through un- 
 faithfulness on their part. Furthermore, God has greater 
 plans than those which concern Israel alone. God's heart 
 is big enough to take in the world. 
 
 Practical Lessons. Where God's promises seem to fail, 
 the fault is to be found with us and not with God. We 
 should not charge God with unfaithfulness. All the 
 blessings that come to men in life come, not because they 
 deserve them, but simply because of the gracious will of 
 God. God gives us blessings with which to bless others. 
 When these blessings are kept for ourselves, we lose them. 
 Not all Israelites are of Israel. Not all members of the 
 church belong to the real Church. Not all who profess 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 87 
 
 Christ are real Christians. To have one's name on the 
 church book is one thing ; to have it written in the 
 Lamb's Book of Life is quite another. Just as in ix. 
 6-13 the rejection of Israel was compatible and consistent 
 with God's faithfulness to His promises, so here the re- 
 jection of Israel is consistent and compatible with His 
 righteousness. 
 
 This is shown, first, by quotations from the Old Testa- 
 ment (ix. 14-18) setting forth God's right to grant spiri- 
 tual blessings to whomsoever He will and to harden those 
 whom He chooses. This He has a right to do irrespec- 
 tive of anything that man can say. It is within the 
 privilege of God to have mercy and compassion if He 
 will. 
 
 It is worthy of note that in these verses nothing is said 
 of God hardening men. What is stated is the absolute 
 right of God to have mercy and compassion on men if He 
 wants to. This is not the usual view taken of this argu- 
 ment, but it is the true one. We know from the teach- 
 ing of Scripture that God wills to have mercy on all who 
 will receive it. It is only those who, like Pharaoh, for 
 example, deliberately harden their own hearts, who are 
 allowed to remain in that hardened condition, and thus 
 God's will is carried out even in the hardening. 
 
 We are not to understand that Pharaoh was created in 
 order that he might be hardened of God. What we are 
 to understand by verse 17 is that God took such a man 
 and allowed him to be raised up on the stage of history, 
 not that He might harden or damn him, personally, but 
 as a sample of the man who hardens or damns himself. 
 The wonder to us is that any man could have been stub- 
 born and hard enough to resist such dealings as God had 
 with Pharaoh. Pharaoh, however, had set himself de- 
 liberately to oppose God. Many times, probably ten, he 
 is said to have hardened his own heart. Only after re- 
 
88 Romans 
 
 peated self-hardening did God harden Pharaoh's heart. 
 A careful reading of Exodus ix. 23-27 gives us Pharaoh's 
 confession that he was responsible for his own condition. 
 This ought to put an end to all caviling about God's 
 dealings with this Egyptian king. 
 
 (c) Because God is Creator He has Sovereign Bights 
 over His Creatures (ix. 19-23). The irreverence of the 
 creature is rebuked by the Creator in these verses. God 
 has reasons for His dealings with man which the crea- 
 ture cannot understand and consequently should not ques- 
 tion. Man, because he is a sinner by nature and action, 
 has forfeited all claims to the mercy of God. God, there- 
 fore, has the right to exercise mercy or judgment. How 
 beautifully these verses show us that God exercises mercy 
 and long-suffering towards sinners, even in their wicked- 
 ness and hardness. These He endures with much long- 
 suffering. It is interesting, also, to note that the vessels 
 of wrath fitted to destruction are so fitted by themselves, 
 by their own hardness of heart ; whereas the vessels of 
 mercy are fitted by God. Men fit themselves for hell ; 
 God fits them for heaven. God is responsible for grace 
 but not for sin. It is true, man is in relation to his 
 Creator like clay in the hands of the potter, but we must 
 remember that the Potter is loving and merciful, and 
 also that man has a free will — something which mere clay 
 does not possess. 
 
 (d) That the Gentiles Should he Saved as Well as the 
 Jews is the Testimony of Scripture (ix. 24-29). The Jews 
 ought to have known this fact, for the Scriptures were 
 full of it. The conversion of the Gentiles is a vindication 
 of God's faithfulness to His promises, and not the oppo- 
 site, as these Jews were affirming. God had rejected the 
 ten tribes for their wickedness, and this rejection was 
 reckoned just and in no way invalidated the covenant ; 
 why should the rejection of a part of the Jewish nation 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 89 
 
 in Paul's day, because of unfaithfulness on their part, be 
 considered a violation of the righteousness and faithful- 
 ness of God ? God has been perfectly fair, righteous, and 
 faithful in His dealings with His people. While He can 
 do whatever He chooses to do, yet what He chooses to do 
 is always absolutely right, just, and merciful. 
 
 II. The Cause of Israel's Rejection — The Argu- 
 ment Presented from Man's Side — Israel to Blame 
 (ix. 30-x. 21). 
 
 1. Israel Would Not Accept God's Way of Salva- 
 tion (ix. 30-x. 4). The Jew would be saved by law and 
 not by faith, and because of this the Messiah became to 
 them a cause of offense. ''They aspired to acceptance; 
 God wanted them to submit to it. To them it was attain- 
 ment ; to God it was surrender. They sought salvation 
 by their own zeal ; God offered it through Christ's blood. 
 They wanted it for self -exaltation ; God offered it by 
 self-humiliation.^^ Instead of building on Christ they 
 stumbled over Him. In pursuing after Christ in their 
 own way they lost Him, while the Gentiles, seeking Him 
 in God's way, found Him. So it is "not of him that 
 willeth nor of him that runneth." 
 
 The Jews are not taken to task because of their lack of 
 interest in a plan of salvation. Paul was a Jew and very 
 zealous. Fault is found with the Jewish manner of seek- 
 ing to secure salvation offered in God's way. They had 
 false ideas of righteousness. 
 
 2. Israel Stumbled Over the Simplicity of God's 
 Plan (x. 5-13). Had God asked them to do anything 
 hard such as ascending up to heaven to bring Christ 
 down, or going down to the deep to bring Him up, they 
 would gladly have done it, but simply to believe in 
 God's testimony about Christ, to acknowledge Him to 
 be the Lord and Saviour — all this seemed so simple, too 
 
90 
 
 Romans 
 
 simple, indeed, to be true. Because the message was so 
 easy of access, so simple in nature (7-13), they stumbled 
 over it. The redemptive work of Christ is the very core 
 of the gospel. This must be believed in with the heart, 
 and confessed with the mouth. Confession of Christ with 
 the mouth, if He is not believed in truly with the heart, 
 is a false confession. A belief in Christ which does not 
 issue in confession of Him with the mouth, is a false 
 faith. To confess with the mouth only is hypocrisy ; to 
 believe with the heart only is cowardice. To believe 
 with the heart and confess with the mouth issues in 
 salvation. 
 
 3. Any Plea of Ignorance of the Gospel on the Part 
 of the Jews Was Without Grounds, for the Gospel 
 Had Been Fully Proclaimed to Them, Nor Should 
 They be Surprised at Their Rejection, for that Also 
 Had Been Foretold by the Prophets (s. 14-21). Sum- 
 ming up the message of the whole chapter, the thought 
 is this, that the rejection of Israel is Israel's own fault. 
 Instead of accepting God's plan of salvation, the Jews 
 had sought to establish one of their own, and thus had 
 become responsible for their own rejection. 
 
 III. The Rejection of Israel is but Partial and Tem- 
 porary (xi. 1-36). 
 
 Israel must not infer, because of the absolute sover- 
 eignty of God (chap, ix.), and because of Israel's hard- 
 ness of heart which caused her rejection (chap, x.), that 
 God was finally done with His people, that this rejection 
 was final and complete, or that the nation which had 
 been God's special treasure was now cast off forever. 
 Israel will not always be as she now is, in a state of re- 
 jection. The day will come when she will see her mis- 
 take, will welcome the Messiah, and become a blessing 
 to the nations. 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 91 
 
 1. The Faithful Remnant (xi. 1-10). 
 
 (a) God Still Has, Amid the Unbelief of the Nation as a 
 Whole, Some Faithful Israelites, Just as in Elijah's Day 
 (xi. 1-5). Was not Paul himself a Jew 1 There has never 
 been a total apostasy on the part of God's people. Just 
 as in Malachi's time (Malachi iii. 16), so in that day, 
 God had a faithful remnant. God still has His saints, 
 even where we least think of them— ''even in Sardis" 
 (Revelation iii. 4). These ''remnants" are "the salt of 
 the earth." From this it is clear that even in Paul's day 
 the rejection of Israel was not final and complete — there 
 was still a remnant according to election of grace. 
 
 (b) This Faithful Bemnant is According to Grace Not 
 WorTis (xi. 6-10). This failure on the part of the Jews 
 to recognize that salvation was by grace had led to the 
 large ingathering of the Gentiles and the large rejec- 
 tion of the Jews. Just as the remnant has accepted 
 God's righteousness by faith, so must the whole nation, 
 if it would be saved. The remnant is prophetic. 
 
 2. The Casting Away of Israel is Only Until the 
 Fulness of the Gentiles be Come in (xi. 11-16). The 
 nation which has been so peculiarly blessed of God is not 
 to end in rejection and apostasy. Out of seeming loss 
 will come great gain. The conversion of the Gentiles 
 will stir up the Jews so that the chosen race will turn to 
 God and become a blessing to the world. The Jews will 
 be the great missionaries of the coming age. 
 
 3. The Gentile Should Realize How Indebted He 
 is to the Jew, and Consequently Should Not Boast 
 Himself Against the Jew (xi. 17-24). If the chosen 
 people, with all their peculiar privileges, could fail so 
 disastrously, what will be the end of the Geutile if he, 
 without these privileges, should cease to exercise faith in 
 God ? ©od still has great purposes for the Jew. There- 
 fore, the Gentile must respect the Jew. God did not cast 
 
92 
 
 Romans 
 
 off Israel because He wanted to take in the Gentile, nor 
 because the Gentile was any better than the Jew. It was 
 because of unbelief that Israel was cast off. The Gentile 
 stands by faith. If he, also, should lose faith in God, he 
 likewise would be cast away. 
 
 4. God's Ultimate Purpose for the Jew (xi. 25-32). 
 Here is the revealing of a great mystery. An advance is 
 made from the past to the future. Surely no human 
 ingenuity could conceive of such a destiny. 
 
 The result of deepening knowledge with reference to 
 the mysteries of God will be humility, not pride (xi. 25). 
 
 When God has taken out from among the Gentiles 
 those He has determined upon — when *' the fulness of the 
 Gentiles " shall have come in — then God shall deal with 
 His own chosen people. 
 
 5. The Closing Doxology (xi. 33-36). " O, the depth 
 of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! 
 How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past 
 finding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? 
 Or who hath been his counsellor ? Or who hath first 
 given to him, and it shall be compensated to him again 1 
 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things : 
 to whom be glory for ever. Amen. " 
 
The Problem of the Rejection of Israel 93 
 
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IV 
 
 {Continued) 
 
 Sanctification — The Holiness of God — 
 Assurance 
 
 (vi. 1-xv. 18) 
 
 3. The Sphere of a Holy Life (xii. 1-xv. 13). 
 
 IN chapters twelve to fifteen we have set before us the 
 sphere in which the holy life of the believer is to be 
 exercised. This sphere is religious, civil, political, 
 social, and domestic. It is worthy of note that all these 
 Christian ethical relations are built upon a religious prin- 
 ciple. They have their foundation in the "mercies of 
 God" (xii. 1). "This is what distinguishes sainthood 
 from pagan sagehood or from any other system outside 
 of Christianity. Sainthood is character specifically built 
 upon the idea that God has given Himself to us. It is 
 character and conduct built upon the idea of infinite 
 debtorship. " 
 
 (a) The Christianas Belation to the Church and Ms 
 Fellow Believers — Ecclesiastical (xii. 1-21). This relation 
 may be described in general as a call to a surrendered life 
 (xii. 1, 2). The motive set forth is that of the divine 
 compassion— " the mercies of God " (chaps, i.-viii.). The 
 nature of the surrendered life is the presentation of the 
 body to an intelligent, spiritual, and definite service. 
 The result of such a surrender is the perception of God's 
 will as being perfect, good, and acceptable. Unworldli- 
 ness and a character transfigured with heavenly beauty 
 and glory will be the issue of such an experience. This 
 surrender must come from within. It is to be a " renew- 
 
 94 
 
/ Sanctification — The Holiness of God 93 
 
 ing of the mind." It is not so much a disconformity to 
 the world as a transfiguration — a change within which 
 shows itself without. 
 
 Certain specific Christian duties are then set forth 
 (xii. 3-8). These virtues deal with our relation to our 
 fellow church members in particular, towards whom we 
 are to manifest a spirit of humility especially with refer- 
 ence to spiritual gifts, in connection with which there is 
 always the temptation to display. Being purely of faith, 
 these gifts should not issue in boasting. We should also 
 avoid the extreme of self-depreciation, which, as much as 
 self-exaltation, is wrong. Eealizing the gifts we have 
 received or may receive by faith, we should form sober 
 estimates of ourselves. 
 
 There are various kinds of gifts : intelligence and in- 
 struction ; practical, and administrative. "Prophecy" 
 refers to special utterances ; " ministry " to practical 
 Christian worth; "exhortation" directs itself towards 
 the will and calls for decisions ; "giving" — true benev- 
 olence — is also a gift; "ruleth" indicates one who is 
 placed in the front rank with a very heavy responsibil- 
 ity ; "mercy " is pity led to give itself up to service in 
 visiting the sick and needy. All these gifts are to be 
 used in unity with variety and along the lines that will 
 build up the Church of God. 
 
 Six things which should characterize the believer's 
 dealings with others are here set forth : 
 
 "Sincerity" (ver. 9). There must be no unreality, 
 untruthfulness, or falsehood, all of which tend to weaken 
 the confidence of members in each other. The believer 
 must be sincere and without hypocrisy both Godward and 
 manward. A professing Christian stands for something 
 before the world. Let every Christian be that thing. 
 
 "Discrimination" (ver. 9). The believer must abhor 
 that which is evil and cleave to that which is good. To 
 
96 Romans 
 
 ''abhor" is stronger than to "hate." "Hate "means 
 concealed and cherished hatred. The word "abhor" 
 means hatred expressed, real intense loathing. We 
 must " cleave to that which is good. " We must cling to, 
 be wedded to, have the deepest sympathy with, and be 
 ready to assist in every good work. 
 
 Generosity (ver. 13). This generosity must be ex- 
 hibited towards the Church, the saints, and the stranger. 
 The saints should have first claim to our distribution. It 
 is our duty to "communicate," distribute to, share in, 
 have partnership with the necessities of the saints. The 
 wants of our fellow men we are to consider as our own. 
 Such hospitality we are to "pursue" — that is, it must 
 be given not only when sought, but Christians must seek 
 the opportunity of exercising it. 
 
 Sympathy (ver. 12). We are to rejoice and weep. 
 We must not fail either in congratulation on success or 
 sympathy in sorrow. It is easier to weep with those who 
 weep than to rejoice with those who rejoice. 
 
 Humility (ver. 16). The believer must not "mind" 
 — that is, think or affect — "high things." He must 
 "condescend," or "be led away" with those of "low 
 estate." Is there not too much pride of wealth, of rank, 
 • of learning in the Church ? Is there not too much covet- 
 ing of the good will of the rich and those in high posi- 
 tion ? Preachers need to think just as much of the poor 
 as of the rich members of the church, and should be led 
 by the humble. Would a little more of this virtue make 
 the ministers and members of the church more respected 
 among the working classes and the poor ? 
 
 Peacefulness (vers. 17-21). We are to live peaceably 
 with all men " if we can " : that is, if others will allow 
 us to. Even God cannot have peace with some people ; 
 they will not permit it. The believer must see to it 
 that any lack of peace is not his fault. No vindictive 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 97 
 
 spirit must be cherished. There must be a giving place 
 unto the divine wrath — that is, we must not stand in the 
 way of it as we do when we take things into our own 
 hands, thereby intimating that we cannot trust God to 
 make wrong things right. We must overcome evil with 
 good, and enmity with kindness. Such treatment is 
 likely to melt hard hearts. 
 
 The Christian's duty to himself is set forth in these 
 verses as follows : 
 
 First. He must be diligent in business (ver. 11). 
 Whether his business be religious or secular, he must be 
 diligent in it. 
 
 Second. He must have earnestness of spirit (ver. 11). 
 He must be boiling over as a caldron on the fire. Luke- 
 warm Christians are nauseating. Religion on ice is not 
 attractive. 
 
 Third. He must be full of hopefulness, rejoicing in 
 spirit (ver. 12). To be joyful is not merely a Christian 
 emotion and privilege, it is a positive duty. The object 
 of hope is the coming of our Lord. 
 
 Fourth. He must be patient under trials (ver. 12). 
 He must know how to suffer and recognize that suffering 
 has its place in the development of Christian character 
 (cf. Hebrews xii. 6, 7, 8). 
 
 Fifth. He must persevere in prayer. His sense of de- 
 pendence upon God must characterize his whole life— its 
 beginning, its middle, and its ending. 
 
 (6) The Relation of the Believer to Matters Civil and 
 Political (xiii. 1-14). In this chapter is discussed the 
 relation of the justified and sanctified man to the civil 
 government under whose control he may find himself. 
 We should not forget the intense suffering to which the 
 early Christian Church was subjected at the instigation 
 of pagan governments and the possibility of an antago- 
 nistic feeling arising in consequence thereof. In addition 
 
98 Romans 
 
 to this the Jews, who regarded theocracy as the only 
 legitimate form of government, would naturally have the 
 spirit of resistance to any other constituted form of goV' 
 ernment. Then there was the sect of Ebionites who 
 ascribed all civil government to the devil's control. 
 Thoroughly conscious of all these facts and knowing that 
 such a man as Nero sat on the throne, the apostle exhorts 
 believers not to forget that they have duties as subjects ; 
 that a man does not cease to be a citizen when he becomes 
 a Christian ; but that, on the contrary, he should be a 
 faithful subject, an orderly inhabitant, a punctual tax- 
 payer, and should acknowledge the authority of the law. 
 A Christian should be obedient to the statutes and laws 
 of the country to which he belongs except where such 
 laws and statutes contradict the plain teaching of the 
 Word of God. It is the Christian's plain duty to submit 
 to the powers that be where conscience is not involved. 
 Anarchy is disloyalty to God (vers. 1-7). 
 I f The great motive-moving cause of the Christian life and 
 the subjection of that life to the constituted authorities 
 under which and by which the believer is governed is set 
 forth in verses 8-14, that motive being our Lord's return 
 and the consciousness that every believer is living in the 
 power of the Master's presence. No man is likely to sin 
 looking Jesus Christ straight in the face. We must at 
 least turn our backs on Him ere we are untrue to Him. 
 The more conscious we are of His presence the more vic- 
 torious will be our lives in the world. We are to put on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ and thus make no provision for the 
 flesh. 
 
 (c) The Christianas Belation to the Weaker Brother 
 (xiv. 1-xv. 13). This chapter assumes that there were 
 numerous controversies between the brethren in the early 
 Church. Undoubtedly much questioning arose with 
 regard to certain conscientious scruples. We are here 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God 99 
 
 told how to settle a Christian controversy and how we 
 should behave towards the weak and scrupulous brethren. 
 Three laws are laid down for our guidance in this matter : 
 that of Christian charity (xiv. i-12) ; self-denial (13-20) ; 
 helpfulness (21-23). 
 
 Believers have a very intimate relationship one with 
 another by reason of a common tie, which is faith in 
 Christ. So far as possible believers ought to be agreed. 
 They ought to be "of the same mind one towards an- 
 other ' ' (xii, 16). There are degrees of knowledge and ex- 
 perience, however, among believers. Some have entered 
 more fully into the privileges of the gospel than others. 
 This difference obtained, not at all in the fundamentals 
 of Christian faith, but in matters of Christian tolerance 
 touching conduct. 
 
 Just who the ''weak" brethren were we may not be 
 able fully to determine. We do know, however, that 
 they were characterized as having conscientious scruples 
 regarding the eating of meat offered to idols, of partici- 
 pating in wine, and of keeping certain feast days. The 
 composite character of the church at Rome would doubt- 
 less give rise to much discussion regarding these matters. 
 The contact of Judaistic and Christian tendencies with 
 heathenism could not help but arouse such questions. 
 
 Two classes of persons are dealt with in this chapter : 
 the stronger brother who looks with contempt upon the 
 weaker brother who is bothered about these conscientious 
 scruples ; and the weaker brother — the one who severely 
 condemns the stronger because he does things which the 
 weaker brother's conscience does not permit him to do. 
 
 The apostle deals with certain fundamental principles 
 in this chapter : First, he tells us that instead of judging 
 others, whether they be strong or weak, we ought to be 
 thinking of the fact that we ourselves are to appear be- 
 fore the judgment bar of Christ ; that Christ will scruti- 
 
1 oo Romans 
 
 nize each individual ; that He will examine me, and not 
 me for my brother, in that great day. Second, that men 
 must settle these questions for themselves before God. 
 No one else can finally settle these things for us (unless, 
 of course, there be a distinct teaching in the Word of God 
 on these questions). No man can come between God and 
 the individual Christian. Third, there may be many 
 things right in themselves which an individual believer 
 may be able to do without scruple of conscience, but which, 
 if he is filled with the spirit of Christ, he will not do be- 
 cause they offend the weak brother and do serious dam- 
 age to his faith. The weaker brother cannot demand of 
 the stronger that he surrender these things, but it is the 
 privilege of the stronger, for Christ's sake, to forego par- 
 ticipation in them for the weaker brother's sake. The 
 man of robust faith must not despise him of weak faith ; 
 nor should the weak brother be censorious of the conduct 
 of the strong. 
 
 Each man must make up his mind as to what he ean do 
 in the presence of his Master. In life and death we are 
 Christ's, for have not His death and resurrection made 
 Him Lord of all ? To Christ, and to no one else, shall 
 the Christian be called upon to give account ; but we must 
 avoid ceusoriousness, and we must not despise the weak. 
 We should not place obstacles before our fellow men. 
 The obligation of love makes self-denial a paramount 
 duty and privilege. Meats and drinking and festival 
 days are secondary things. It is not worth while for the 
 sake of these to undo the work of Christ in a brother's 
 soul. Keep the robust faith with which you are blessed 
 to yourself and God (xiv. 20-22). Do not try to impose 
 your views as an article of faith on others. Eemember 
 that to hesitate or doubt and then to participate is to in- 
 cur guilt : " He that doubteth is condemned if he eat." 
 
 This spirit of consideration of others receives as its 
 
Sanctification — The Holiness of God loi 
 
 motive-moving cause the example of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ (XV. 1-13). 
 
 Conclusion (xv. 14-xvi. 27). 
 
 The conclusion is occupied with personal matters and 
 with greetings from the Apostle Paul to the Christians at 
 Eome. 
 
 How closely Paul kept in touch with his converts ! 
 What an intimate knowledge he seemed to possess of the 
 leading Christian workers in each place where the Church 
 of Christ had been planted ; even though, as in the in- 
 stance of the church at Eome, he had not actually visited 
 the place ! Amid the multiplicity of duties that must 
 have thronged the daily life of the busy apostle, the fact 
 that he always took time to think of, pray for, and make 
 mention of individual Christians by name is not only an 
 opportunity for an insight into the character of the great 
 Apostle to the Gentiles, but is also a lesson for leaders in 
 Christian service to-day. Are we not loath to forget 
 those whom it has been our privilege to lead to Christ ? 
 Do we constantly remember, by name, our brethren in 
 the Lord ? 
 
I Corinthians 
 
Synopsis of I Corinthians 
 
 Introductory. 
 
 I. Introduction (i. 1-9). 
 
 1. The salutation (i. 1-3). 
 
 {a) The writer (i. i). 
 
 (^i) The persons addressed (i. 2). 
 
 (r) The greeting (i. 3). 
 
 2. The thanksgiving (i. 4-9). 
 
 II. Party Factions (i. lo-iv. 21). 
 
 1. A clear and definite statement of the case (i. 1 0-17). 
 
 {a) The «♦ Paul " party. 
 (^) The " Cephas " party. 
 (f) The " Apollos " party. 
 (cl) The " Christ " party. 
 
 2. A digression (i. i8-iii. 4). 
 
 (<7) False or worldly wisdom (i. i8-ii. 5). 
 (^) Divine or true wisdom (ii. 6-iii. 4). 
 
 3. The relation of true teachers to Christ and the 
 
 gospel (iii. 5-iv. 5). 
 
 4. The summing up of the case (iv. 6-21). 
 
 III. Social Purity — Failure to Exercise Discipline 
 
 IN Moral Affairs (Chaps, v., vi.). 
 
 1. The failure to exercise discipline rebuked (v. 1-5). 
 
 2. The contaminating influence of the sin in question 
 
 (v. 6-8). 
 
 3. The duty of excluding the offender (v. 9-13). 
 
 4. The sin of litigation among church members (vi. 1-8). 
 
 5. Christian liberty does not allow license in such matters 
 
 — Self-judgment (vi, 19-20). 
 106 
 
io6 Synopsis of I Corinthians 
 
 IV. Marital Problems (Chap. vii.). 
 
 1. The unmarried and married state contrasted (vii. 
 
 1-17). 
 
 (<?) Paul's reference to our Lord's teaching regard- 
 ing the marriage estate (vii. 10-17, 39 5 cf. 
 Romans vii. 1-7) ; also our Lord's teaching 
 (Matthew V. 31, 32; xix. 3-12; Mark 
 X. 2-12; Luke xvi. 18). 
 
 2. Each should abide in his or her own calling (vii. 
 
 18-24). 
 
 3. Advice concerning virgins and widows (vii. 25-40). 
 
 V. Christian Liberty (viii. i-xi. i). 
 
 1. The general aspect of the case stated (Chap. viii.). 
 
 (d) It is admitted that to partake of meat offered in 
 sacrifice to idols is not in itself sinful, par- 
 ticularly when it is recognized that an idol is 
 nothing and that there is but one God (viii. 
 
 3-7); 
 (b) But this knowledge and conviction with regard 
 
 to idols is not shared alike by all, and there- 
 fore it is the privilege, if not the duty, of the 
 strong to give up the indulgence of their 
 rights for the sake of the weak (viii. 8, 9). 
 
 2. The general principle of self-denial (viii. 1 3 ; cf. vi. 
 
 12-14) further illustrated in the life of the apostle 
 
 himself (ix. i-io ; cf. x. 23-33). 
 
 (a) An unwillingness to surrender one's rights 
 
 (Chap. ix.). 
 (i) An unwillingness to curb bodily appetites and 
 passions for the sake of others (x. 1-22). 
 
 3. The summing up of the argument (x. 23-xi. i). 
 
 VL Church Decorum — Abuses in Connection with 
 Public Worship (xi. 2-34). 
 
 I. Unveiled women at worship (xi. 2-16). 
 (a) The case stated (xi. 2, 3). 
 (^) The essential principles set forth (xi. 4—7). 
 (f) This is the truth clearly and distinctly taught 
 
 in the order of the creation of Adam and 
 
 Eve (xi. 8, 9). 
 
Synopsis of I Corinthians 107 
 
 (^d) It is also according to the natural order of 
 things (xi. 14, 15). 
 
 (^) It is contrary also to the sense of propriety 
 (xi. 13-15). 
 
 (y) It is contrary to universal Christian practice 
 (xi. 16). 
 
 (^) It must be borne in mind, in view of all that 
 has been said, that there is equality in mu- 
 tual dependence and spiritual blessings 
 (xi. 10, 11). 
 2. Abuses in connection with the Lord's Supper (xi. 
 
 »7-34)- 
 
 (^) The nature of the Lord's Supper (xi. 17-26). 
 (/^) Our duty in view of participation in the 
 
 Lord's Supper (xi. 27-29). 
 (^) The chastisements for abuses in connection 
 
 with the Lord's Supper (xi. 30-34). 
 
 VIL Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse (Chaps, 
 xii.-xiv.). 
 
 1. The bestowment, use, and purpose of spiritual gifts 
 
 (Chap. xii). 
 
 {a) The one true test that any one is speaking in 
 and by the Holy Spirit (xii. 1-3 ; cf. 
 I John iv. 1-6). 
 ' (^) The origin, nature, and power of the spiritual 
 
 gifts (xii. 4- 11). 
 (c) The divine conception of the relation of 
 spiritual gifts one to the other and to the 
 body of Christ as a whole (xii. 12-31). 
 
 2. Love the Supreme gift (Chap. xiii.). 
 
 (tf) The absolute necessity of love (xiii. 1-3). 
 (^F) The characteristics of love (xiii. 4-7). 
 (f) The eternal permanence of love (xiii. 8-12). 
 (^) The absolute supremacy of love (xiii. 13). 
 
 3. Edification is the final test of the value of a spiritual 
 
 gift (Chap. xiv.). 
 
 {a) What is meant by the gift of tongues ? 
 {J>) The purpose of the gift of tongues. Does it 
 
 still exist in the Church ? 
 (f) Paul's rebuke of the manifestation of the gift 
 of tongues at Corinth. 
 
io8 Synopsis of I Corinthians 
 
 (^) Women — Their place in the economy of 
 God (xiv. 34-36; see also i Corinthians 
 xi. 1-16). 
 
 (^) The conclusion of the whole matter (xiv. 
 37-4°)- 
 
 VIII. Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 
 (Chap. XV.) 
 
 1. Its fundamental place in the gospel (xv. 1-19). 
 
 2. The general resurrection of all men assured by 
 
 Christ's resurrection (xv. 20-28). 
 {a) Because Christ arose, all men will arise (xv. 
 
 20-22). 
 [b) The order of the resurrection (xv. 23-28). 
 
 3. The argument from experience (xv. 29-34). 
 
 4. Objections to the resurrection of the body answered 
 
 (XV. 35-37)- 
 
 (a) The analogy in nature ; and the Scripture 
 (XV. 35-49). 
 
 Conclusion (Chap. xvi.). 
 
Introductory 
 
 PAUL'S Relation to the Church at Corinth. We 
 are not surprised that the Apostle Paul should 
 consider Corinth a strategic field of labor for the 
 gospel of Christ, especially when we remember that 
 Corinth was the seat of the commercial and intellectual 
 life of Greece. Cicero speaks of it as.being so refined and 
 learned as to merit the title "The Light of all Greece." 
 Again, Corinth was the gathering place of the concourse 
 of the nations. In this magnificent city, representatives 
 of all nations had their dwelling-place — the Greek, with 
 his love of speculation, philosophy, vanity, and pleasure ; 
 the Jew, with his passion for God and religion with all 
 its attendant ceremonies ; the Eoman with his overpow- 
 ering desire for world dominion; barbarian, Scythian, 
 bond and free, in one heterogeneous mass were to be found 
 in Corinth. 
 
 After leaving Athens, Paul arrives, alone, at Corinth, 
 where, shortly afterwards, he is joined by Silas and Tim- 
 othy. Being a stranger in the city, he engages himself 
 as a worker with Aquila, who doubtless, like himself, 
 was a tent-maker. Each Sabbath the apostle preached 
 the gospel in the synagogue. His ministrations were 
 met with very serious opposition on the part of the Jews 
 — so serious that the apostle had reached the'point of dis- 
 couragement and was in need, apparently, of a vision 
 from heaven to cheer and comfort his heart, an en- 
 couragement which God graciously granted him (Acts 
 xviii. 9, 10). The Jews having rejected the divine 
 message, Paul now turns towards the Gentiles, making 
 
 109 
 
no I Corinthians 
 
 bis headquarters at the house of one named Justus. 
 God honored the ministry of the apostle in the conver- 
 sion of Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, who, 
 with all his house, believed on the Lord. Many of the 
 Corinthians also believed. In this way the apostle 
 labored in Corinth for eighteen months (Acts xviii. 
 1-11). 
 
 The persecuting Jews incited Gallio, the governor, to 
 arrest Paul. The apostle was accordingly brought be- 
 fore the judgment seat and charged with persuading men 
 to worship God contrary to the law (Acts xviii. 12, 13). 
 The wicked plot of the Jews, however, failed ; and Gallio, 
 penetrating their wicked scheme, released Paul and drove 
 his accusers from the judgment seat. Paul finally set sail 
 for Ephesus and, by way of Cfesarea, reached Jerusalem. 
 
 Shortly after Paul's visit Apollos, an eloquent young 
 preacher, visited Corinth and made a very strong im- 
 pression upon the Corinthian believers — so strong an 
 impression, indeed, that his followers grouped them- 
 selves into a separate party and became one cause of the 
 contentious condition existing in the Corinthian church. 
 
 It is probable that, shortly after the visit of Apollos 
 to Corinth, Paul made a second visit (cf. v. 9 ; 2 Cor- 
 inthians ii. 1 ; xii. 14, 21 ; xiil. 1, 2). 
 
 The Condition of the Church at Corinth. Consider- 
 ing the heterogeneous nature of its membership, we are 
 not surprised to find existing just such difiiciilties as are 
 set forth in the epistle. Four general conditions in the 
 life of the church are worthy of consideration here in or- 
 der to an intelligent understanding of the epistle : 
 
 The Existence of a Party Spirit (i. 10-16). (See 
 pages 119-123.) 
 
 Certain Forms of Impurity Existent in the CJiurch (v. Iff.). 
 In judging the ethical condition of the Corinthians, we 
 must remember the state of civilization and morality at 
 
Introductory 1 1 1 
 
 that time. It would be unfair for us to judge them by 
 the moral standards of to-day. Some of the sins of im- 
 purity so strongly denounced in this epistle had for cen- 
 turies been associated with the religious ceremonies of 
 these people, and consequently did not have the immoral 
 significance we would suppose, but rather had come to be 
 looked upon as a sacred part of heathen religion. (See 
 pages 146-149.) 
 
 Questions Regarding the Eating of Meat Offered to Idols 
 (viii. 1 ff.). It was a conscientious conviction among some 
 of the Corinthian Christians that to eat meat that had 
 been offered in sacrifice to idols was a sin. Other mem- 
 bers of the church looked upon such an attitude as fool- 
 ish and an abuse of the doctrine of true liberty in Christ, 
 with the result that they not only ate meat that had been 
 offered in sacrifice to idols, but also attended feasts in idol 
 temples, thus causing offense to those members of the 
 Corinthian church, both Jews and Gentiles, who regarded 
 such conduct as virtual identification with idolatry and 
 necessarily resulting in spiritual contamination. The 
 same question arose in the church at Eome, and one en- 
 tire chapter (chap, xiv.) of the epistle to the Eomans is 
 devoted to the discussion of the true relation of the be- 
 liever to this serious question of matters of conscience — 
 not one's own so much as the conscience of another. 
 
 Abuse in Connection with Christian Worship (xi. 2 ; xii. 1). 
 Various phases of such abuse are herein set forth, as, for 
 example, the wrong use of the Lord's Supper ; the ignor- 
 ing of public sentiment with regard to the attitude of 
 women in public ; the exercise of spiritual gifts as minis- 
 tering to pride rather than to edification. All these 
 things were causing serious harm to the spiritual life of 
 the Corinthian church. 
 
 These conditions give us a very graphic picture of 
 Christianity in conflict with paganism, gross and refined, 
 
112 I Corinthians 
 
 in one of the most liourisliiDg churches of the apostolic 
 age — a picture drawn by the apostle himself, a friend 
 and not an enemy of the Church. We should remem- 
 ber these facts when we are tempted to become exas- 
 perated and critical concerning the low spiritual condition 
 of the Church of the present day. The cry, "Back to 
 the early Church," should be accepted with some degree 
 of allowance, for the early Church was by no means a 
 model which the modern Church should follow in every 
 particular. It had its grievous moral and spiritual faults 
 and failings just as the modern Church has. The early 
 Church fell far below its ideal standard of Christian liv- 
 ing just as the Church of to-day falls below its divinely 
 given standard. 
 
 The Writer — Paul (i. 1). The name of Sostheues is 
 mentioned by way of courtesy, his name being omitted 
 after i. 3, the apostle using the personal pronoun "I" 
 thereafter. This courtesy of including others with him 
 was occasionally indulged in by Paul. In other of his 
 epistles (1 and 2 Thessalonians e. g.) Paul associated Sil- 
 vanus and Timothy with himself in the authorship, while, 
 in reality, Paul himself was the author. 
 
 The Date of Writing. This is difficult to determine. 
 It was probably at the close of the apostle's stay at 
 Ephesus, about five years after his visit to Corinth, while 
 he was en route from Jerusalem life Macedonia, on his 
 third missionary journey (Acts xvi. 5-9 ; xix. 21 ; xx. 
 1, 2), probably between 57 and 59 A. D. 
 
 The Occasion of Writing. Paul had received certain 
 communications from members of the Corinthian church 
 asking him to reply to certain questions they had sub- 
 mitted to him (cf. vii. 1 ; xvi. 17, 18). 
 
 Alarming reports had reached him regarding the serious 
 nature of certain matters threatening the spiritual life of 
 the Corinthian church (cf. i. 11). 
 
Introductory 113 
 
 Paul had sent Timothy to restore order (i v. 17 ; xvi. 10), 
 at the same time notifying the Corinthians of his intended 
 purpose to visit them himself (iv. 19), which he probably 
 did for a very short time (cf. 2 Corinthians ii. 1 ; xiii. 1). 
 
 The Purpose of Writing. It seems clear from a care- 
 ful study of the epistle itself that the apostle had a three- 
 fold purpose in writing this epistle : First, to correct cer- 
 tain disorders in the church (i. 11-17). Second, to an- 
 swer questions that had been propounded to him, proba- 
 bly by some specially sent messenger (vii, 1 ; viii. 1). 
 Third, to meet the claims of false teachers and to defend 
 his own apostleship (ix. 1-27). 
 
The Exposition of the Book — Introduction 
 
 (i 1-9) 
 
 I. The Salutation (i. 1-3). It contains three thoughts : 
 the writer, those addressed, and the greeting. 
 
 (a) The Writer (i. 1). Paul, the divinely called and 
 commissioned apostle of Jesus Christ, is declared to be 
 the writer of the epistle. Sosthenes, a prominent Chris- 
 tian, well known to the Corinthian church (i. 1 ; cf. Acts 
 xviii. 17), was probably the amanuensis, and is thus 
 associated with Paul in the authorship of this letter, 
 doubtless by courtesy on the part of the apostle, just as 
 Timothy is associated with him in the address of the 
 second epistle to the Corinthians, and Silvanus and Tim- 
 othy in connection with 1 and 2 Thessalonians. (See 
 Introductory, page 112.) 
 
 Emphasis is here laid on the fact of the divine call of 
 Paul to the office of apostleship. Throughout his epistles 
 Paul felt the necessity of asserting his apostleship as being 
 equal to that of the twelve (cf. ix. 1-15 ; xv. 9 ; 2 Corin- 
 thians xi. 5 ; xii. 11, 12 ; Galatians i. 1-19). The vindi- 
 cation of his apostleship was made necessary because it 
 was challenged by certain false Judaistic teachers. For 
 further discussion regarding the apostleship of Paul see 
 page 237. In his epistle to the Eomans, in which his 
 apostolic authority was not questioned, Paul refers to 
 himself simply as "a bondman of Jesus Christ." In 
 1 Corinthians, however, his apostleship had been chal- 
 lenged. He therefore would have them know that he 
 
 114 
 
The Exposition of the Book — Introduction 115 
 
 had been commissioued by a divine call, and that only 
 thus does he speak in the name of God. No self-appointed 
 minister is he (cf. Hebrews v. 1, 4 ; Jeremiah xiv. 14 ; 
 xxiii. 21 ; 1 Corinthians xii. 28). 
 
 (b) The Persons Addressed (i. 2). " The church of God 
 which is at Corinth." They are "called saints" — that 
 is, "called out" ones, those who, having heard the call 
 of Christ and obeyed it, have separated themselves from 
 the present evil age (cf, 2 Corinthians vi. 14-17). The 
 same grace that called Paul "to be an apostle "(i. 1) 
 called them "to be saints," not by any ability or merit 
 on his or their part, but by the gracious "will of God." 
 They were not only called to be saints, but were saints in 
 reality. " Beloved, now are we the sons of God " (1 John 
 iii. 1, 2). Every believer is a saint — is sanctified. If a 
 man is not a saint, he is not a Christian ; if he is a Chris- 
 tian, he is a saint. Sanctification, in the New Testament, 
 is used in a threefold sense : First, it is instantaneous 
 and takes place at conversion, and as such is the sepa- 
 rating of the sinner from sin unto righteousness, and 
 from the world unto God (cf. vi. 11 ; 1 Peter i. 2 ; He- 
 brews X. 10). Second, it is used in the progressive sense 
 — that is to say, we are growing in grace (2 Peter iii. 18 ; 
 Colossians iii. 10 ; Ephesians iv. 23, 24) and "follow after 
 . . . sanctification" (Hebrews xii. 14). Third, it 
 will be completed when we shall be presented before the 
 Father in that great day (cf. 1 Thessalonians v. 23 E. Y.). 
 The believer is perfectly sanctified in his standing before 
 God ; he is growing in sanctification in his state here upon 
 the earth ; he is sanctified at the time of his regenera- 
 tion (vi. 11). He is sanctified ; he is being sanctified ; his 
 sanctification will be completed at the coming of our Lord. 
 Believers, then, being saints, should manifest sanctifica- 
 tion in life. This epistle insists upon such sanctification 
 of life, or else exclusion from the church : " But now I 
 
Ii6 I Corinthians 
 
 have written unto you not to keep company, if any man 
 that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an 
 idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner ; 
 with such an one not to eat ' ' (v. 11). 
 
 ' ' The church of God which is at Corinth . . . with 
 all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 
 our Lord, both theirs and ours " (i. 2). The church at 
 Corinth is but a part of the Church universal. No one 
 church or congregation has a monopoly of faith or of the 
 graces and gifts of the gospel. The message is for believ- 
 ers in every place. We are to understand by these words 
 that the spiritual gifts which were enjoyed by the Corin- 
 thian believers were not limited, at least not all of them, 
 to that church (cf. iv. 17 ; vii. 17 ; x. 16 ; xiv. 36, 37 ; 
 xvi. 1). 
 
 Four things are mentioned in connection with the Cor- 
 inthian believers: Consecration — "sanctified in Christ 
 Jesus" ; holiness— "called of God to be saint^"; soli- 
 darity — they were part of the Church universal — of "all 
 that in every place call upon the Lord Jesus Christ " ; 
 unity — they were a unit with the Church of Christ as a 
 whole — " both their Lord and ours." 
 
 (c) TJie Greeting (i. 3). "Grace" and "peace" are 
 Greek and Hebrew salutations. Grace refers to the 
 source, and peace to the consummation of the blessings 
 of the gospel. The favor of God leads to peace of mind. 
 Note the equality of Jesus Christ the Son, with God the 
 Father, in which fact lies an argument for the deity of 
 Christ. Note also the emphasis placed upon the person 
 and name of Jesus Christ. No less than ten times in the 
 first ten verses is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ spe- 
 cifically mentioned. 
 
 2. The Thanksgiving (i. 4-9). In these verses the 
 apostle gives thanks for the grace of God in Christ Jesus 
 (i. 4, 5) and for the exemplification of the gospel in their 
 
The Exposition of the Book — Introduction 117 
 
 lives (i. 6), and particularly with regard to certain gifts 
 of speech and wisdom (i. 7). The gifts of speech and 
 wisdom, or utterance and knowledge, are mentioned be- 
 cause of their utility and usefulness in the propagation 
 of the doctrines of Christianity. The Corinthians had 
 many gifts, but they seemed to lack some of the graces. 
 We should not forget that a man may have all the graces 
 even though he may not have all the gifts. The New 
 Testament teaches that the Holy Spirit does confer 
 gifts upon the believer, though not thereby necessarily 
 changing his temperament. The grace of God both de- 
 velops and bestows gifts. The presence of so many gifted 
 ones in the Corinthian church showed that a characteristic 
 of their meetings was the presence and power of the Holy 
 Ghost. Would that it were so to-day ! And yet, alas, 
 what abuses followed (cf. chap, xiv.) ! 
 
 One cannot but be impressed with the mention of the 
 second coming of Christ in connection with the gifts of 
 the Spirit here referred to (i. 7). Would it be going too 
 far to say that the attitude of earnest looking, of assidu- 
 ous waiting (or "waiting it out," as the Greek word lit- 
 erally means) for our Lord Jesus Christ is to be considered 
 as the highest of all the gifts ? At any rate, no more be- 
 coming posture can be attained by the believer than this 
 prayerful, hopeful attitude of expectation for the day of 
 the revelation of Jesus Christ. The apostle seems to have 
 the approach of that day constantly in his mind in this 
 epistle (cf. iii. 13 ; iv. 5 ; vi. 2, 3 ; vii. 29 ; xi. 26 ; 
 XV. 51 ; xvi. 22). While it is true that by the ''revela- 
 tion of Jesus Christ " may be meant in some instances, 
 according to the context, any revealing of Himself to the 
 believer, we believe the expression in this connection 
 refers to the day of our Lord, probably ''the judgment 
 seat of Christ " (cf. 2 Corinthians v. 10). 
 
 The apostle gives thanks also for the faithfulness of 
 
1 1 8 I Corinthians 
 
 God, being fully assured that He who had begun the good 
 work in them would continue it until the day of Jesus 
 Christ. Any lack of spiritual gifts or graces, therefore, 
 is to be attributed, not to God, but to their own neglect. 
 God will be faithful even though they are not (Philip- 
 pians i. 6 ; 1 Thessalonians v. 23, 24). Some day the 
 believer will be presented ''unimpeachable," "unre- 
 provable ' ' (cf. Eomans viii. 33 ; Colossians 1. 22, 28). 
 The word " unimpeachable " suggests a public accusation 
 and intimates that at God's bar of judgment no one can 
 lay any charge against His elect (cf. Eomans v. 1 ; viii. 
 1, 33). 
 
II 
 
 Party Factions 
 
 (i. 10-iv. 21) 
 
 THE discussion of this entire section was made 
 necessary by reports that had come to the 
 apostle of existing schism caused by preference 
 for and adherence to certain Christian leaders. " For it 
 hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them 
 which are of the house of Chloe, that there are conten- 
 tious among you. Now this I say, that every one of you 
 saith, I am of Paul ; and I of Apollos ; and I of Cephas ; 
 and I of Christ " (i. 11, 12). The apostle deals with the 
 fault in the following manner : 
 
 I. A Clear and Definite Statement of Existing 
 Conditions (i. 10-17). Shortly after Paul had left Cor- 
 inth, Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, mighty and eloquent 
 in the Scriptures, visited that city. Quite a number of 
 the Corinthian believers, among whom were doubtless 
 those who were not over- friendly to the Apostle Paul, 
 gathered about Apollos. Eepresentatives of the Judaistic 
 party also visited the Corinthian church and naturally 
 gathered about themselves a number of believers. Thus 
 the Corinthian church had divided itself into four fac- 
 tious, each claiming allegiance to its own leader : Paul, 
 Peter, Apollos, or Christ. 
 
 (a) The '■'■Paul'''' Party consisted, doubtless, of those 
 in the Corinthian church who, endeavoring to uphold the 
 apostle's doctrine of /ree grace, took an extreme position 
 with regard to their freedom from Mosaic ceremonials 
 and what they may have termed bondage thereto. It 
 
 119 
 
120 I Corinthians 
 
 may have been also that Paul was looked upon by many, 
 because of the unique revelation granted to him, as the 
 real founder of the Christian Church. Consequently, 
 they were uncharitable to those who still had regard for 
 some of the Mosaic ceremonials and to whom obedience 
 thereto was somewhat a conscientious scruple. This 
 spirit would, of course, antagonize those who were zeal- 
 ous for the Mosaic institutions, and such were quite 
 numerous and iuiluential in the early Church (cf. Acts 
 XV. 20-29 ; xxi. 20). 
 
 (&) The ^^ Cephas ^^ (Peter) Party consisted, doubtless, 
 of those in the church who looked upon Peter as the 
 highest representative of the gospel and who rather 
 leaned towards an observance of the ceremonial law. 
 Whether the members of this party had any right to 
 claim Peter as their leader, thereby indicating that he 
 was not one with Paul in the presentation of the gospel 
 of the free grace of God, is a serious question ; for, while 
 Peter may have been hesitant and somewhat compromis- 
 ing in this or a kindred matter (cf. Galatians ii. 11-21), 
 nevertheless his recorded sermons make salvation to de- 
 pend upon the absolute grace of God just as clearly as do 
 the utterances of Paul. The leaders of the "Cephas" 
 party doubtless had letters of commendation (2 Corin- 
 thians iii. 1) ; were Hebrews (2 Corinthians xi. 22) ; pro- 
 fessing ministers of Christ (2 Corinthians xi. 23) ; are 
 called "false apostles" (2 Corinthians xi. 13); disputed 
 the apostolic authority of Paul, even accusing him of in- 
 sincerity, as well as stirring up antagonism towards him 
 (2 Corinthians i. 17-24). 
 
 (c) TJie ^^Apollos " Party. The difference between the 
 followers of Paul and the followers of ApoUos was not so 
 much one of a doctrinal nature as of a probable personal 
 preference as to preachers. Apollos was a master of 
 oratory and an eloquent preacher ; Paul, apparently, 
 
Party Factions 12 1 
 
 was not a man of eloquent words. May not this be the 
 reasou why Paul contrasts "the wisdom of words," 
 thereby indicating the preaching of Apollos, with "the 
 word of wisdom, " thereby, probably, indicating his own 
 message (i. 17-31) ? The adherents of Apollos were in 
 danger of being carried away by subtle philosophy. 
 Against this danger Paul very strongly warns them. 
 
 (d) The ^^ Christ" Party. It is probable that this 
 party was connected in some way with James, the brother 
 of our Lord (xv. 7 ; cf. Acts xv.). His followers may 
 have claimed that on account of his relation to our Lord 
 he was necessarily superior to all the other apostles and 
 had a relation to Christ which they could not have. Or, 
 may be, the members of the " Christ" party were neu- 
 trals, refusing to have anything to do with Paul, Peter, 
 or Apollos, claiming to have dispensed with all human 
 teachers, claiming to receive their teaching directly from 
 Christ. No human authority for them (cf. Matthew 
 xxiii. 8, 10). Yet surely he who knows the Lord should 
 honor His servants who are teachers in the Lord (cf. He- 
 brews xiii. 7). 
 
 The existence in the Christian church of contention, 
 schism, and party divisions was most certainly incon- 
 sistent with the espousal of the cause of Christ. It was a 
 libel on Christianity, and gave the world an occasion to 
 justly find fault with the church. The unity of the 
 church was threatened, for the existence of the party 
 spirit was a precursor of spiritual disaster and death. 
 Not false doctrine, but a party spirit is here censured. 
 There has always been danger in hero worship. Undue 
 attachment to certain leaders has been the overthrow of 
 a people more than once. The sin here denounced is not 
 that of mere denominationalism. It is something worse ; 
 it is a lack of unity and union in the body of Christ. 
 God cares more for unity than for union. There is noth- 
 
122 I Corinthians 
 
 ing that will more quickly break up the unity of a church 
 than the existence of envy, jealousy, and strife (cf. Ephe- 
 sians iv. 1-3). The existence of such vices is always a 
 sign of unspirituality (cf. iii. 1-4). The name of but 
 One Person is important enough to dominate a church ; 
 but One is worthy to imprint His name upon us, and that 
 One is Christ. This fault threatened to break the church's 
 unity — that virtue described by Christ as its most potent 
 witness before the world (John xvii. 8, 10, 21, 23). Such 
 conditions not only affected the church's testimony be- 
 fore the world, but were likely to eat up the very life of 
 the church itself: ''But if ye bite and devour one an- 
 other, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another " 
 (Galatians v. 15). Very soon this party spirit, division, 
 and contention, which, as yet, existed only within the 
 church, would spread without (xi. 18, 19). Already, 
 apparently, it had carried itself even to the Lord's table 
 (cf. xi. 18-34). 
 
 It is not necessary to suppose that the teachers them- 
 selves were opposed to each other. They may have been 
 on the best of terms, but that made no difference ; the 
 factions existed just the same and were worthy of the 
 apostle's severest censure. Judaizing teachers were al- 
 ways the enemies of Paul. But certainly between Apol- 
 los, Peter and Paul we need not suppose that any jealousy 
 whatever existed. 
 
 To the apostle the factional spirit in the Corinthian 
 church had ''divided" the Christ (considering the inter- 
 rogation of verse 13 — "Is Christ divided?" — to be an 
 assertion instead: "Christ has been divided by your 
 controversies ' '). They had, as it were, practically broken 
 Christ up into little party Christs— so divided Him up, 
 so portioned Him out that one party sought to claim 
 Him more than another. What the Corinthian believers 
 needed to remember was that not only has the Church of 
 
Party Factions 1 23 
 
 Christ "one faith" and ''one baptism," but also "one 
 Lord " Jesus Christ. "One Lord " — this is the word that 
 will silence party clamor and factional jealousy, and is 
 the slogan that will bring about Church unity. 
 
 If any one teacher had the right to preeminence in the 
 Corinthian church it was Paul, for he was its spiritual 
 father: "I write not these things to shame you, but as 
 my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten 
 thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many 
 fathers : for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through 
 the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of 
 me " (iv. 14-16). From his peculiar position as the in- 
 augurator of the second epoch of Christianity, many 
 would be tempted to regard him as the real founder of 
 the Church and to boast of having been baptized into his 
 name. Yet Paul was not crucified for them (i. 13), nor 
 was it into the name of Paul they were baptized (i. 14). 
 Paul baptized in but few instances. Not that he lightly 
 valued baptism, but it was not mentioned in the com- 
 mission Christ gave to him (Acts ix. 15) as it was in the 
 commission given to the twelve (Matthew xxviii. 19). 
 "No outward initiation of converts entered into his min- 
 istry." Baptism did not require any particular or special 
 gift as preaching did. Consequently, Paul left baptizing 
 to others. Christ did likewise (John iv. 1, 2). Baptism 
 assumes that the greater work of the preaching of the 
 gospel has been effective and fulfilled (Matthew xxviii. 
 19 ; Luke xxiv. 47). Compare also particularly Paul's 
 own experience (1 Corinthians ix. 16, 17 ; Acts ix. 15, 20 j 
 XX. 15, 21 ; xxvi. 16). 
 
 Preaching, not baptizing, was Paul's great work, and 
 yet he refused to allow his preaching to be judged by the 
 philosophic and rhetorical standards of that day. When 
 "wisdom of words," flights of oratory, rhetorical elo- 
 quence, such as characterized the preaching of Apollos 
 
124 I Corinthians 
 
 (cf. Acts xviii. 24), were considered the highest achieve- 
 ment, Paul said : ' ' 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, than that 
 any man should make my glorying void " (ix. 15). To 
 Paul, covering the gospel with many words had the tend- 
 ency to hide its heart and to render its power void. 
 The preaching of the apostle was not the speculation of 
 philosophy, but the fact of a Christ crucified. 
 
 2. A Digression (i. 18-iii. 4). This digression is made 
 necessary by the apostle's reference to the manner and 
 substance of his preaching as compared, doubtless, with 
 the eloquence of Apollos and the philosophic speculations 
 of the so-called scholarly preachers of that day. In this 
 digression a true and false wisdom — that which is from 
 heaven and that which is of the earth — as to both nature 
 and results, are contrasted. A comparison is made be- 
 tween the true teaching of the gospel and the mere specu- 
 lations of men. 
 
 (a) False or Worldly Wisdom (i. 18-ii. 5). What great 
 contrasts lie couched in these few verses ! The '' wisdom 
 of words" and the "word of wisdom" ; the "foolishness 
 of preaching " and the speculation of philosophy ; true 
 wisdom and false wisdom ; the "words of wisdom" and 
 the Spirit of wisdom; the words of rhetoric and the 
 "word of the cross" ; the "wisdom of words" and the 
 "preaching of the cross" ; the ingenuity and cleverness 
 of man — "the wisdom of men," and the wisdom and 
 "power of God " ! 
 
 Paul would not have Christianity judged by the inge- 
 nuity and cleverness of man (i. 18-25 ; cf. ii. 9, 10). He 
 insists upon the fact that the experience of the Corinthian 
 Christians themselves proved that the power of God 
 through the preaching of Christ crucified, and not the 
 speculations of human philosophy, was the effective cause 
 
Party Factions 125* 
 
 of their regeneration and the change in their character 
 and life (i. 26-29). Insistently does he press home the 
 fact that in Christ, in whom they have confided simple 
 faith, they are complete (i. 30, 31). 
 
 There are some exceedingly interesting and important 
 thoughts in this section which should be briefly men- 
 tioned : 
 
 First. That the cross, the death of Christ, Christ cruci- 
 fied, is fundamental in the plan of salvation as preached 
 by Paul and is the only divinely appointed means for the 
 salvation of lost men. Those perishing by reason of their 
 wilful sinfulness (i. 18 ; cf. 2 Corinthians iv. 3, 4) may not 
 recognize the cross as such, but those who have felt its 
 power unto salvation are fully convinced of this truth 
 (i. 18). The words "unto us" are emphatic; it is as 
 though the apostle said, " We know, for we have experi- 
 enced it." 
 
 Second. That the cross is actually God's power (i. 18 ; 
 ii. 5 ; cf. Eomans i. 16). Eloquent, rhetorical, philo- 
 sophical preaching may inform the intellect, please the 
 taste, and appeal to the senses ; it may even convict ; but 
 only the preaching of Christ crucified can save men and 
 bring pardon, peace, justification, and power. 
 
 Third. Human ingenuity, philosophic reasoning, mere 
 eloquent preaching had been tried for centuries and had 
 been proven a failure (i. 19-25; cf. Eomans i. 22, 23). 
 The philosopher, the rhetorician, the Greek disputer, the 
 Jewish rabbi — what had all these done for man ? Noth- 
 iog; man still remained in his sin. But the simplicity 
 of the gospel story of Christ crucified, " the foolishness of 
 preaching" (not ''foolish preaching," for it is the thing 
 preached more than the form of preaching that is here 
 referred to) actually saved sinful man and redeemed him 
 from the power of evil (i. 21). 
 
 To the Greeks who were seeking for philosophic specu- 
 
126 I Corinthians 
 
 lation (cf. Acts xvii. 18, 21-32), aud to the Jews who 
 were demanding sigus as credentials (Matthew xii. 38 ; 
 xvi. 4 ; John iv. 48), the story of a Christ crucified, who 
 was neither a sign-shower nor a philosopher, was foolish- 
 ness indeed. Both the religious Pharisee and the philo- 
 sophic Greek had a wisdom that stood between them 
 and the knowledge, pardon, and power of God. We are 
 saved by faith, not by cleverness. Christ preached, not 
 as the Jewish conqueror or Greek philosopher, but as 
 the Messiah crucified will alone save men. Such a Christ 
 and such a gospel represents God's wisdom and God's 
 power on the earth (i. 24). 
 
 The foolishness of God is declared to be wiser than the 
 wisdom of men, and the weakness of God mightier aud 
 stronger than the might of men. This fact is evidenced 
 in the experience of the Corinthian believers (i. 26-29). 
 "Not many mighty, not many noble, are called." Note 
 it does not say 7iot any, but '* not many," for some people 
 of wealth, position, and culture were numbered among 
 the disciples of Christ : for example, Dionysius and 
 Erastus at Corinth (Acts xvii. 34 ; Eomans xvi. 23) ; the 
 ladies of culture in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts xvii. 
 4, 12) ; Paul himself (cf. Philippians iii. 1-10). 
 
 The apostle's own example among them is in harmony 
 with the truth he has thus presented. No man should 
 glory in men. This truth is declared negatively (ii. 1, 2) 
 and positively (ii. 3-5). Paul's theme was "Christ 
 crucified," not philosophy. His message was delivered 
 in fear and timidity, but assuredly in God's power and 
 wisdom, so that the results of his work might rest on a 
 divine and therefore permanent basis. "He spoke a 
 plain and simple language as became a witness" (ii. 1 ; 
 cf. XV. 15 ; 2 Thessalonians i. 10 ; 1 Timothy ii. 6 ; 
 2 Timothy i. 8 ; cf. 2 Corinthians ii. 6). Paul had no 
 room in thought for anything else (Acts xviii. 5) ; nor 
 
Party Factions 127 
 
 did he consider it liis business as an apostle to know 
 more or anything else, saving Christ and Him crucified 
 (ii. 1, 2). Paul's personal attitude and presence was one 
 of fear and trembling. It may be that he was timid by 
 nature. He seems always to have had companions with 
 him, or at least to have longed to have them with him, 
 especially when entering into a new field, and seemed 
 somewhat discouraged if he did not. Was it for this rea- 
 son that three visions were granted him for his encourage- 
 ment (Acts xviii. 9 ; xxiii. 11 ; xxvii. 24) ? Nevertheless 
 Paul's preaching and the thing preached were in demon- 
 stration of the Spirit and of power. 
 
 (b) The Divine or True Wisdom (ii. 6-iii. 4). In this 
 section the true nature of the divine and heavenly wisdom 
 is declared (ii. 6-13), and then the conditions necessary 
 to receive this wisdom (ii. 14-iii. 4). 
 
 Paul would have the Corinthian believers understand 
 that his preaching also was accompanied with much wis- 
 dom and depth ; that in the gospel he had to proclaim a 
 profound wisdom was manifested (ii. 6) — facts which 
 were easily recognized by those who were fully matured, 
 perfected and initiated Christians. The wisdom of the 
 gospel, however, was a divine wisdom. It was heavenly 
 and from God. Its source was found not in that which 
 is natural and earthly, and certainly is not conceived of 
 or understood by mere human intelligence or philosophic 
 speculation (ii. 8, 9). The Jewish leaders did not per- 
 ceive it ; for had they done so, they would have assumed 
 a different attitude than they did towards Jesus Christ. 
 Only those who are indwelt by God's Spirit can appreciate 
 and apprehend the deep things of God, and there is a 
 difference in such apprehension even among believers 
 (ii. 6 ; cf. iii. 1-4 ; Eevelation iii. 18). Just as a man's 
 inner thoughts and purposes are discerned only by the 
 spirit that dwells within him, so is it with the things of 
 
128 I Corinthians 
 
 God. The indwelliDg and eulighteniug Spirit will lead 
 God's people to the full understanding of the truth if 
 permitted to do so. The natural man — that is, the man 
 who is not instructed by the Holy Spirit (ii. 14) — cannot 
 understand divine truth. Spiritual truths are capable 
 of conveyance and apprehension to spiritual persons only 
 (ii. 13) : '^ Comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 
 Not by "the heart," but by that which is highest in 
 man, and by that which most vitally allies itself with 
 God — namely, the spirit — may the things of God be com- 
 prehended (ii. 9-12). 
 
 Three attitudes towards receiving and apprehending 
 the things of God are set forth in these verses (ii. 6-iii, 4) : 
 First, those who are deeply controlled by the Holy Spirit — 
 they understand the deep things of God (ii. 6, 10, 13, 15, 
 16). Second, those who are immature Christians, who 
 are not deeply taught in the things of or led by the Spirit 
 as they might and ought to be — they have but inadequate 
 knowledge of the mysteries of God (iii. 1-4 ; cf. Hebrews 
 V. 10-vi. 1). Third, those designated as "the natural 
 man, " who are not under the guidance and control of the 
 Holy Spirit at all — they can in no wise receive or com- 
 prehend spiritual matters (ii. 8, 9, 14). 
 
 3. The Relation of True Teachers to Christ and the 
 Gospel (iii. 5-iv. 5). We have here a comprehensive 
 description of a true minister of Jesus Christ (iii. 5-9). 
 " God is the Cause of all spiritual results ; His ministers 
 are but agents. God is the Power ; His ministers are 
 but instruments. God is the Master of all ; His ministers 
 are but the servants of all." 
 
 In his service for God the true minister or teacher is 
 compared to a planter (iii. 6), a founder (iii. 10), a father 
 (iv. 15), a husbandman (iii. 5-8), a builder (iii. 9-17), a 
 steward (iv. 1-7). How little the apostle makes of hu- 
 man teachers and how much of God ! Note the emphasis 
 
Party Factions 129 
 
 ou *'is" ; ''Who then is Paul, and who is Ap olios ? " 
 How are they to be accounted for ? Compared with each 
 other Paul and Apollos may have been something, but 
 compared with God they were nothing. Paul is nothing ; 
 Apollos is nothing ; God is everything (cf. iii. 20, 21). 
 It is probably for this reason that God's name is men- 
 tioned three times in these verses (iii. 5-7) and occurs 
 last in the sentence, denoting emphasis. 
 
 "Paul planted," denoting the initial work of the 
 apostle as set forth in Acts xviii. 1-18; "Apollos 
 watered, " denoting the building-up ministry of Apollos 
 (Acts xviii. 24-xix. 1); and all the while God was giv- 
 ing "the increase" (Acts xiv. 27; xvi. 14). 
 
 One is deeply impressed with the lesson here taught 
 concerning the personal responsibility of each teacher or 
 minister for his work done for God. Five times in iii. 
 5-13 is the thought of personal responsibility mentioned 
 as suggested by the words " each," "every," " his own," 
 all emphasizing the fact that God deals separately with 
 each individual soul (cf. iv. 5 ; vii. 17, 20, 24 ; xii. 7-11). 
 
 The work of each teacher will be severely tested in the 
 day of Christ (iii. 13-15 ; cf. 1 Thessalonians v. 4 ; Eo- 
 mans xiii. 2; 2 Corinthians v. 10; Hebrews x. 25). 
 This thought should ever be before the teacher. He 
 must be willing to become a fool, or seemingly foolish, if 
 necessary, for Christ's sake (iv. 10; 2 Corinthians xi. 
 16 ; xii. 6, 11) in the eyes of the worldly wise. No pride 
 of intellect should cause a man to reject the gospel of 
 Christ and thus lose his own soul. 
 
 God would have His people realize that their inherit- 
 ance is not human but divine ; that they belong to no 
 man, sect, or party, but to Christ : "Ye are Christ's"— 
 ye belong not to Paul, not to Apollos, but to Christ. 
 " Therefore let no man glory in man " (iii. 21, 23). 
 
 4. The Summing Up of the Case (iv. 6-21). This 
 
130 I Corinthians 
 
 section closes with an exhortation not to be too quick to 
 sit in judgment on the work of God's teachers. That is 
 a task reserved for the Judge in that great day. Not the 
 apostle himself (iv. 4, 5), nor the people (iv. 3), but the 
 Lord alone is sufficiently omniscient and therefore com- 
 petent to be the Critic and Judge. 
 
 The self-glorification of the Corinthians is graphically 
 contrasted with the humiliation of the apostles. The 
 necessity of right estimates is emphasized. Thus does 
 Paul seek to bring the saints at Coriuth to a proper con- 
 ception of their sane relations to and appreciation of their 
 teachers (iv. 6-13). 
 
 The declaration of the apostle's right because of his 
 fatherly relation to the Corinthians thus to speak (iv. 
 14-17), together with mention of his intended visit, 
 as an earnest of which he sends Timothy to them, con- 
 cludes this section (iv. 14-21). 
 
Ill 
 
 Social Purity — Failure to Exercise Dis- 
 cipline in Moral Affairs 
 (Chapters v., vi.) 
 
 1. The Failure to Exercise Discipline Rebuked 
 (v. 1-5). 
 
 THE church at Corinth was in a very serious 
 moral condition, not merely according to re- 
 ports, but in very fact. It actually harbored 
 grievous immorality in its midst, and apparently mani- 
 fested no disposition to remove such a stain by disciplin- 
 ing the offender or expelling him from their fellowship. 
 On the contrary, conscious all the time of such an exist- 
 ing immoral condition and the enormity of it, they were 
 yet able to remain content with so grievous a sin in their 
 midst. The immoral man and his immorality were 
 tolerated. We are reminded of the rebuke given to the 
 church in Eevelation (ii. 20): "Thou sufferest that 
 woman Jezebel ... to teach and to seduce." The 
 fact that such a sin should have been even committed in 
 a Christian assembly was in itself surprising enough ; 
 but that it should be also condoned, and that the one 
 guilty of so heinous an offence had not met with instant 
 discipline and expulsion was a severe shock to the apostle 
 and greatly aroused his righteous indignation. 
 
 Just what this awful sin was it may be difficult to say. 
 Whether it was marriage to a stepmother or concubi- 
 nage, it was, at all events, a "grave offense and one that 
 called for the severest discipline. 
 
 2. The Contaminating Influence of the Sin in 
 
 131 
 
132 I Corinthians 
 
 Question (v. 6-8). The influence of allowing such a con- 
 dition of affairs to exist uujudged and unrebuked was 
 seriously contaminating and condemning. Because of 
 the sin of one member the whole body was suffering 
 (cf. xii. 26). Achan's sin involved the whole nation 
 (Joshua vii.). What trouble the children of Israel 
 brought on themselves because, instead of driving out 
 the heathen inhabitants of Canaan as God had told them 
 to do, they permitted them to dwell in their midst 
 (Joshua vii.) ! Such people are "spots in your feasts" 
 (Jude 12). Herein lies the importance of recognizing 
 the fact of the unity of the Church as the body of Christ. 
 The sin of on® member affects the whole body. The 
 feasts of the Christian assembly must be kept not only 
 by ** refusing to admit evil with the good, but by refus- 
 ing to admit evil instead of the good." The entire as- 
 sembly of Christ rises or falls with the moral and religious 
 standing of its individual members. The ''leaven" rep- 
 resents hypocrisy (Luke xii. 1), whereas " truth" stands 
 for sincerity and reality. 
 
 3. The Duty of Excluding the Offender (v. 9-13). 
 Paul demands that this grievous sinner shall be excom- 
 municated. Such trangressors have no place in the as- 
 sembly of God's people. We may be compelled to meet 
 and in a certain sense fellowship, or perhaps better, come 
 in contact with them in the world, but by no means must 
 we allow ourselves to fellowship with or shelter such 
 persons within the Church. Paul had before written 
 them to this effect. He now writes again enforcing a 
 similar lesson (v. 9). 
 
 The believer is *'to have no company with" such a 
 sinner. This expression is a strong one (cf. 2 Thessalo- 
 nians iii. 6, 14 ; Ephesians v. 11) and means not to go up 
 and down with, or together, hence not to have intimate 
 or habitual intercourse with (cf 2 Corinthians vi. 14-17). 
 
Social Purity 133 
 
 Even though a man bear the Christian name, if he be 
 guilty of the sins mentioned in these verses — sins against 
 oneself, against one's neighbor, and against God — he is 
 to be ostracized from Christian fellowship. The brethren 
 are not even to eat with him (v. 11), not merely at his 
 house, but at the same table anywhere, and particularly 
 at the Lord's table (cf. chap. xi.). If Christians must 
 not eat common food with such, how much less share 
 with them that which is mysterious and divine. " We 
 must not eat with him who will not be able to eat with 
 the saints in the kingdom of heaven " (cf. vi. 10). Both 
 the fellowship and discipline of the Church have to do 
 with the brethren, not with the world. So far as the 
 Christian is concerned, judgment must begin and eud 
 with the house of God. The judgment of the world is to 
 be left with God (v. 12, 13). 
 
 The " wicked" person (v. 2, 9, 13) is to be put out. 
 By such a "wicked" person is meant the one causing 
 actual harmfulness and positive mischief to the Church 
 (cf. Luke iii. 19). Such an one is not only to be excom- 
 municated by the Church, but has also by the apostle 
 (cf. Matthew xviii. 18-20 ; xvi. 16-18 ; John xx. 23) 
 been ''delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the 
 flesh" (v. 5) — an expression which may mean exclusion 
 from the assembly of the saints, a handing over to Satan 
 for physical affliction with a view to reformation (cf. 
 1 Timothy i. 20 ; Job ii. 4-7 ; 1 Thessalonians ii. 18 ; 
 1 Corinthians xi. 30-32 ; 2 Corinthians xii. 7 ; Luke xiii. 
 16), or a cutting oflf, temporarily, from all the means of 
 grace. 
 
 4. The Sin of Litigation Among Church Members 
 (vi. 1-8). The matter of judging those within, rather 
 than without the Church, discussed in the preceding 
 verses (v. 9-13), leads to the subject of litigation between 
 church members (vi. 1-8). Just as failure to discipline 
 
134 I Corinthians 
 
 or judge, and as the result of such discipline or judgment, 
 to expel the unrighteous from their midst, indicated a 
 low state of spirituality, so also did the fact that believ- 
 ers went to law against fellow-believers. Such conduct 
 shows great ignorance concerning great Christian truths. 
 This is clearly taught by the oft recurrence in these two 
 epistles of the expression *' Know ye not? " (iii. 16 ; v. 6 ; 
 vi. 2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19 ; ix. 13, 24), an expression found only 
 three times elsewhere : twice in the epistle to the Eomans 
 (vi. 16 ; xi. 2 ; cf. also vi. 3 ; vii. 1), and once in James 
 (iv. 4). 
 
 The problem of litigation dealt with in these verses 
 would seem to affect the civil, rather than the criminal 
 courts. It was, further, a question not of a believer going 
 to law with an unbeliever, but of a believer going to 
 law with a believer, and that before a heathen tribunal. 
 The fault the apostle finds with the Corinthians is that 
 they were bringing Christian diificulties before heathen 
 tribunals and judges, who, doubtless, rejoiced in such an 
 opportunity of seeing the inconsistencies of Christians 
 displayed before them, and who gloried in thus magnify- 
 ing the imperfections of the followers of Christ. Christi- 
 anity professed to be a religion of love and fraternity, 
 enjoining forgiveness and the suffering of wrongs, accord- 
 ing to the example and teaching of Christ, as fundamental. 
 We can easily imagine how this law of fraternal love was 
 grossly violated when believers in Christ fought, the one 
 with the other, before a heathen tribunal for what they 
 considered their rights. It is as though the apostle said, 
 * ' Do not invoke the courts to decide matters between 
 yourselves. The Church is to judge the world ; why, 
 then, should the Church call upon the world to judge 
 it?" Even the Jews were taught that they must not 
 bring their cases before Gentile courts for adjudication. 
 Any violation of this teaching was regarded as blasphemy 
 
Social Purity 135 
 
 against this law. Further, the Eoman government al- 
 lowed the Jews the privilege of bringing their grievances 
 before Jewish rather than Eoman tribunals. Inasmuch 
 as there were no Christian courts, strictly speaking, in 
 those days, and all the judges were heathen, there re- 
 mained nothing else for believers to do but to adjudicate 
 their difficulties within the Church itself. 
 
 But further, in bringing lawsuits one against another, 
 they were not only injuring the cause of Christ and giv- 
 ing the world an opportunity to rail against Christianity ; 
 they were, in injuring their brothers, injuring themselves 
 (vi. 7, 8). The litigants had overlooked the truth of the 
 solidarity of believers. In the light of this great truth 
 such litigation is suicide. 
 
 The result of the sin of litigation, therefore, is seen in 
 its effect on the outside world, on the Church, on the in- 
 dividuals themselves, and on their relation to Christ. 
 
 The existence of occasions for such lawsuits indicated a 
 very low level of Christian experience (vi. 7) ; shows no 
 confidence in the body of Christ (vi. 4-6) ; gave heathen 
 tribunals occasion to gloat over the faults of the Church 
 (vi. 1, 2) ; manifested an unwillingness to suffer for 
 Christ's sake (vi. 7) ; showed a lack of faith in the justice 
 of God (vi. 7), and a failure to realize the position of the 
 Church in the matter of judging angels and the world 
 (vi. 2-A; cf. Daniel vii. 22; Matthew xix. 28; Luke 
 xxii. 30 ; 2 Peter ii. 4 ; Jude 6 ; Eevelation xx. 4). 
 
 The cure for the spirit of litigation is indicated as 
 Christian arbitration (Matthew xviii. 15-20) ; willing- 
 ness to take wrong for Christ's sake rather than to suffer 
 litigation in the world's courts (1 Corinthians vi. 4-6 ; 
 cf. 1 Peter ii. 23— Jesus ; 1 Corinthians iv. 12 — Paul) ; 
 a deeper spirituality (vi. 2 — " Know ye not?"), and a 
 recognition of the relationship existing between believers 
 and Christ (vi. 8). 
 
136 I Corinthians 
 
 Because litigation between believing brethren is a de- 
 frauding or overreaching of a brother ; a wrong testimony 
 to give before the world j a failure to recognize the body 
 of Christ ; hurtful to oneself, to one's brother, to the 
 Church, and to the cause of Christ ; a confession of the 
 weakness of the Church ; and an insult to the intelligence 
 of Christianity — it is therefore an unrighteous and un- 
 christian action. 
 
 We do well to understand the real question discussed 
 in this section. Is it a question of litigation per se, or in 
 itself considered ? Is it wrong for a Christian to appeal 
 to the criminal (not the civil) courts 1 Are government 
 and law for the discipline of the ungodly of divine ordi- 
 nation or not (Eomans xiii. 1-10) ? Did Paul appeal to 
 the law for protection (Acts xxv. 10-12, 21 ; xxvi. 32) ? 
 Again, is it wrong for a believer to go to law against an 
 unbeliever, or does the sin consist only in the believer 
 going to law with a believer 1 Further, how much weight 
 is to be attached to the condition of Christianity at that 
 time and to the fact that there were no Christian courts, 
 as contrasted with present conditions of jurisprudence ? 
 
 5. Christian Liberty Does Not Allow License in 
 Such Matters— Self-Judgment (vi. 12-20). Christian 
 liberty is not to be construed as license (cf. Eomans vi. 
 15-22). The use of the body for purposes of immorality 
 was common in Corinth, particularly in connection with 
 the worship of heathen gods, thereby, apparently, re- 
 ceiving the sanction of religion. "As idolatry lost its 
 superstitious hold upon the people, the shrines more and 
 more drew their vast revenues from the sanction given to 
 immorality behind the screen of religious festival. At 
 those of Diana at Ephesus, Adonis at Baalbek, and 
 Serapis (Asires — Apis) at Alexandria, there were men 
 and women attached to the shrine called Kaddism — de- 
 voted ones to whom vice was a religious vocation and sin 
 
Social Purity 137 
 
 became an act of honor to the god. The early Christian 
 Church declared such places to be unfit to continue on 
 the face of the earth, and did not leave one stone upon 
 another" (George M. Mackie). The Gnostic theory of 
 the evil of matter also led to similar immoral practices. 
 It is also very probable that Paul's doctrine of Christian 
 liberty was so misconstrued as to give license for ques- 
 tionable moral liberties. It is evident also from the con- 
 text that gluttony and self-indulgence, without due regard 
 to the religious scruples of the brethren, were being prac- 
 ticed in the assembly. The Corinthians seemed to have 
 overlooked the fact that a lawful thing may become 
 unlawful if abused or allowed to interfere with the 
 Christian life. More people are slain by the wrong use 
 of what is lawful than by the use of what is unlawful. 
 More people die from overeating than from poison. 
 
 The two sins here referred to are abuses in connection 
 with the eating of meat sacrificed to idols (vi. 13, 14), 
 and fornication (vi. 15-18). The sin of fornication — 
 "that sin of sins, which surrenders the body to another 
 and degrades it as no other sin can do ; that sin which 
 debauches the body when it ought to be purest, and sinks 
 lowest that which should be highest — is a sin not only 
 against the body in which the soul dwells, but in which 
 the Holy Ghost dwells. We become like that with which 
 we associate. Association is assimilation." 
 
 Diet was a matter without the body ; but fornication 
 was a matter of the body itself. 
 
 Physiology has often been used to sanction vice, but 
 let Christianity lift her voice and maintain that only 
 within the bonds of matrimony is legitimate sexual de- 
 sire to be expressed. 
 
 From such abuses of liberty in Christ the believer has 
 been delivered (vi. 10, 11). The liberty of the believer 
 is Christian liberty, a liberty in order to holiness and 
 
138 I Corinthians 
 
 purity of both soul and body. To think otherwise is to 
 fail utterly to understand the freedom of Christ. Both 
 abuses above mentioned are incongruous to the Christian 
 because of his intimate relation to Christ : ' ' He that is 
 joined to the Lord is one body." 
 
 Do we appreciate the religion of the body ? Bought at 
 so great a price, inhabited by so divine a guest, set apart 
 by so noble a purpose — do we put the proper emphasis 
 upon the body? "The body is Christ's: in His incar- 
 nation He assumed it ; in His life He honored it ; in His 
 death He redeemed it." It would be dreadful to take the 
 body of the Lord and put it to immoral purposes (vi. 
 15-17). It is incongruous because the body of the Chris- 
 tian belongs to Christ by the right of redemptive pur- 
 chase. It is incongruous because the Christian's body is 
 the temple of the Holy Spirit. (Cf. iii. 16, 17, where the 
 Church collectively is the temple of the Holy Ghost, 
 whereas here (vi. 19) the individual believer is such a 
 temple. ) The truth here emphasized is not so much that 
 the body of the believer is dedicated to the service of the 
 Holy Spirit as that the Holy Spirit actually dwells within 
 him ; he is not only the temple but the very shrine of the 
 Holy Spirit. The believer is a walking temple of the 
 Holy Ghost. This is an argument for a clean body. 
 
 It is incongruous, finally, for a body with such a des- 
 tiny as that of a glorious resurrection. It is not enough 
 to glorify God in the soul. We must glorify Him in the 
 body also. The body, with all its appetites and passions, 
 must be kept under (cf. ix. 26, 27). Meats and the stom- 
 ach go together, for one was made for the other ; but the 
 body and sensuality do not go together. Meats and the 
 stomach both will some day be destroyed, but the body will 
 be raised from the dead. Meats and the stomach are 
 temporary ; it is otherwise with the body and soul of the 
 Christian. 
 
Social Purity 139 
 
 All things are lawful : all things are in my power, but 
 I will not be brought under the power of any (vi. 12). 
 Christian liberty is not to be used indiscriminately. ' ' Ex- 
 pedient." How may our conduct appear before God ? "Is 
 this that I propose to do not only good in itself, but the 
 best thing for me to do at this time 1 Can I do this to the 
 glory of God? The familiar question, Is it wrong to do 
 this, or to go thither ? is often misleading and utterly ir- 
 relevant. The answer to the question may be 'No.' 
 Then the fallacious reasoning follows : ' If it is not wrong, 
 then I may do it without sin.' Stop. That is unsound 
 logic. A thing thoroughly right may be utterly wrong. 
 All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient ; 
 and the Christian is bound by every obligation to do that 
 which is expedient within the realm of the lawful. He 
 must do that which is best. To do aught less is sin. 
 What we ought to do and what we may lawfully do are 
 two very different things. Many things are in our power, 
 but are not for our good, either in themselves or because 
 of the special circumstances in connection therewith." 
 All things are lawful, it is true ; but what things, within 
 the limits of the lawful, are expedient and profitable? 
 Freedom may be limited by moral power— I may, but I 
 will not ; or by moral advantage — it is not expedient. 
 
 The body has a destiny so exalted that it should not be 
 prostituted by being put to base uses (vi. 14). In the 
 Christian the bodily appetites are elevated and purified ; 
 they cease to be mere animal instincts. The body is to 
 be a fit companion and habitation for the spirit. 
 
IV 
 
 Marital Problems 
 
 (Chapter vii.) 
 
 THIS chapter contains the answer to one of a num- 
 ber of questions propounded to the apostle by 
 the Corinthian church (cf. vii. 25 ; viii. 1 ; 
 xii. 1 ; xvi. 1), and deals with matters pertaining to the 
 subject of marriage in general. It is reasonable to sup- 
 pose that the discussion of this question had some relation 
 to the sin of fornication dealt with in chapters five and 
 six (cf. vii. 2 ; also pages 131, 132). 
 
 In the consideration of this chapter one must remem- 
 ber the reaction towards asceticism on the part of Chris- 
 tians from the gross immorality of paganism. The city 
 of Corinth In particular was noted for its licensed im- 
 moral indulgences. The Christian's attitude is that of a 
 sanctified and separated person, yet maintaining freedom 
 in Christ and bound by no law of philosophy or asceti- 
 cism. We must remember, too, that fornication was a 
 part of heathen worship, and hence was looked upon as 
 consecrated (see page 136). The apostle doubtless has 
 this in mind when he insists that each man must have his 
 own wife and each wife her own husband. Marital con- 
 sideration must characterize the marital state (vii. 1, 2). 
 I. The Unmarried and Married State Contrasted 
 (vii. 1-17). The argument of the apostle, briefly stated, 
 is as follows : Celibacy is good, beautiful, and honorable 
 for those who can assume it. Especially was such a state 
 to be desired because of the peculiar distressing circum- 
 
 140 
 
Marital Problems 141 
 
 stances existing at the time the apostle wrote, at which 
 time the Christians were suffering extreme persecution 
 under the Eoman Empire, when it was all that a man 
 could do to take care of himself, much less a wife and 
 children. Verse 28 shows that Paul is dealing with the 
 question from a certain standpoint: "trouble in the 
 flesh" (of. Lukexxi. 23). 
 
 The disadvantages of celibacy, however, may be greater 
 than the disadvantages of marriage. Many servants of 
 God have found their cares lightened by marriage and 
 found themselves able to do better work for God when 
 married. It was the peculiar stress of that particular 
 time that led Paul to speak as he did. Consequently 
 this injunction (vii. 1) may not be of unqualified univer- 
 sal application. It is not referred to again in any of 
 Paul's epistles. Celibacy was " better " (vii. 38) because 
 of the existing present necessity. 
 
 It is possible for a man, by grace, to live above what 
 is even lawful and honorable, for the Lord's sake, and 
 when certain existing conditions may call for such action 
 (vii. 26 ; cf. Matthew xix. 10-12). But good as celibacy 
 is for some people under certain circumstances, for the 
 majority marriage is more natural and, indeed, may be a 
 positive duty. As a general rule, marriage, more than 
 celibacy, tends to morality. 
 
 We are not to understand from these verses that Paul 
 by any means disparages the marriage relationship. He 
 is here speaking in the relative not the absolute sense 
 (cf. ix. 15 ; Matthew xv. 26 ; Eomans xiv. 21). How 
 could Paul speak disparagingly of the marriage relation- 
 ship here when in other of his epistles he enforces its 
 glory, beauty, and divine ordination (cf. Ephesians v. 
 24, 31, 32 ; 1 Timothy ii. 11) and looks upon ** forbidding 
 to marry " as a sign of apostasy (1 Timothy iv. 3 ; He- 
 brews xiii. 4 ; cf. Daniel xi. 37) ? 
 
142 I Corinthians 
 
 Paul's teaching here is '*by permission, and not of 
 commandment " (vii. 6). It is for the "good by reason 
 of the present distress " " that it is good for a man to be 
 as he is" (vii. 26; cf. Luke xxi. 23). Paul recognizes 
 marriage to be a divine institution and of God's ordain- 
 ing and the divinely appointed means for the propaga- 
 tion of the race (cf. Genesis i. 28 ; ii. 18, 24). Our Lord 
 Himself graced the marriage at Oana of Galilee by His 
 presence (John ii. 1, 2). 
 
 Paul here recognizes the influence of local conditions 
 as created by the asceticism and antinomianism of Gnos- 
 ticism and heathenism. Verse 5 seems particularly 
 aimed at the asceticism practiced in the Corinthian 
 church, and the very fact that Paul urges mutual con- 
 sideration and temporal separation between husband and 
 wife (vii. 3-5) indicates that marriage is more natural 
 and in accordance with the divine purpose. 
 
 Paul's expressions "Yet I would that all men were 
 even as I myself" and "It is good for them that they 
 abide even as I" (vii. 7, 8) may indicate that Paul was 
 married, or a widower, or master of his own body : celi- 
 bate, widower, content, or master. It is doubtful if the 
 question whether Paul was a widower or a bachelor can 
 ever be settled conclusively. There is much to say on 
 both sides of the question. Verse 9, however, throws 
 some light on the subject. 
 
 (a) PauVs Beference to Our Lord's Teaching Regarding 
 the Marriage Estate (vii. 10-17, 39 ; cf. Eomans vii. 1-7) ; 
 also Our Lords Teaching (Matthew v. 31, 32 ; xix. 3-12 ; 
 Mark x. 2-12; Luke xvi. 18). Separation between 
 husband and wife may be permitted only as a last resort. 
 It would seem that the apostle forbids remarriage during 
 the lifetime of either partner, death alone dissolving the 
 bond (vii. 11, 39). Separation must not take place, how- 
 ever, unless every effort at peace has failed. Doubtless 
 
Marital Problems 143 
 
 the apostle bas iu mind the case of a wife who had been 
 converted to Christianity whose husband still remained a 
 heathen, or of a husband who had been converted and 
 whose wife still remained a heathen. Incompatibility 
 would, of course, naturally follow. If the unconverted 
 husband, for example, should determine to leave the 
 Christian wife, she must not unnecessarily worry over 
 that matter as long as she has done her best to maintain 
 peace and to win him to Christ. The same would be 
 true in case the heathen wife left the Christian husband. 
 Verse 16 is difficult of interpretation : " For how kno west 
 thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband ? or 
 how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save 
 thy wife ? " Some commentators take it as a reason for 
 separation, thereby implying that it is folly for the Chris- 
 tian to remain with the heathen in the hope of convert- 
 ing such. Other commentators look upon this verse as a 
 reason for no separation, implying the probability of the 
 heathen wife or husband being won by the conduct of 
 the Christian wife or husband. 
 
 Of course, we must remember the peculiar conditions 
 existing at that time in the church of Corinth, conditions 
 which do not exist to-day ; and our application of the 
 teaching of this verse to the present time must be gov- 
 erned accordingly. This problem would be more acute 
 in heathen lands, where a wife or husband is converted 
 from heathenism and his or her partner remains still iu 
 heathen unbelief, than in a civilized country such as 
 ours, where such a contrast in religious belief and super- 
 stition can hardly be said to exist. The advent of Chris- 
 tianity into the heart of the heathen Corinthian man or 
 woman had wrought such a revolution in thought, feel- 
 ing, and action that whatever was contrary to that change 
 was immediately cast off. Doubtless some of the Corin- 
 thians were applying this principle to the marriage 
 
144 ^ Corinthians 
 
 estate, whicli, of course, could not thus easily be set 
 aside. No unholy marriage alliance should be entered 
 into J but if it has been entered into, it should not be 
 carelessly dissolved. 
 
 2. Each Should Abide in His or Her Own Calling 
 (vii. 18-24). The thought of the preceding section, deal- 
 ing as it does with contentment in one's estate, leads 
 naturally to a fuller discussion of the subject (vii. 8-24). 
 Some of the Corinthian believers doubtless felt that since 
 the advent of Christianity into their lives, revolutionizing 
 as it had done their entire view and aspect of things, 
 there ought, therefore, to be a change in matters social, 
 domestic, and economic as well as in matters pertaining 
 to the spiritual realm. The apostle gives instructions 
 regarding this matter in these verses. The slave, for ex- 
 ample, must remain a slave until properly and legiti- 
 mately freed. The same principle is then applied to the 
 various relationships of life. Of course, if freedom could 
 rightfully be gained, so much the better. What the 
 apostle insists on is that unless the circumstances in 
 which one finds himself when Christianity enters into his 
 life be sinful, he must not force or seek by undue or un- 
 christian means to separate himself from such circum- 
 stances. We are to glorify God in whatever state of life 
 conversion may find us until in His providence a change 
 is brought about. Ko restless spirit of discontent must 
 characterize the life of the Christian, no matter in how 
 humble a sphere that life may be expected to show itself. 
 All legitimate labor is honorable in the sight of God, and 
 the Christian slave is Christ's free man. The gospel is 
 not intended to unnecessarily disturb the natural relations 
 of life (vii. 24 ; Ephesians vi. 5-9). 
 
 3. Advice Concerning Virgins and Widows (vii. 
 25-40). What the apostle means by the statement of 
 verse 25 — "Now concerning virgins I have no command- 
 
Marital Problems 145 
 
 ment of the Lord : yet I give my j udgment, as one that hath 
 obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful " — is that he 
 does not know of any specific direction given by Christ 
 regarding the matter with which he is now dealing. His 
 words, being qualified as they are by the expression of 
 verse 26 — "Because of the present distress," — show that 
 what he had to say was but a temporary necessity and 
 not an absolute rule (vii. 27). This is further corrobo- 
 rated by verse 28, which shows that Paul is dealing with 
 the question from a certain standpoint, namely, saving 
 "trouble in the flesh " (cf. Luke xxi. 23). It was better 
 then, at that time, for a young woman to remain unmarried 
 because of the existing distressing circumstances (cf. vii. 
 29-35 ; yet compare Paul's exhortation in 1 Timothy iv. 
 3 ; V. 14 and Titus ii. 4). We repeat, however, that the 
 disadvantages of celibacy may be greater than the disad- 
 vantages of marriage (vii. 33), and that many servants of 
 God have found their cares lightened by marriage and 
 found themselves able to do better work for God when 
 married. It was the peculiar stress of the then present 
 time that led Paul to speak as he did. Consequently this 
 is not of universal application. It is not referred to again 
 in any of Paul's epistles. 
 
 Paul's expression in the fortieth verse is best under- 
 stood when we remember that he is contrasting himself 
 with some other teachers who claimed to have the Spirit 
 of God. Therefore he says, " I think that I also have the 
 Spirit of God." The word "think" does not imply 
 doubt, but absolute certainty. 
 
Christian Liberty 
 
 (viii. 1-xi. 1) 
 
 THE question discussed in these chapters is one 
 which had been raised in connection with the 
 eating of meats which, after being offered in 
 sacrifice to idols, were sold in the market-place, or 
 shambles (x. 25), or partaken of at the feasts given to 
 the public in connection with the services in idol temples 
 (cf. Acts XV. 29). 
 
 Two attitudes towards the question are dealt with : that 
 of the weak brother who, still looking upon an idol as 
 somewhat of a reality, was not able to eat of meat that 
 had been offered in sacrifice to idols without in some way 
 feeling that he was identifying himself with the idol and 
 its worship ; that of the strong brother who knew that an 
 idol was nothing and that there was but one God in the 
 world, and that, therefore, there need be no conscientious 
 scruples with regard to eating meat that had been offered 
 in sacrifice to idols. 
 
 I. The General Aspect of the Case Stated (chap, 
 viii.). Verses 1 and 2 are introductory and aimed at 
 those who boast of a superior spiritual illumination which 
 makes them superior in knowledge over other so-called 
 weaker brethren (viii. 1, 2, 7, 10, 11 ; cf iii. 18-20 ; 
 X. 15 ; xiii. 8, 9, 12 ; 1 Timothy vi. 3, 4). But no knowl- 
 edge is worthy of being called true knowledge that does 
 not edify and build up, but rather destroys faith. Eeally 
 speaking, love is knowledge. Mere knowledge puffs up ; 
 love builds up. 
 
 (a) It is Admitted That to Partake of Meat Offered in 
 
 146 
 
Christian Liberty 147 
 
 Sacrifice to Idols is Not in Itself Sinful, Particularly When 
 it is Recognized That an Idol is Nothing and That There is 
 but One God (viii. 3-7). 
 
 (b) But this Knowledge and Conviction with Regard to 
 Idols is Not Shared Alike by All, and Therefore it is the 
 Privilege, if Not the Duty, of the Strong to Give up the Indul- 
 gence of Their Rights for the Sake of the Weak (viii. 8, 9). 
 The mere eating of meat which had been offered in sacri- 
 fice to idols was not, in itself, either good or bad, and did 
 not affect a man's standing before God (viii. 4-8). This 
 fact, however, was not generally recognized (viii. 7). To 
 some weak Christians it was a sin against God, and was 
 regarded as actually affecting a man's standing before 
 God (viii. 8-10). This conscientious scruple of the weak 
 brother must be respected. If Christ loved such an one 
 enough to die for him, surely the strong ought to be will- 
 ing to deny himself of meat or drink for the sake of the 
 weak brother (viii. 10-12). At any rate, that is the posi- 
 tion and practice of Paul himself, to whom to do even a 
 lawful thing, if it injure his brother, is a sin (viii. 13 ; 
 cf. James iv. 17). As soon as our rights become a hin- 
 drance to the spiritual progress of those whose consciences 
 are tender and scrupulous, then those rights become sinful 
 if indulged in. Our liberty may ruin a brother in Christ. 
 All things are indeed lawful, but all things are not ex- 
 pedient (vi. 12-14 ; X. 23-33). Read carefully viii. 8-13. 
 
 2. The General Principle of Self-Denial (viii. 13 ; 
 cf. vi. 12-14) Further Illustrated in the Life of the 
 Apostle Himself (ix. 1-10 ; cf. x. 23-33). The Apostle 
 Paul seems to have in mind two great objections offered 
 by the Corinthians why they need not surrender their 
 lawful rights for the sake of the conscientious scruples of 
 the weak : first, a seeming unwillingness to surrender 
 their rights ; and, second, a seeming unwillingness to 
 surrender the gratification of their appetite. 
 
148 I Corinthians 
 
 (a) An Unwillingness to Surrender Their Bights (chap. 
 
 •ix.). 
 
 First, Paul claims certain rights in connection with his 
 support by the churches while serving them (ix. 1-18). 
 These rights (cf. ix. 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, 18) he had gladly sur- 
 rendered for the sake of the gospel. The laborer is 
 worthy of his hire. The vineyard dresser is entitled to 
 the fruit of the vineyard in which he has spent so much 
 labor. The shepherd is entitled to the wool and milk of 
 the flock. The oxen are not to be muzzled while they 
 are treading out the corn. The priest who ministers at 
 the altar partakes of the holy food. So Paul has " rights " 
 to temporal support from those to whom he ministers in 
 spiritual things, but he has never claimed them (ix. 12, 
 15, 18). 
 
 Second, Paul asserts that he not only has waived all 
 these rights but has gone so far for the gospel's sake as 
 to put himself under restrictions and limitations which 
 clearly amount to a virtual abridgment of his rights and 
 liberty. To the strong he became strong ; to the weak, 
 as weak ; to those of tender conscience, sympathetic and 
 self-denying. He sought the welfare of all by adapting 
 himself to their condition, always, of course, recognizing 
 that he was first of all responsible to Christ (ix. 19-23). 
 
 Third, such an example as the apostle sets is worthy of 
 emulation on the part of all believers who, together with 
 him, are running the race of life for an incorruptible 
 crown (ix. 24-27). To sacrifice all things that would dis- 
 qualify him for success in this great race, in which we all 
 are entered and are striving for mastery, is the purpose 
 of the great apostle. Such a purpose will not be over- 
 looked by the great Umpire in the great day of awards 
 (ix. 24-27). Such self-denial is absolutely necessary in 
 order to success in service and approval in the day of 
 awards. 
 
Christian Liberty 149 
 
 (6) An Unwillingness to Curb Bodily Ajypetites and Pas- 
 sions for' tJie Sake of Others (x. 1-22). There is always 
 danger in refusing to deny oneself for higher causes. The 
 children of Israel furnish a notable example (x. 1-5). 
 To murmur at God's restrictions is to perish as Israel 
 perished. Indeed, the case of the Israelites and the 
 Corinthians is very similar — a case of eating, drinking, 
 and dancing in connection with idolatrous worship (x. 
 6-10 ; cf. viii. 13 ; Exodus xxxii. 6). The very things 
 the Corinthians saw no harm in — viz., eating and drink- 
 ing (cf. viii. 13) — were the very things which led to 
 Israel's ruin (cf. Exodus xxxii. 6). Where others have 
 fallen, we need to take warning. There is no need to thus 
 fall (x. 13), but care is needed lest we do fall (x. 12). 
 The Corinthians, no more than the Israelites, should 
 tempt God by seeing how close they can come to idolatry 
 and its attending ceremonies without being contaminated 
 and sinning thereby. Israel tried it and failed ; would 
 the Corinthians do better? Israel's history is recorded 
 for our benefit (x. 11 ; cf. Romans iv. 23, 24 ; xv. 4). 
 Flee idolatry — run as far away from it as you can ; this 
 is the lesson of these verses. 
 
 Further, there is a sense in which partaking of idola- 
 trous feasts indicates to some extent at least a communion 
 with idols or demons. But no true believer will want — 
 will ever try to make consistent a communion with 
 demons at their tables and a communion with Christ at 
 His table (the Lord's Supper). We cannot have fellow- 
 ship with demons and with our Lord (x. 14-22). That 
 eating meat offered to idols is identified with the idols is 
 enforced by the illustration of the Jewish priest partak- 
 ing of the sacred food (x. 18). The whole thing is there- 
 fore absurd and insulting to God. 
 
 3. The Summing Up of the Argument (x. 23-xi. 1 ; 
 cf. Eomans xiv.). The final test of conduct after all is 
 
i^o I Corinthians 
 
 not : Is this thing lawful ? Is it sinful in itself consid- 
 ered ? Is it right as far as my own conscience and God 
 are concerned (cf. Eomans xiv. 22, 23) ? There is a far 
 higher test : Is this thing profitable ? Will it count for the 
 building up of the body of Christ ? Is it expedient and 
 profitable? Inasmuch as my conduct must be observed 
 by others, is it such as will tend to help or hinder the 
 cause of Christ in the world ? Even a lawful thing may 
 become a stumbling-block and lead others into sin. A 
 course of action may be right in one's own sight and may 
 be followed with a clear conscience before God so far as 
 oneself is concerned. Such conduct is not in itself sin 
 (cf. Eomaus xiv. 22, 23). But if that conduct, observed 
 as it will be by others, seriously affects others and leads 
 them into sin; then that thing, 'lawful" for oneself, 
 becomes a stumbling-block and an occasion of sin to an- 
 other whose conscience may be weak (x. 25, 27, 28, 29), 
 and is neither '' expedient" nor '' profitable " for others, 
 even though ** lawful" for oneself. 
 
 The great law that should control the believer's con- 
 duct is not the "lawful" for himself but the ** profit- 
 able " and "edifying " for others. No true Christian will 
 live for himself; he will live for others. This is the 
 Christian ideal ; " it is mine ; it was Christ's," says Paul 
 (x. 33-xi. 1). 
 
 To repeat again what was said in connection with 
 Eomaus xiv. : 
 
 "All things are lawful; all things are in my power, 
 but I will not be brought under the power of any " 
 (vi. 12). Christian liberty is not to be used indiscrimi- 
 nately. "Expedient." How may our conduct appear 
 before God ? "Is this that I propose to do not only good 
 in itself, but the best thing for me to do at this time? 
 Can I do this to the glory of God ? The familiar ques- 
 tion, Is it wrong to do this, or to go thither ? is often 
 
Christian Liberty 151 
 
 misleading and utterly irrelevant. The answer to the 
 question may be 'No.' Then the fallacious reasoning 
 follows : ' If it is not wrong, then I may do it without 
 sin.' Stop. That is unsouud logic. A thing thoroughly 
 right may be utterly wrong. All things are lawful, but 
 all things are not expedient ; and the Christian is bound 
 by every obligation to do that which is expedient within 
 the realm of the lawful. He must do that which is best 
 To do aught less is sin. What we ought to do and what 
 we may lawfully do are two very different things. Many 
 things are in our power, but are not for our good, either 
 in themselves or because of the special circumstances in 
 connection therewith. " All things are lawful, it is true ; 
 but what things, within the limits of the lawful, are ex- 
 pedient and profitable? Freedom may be limited by 
 moral power — I may, but I will not ; or by moral advan- 
 tage — it is not expedient. 
 
 ''All things are lawful " seemed to be a slogan in the 
 early Church. It was probably a favorite saying of Paul's 
 and was being misunderstood and abused. Christian lib- 
 erty is limited by Christian expediency. "Ideally, of 
 course, 'all things are lawful' ; but in this unideal world 
 such privileges may be rightly abridged, for life is a dis- 
 cipline, and also lest offence should be caused. No man, 
 certainly no Christian, liveth to himself. Freedom to 
 the Christian is not an end ; it is a means. If my lib- 
 erty and freedom could not be abridged for sufficient 
 cause, then that liberty and freedom would be tyranny 
 and bondage." 
 
Yl 
 
 Church Decorum — Abuses in Connection 
 
 With Public Worship 
 
 (xL 2-S4) 
 
 I. Unveiled Women at Worship (xi. 2-16). 
 
 IN discussing the question of the place o^ woman in 
 the church as described in this chapter, we should 
 remember the circumstances under which the words 
 were written, the customs of the time, the place that 
 woman held in the system of existing things, and the 
 threatened disruption of the unity of the church in con- 
 nection with the spiritual gifts, such as that of ''proph- 
 ecy," and "tongues," bestowed upon the Corinthian 
 believers. 
 
 The question here discussed is not the inferiority of 
 woman, nor is it the possibility of her being the recipient 
 of spiritual gifts equally with man. It is a question 
 dealing altogether with the legitimate sphere for the 
 manifestation of such gifts when possessed by woman. 
 There is a womanly mode and womanly sphere for the 
 exercise of spiritual gifts. 
 
 There can be no clear understanding of the apostle's 
 argument without recalling the tremendous awakening 
 of womanhood that took place in connection with her ac- 
 ceptance of Christianity. The Christian woman was 
 given a place not before held by any of her sex. Did not 
 the Holy Spirit dwell in the believing woman as well as 
 in the believing man? Was not the woman, equally 
 
 152 
 
Church Decorum 153 
 
 witli the man, a recipient of spiritual blessings and gifts 
 (Joel ii. 28-32; Acts ii. 17, 18)? Was there not, as far 
 as spiritual things were concerned, an independence of 
 man altogether? It would be quite natural, therefore, 
 for woman, realizing that she was not dependent upon 
 man for these spiritual gifts, to ask herself why she 
 should be inferior to him in other respects. Why should 
 she continue to wear the veil, a symbol of her subordina- 
 tion to man ? Why not cast it off altogether and thus 
 assert her equality with man ? So we see that it is not 
 so much a matter of change in attire as a change in views 
 on the part of woman Paul is here dealing with. It is a 
 matter pertaining to the sphere of woman's activity. 
 Should it remain as it had been — private ? Or should it 
 be public in its nature ? Should woman continue to do 
 as she had done for centuries, — "take the veil " — thus 
 signifying that she was queen of the home f Or should 
 she cast off the veil, thereby entering the public arena ; 
 and thus claim equality with man ? Is it true that the 
 man's place is to serve the state, and the woman's to 
 serve the man % All these circumstances must be borne 
 in mind in seeking to interpret the contents of this chapter 
 and to correctly understand the apostle's declaration re- 
 garding the place of woman in connection with public 
 worship. 
 
 (a) The Case Stated (xi. 2, 3). "Now I praise you, 
 brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep 
 the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would 
 have you know that the head of every man is Christ ; 
 and the head of the woman is the man ; and the head of 
 Christ is God." 
 
 (&) The Essential Principles Set Forth (xi. 4-7). In 
 dealing with this very important matter, Paul engages 
 himself with fundamental principles rather than with 
 petty rules. He stoutly maintains that order and subor- 
 
1^4 I Corinthians 
 
 diuation pervade the universe and are of God's ordaining. 
 The head of woman is man ; the head of man is Christ ; 
 the Head of Christ is God (ver. 3). Any inversion of this 
 order and arrangement cannot but bring chaos and cause a 
 disarrangement in the divine plan and order of things. 
 The head of the body is that on which the body is de- 
 pendent and to which it is subordinate (vers. 4-7). 
 
 (c) This is the Truth Clearly and Distinctly Taught in 
 the Order of the Creation of Adam and Eve (xi. 8, 9). 
 Man, not woman, is the glory of God. A woman is to 
 find her highest glory in the glorification of father or 
 husband. No mother or wife should consider that she 
 has lost her dignity in glorifying father or husband. Just 
 as Christ glorified God, just as man's duty is to glorify 
 Christ, so woman's duty is to glorify the man. Nor 
 should man forget in this connection that it is his duty 
 to approximate The Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, in life 
 and character, so that the woman may have a father, hus- 
 band, son in whom she may justly glory. 
 
 (d) It is Also According to the Natural Order of Things 
 Cxi. 14,15). "Woman's shorter stature, slighter frame, 
 higher and gentler pitch of voice, more graceful move- 
 ments" — all indicate that her sphere is to be private 
 rather than public. This was particularly true in oriental 
 countries, where the veil was worn as the symbol of 
 modesty, subjection, and subordination, indicating (as it 
 does to-day when the bride wears the veil, even though 
 she may not know its significance) that woman's sphere 
 is the home. For a woman, therefore, to renounce the 
 veil would be the equivalent to disclaiming modesty and 
 refusing to recognize the divinely ordained subordination 
 to the husband or father (Ephesians v. 22, 23 ; 1 Peter 
 iii. 1). Does not the fact that woman has long hair, 
 which, in a sense, is nature's veil, corroborate the lesson 
 the apostle is teaching ? It is as if the apostle said, If a 
 
Church Decorum 155" 
 
 woman refuses to be veiled, then let her fling away 
 nature's sign — let her cut her hair and become con- 
 sistently masculine. 
 
 (e) It is Contrary Also to the Sense of Propriety (xL 
 13-15). "Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a 
 woman pray unto God uncovered ? Doth not even nature 
 itself teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a 
 shame unto him ? But if a woman have long hair, it 
 is a glory to her ; for her hair is given her for a cover- 
 ing." 
 
 (/) It is Contrary to Universal Christian Practice 
 (xi. 16). "But if any man seem to be contentious, we 
 have no such custom, aeither the churches of God." 
 The Corinthian church, which was in a particularly 
 favored sense the recipient of many spiritual gifts, seems 
 to have been guilty, more than other churches, in the 
 abuse of these gifts. Such ostentatious display as mani- 
 fested by the women of the church at Corinth did not ex- 
 ist in the other Christian assemblies. 
 
 (g) It Must Be Borne in Mind, in View of all That Has 
 Been Said, That There is Equality in Mutual Dependence 
 and Spiritual Blessings (xi. 10, 11). The social subordina- 
 tion of woman is not at all inconsistent with her personal 
 equality with man. In her relation to Christ, woman, 
 like man, can come directly to God. In her relation to 
 the world, she manifests herself through her husband and 
 children. She is thus equal with man in the greater 
 thing in life — her relation to God ; she is dependent and 
 subordinate to man in the lesser — her relation to the 
 world. 
 
 Of course, even among men, where we are taught the 
 equality of all men, we find subordination amid equality. 
 "When woman appears before Christ in private worship, 
 she is equal to the man ; when she appears in public, she 
 has social relations and is subordinate to father and hus- 
 
1^6 I Corinthians 
 
 band. A woman's relation to Christ does not dissolve 
 her relation to society. (See notes on 1 Corinthians xiv. 
 34, and compare 1 Timothy ii. 12.) 
 
 2. Abuses in Connection with the Lord's Supper 
 (xi. 17-34). In order that we may properly appreciate 
 the abuses here reprimanded by the apostle, we must un- 
 derstand the conditions that surrounded the observance 
 of the Lord's Supper in the primitive church, and par- 
 ticularly in the church at Corinth. The observance of 
 the Lord's Supper proper was preceded by what is known 
 as the Agape, or love-feast, a feast made up of contribu- 
 tions of food and drink participated in by all present 
 without regard to rank, age, or condition. The poor and 
 the rich, the high and the low, the bond and the free — 
 all alike partook equally of the provisions of this love- 
 feast. 
 
 The Agape, even as the Lord's Supper, took place in 
 the homes of the church members (Acts ii. 46) or perhaps 
 later in some specially selected place of worship (''in the 
 church," xi. 18, 22). It was celebrated, it would seem, 
 at least in the early days of the apostolic church, " daily " 
 (Acts ii. 46) ; yet, as we get farther away from Pentecost, 
 it would seem as though the practice of ' ' breaking bread " 
 on ' ' the first day of the week " was adopted by the church 
 (cf. Acts XX. 7 ; 1 Corinthians xvi. 2). 
 
 The teaching concerning the Lord's Supper as here set 
 forth, Paul claims, was specially revealed to him, and 
 that which he had received, that he transmitted. A com- 
 parison between this account of the institution of the 
 Lord's Supper and that narrated in Matthew, Mark, and 
 Luke shows them to be wonderfully harmonious and thus 
 truthfully corroborative. 
 
 (a) The Watm-e of the Lord' s Sapper (x\. 17-26). 
 
 First. It is a memorial. It is observed in remembrance 
 of Christ. It reminds the believer of the fact that Christ's 
 
Church Decorum i^y 
 
 body was broken aud His blood shed for his sius, and 
 that at the basis of all God's dealings with him lies the 
 great redemptive fact of the Cross. 
 
 Second. It is a feast— a feeding of the soul on Christ, 
 the true and living Bread from heaven. The soul, not 
 the stomach, is satisfied at this feast. The Corinthians 
 were in danger of forgetting this fact and were making 
 the Christian feast almost like the Greek feast : a thing 
 of eating, drinking, riot, and wantonness. 
 
 Third. It was a fact of prophecy. It looked forward 
 to the time of Christ's coming again. "Till he come" 
 — they were to thus remember Him. The table of the 
 Lord proclaims the second coming, even though the 
 pulpit is ofttimes silent with regard to it. The Lord's 
 Supper is a ** pledge " and " earnest " of that coming. 
 
 Fourth. It called for faith on the part of the partici- 
 pant. ''For you" and "for the remission of sins" — 
 these words call for the appropriation of faith. Only 
 thus does this Supper of our Lord become an extraordi- 
 nary meal. 
 
 Fifth. It is an act of manifest obedience on the part 
 of the believer to the command of Christ : " If ye love 
 me, ye will keep my commandments" (John xiv. 
 15, E. v.). Carelessness and failure in the matter of 
 observing the Lord's Supper is manifest disobedience. 
 It is a refusal to " remember" Him, and that is a serious 
 neglect for the child of God, 
 
 Sixth. It is a demonstration of love to and union 
 among the brethren. No class distinctions were to be 
 recognized at this supper. Eich and poor, high and low, 
 bond and free, man and woman — all were equal and were 
 to share alike. This would be a convincing argument 
 for Christianity before the world (John xiii. 34, 35 ; 
 XV. 17). The abuse of this relation of brotherly love was 
 bringing shame upon the name of Christ and His Church 
 
l^jS I Corinthians 
 
 (xi. 17-22), and dire punishment upon those guilty of 
 such misconduct (xi. 30-34). 
 
 (&) Our Duty in View of Farticlpation i)i the Lord's 
 Supper (xi. 27-34). Our duty is briefly summed up in 
 the words " Let a man examine himself and so let him 
 eat of the bread and drink of the cup " (xi. 28). A man 
 should examine himself in the light of Sinai. The law 
 was given to show the exceeding sinfulness of sin. He 
 should ask, '' Am I breaking any of God's known com- 
 mands?" 
 
 Then he should examine himself in the light of Cal- 
 vary : Do I bring, have I brought my sins to Jesus, the 
 Lamb of God ? Have I accepted Him as my Saviour, my 
 Justifier, my Eedeemer I Have I accepted the great truth 
 that His body was broken for me and that His blood was 
 shed for the remission of my sins ? 
 
 Then we should examine ourselves in the light of 
 Olivet : Are we living the risen, ascended, victorious life 
 in Christ ? Are we earnestly seeking the things that are 
 above ? Are we being delivered from the power and do- 
 minion of sin as we have from its guilt 1 Are we ear- 
 nestly looking for the day when "His feet shall stand 
 upon the Mount of Olives"? Are we commemorating 
 His death " till He come " ? 
 
 To partake of the Lord's Supper without having thus 
 examined ourselves is to do with the spiritual body of 
 Christ what the Jews did with His physical body (xi. 29). 
 
 In the matter of self-examination in connection with 
 the partaking of the Lord's Supper, one must be very 
 careful lest he indulge too much in introspection looking 
 for faults and sins, and so become so discouraged as to 
 consider himself totally unfit to partake of the sacrament 
 and thereby be deprived of the blessing derived from 
 being a partaker of the body and blood of the Lord. 
 
 We are to look for the good, for the faith that is within 
 
Church Decorum 159 
 
 us. The words of tne Apostle Paul iu 2 Corinthians 
 xlii. 5 are very instructive in this connection : " Examine 
 yourselves, whether ye be in the faith : prove your own 
 selves." The word "examine" in this verse has refer- 
 ence to looking for good and finding it. Let us look for 
 the things which God hath wrought within us — the faith, 
 grace, love, and be encouraged thereby. 
 
 (c) The Chastisements for Abuses in Connection with the 
 Lord's Supper (xi. 30-34). Failure to judge one's sins 
 brings the discipline of God upon that life. Sickness, 
 while not always a direct punishment for sin (cf. John 
 ix. 1-3), ofttimes is such a messenger of God (xi. 30-32 ; 
 cf. V. 5 ; John v. 14 ; James v. 13-16 ; Hebrews xii. 
 6-13). One must make his choice between self-judgment 
 and divine discipline as manifested in mild affliction 
 ("weak"), severer punishment ("sickly"), or even 
 death (" sleep "). Here is a reason for the illness, afflic- 
 tion, and death of some of God's people. We are some- 
 times wrong in failing to see this great truth in God's 
 dealings with the believer. God would not have His 
 children condemned with the world ; yet sin cannot go 
 unpunished. For this reason the judgment of God 
 against the believer's sin is meted out to him in this life. 
 Happy is the child of God who sees the purpose of such 
 affliction and repents, confesses, and forsakes his sin ; 
 and so the prayer of faith saves the sick (James v. 15). 
 Have we any hidden, unconfessed, unforsaken sin in our 
 lives ? Look out ; there's grave danger ahead. 
 
VII 
 
 Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 
 
 {Chapters xii.-xiv.) 
 
 WE must not be surprised to find the need of in- 
 struction in the early Church regarding mat- 
 ters pertaining to the Holy Spirit, especially 
 when we recall that, according to the prophecy of Joel 
 (ii. 28) and the teachings of Christ Himself (John xiv.- 
 xvi.)» the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the peo- 
 ple of God in so remarkable a way. Never before had 
 the power, influence, and gifts of the Spirit been scattered 
 so promiscuously upon all the faithful of God irrespective 
 of sex, class, position, or age. Heretofore the special 
 manifestations of the Spirit had, in a sense, been re- 
 served for what we might term the aristocracy of the Old 
 Testament, such as Gideon, Samson, David, Isaiah, and 
 Daniel. Now Joel's prophecy — "And it shall come to 
 pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all 
 flesh ; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
 your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall 
 see visions" (Joel ii. 28) — had been fulfilled. 
 
 It was rather natural, therefore, that instruction re- 
 garding the use and abuse of such spiritual gifts became 
 necessary. Counterfeiters of the good there have always 
 been ; so impostors professing to have spiritual gifts and 
 powers were existent in the Corinthian church. Satan 
 is an imitator and counterfeiter, and was busy at work 
 among the believers at Corinth. Then again, envy, jeal- 
 ousy, pride, display, and censoriousness would naturally 
 
 160 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 161 
 
 follow in the wake of such spiritual mauifestatiou. There 
 is always too the danger of putting the emphasis in the 
 wrong place. The Corinthian Christians were in danger 
 of overemphasizing those showy gifts which appealed to 
 the senses and emotions and manifested themselves in ec- 
 static display. There was grave danger of confounding 
 '' genuine inspiration" with ''fanatical excitement." 
 Doubtless those who possessed the less pretentious gifts 
 were discouraged and despised while others were proud 
 and arrogant. Coming out of the midst of heathen sur- 
 roundings and practices, the Corinthian Christians were 
 in great need of instruction along the lines of Christian 
 sanity, soberness, and equilibrium. 
 
 Without doubt, some divisions of the Church of Christ 
 even to-day find themselves in need of just such instruc- 
 tion regarding matters pertaining to the gifts and demon- 
 strations of the Holy Spirit. The world mocks to-day as 
 in the days of Paul at certain unsound, unsafe, and ques- 
 tionable so-called demonstrations of the Holy Spirit of 
 God. 
 
 I. The Bestowment, Use, and Purpose of Spiritual 
 Gifts (chap. xii.). 
 
 (a) The One True Test That Any One is Speaking in and 
 by the Holy Spirit (xii. 1-3 ; cf. 1 John iv. 1-6). The 
 Scriptures distinctly teach that it is the work of the Holy 
 Spirit to testify to and reveal Christ to man (John xiv. 
 26 ; XV. 26, 27 ; xvi. 7-15 ; 1 Corinthians ii. 9-16 ; 1 John 
 iv. 1-6 ; ii. 27 ; v. 7). Any so-called Christian testi- 
 mony or demonstration of the Spirit, therefore, that does 
 not acknowledge or glorify Christ is of error and Satan 
 and not of truth and of God. The God whom the heathen 
 Corinthians had been called to worship was not, as their 
 heathen deities, a "dumb" God. No word of instruc- 
 tion had come from their dumb idols to enable them to 
 discern truth from error ; but the Christian's God had 
 
l62 I Corinthians 
 
 spoken in His Word and through His inspired apostles. 
 Any man, therefore, who did not thus acknowledge 
 Christ was led by natural impulse and passion and not by 
 God's Holy Spirit. 
 
 Just what about Jesus Christ should be confessed by 
 one under the influence of the Holy Spirit is well defined 
 by John in his first epistle (ii. 18-24 ; iv. 1-6, 14, 15 ; 
 V. 1, 5-8, 20). Let us examine this teaching : 
 
 First. The Testing of All Teachers and Doctrine 
 (1 John iv. 1). The believer individually and the Church 
 collectively are under obligation to test all teachers, not 
 one of whom is to be received and accepted simply be- 
 cause he is sincere or comes in the name of Christ (Mat- 
 thew xxiv. 4, 5). The individual Christian and the 
 Church are able to thus discern (1 John ii. 21, 27 ; 1 Cor- 
 inthians xii. 10 ; Revelation ii. 2, 14, 15, 20). 
 
 The point to be decided regarding these teachers is, 
 Are they of God or of the devil *? Are they Christian or 
 antichristian ? Are they controlled by the Spirit of God 
 or by the spirit of the world ? The question at issue is 
 one of origin : From whom come they, and from whence 
 does their teaching come ? What, or who, is the moving 
 spirit of it and them ? Satan is a counterfeiter of all that 
 God does. He has his church (Eevelation ii. 9), his min- 
 istry (2 Corinthians xi. 13-15), his membership (1 John 
 iii. 10), his christ, or better, antichrist (1 John ii. 18-28); 
 he has deliberately laid his plans to deceive God's people 
 (Ephesians iv. 14 ; Eomans xvi. 18). 
 
 Second. The Fundamental Test to be Applied to 
 All Teachers and Teaching : It Touches the Person 
 and Work of Christ (1 John iv. 2-6). Orthodoxy in 
 essentials ; soundness in the doctrine of Christ. We can- 
 not be right in the rest unless we think rightly of Him. 
 Christianity is Christo-centric ; if we are wrong at the 
 center, we are wrong at the circumference. If we are 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 163 
 
 right at the center, we cannot depart far from that which 
 is sound. 
 
 The Incarnation (1 John iv. 2, 3 ; cf. ii. 22). To deny 
 that the babe born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem 
 (Isaiah vii. 14 ; Micah v. 2 ; Matthew ii. 8, 16) was God 
 manifest in the flesh ; to deny that the historical Jesus of 
 Nazareth was the anointed Saviour of the world, is suf- 
 ficient to brand teacher and teaching as not of God, ac- 
 cording to the teaching of this epistle. Was Mary's Son 
 God manifest in the flesh, yes or no ? This is one of the 
 tests of orthodoxy. Let us not be afraid of that word 
 "orthodoxy," for it means "sound doctrine"; we are 
 all interested in that form of teaching. " Jesus is anath- 
 ema," or "Jesus is the Christ," which? (1 Corinthians 
 xii. 3). There is no dodging the issue. To hold anything 
 less than that "Jesus is the Christ" is, as the apostle 
 himself says in the literal rendering of iv. 3, to "annul," 
 or " dissolve," Christ. It is well to speak of an advanced 
 learning, but let us not forget that, as some one has well 
 said, "there is an advance, even in the doctrine of Christ, 
 which is not progress but apostasy" (2 John 9). There 
 is a world of difference between progress in the truth and 
 progress away from the truth. 
 
 The Deity of Jesus Christ : That Jesus Christ Was Very 
 God (1 John iv. 2, 15, 16 ; cf. ii. 18, 22, 28 ; v. 5, 9-13, 20). 
 The true doctrine of Christ is not merely that He was 
 divine, but that He was deity ; not that He was godlike, 
 but very God. There is a teaching to-day which admits 
 that Jesus was divine just as all men are divine, only He 
 was more so ; that Jesus was the son of God as all men 
 are the sons of God ; that there is divinity in us all as 
 there was in Christ. This is false doctrine. Jesus Christ 
 was the Son of God in a unique sense — a sense which can 
 never be predicated of any other of the sons of men : He 
 was the "only-begotten" Son of the Father ; we are of 
 
164 I Corinthians 
 
 the ''many sous." We "become" sons of God by faith 
 in Christ (John i. 12) ; Jesus never became a Son ; He 
 always was such. It makes no difference whether you 
 lift humanity up to Christ or bring Christ down to hu- 
 manity ; the very moment you make both equally the 
 sons of God in kind, you are teaching what is contrary to 
 New Testament doctrine. 
 
 The claims of Jesus were for a unique Sonship. The 
 Jews did not attempt to stone Him because He claimed 
 that God was His Father in the same sense that He was 
 their Father also. It is clear from the spirit and actions 
 of the Jews what they understood by such a claim (John 
 V. 17-31). To say that Jesus was no more divine than 
 we are is to concede the righteousness of the judgment 
 which was pronounced upon Jesus by the Jews and which 
 resulted in His death. This is serious indeed. 
 
 That Jesus and the Christ Are One and Inseparable 
 (1 John iv, 2, 3 ; ii. 22 ; v. 1). There must be no separa- 
 tion between Jesus and the Christ, such as the Gnostics 
 in John's day and certain sects to-day which are a rehash 
 of Gnosticism would have us believe. Jesus Christ is the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and forever (Hebrews xiii. 8). Jesus 
 is not the appearance which the Christ asfumed, nor is the 
 Christ the appearance which Jesus of Nazareth assumed. 
 Jesus Christ is one and indivisible. To thus "annul," 
 or "dissolve," Christ (1 John iv. 3, literally) is contrary 
 to sound doctrine, and is the mark of a false teacher. 
 
 That the Death of Jesus Christ Was the Sacrificial Dying 
 of One Who Was Both God and Man (1 John v. 6). 
 " This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus 
 Christ ; not by water only, but by water and blood." 
 To hold that Jesus Christ was a mere man and that at 
 His baptism the Christ came upon Him and remained 
 with Him until He reached the cross, at which moment 
 it left Him — that it was a mere man that came to the 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 165 
 
 Jordan and a mere man that died upon the cross — is to 
 teach what is erroneous. It was Jesus Christ, the divine- 
 human, God-man, very God and very man, who lay in 
 that manger and who hung upon that cross. This is He 
 that came by water and blood. 
 
 That the Death of Jesus Christ Upon the Cross Was a 
 Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind (1 John iv. 
 9, 10, 14 ; cf. ii. 2 ; iii. 16 ; v. 6). ** Propitiation " means 
 "mercy-seat" and suggests to us the blood-sprinkled 
 seat of the ark of the covenant which covered the law of 
 God. The sprinkling of blood upon this "mercy-seat" 
 constituted a ground on which a righteous God could 
 justly pardon those who had broken His law and yet 
 maintain and manifest His righteousness. So the death 
 of Jesus Christ is the ground on which a righteous God 
 can give pardon to penitent sinners. (See Romans 
 iii. 25 — the death of Christ exhibits the righteousness 
 of God as well as, even if not more than, His love.) 
 
 Here, then, we see the perfect harmony between Christ 
 and the Holy Spirit and their relative witness to each 
 other. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Christ, and such 
 testimony is recognized as genuine by its harmony with 
 what is revealed of Christ in the Scriptures. 
 
 (&) The Origin, Nature, and Power of the Spiritual Gifts 
 (xii. 4-11). The purpose of this section is to show that 
 the Holy Spirit is the Sovereign Distributor of spiritual 
 gifts to the Church and that for this reason there should 
 not be discontent nor discouragement on the one hand 
 because the gifts were small and unostentatious, nor 
 should there be pride and vainglory on the other hand 
 because the gifts happened to be great and brilliant. 
 Both these attitudes, which are wrong and sinful, come 
 from a failure to recognize the wisdom, goodness, and 
 sovereignty of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom and plan of 
 the divine purpose, and that the one function of each 
 
i66 I Corinthians 
 
 member of the body is to render its appointed service in 
 its divinely designated place in the body of Christ, which 
 is the Church. The gifts of the Spirit include variety, 
 but they exclude contrariety. 
 
 Three diversities are spoken of in these verses : First, 
 a diversity oi gifts, thereby indicating that such abilities 
 are really gifts of divine grace and not human attainments. 
 Second, a diversity of ministrations, suggesting that the 
 means, or instruments, by which the desired purpose of 
 these gifts is accomplished are also of the working of 
 God's Spirit. Third, a diversity of operations, inform- 
 ing us that the effects produced by the use of these 
 spiritual gifts are to be attributed to divine, and not hu- 
 man power. 
 
 Note how prominently the doctrine of the Trinity is 
 set forth in these verses — especially xii. 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, 
 22, 28. We have the Trinity in diversity, personality, 
 and unity. God is the Source of the gifts ; hence the 
 operations are of Him. Christ is the Ordainer of the 
 gifts ; hence the ministrations are of Him. The Holy 
 Spirit is the Imparter of the gifts ; hence the gifts are 
 from Him. Thus the triune God bestows, controls, and 
 makes effective the spiritual operations of the Church. 
 
 (c) The Divine Conception of the Relation of Spiritual 
 Gifts One to the Other and to the Body of Christ as a Whole 
 (xii. 12-31). In general, it may be said that the gifts are 
 not for schism but for unity in the Church. Probably 
 the difference in gifts was one of the contributing causes 
 to the party spirit (see Chapter I) in the church. Two 
 dangers were to be avoided in this connection : that of 
 causing separation by the proud use of the gifts of the 
 Spirit, and that of hiding or burying them because of a 
 spirit of discontent by reason of certain gifts being of a 
 humble, and less conspicuous nature. 
 
 The apostle would have the Corinthians understand 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 167 
 
 that no man is permitted to use his gifts for his own 
 individual interests but for the general welfare of the 
 body. Just as the power of vision is not for the benefit 
 of the eye but for the good of the whole man, so all 
 spiritual gifts are not for individual but for the collective 
 blessing of the Church. To misuse spiritual gifts was a 
 sin against God, the Giver, and those for whose edifica- 
 tion the gifts were intended. 
 
 We are here taught that the Church is an organism. 
 There is a difference between an organism and an organ- 
 ization. No man can join the Church as he would join a 
 society, or lodge, for example. The life of the Christ, 
 the Head of the Church, must be in the heart of a man 
 ere he is eligible to belong to the Church of Christ. The 
 Church as the body of Christ is taught in many Scrip- 
 tures : Ephesians i. 23 ; ii. 16 ; iv. 4, 12, 16 ; v. 23, 30 ; 
 cf. Colossians i. 18, 24 ; ii. 19 ; iii. 15. 
 
 The Church of Christ is an organism — a spiritual body. 
 As the physical body is one whole, so is the Church one 
 spiritual body. As the body is pervaded by one living 
 power, so is the Church pervaded by the Spirit of the 
 Head, Jesus Christ. As the different members of the 
 human body have their particular functions to perform, 
 so is there a diversity of powers in the Church, the mem- 
 bers of which are the body of Christ. As all the members 
 of the physical body work together towards one end, — 
 namely, the welfare of the whole body, — so is it with the 
 members of the body of Christ : they have one object in 
 view, and that the building up of the body as a whole. 
 As each member of the human body imparts its quota of 
 life, strength, and power to the whole body, so must there 
 be mutual impartation and helpfulness on the part of the 
 various members of the body of Christ, it not being nec- 
 essary, however, for each member to part with its own 
 individuality or surrender its particular function. 
 
i68 I Corinthians 
 
 2. LfOve the Supreme Gift (chap. xiii.). This chap- 
 ter, which deals with love as the supreme boon for the 
 Christian, is regarded, of course, as a warning against 
 making loudness and notoriety the standard of value for 
 any spiritual gift. Some one has well said : " We would 
 be found worshiping at a different altar if we believed in 
 this chapter. We should not then, as we do now, wor- 
 ship toDgues, prophecies, mysteries, miracles, and alms- 
 giving. Paul does not depreciate these things, but values 
 them only as they are charged with the spirit of love. 
 Image after image the apostle shatters from off its ped- 
 estal in this chapter. Smash goes eloquence ; crash go 
 tongues ; demolished are all the gifts of the Spirit that 
 have not in them the element of love. On both sides of 
 this chapter controversy is raging, but here everything is 
 calm and serene." 
 
 This chapter divides itself into four main divisions : 
 The absolute necessity of love (xiii. 1-3) ; the character- 
 istics of love (xiii. 4-7) ; the eternal permanence of love 
 (xiii. 8-12) ; the absolute supremacy of love (xiii. 13). 
 
 (a) The Absolute Necessity of Love (xiii. 1-3). With- 
 out it the finest powers of utterance are nothing. Elo- 
 quence may exist without love, as politics, party theol- 
 ogy, and sectarianism demonstrate. Such eloquence is 
 worthless. It is no more than two bits of brass. It is 
 noise, but not music. It is worthless in itself and in its 
 influence. 
 
 Deep insight into the mysteries and teachings of the 
 Word of God is nothing if not permeated with love 
 (xiii. 2). A knowledge of the deep secrets of God and 
 of the great utterances of Scripture, and the ability to 
 teach these, amount to nothing if love is absent. The 
 truth must be preached in love. 
 
 To be able to do mighty works and perform miracles 
 is nothing without love. Mountain-moving faith is some- 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 169 
 
 thing, but the power to do "sigus and wonders" is not 
 in itself a divine credential. Satan can help his followers 
 to do such things (cf. 2 Thessalouiaus ii. 9, 10 ; Matthew 
 vii. 21-23). 
 
 Philanthropy and beneficence are nothing without love. 
 Indeed, loudness may neutralize almsgiving (cf. Matthew 
 vi. 1-4). The surrender of all we have amounts to noth- 
 ing without love. 
 
 The surrender of one's life, a martyr's death, may fail 
 in its purpose unless it be for love. Even martyrdom 
 may be for self-glory. 
 
 Thus we have three results of the lack of love : First, 
 all our service is worthless in itself and influence ; it is 
 not worth two bits of brass. Second, in ourselves we are 
 nothing. Third, it profits us and others nothing. 
 
 (b) The Characteristics of Love (xiii. 4-7). It is long- 
 suffering, patient, and kind. The loving soul is capable 
 of long protracted restraint and does not yield to the 
 passion of anger. Patience is heroism ; the impatient 
 man is a coward. Love is no gossip, scandal monger, or 
 carrion bird. 
 
 Love "knows not jealousy." It has no evil eye. It 
 rejoices in the success of both friend and enemy alike. 
 It not only weeps with those that weep, but rejoices with 
 those that rejoice. 
 
 Love " is not provoked " (R. V.). It rises above being 
 exasperated. It is not sensitive or touchy. It refuses to 
 take offence. The only provocation love knows is "to 
 good works " (Hebrews x. 24), brotherly love, and good 
 conduct. 
 
 Love "taketh no account of evil." That is, it does 
 not brood over wrongs nor keep an account book. It 
 has no memory for injuries. It does not cast up the past 
 after it has been forgiven. 
 
 Love "rejoiceth not in, or with, iniquity, but rejoiceth 
 
170 I Corinthians 
 
 with the truth." Love finds no pleasure in wrong done 
 to others. She is sad when wrong is triumphant, but 
 rejoices when right is in the ascendency. The scandal 
 monger is disagreeable to love. Love rejoices not when 
 even its enemies fall. It never says, ''It serves you 
 right, and I am glad of it." It rejoices with the truth. 
 
 Love ''vaunteth not itself." It does not show off nor 
 make a display. It would rather be a child in the king- 
 dom than a philosopher out of it. It does not brag or 
 show off, nor does it parade its gifts. 
 
 Love is "not puffed up." It does not swell up with 
 self-conceit like a pair of bellows. It does not ''puff up " 
 inwardly any more than it " vaunteth itself" outwardly. 
 
 Love "doth not behave itself unseemly." It is never 
 discourteous, nor does it make light of decorum. It is 
 not rude and unpolished, but gentle and civil. It never 
 says, "I say just what I think and hold nothing back, 
 even though it does hurt." Love does hold many things 
 back that would hurt. Love does not say, "I am not 
 one of your polished kind." Love is polished, is a lady, 
 a gentleman. 
 
 Love "seeketh not her own." Love does not grasp 
 her rights, nor is she self-seeking. She recognizes her 
 duty to herself, but loves her neighbor as herself. 
 
 Love "beareth, endureth all things." The word 
 "beareth" means outroofeth, but it has no English equiv- 
 alent. It means to prevent the storms from getting at 
 those who are on the inside of the building, and keeps 
 the inmates dry and warm. Love is such a protection. 
 It is tolerant, enduring, and covering. Such love may 
 not be able to prevent itself "hearing these things," but 
 it never "repeats these things." 
 
 (c) The Eternal Permanence of Love (xiii. 8-12). * ' Love 
 never faileth." Tliat is, in the great drama of life it 
 is never hissed off the stage. It maintains its place. 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 171 
 
 Tougues shall cease ; knowledge shall vanish away ; faith 
 shall some day be lost in sight ; hope will lie down, lost 
 in the fulness of its fruition ; but love will continue as 
 God continues, for God is love. Love will always hold 
 its place. It is a flower whose petals never fail or fall. 
 
 (d) The Absolute Supremacy of Love (xiii. 13). Faith 
 ends in sight ; hope ends in presence ; love never ends. 
 Faith gets the most ; hope keeps the most, love works 
 the most. 
 
 3. Edification is the Final Test of the Value of a 
 Spiritual Gift (chap. xiv.). Two gifts were particularly 
 manifest in the Corinthian church — "prophecy" and 
 ' ' tougues ' ' — and are dealt with at some length in this 
 chapter (xiv.). By prophesying is meant not so much, if 
 at all, " foretelling — dealing with prediction, asforthtell- 
 iug — an announcement of the gospel of the grace of God 
 and the riches of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift 
 of prophesying was about equivalent to the gift of preach- 
 ing : the proclaiming of the gospel to the salvation of the 
 lost and the edification of believers. The prophet, in 
 this sense, is the man who is able to express himself in 
 language understood by all, for their edification, and ex- 
 hortation, and comfort" (ver. 3), that which has been 
 revealed to him by God either in an ecstasy or in the 
 written Word, provided always, of course, that the reve- 
 lation given in spiritual ecstasy agrees with the revela- 
 tion contained in the Word (cf. Isaiah viii. 19, 20). 
 
 (a) What is Meant by the Gift of Tongues. It may be 
 that the gift of tongues was an ecstatic experience 
 through which a believing person passed by the peculiar 
 and unique operation of the Holy Spirit upon his spirit 
 that led him to utter things not understood by his audi- 
 tors nor, even at times, by himself, unless he had the 
 gift of '' interpretation of tougues " (xiv. 5) also. He 
 was in a real sense edifying himself rather than others 
 
iy2 I Corinthians 
 
 (xiv. 4), and spoke to God rather than to men (xiv. 2). 
 The edification that came to one possessing the gift of 
 tongues did not consist in the fact that he understood the 
 revelation given him, but in the fact that his spiritual 
 experience was built up and quickened by reason of the 
 consciousness that he had been a vessel God had designed 
 to use, for no man could surrender himself really, truly, 
 and fully to the full purposes of the Holy Spirit and 
 his whole nature not be edified and blessed thereby. 
 Has not some deep spiritual experience put an end to the 
 doubts and questionings of many a man and placed him 
 in a position of blessing and power thereafter ? 
 
 May it not be that " the gift of tongues" was a lan- 
 guage of the heavenly Canaan given by God (all language 
 and speech being a divine gift) to express in a manner 
 free from all the impurities and corruptions of the then 
 present speech and languages the new experiences of grace 
 which they were being permitted to receive ? Such a lan- 
 guage as eye could not have seen, nor ear heard, nor 
 the heart of man conceived — the expression of thoughts 
 and feelings awakened in the heart of the Christian by 
 the Holy Spirit in language not known to the hearers or 
 to any one else but the Spirit. Does it not seem that 
 speaking with tongues was confined (largely, if not exclu- 
 sively) to praying and singing (xiv. 14-17), and so 
 might be at times, as the apostle intimates it was, an in- 
 terruption of the regular preaching (prophesying) serv- 
 ice ; hence the injunction to keep quiet (xiv. 28). So 
 no praising (or praying) *'in a tongue " should take 
 place in the congregation unless an interpreter were pres- 
 ent, or the one so speaking possessed also the gift to in- 
 terpret; otherwise how could the congregation say 
 *' Amen " to it (xiv. 16) ? Such prayer or thanksgiving 
 cannot produce any feeling of gratitude in the hearts of 
 the hearers. 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 173 
 
 After all is said, we must confess that it is practically 
 impossible for us in this day to definitely and unmistak- 
 ably define just what really constituted the gift of tongues 
 as possessed by the early Church. 
 
 The gift of tongues as described in this chapter (we are 
 not here considering Acts ii., where there was evidently 
 a need for such) does not seem to have consisted in the 
 ability to speak in a foreign language or languages, as a 
 direct gift of the Holy Spirit. Why should the Holy 
 Spirit convey, thus miraculously, the ability to speak in 
 foreign languages 1 Had not the Hebrew and Greek lan- 
 guages already been chosen by God as a vehicle of divine 
 truth and revelation ? What is the evidence that these 
 languages had proven insufficient for the purpose ? 
 
 It is worthy of note that when individual reference is 
 made to the possession of this miraculous gift, it is spoken 
 of as '<a tongue" (singular) (cf. xiv. 2, 14,20, E. V. ; 26, 27). 
 
 Why, if the **gift" represented a foreign language 
 (singular or plural), was the one possessing it, if he did 
 not at the same time possess the gift of interpretation also, 
 or if there were no one present who could interjiret, ex- 
 horted to speak to God by himself, alone, probably at 
 home (xiv. 28) ? We may well ask in this connection if 
 the gift of tongues was not intended more especially for 
 private than for public worship (cf. xiv. 19 ; yet cf. also 
 ver. 22). 
 
 Further, experience also teaches us that " foreign lan- 
 guages " are not to be understood by this gift. The most 
 saintly and consecrated Christians who have yielded 
 their lives to Christ for work in the foreign field have 
 had and still have to spend much time and labor in ac- 
 quiring the language of the country in which they are 
 laboring. Once in a while we have heard and, per- 
 chance, will continue to hear of an individual, or group 
 of individuals, here and there who, having, as they claim, 
 
174 I Corinthians 
 
 received the "gift of tongues," which they venture to 
 affirm to consist in the ability to speak the language of 
 some particular tribe or country, have, on this supposi- 
 tion, gone to that particular country or tribe only to find 
 that they were grievously mistaken, and, sad to say, have 
 too frequently lost their faith in God and religion. 
 
 (b) The Purpose of the Gift of Tongues, and Does it 
 Still Exist in the Church ? The purpose of the gift of 
 tongues is set forth here by a reference to the Old Testa- 
 ment, which should be carefully studied in this connec- 
 tion (xiv. 20-22 ; cf. Isaiah xxviii. 11, 12). According 
 to Isaiah, God's people were in captivity among people 
 of strange tongues. The captivity was a punishment, a 
 judgment of God — in a sense, a God abandonment. 
 Not the mercy but the judgment of God was manifest 
 in such captivity. '' Wherefore tongues are for a sign, 
 not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. " 
 "Tongues," then, were a sign, a token of the displeasure of 
 God. It is difficult to see how Israel could delight them- 
 selves in their captivity and in being in subjection to a 
 foreign nation. It is difficult to see how the people of 
 God to-day should over-exalt themselves in a gift of this 
 kind. Should Christians rejoice in and exult over this 
 gift ? Should they covet it and seek to bring the whole 
 Church into its possession ? Indeed, is it not true that 
 this gift was intended to be manifested only in an infidel 
 and unbelieving environment ? If this be t rue, is it not 
 altogether out of place in a Christian assembly (cf. xiv. 
 21-25) ? 
 
 The gift of tongues was evidently a transient, passing 
 thing. "Whether there be tongues, they shall cease." 
 Those familiar with the Old and New Testaments know 
 that miracles are not scattered promiscuously throughout 
 the Scriptures, but are grouped in certain critical and 
 strategic places. Certain supernatural signs are recorded 
 
spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 175 
 
 at the inauguration of new epochs of history: for ex- 
 ample, at the adveut of Christ ; at Pentecost, the birth- 
 day of the Church (Actsii.); and at the admittance of 
 Cornelius, the first-fruits of the Gentiles, into the Church 
 (Acts X., xi.). 
 
 Some things were necessary at the establishment of 
 Christianity which were not necessary afterwards. For 
 example, we are told in Ephesians 11. 20 that the Church 
 is '* built upon the foundation of the apostles and proph- 
 ets." In Ephesians iv. 11 we are told that Christ gave 
 unto the Church apostles and prophets. We certainly 
 know that the office of apostle and prophet does not now 
 exist — that it has passed away because the need for that 
 office has passed away. Further, it was necessary that 
 the apostles had seen the Lord ; hence that offlce has 
 passed away (Acts i. ; 1 Corinthians ix.). The apostles 
 and prophets were the foundation of the Church, Jesus 
 Christ Himself being the chief Corner Stone ; but we are 
 not now living in the time of foundation laying ; conse- 
 quently there is no need for the office of apostle and 
 prophet. We are living in the day of the superstructure 
 (cf. Ephesians ii. 19-22). 
 
 It is remarkable to note in this connection that no such 
 prominence was given to this gift of tongues in any other 
 church save in the church at Corinth (xiv. 33, 36-40). 
 
 (c) PauVs Rebuke of the Manifestation of the Gift of 
 Tongues at Corinth. Paul lays emphasis on the gift of 
 tongues here rather than on any other gift because the 
 Corinthians made so much of it on account of its loud- 
 ness and show ; and in placing such emphasis, they 
 showed themselves to be like little children who love 
 noise, novelty, and display rather than that which edifies, 
 builds up, endures, and has reality (xiv. 20). 
 
 Paul asserts that this gift was practically useless for 
 edifying purposes (xiv. 1, 2, 4, 9-11). It was like " talk- 
 
\']6 I Corinthians 
 
 iug iu the air." In its mauifestations at Corinth it wag a 
 species of barbarism. It resembled gibberish. It * ' in- 
 vited the ridicule of the shameful." It built up the faith 
 of no one. Even the man himself possessing the gift did 
 not understand it. It had become a personal, selfish thing 
 (xiv. 14, 17). 
 
 It was the poorest and least of all the gifts of the Spirit. 
 To speak five words with the understanding — in other 
 words, to give a brief testimony that could be understood 
 — was a far better thing than to be able to speak ten 
 thousand words in a tongue (xiv. 1-5, 18, 19, 23-25). 
 
 It seems that, in some measure at least if not mostly, 
 this gift was intended for private devotion, to be exer- 
 cised at home rather than at public meetings (xiv. 28). 
 
 The manifestation of this gift at Corinth had brought 
 the services of the church into bad repute before the 
 world (xiv. 22-25). What sort of a religion is it which 
 leaves out sense, understanding, decency, sobriety, and 
 order? Not the Christian religion, surely. The plain, 
 calm interpretation of the Word of God, intelligently and 
 with the Spirit and understanding — this is the purpose 
 of the assembly of God's people. This is a ministry unto 
 edification. This is what touches the heart, brings con- 
 viction to the conscience, and builds up in the faith 
 (xiv. 23-25). In all true worship reason is never de- 
 throned (Romans xii. 1 ; 2 Timothy i. 7). Divine inspi- 
 rations are not like the diabolical and demoniacal pos- 
 sessions of the heathen priests (cf. xii. 2) — violent and 
 ungovernable, and prompting its devotees to act as if 
 they were ungovernable, thus doing violence to the rules 
 of natural order, decorum, and decency, while delivering 
 the message of God. No such manifestations accompa- 
 nied the worship of God in any of the other churches, 
 save the church at Corinth (xiv. 33, 36-40). Such a dis- 
 play was grossly unnatural, to say the least. 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 177 
 
 Unless the manifestation of the gift of tongues is char- 
 acterized by the specific directions given in these chap- 
 ters, then such a gift, and such a manifestation of the 
 gift, is not of God, but is a caricature of Satan (xiv. 32, 
 33, 36-38, 40). No professed revelation of the Spirit of 
 God coming through one claiming to have the gift of 
 tongues is at all of God if not in accordance with the in- 
 structions of the apostle as laid down in this chapter, for 
 it should be unhesitatingly accepted as a fact that the 
 Spirit of God cannot contradict Himself. All modern 
 *' gift of tongues movements" are to be governed by this 
 rule (xiv. 29). The Corinthian Christians had formerly 
 been idolaters, and in the habit of experiencing ecstasies 
 which caused them to lose self-control, and which were 
 similar to the manifestations of the professed gift of 
 tongues then existent in the church of Corinth. The 
 difference, however, between these two ought to be ap- 
 parent. The idols which they had previously worshiped 
 were ''dumb idols " (xii. 2). This is not true, however, 
 of the Holy Spirit through whom they have been led into 
 the experience of Christ. He is a speaking, teaching 
 Spirit, and we are to recognize in the instructions of the 
 apostle in this chapter concerning this gift, the voice of 
 the Spirit with reference thereto (xiv. 37). The Holy 
 Spirit of God loves decency and order (xiv. 40). Can 
 this be said to characterize meetings of the "gift of 
 tongues movement" to-day? If a man is really "spir- 
 itual," he will "acknowledge" that the directions given 
 in this chapter concerning the gift of tongues are divinely 
 inspired by the Holy Spirit (xiv. 37). 
 
 The gift of tongues as manifested in the church at Cor- 
 inth was no credit to the Church of Christ as a whole 
 (xiv. 33, 36-40). The opinion of the general church as- 
 sembly is, in the estimation of Paul, of some value, and 
 is not to be needlessly or shamelessly shocked. 
 
lyS I Corinthians 
 
 We can understand now, as is intimated in xii. 1, 2 
 and xiv. 38, the need of instruction with regard to the 
 use and abuse of spiritual gifts. This fact is enhanced 
 when we remember the following important things : 
 
 First. The fact that the Holy SiJirit, who had, in the 
 Old Testament dispensation and up to this time, been 
 poured out upon selected individuals, — the aristocracy, 
 as it were, of those days, — had now, since the day of 
 Pentecost, been poured out upon all believers, irrespec- 
 tive of age, rank, position, or sex, led naturally to the 
 possible abuse and misunderstanding of the wondrous 
 gifts of the Spirit, and called for instructions along these 
 lines. 
 
 Second. The existence of counterfeiters pretending to 
 possess spiritual gifts and substituting self- originated 
 manifestations in the place of divine and spiritual mani- 
 festations, necessitated clear instructions in matters per- 
 taining to the Spirit and His gifts. 
 
 Third. With the outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit, 
 there came into the hearts of some who possessed these 
 gifts which were loud and showy — such as the gift of 
 tongues— envy, jealousy, and pride ; whereas among 
 those possessing the smaller and quieter gifts, discour- 
 agement was undoubtedly prevalent. There was, conse- 
 quently, need of instruction as to what determined the 
 true value of a spiritual gift. 
 
 Fourth. The fact that some physical experiences were 
 to be seen, and indeed had probably been experienced 
 by some of these Corinthian Christians, in connection 
 with their idol feasts, made it necessary that instruction 
 be given with reference to matters of the Spirit which 
 would enable them to differentiate between the true and 
 the false. 
 
 Fifth. Hence the great need of sobriety, sanity, and 
 equilibrium in the manifestation of spiritual gifts. 
 
Spiritual Gifts — Their Use and Abuse 179 
 
 Surely such instruction is vitally needed in certain 
 quarters to-day. 
 
 (d) Women — Their Place (xiv. 34-36 ; see also 1 Corin- 
 thians xi. 1-16). Note that in this instance (xiv. 34, 35) 
 the injunction seems to apply particularly to married 
 women (xiv. 34); hence the injunction to ask their ''own 
 husbands at home" (xiv. 35). That woman as such, in 
 some instances at least, was permitted to take part in 
 public service is intimated in 1 Corinthians xi. 5, 13 ; 
 1 Timothy ii. 8, 9, although in his first epistle to Tim- 
 othy (ii. 11, 12) Paul strictly forbids a woman to take 
 the place of a teacher or of authority in the church. 
 Such would be a reversion of the divine order as set forth 
 in xi. 1-12. Compare Isaiah iii. 12 — '* As for my people, 
 children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. 
 O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and 
 destroy the way of thy paths." Is it not significant that 
 most of the modern false religious movements, like Chris- 
 tian Science, Theosophy, and Truth, are forwarded and 
 led by women ? 
 
 (e) The Conclusion of the Whole Matter (xiv. 37-40). 
 In this conclusion Paul declares his right to speak with 
 authority in matters pertaining to the Spirit and assures 
 the Corinthians that such authority will be recognized as 
 of God by those who are divinely led. While the apostle 
 does not forbid to speak with tongues, he does exhort 
 to covet rather that speech which is readily understood 
 by all and is for the edification of the many. 
 
VIII 
 Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 
 
 (Chapter xv.) 
 
 CHEISTIANITY is the only religion that bases 
 its claim to acceptance upon the resurrection of 
 its Founder from the dead. It is unique in this 
 respect. No other religion makes such a claim, because 
 it does not dare to. Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Con- 
 fucianism, Mormonism, Christian Science — these pro- 
 fessed religions do not make any such claim. Christi- 
 anity alone issues such a challenge. 
 
 It is common in some quarters to compare Christianity 
 with other religions ; consequently we have what is called 
 the "Science of Comparative Eeligions. " Christianity, 
 however, is by no means a comparative religion. It is 
 superlative. If in no other respect, surely with regard 
 to the resurrection of its divine Founder from the dead, 
 Christianity differs from all other religions. 
 
 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is vital to the religion 
 that bears His name. Both the enemies and friends of 
 Christianity admit this to be true. A leading opponent 
 of Christianity is quoted as saying, "If the resurrection 
 of Jesus Christ actually took place, then Christianity 
 must be admitted to be what it claims to be — a unique, 
 divine, supreme revelation." The Apostle Paul, the 
 friend of Christianity, says that "if Christ be not risen 
 from the dead, our preaching is vain, our faith also is 
 vain, and we are yet in our sins." In the one instance, 
 the opponent seeks to do away with the historical evi- 
 
 180 
 
Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection i8l 
 
 deuce for the accepted fact ; in the other, the adherent 
 claims that if Christ be not risen, then Christianity is a 
 sham. 
 
 We are informed by some that Christianity remains 
 intact and is not at all hurt by the inability or refusal to 
 accept the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
 It seems very apparent, however, that any attempt to 
 deny this fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith is a 
 blow aimed at the dissolution of Christianity itself. The 
 life of Jesus Christ and the story of that life as recorded 
 in the Gospels is not to be considered piecemeal. It 
 must be taken as a whole. The gospel story rises or falls 
 in one piece. If we begin by denying the virgin birth at 
 the commencement of Christ's life, and then deny the res- 
 urrection at its close, it will not be long before we will 
 be found denying the spotless and sinless life that lay 
 between these two miraculous events. A sinless life and 
 personality such as that of Jesus Christ is a miracle in- 
 deed, and according to the present status of scientific 
 thought as defined by some modern scholars, is an abso- 
 lute impossibility in the moral realm. If, according to 
 the modern scientific mind, everything that is supernat- 
 ural must be ruled out of the life of Christ and the Gos- 
 pels, we must, to be consistent, rule out, not merely the 
 virgin birth and the resurrection, but also the perfect, 
 sinless life of Jesus.' 
 
 I. Its Fundamental Place in the Gospel (xv. 1-19). 
 A careful study of 1 Corinthians xv. shows us the im- 
 portant place the resurrection of Christ holds in the 
 Christian system. 
 
 "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching 
 
 vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found 
 
 false witnesses of God ; because we have testified of God 
 
 that Ije raised up Christ ; whom he raised not up, if so be 
 
 'See page 218 of "The Gospels and Acts," by the author. 
 
i82 I Corinthians 
 
 that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then 
 is not Christ raised : And if Christ be not raised, your 
 faith is vain ; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also 
 which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. Else 
 what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if 
 the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized 
 for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every 
 hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner 
 of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what ad- 
 vantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and 
 drink ; for to-morrow we die." 
 
 If Christ be not risen, then we have no gospel. Take 
 away from Paul's gospel the fact that Christ rose from 
 the dead, and you have taken the very heart and core 
 out of his message ; then the gospel is nothing but a 
 painted story, a concocted tale. Then the words of the 
 preacher are empty words, the hopes he has aroused are 
 idle dreams. His message is a sham, a delusion, a tissue 
 of falsehoods, an empty phantom, and a worthless fiction. 
 Instead of being the proclamation of truth, it is the dis- 
 semination of a lie. If Christ be not risen, then the 
 gospel has no reality ; our message is a vain, worthless, 
 empty sham ; in reality we have no gospel to preach. 
 
 If Christ be not risen from the dead, it may be ques- 
 tioned whether we have a God who is really worthy of 
 our confidence and trust. There are some who say that 
 even though we do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus 
 Christ, we nevertheless have a God in whom we can trust 
 and believe. But have we? Do you think that God 
 would leave One so spotless, so pure as Christ, covered 
 with shame, defamed, to remain under the stigma of an 
 impostor and traitor, which would be the case if He did 
 not raise Christ from the dead ? Then what hope have 
 we? What is the use of trying to be good, if the end of 
 
Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 183 
 
 it all is a skull and some ashes? Think of the sufferings 
 and death of the innocent, sinless Christ. Now, if there 
 were no resurrection of that spotless life, then God is 
 either dead or mad. "The spirit of holiness" of which 
 Paul speaks (Romans i. 4), the power and force of the 
 sinlessuess of His life, made it impossible that He should 
 remain under death's power. This is what Peter means 
 (Acts ii. 22, 23) when, after recounting the spotless life 
 of Christ, he says, " It was not possible that (such a one 
 as) he (Christ) should be holden of it (death)." 
 
 The apostle further says, "If Christ be not risen 
 . . . then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ 
 are perished." Oh, those beautiful words: "Fallen 
 asleep in Christ ' '—kissed to sleep, as it were, by Christ ! 
 If Christ be not risen, then that loved one whom you 
 laid aside in hope of a glorious resurrection j that dear 
 father who all through life had surrendered to the living 
 Christ ; that precious mother who pillowed her head on 
 the promises of Jesus Christ ; that beloved daughter 
 whose form you put away in the hope of the resurrection 
 morning; that sweet child whose eyes you may have 
 closed in death ; — all these precious loved ones to whom 
 you bade farewell, you will never see again if it be that 
 Christ be not risen. Then those loved ones died as the 
 beasts of the field ; they perished, perished forever. Your 
 hope of meeting those whom you have " loved long since 
 and lost a while " is a delusion ; you will never see them 
 again, if Christ be not risen. 
 
 "If in this life only we have a hope in Christ," the 
 apostle continues, "we are of all men most pitiable." 
 If our faith is but a hope, a mere bubble, something 
 without substance or reality, then, above all men, we are 
 to be pitied. The Christian has surrendered many pleas- 
 ures of the world ; he has denied himself of certain en- 
 joyments in this life because they conflict with his soul's 
 
184 I Corinthians 
 
 deepest interests in Christ ; he has said " no " to the 
 world, its pleasures, its sins, its emoluments, its ad- 
 vancements ; he has practiced a life of self-denial. And 
 for what? In hope of a glorious reward in that future, 
 risen life. But if there be no such blissful existence ; if 
 there be no home into which we are to be welcomed by 
 the Father ; if there be no King to say, " Well done, ex- 
 change mortality for life ; " if there be no Christ to say, 
 "Enter into the kingdom prepared for you," then the 
 Christian simply falls down dead ; he is to be pitied ; he 
 has made a tremendous mistake. The pleasures of the 
 world are more than a mere hope ; they are not altogether 
 a sham ; they are worth something at least. But, with- 
 out the reality of the future, the Christian has not even 
 that. He has given up something for nothing. Chris- 
 tianity without the resurrection of Christ is the pity of a 
 tremendous disappointment. It is dead loss. The Chris- 
 tian is foolish, pitiable above all men. Give him your 
 pity, poor soul, he has surrendered that which has some 
 substantiality about it in this world for a bubble, for a 
 mere hope, for something that will have no materializa- 
 tion in the world to come. " If in this life only we have 
 hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable." 
 
 If the resurrection of Jesus Christ be not a fact, then 
 the apostles are, on their own confession, "found false 
 witnesses." The word "found" here means to be de- 
 tected or discovered in the perpetration of a fraud. The 
 word has a moral meaning. It is used in connection with 
 detection of forgery. If Christ had not risen from the 
 dead, the apostles were guilty of fostering fraud upon the 
 people. It is remarkable to note that the apostle uses the 
 word "false," not mistaken, deceived, or deluded; nor 
 does he say that the resurrection of Christ is a vision or 
 hallucination of the apostles, whose imagination had 
 probably been overwrought by reason of their relation to 
 
Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 185 
 
 Jesus Christ. If they had not been eye-witnesses of the 
 resurrection and the risen Christ, then they were guilty 
 of willingly and knowingly perpetrating a fraud upon the 
 Church. Even the remote possibility of being deceived 
 is ignored by the apostle. It is a case of indubitable fact 
 or deliberate falsehood. 
 
 That the apostle was hurt and stung by such an infer- 
 ence is evident from his language. He felt that he was 
 not being believed. He and the other apostles claimed 
 to have seen the Christ, to have spoken with Him, to 
 have received their commission from Him. To the 
 apostles Christianity did not rest merely upon a divine 
 revelation, but also upon the basis of historical fact — on 
 the fact that its Founder really rose from the dead ac- 
 cording to the Scriptures, and that they had actually 
 seen Him. To deny this fact, to which the apostles 
 claimed to have been eye-witnesses, was virtually to make 
 them out to be deceivers and liars. 
 
 Not only are the apostles, but God Himself is involved 
 in this charge of false witness. From the language used, 
 it might legitimately be inferred that there had been 
 collusion between God and these apostles. They had 
 testified of God that He was righteous and that His 
 righteousness had been shown in raising Jesus Christ 
 from the dead, which, of course, was not true if Jesus did 
 not actually rise from the tomb in Joseph's garden. 
 
 It follows then, if the apostles were false witnesses, 
 which would be the case if Christ did not actually rise 
 from the dead, that the greater part of the New Testa- 
 ment, with all its revelation of God, redemption, and the 
 future life, cannot be considered reliable. Let us not for- 
 get that fourteen out of the twenty-seven books composing 
 the New Testament were written by the Apostle Paul. If 
 the apostle is a false witness, then these books are false 
 and cannot be relied upon as a guide in matters of faith. 
 
i86 I Corinthians 
 
 Just think of it ! These wonderful Pauline epistles with 
 their glorious doctrine of the person and work of Christ 
 as set forth in the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, 
 Colossians, and possibly Hebrews ; the wonderful doc- 
 trine of the Church as set forth in the epistles to the Cor- 
 inthians, Timothy, and Titus j the glorious and comfort- 
 ing doctrine of the second coming and a future life of 
 blessedness for the saints ; — all these books, which have 
 been the cause, inspiration, and power of the finest moral 
 achievements of the ages, truths which have been courage 
 to the living and strength to the dying — if Christ be not 
 risen, then all these glorious writings are false ; they are 
 not what they profess to be ; they are forgery and a sham. 
 Indeed, we may go farther and say that if God, who is 
 said to have spoken through all the writers of the entire 
 Bible, is a party to this false witness of the resurrection 
 of Jesus, then we have no Bible at all. This is by no 
 means dealing unfairly or harshly with the subject or its 
 alternative. The whole Bible rises or falls with the proof 
 of the resurrection of Christ. 
 
 If Christ be not risen from the dead, then there is no 
 redemption from sin, pardon, or forgiveness ; we are yet 
 in our sins. Jesus Christ and the apostles taught that the 
 death of Christ on the cross was vitally connected with 
 our redemption and pardon ; that it was an atonement for 
 our sins, and the ground on which a righteous God could 
 pardon sinful and sinning men. Indeed, in this very 
 chapter, the apostle says that "Christ died for our sins." 
 The resurrection of Christ was the Father's approval of 
 the sacrifice of the Son. If the body of Christ remained 
 in that tomb in Joseph's garden ; if Jesus did not rise 
 from the dead on the third day, according to the Scrip- 
 tures, He must still remain under the power of death. 
 How can He then deliver us from death, which is the 
 wages of sin 1 If He is not able to deliver Himself from 
 
Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 187 
 
 its power and dominion, then His death has not accom- 
 plished its intended purpose of pardon and forgiveness, 
 and we are still under sin's guilt, dominion, and power. 
 If Christ be not risen, we are hopelessly lost in our guilt 
 and sin ; then His death has wrought only imaginary 
 changes, and has deluded its most faithful adherents. 
 "We have simply put faith in the wrong person and in the 
 wrong thing. 
 
 And yet in view of all these things, we are told that it 
 makes no difference to Christianity whether we believe 
 that Christ rose from the dead or not. On the contrary, 
 the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very crux, the very 
 heart of Christianity. 
 
 2. The General Resurrection of All Men Assured 
 by Christ's Resurrection (xv. 20-28). 
 
 (a) Because Christ Arose, All Men Will Arise (xv. 
 20-22). Verse 22 is the key-note to this section : ''For 
 as in Adam all die (physically), even so in Christ shall 
 all be made alive" (physically), for it is the resurrection 
 of the body, and not the spiritual quickening of the soul, 
 that Paul is here discussing. Just as the resurrection of 
 Christ is an earnest or proof of a coming judgment day 
 (Acts xvii. 31 E. v.), so it is here of the general resur- 
 rection. 
 
 (6) The Order of the Besurrection (xv. 23-28). Christ 
 is the first-fruits; then comes the resurrection of the 
 saints ; then of the wicked ; then comes the end. The 
 use of the word ''then" in these verses indicates se- 
 quence (cf. XV. 5, 6, 7, 17; xii. 28; Mark iv. 17, 28; 
 Galatians i. 18, 21 ; ii. 1 ; 1 Timothy ii. 13 ; 1 Thessalo- 
 nians iv. 17 ; James iv. 14 ; John xi. 7 ; Hebrews vii. 
 2, 27). On the order of the resurrection compare Daniel 
 xii. 2 (Hebrew) ; Luke xx. 35 ; John v. 25 ; Acts iv. 2 ; 
 Revelation xx. 4, 5, 6 ; Hebrews xi. 35. 
 
 3. The Argument from Experience (xv. 29-34). 
 
i88 I Corinthians 
 
 Paul has already referred to this argument by reference to 
 the change in their lives since they had received Christ 
 as Saviour (xv. 2, 17). Now he refers to a custom extant 
 among them, of baptizing for the dead. It seems to have 
 been the belief of some that if they were baptized in the 
 stead of some one of their friends or loved ones — e. g., 
 who had died unbaptized — then some spiritual benefit 
 would accrue to the deceased in the future life. Not that 
 Paul believed or sanctioned any such doctrine, for the 
 distinction between the "they" of verse 29, and the 
 '' we " of verse 30 shows a contrast. 
 
 Further, what advantage is there in martyrdom or liv- 
 ing in constant expectation of it for the cause of Christ if 
 there be no resurrection of the body as well as an existence 
 beyond the grave ? 
 
 Paul's reference to having fought with beasts at Ephesus 
 is probably figurative, and refers to his deadly conflicts 
 with the Jews, probably especially at Ephesus (cf. iv. 9 ; 
 2 Timothy iv. 17 ; Titus 1. 12 ; Matthew vii. 15 ; 2 Cor- 
 inthians i. 8, 9 ; Acts xx. 19 ; Psalm xxii. 12, 13, 20, 21). 
 Paul was a Eoman citizen with all the rights and privi- 
 leges accruing therefrom (cf. Acts xxii. 24-29). That 
 fact alone would protect him from being thrown to the 
 wild beasts. Ignatius, in his epistle to the Eomans, says, 
 "From Syria even unto Eome, I fight with beasts, both 
 by land and sea, both night and day, being bound to ten 
 leopards — I mean a band of soldiers." 
 
 4. Objections to the Resurrection of the Body An- 
 swered (xv. 35-37). Two questions are asked : the first 
 concerns the manner ^ and the second the /orm of the res- 
 urrection. Paul's answer to the first is that the resurrec- 
 tion of the body takes place through the death of the 
 body ; to the second, that the body that is raised is a spir- 
 itual body. 
 
 (a) The Analogy in Nature; and the Scripture (xv. 
 
Doctrinal Discussion — The Resurrection 189 
 
 35-49). Just as what we sow in nature is quickened only 
 after it dies, so is it with the body, which must die before 
 it can be quickened into everlasting life. 
 
 Just as the body of the seed which rises from the 
 ground is different from that which is placed under the 
 ground, so is it with the resurrection of the body. Yet 
 the identity is preserved. You sow a grain of wheat, and 
 wheat, not a rose, comes up. " Dissolution is not loss of 
 identity." 
 
 What was the nature and likeness of Christ's resur- 
 rection body, which our resurrection body is to resemble ? 
 It was a real body (Luke xxiv. 39) ; recognizable (Luke 
 xxiv. 31 ; John xx. 16) ; powerful (John xx. 19). 
 
 The characteristics of the believer's resurrection body 
 as set forth in 1 Corinthians xv. : It is not flesh and 
 blood (xv. 50, 51; cf. Hebrews ii. 14; 2 Corinthians 
 V. 1-6 J Luke xxiv. 39) — "flesh and bones," so not pure 
 spirit; a real body. It is incorruptible (xv. 42)— no 
 decay, sickness, pain. It is glorious (xv. 43 ; 2 Corin- 
 thians iii. 18 ; Eevelation i. 13-17) ; compare the trans- 
 figuration (Matthew xvii.). It has been said that Adam 
 and Eve in their unfallen state possessed a glorious body. 
 The face of Stephen was glorious in his death (Acts 
 vi. 15). It is powerful (xv. 43) — not tired or weak ; no 
 lassitude. Compare now — '' the spirit is willing, but the 
 flesh is weak " ; not so then. It is a spiritual body 
 (xv. 44). Here the soul is the life of the body ; there the 
 spirit will be the life of the body. It is heavenly (xv. 
 47-49). 
 
 Conclusion 
 (^Chapter xvi.) 
 
 Two thoughts are in the conclusion : first, matters per- 
 taining to the collection for the saints (xvi. 1-4) ; and 
 
IQO I Corinthians 
 
 secoud, personal matters, greetings, aud farewells (xvi. 
 5-24). 
 
 Regarding the collection from the Gentile churches for 
 the poor saints at Jerusalem, Paul calls for a regular, 
 systematic, proportionate giving from one's income to the 
 work of the Lord. He suggests that such giving, care- 
 fully attended to, would be far more satisfactory than a 
 big offering taken at his coming, probably on the spur of 
 some enthusiasm. Christian giving should be the result 
 of a settled principle, not of a spasmodic impulse. The 
 offering should be equal to the occasion and need (xvi. 4). 
 
 Like the rest of Paul's epistles, the last chapter is taken 
 up with personal greetings and farewells — with matters 
 of a personal and secular nature. ** With Paul, personal 
 considerations were not lost in general philanthropy. He 
 put values on the courtesies of life. There are minds 
 which are indifferent to such things, aud fancy them- 
 selves above them. But love is dependent on forms — 
 courtesy of etiquette guards and protects courtesy of 
 heart. Note the words ' As touching our brother Apol- 
 los' — note the perfect absence of all mean jealousy in 
 Paul's mind. This is magnanimity and true delicacy of 
 heart. The Christian greeting draws those who are 
 greeted in Christ." 
 
 "Anathema, Maranatha" — so this word and work of 
 Christ, which is able to save our souls, is read by each 
 of us, either for a blessing or a curse. 
 
II Corinthians 
 
Synopsis of II Corinthians 
 
 Introductory. 
 
 I, The Introduction to the Book (i. 1-14). 
 
 1. The address and greeting (i. i, 2). 
 
 2. The thanksgiving and hope for the Corinthian be- 
 
 lievers (i. 3-14). 
 
 II. Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit to the 
 
 Church at Corinth (i. 15-vii. ib). 
 
 1. The deferred visit and its purpose (i. i 5-ii. 17). 
 
 (a) The matter discussed in general (i. 15-22). 
 (i) The real reason for the postponement of the 
 
 visit (i. 23-ii. 4). 
 (f) The need for such discipline and severity has 
 
 now been removed by the penitence and 
 
 restoration of the offending party (ii. 5— 1 1 ,1. 
 (jd) The news from Titus comforts the apostle and 
 
 makes possible a visit characterized by joyful- 
 
 ness (ii. 12^17). 
 
 2. The dignity and superiority of the apostolic office 
 
 (iii. i-vi. 10). 
 
 (a) Apostolic credentials (iii. 1-3). 
 
 (^) Such credentials give no ground for apostolic 
 
 boasting, for they are the work of God (iii. 
 
 4-11). 
 (r) The possession of so glorious a gospel gives 
 
 boldness of speech (iii. 12-18). 
 
 3. The office of the ministry exercised in all sincerity by 
 
 the apostle (iv. 1-6). 
 (a) The sincerity of the apostle's ministry (iv. 1-6). 
 
 4. The divine provision supports and encourages the 
 
 apostle in his labors for God (iv. 7-v. 10). 
 [a) The simplicity of the instrument (iv. 7). 
 (^) The support of the ministry (iv. 8-v. 10). 
 193 
 
194 Synopsis of II Corinthians 
 
 5. The apostle's vindication (v. 1 i-vi. 10). 
 
 (/?) The apostle's experience (v. 11 — 19). 
 
 (^) The sufferings of the apostle (v. 20-vi. 10). 
 
 6. Confidential relations between the apostle and the 
 
 Corinthians restored (vi. ll-vii. 16). 
 (<7) The plea for the establishment of confidential 
 
 relations (vi. i i-vii. 4). 
 (J>) Confidential relations between the apostle and 
 
 the Corinthian believers reestablished (vii. 
 
 5-16). 
 
 III. Matters Concerning the Collection for the 
 
 Poor Saints at Jerusalem (viii. i-ix. 15), 
 
 1. Exemplary beneficence (viii. 1-15). 
 
 (a) Illustrated in the matchless giving of the Mace- 
 donian churches (viii. 1-5). 
 
 (^) The example of our Lord Jesus Christ (viii. 9). 
 
 (f) The direct appeal to the Corinthian church to 
 give to the fund for the poor saints at Jerusalem 
 (viii. 6-8, 10-15). 
 
 2. The care to be exercised with reference to raising 
 
 and distributing the collection (viii. l6-ix. 5). 
 
 3. The nature and blessing of true giving (ix. 6-15). 
 
 IV. Paul's Apostolic Character and Authority 
 
 Vindicated (x. i-xiii. 10). 
 
 1. The insinuations against the apostle stated and vindi- 
 
 cated (x. 1-12). 
 
 (a) The charges of cowardice and weakness (x. 
 
 1-12). 
 
 2. Paul's glorying is according to the divine standard 
 
 (x. 13-18). 
 
 3. The emoluments and evidences of apostleship (xi. l- 
 
 xii. 18). 
 {a) The emoluments of apostleship (xi. i-xii. 10). 
 
 (b) The evidences (xii. 11-21). 
 
 4. Apprehensions in view of Paul's intended visit 
 
 (xiii. I- 10). 
 
 The Conclusion (xiii. 11-14). 
 
Introductory 
 
 ITS Relation to the First Epistle to the Corinthians. 
 That it has such is indicated by allusions to the first 
 epistle (ii. 2, 4 ; vii. 8). Some have thought that 
 these references deal with au epistle other than what we 
 know as 1 Corinthians, which other epistle, it is claimed, 
 was lost (cf. 1 Corinthians v. 9). In that case our 
 1 Corinthians would be 2 Corinthians. The reason for 
 the theory of this lost epistle to the Corinthians lies in 
 the claim that the contents of what we know as 1 Corin- 
 thians are not severe enough to warrant such language as 
 Paul uses in describing his previous letter to the Corin- 
 thian church. Yet 1 Corinthians ii. 16 ; iii. 2 ; iv. 8, 
 18-21 ; V. 1-8; vi. 5-8 ; xi. 17-22 ; xv. 35, 36 seem severe 
 enough, do they not ? However, the case of one or two 
 lost letters is problematical. We have two epistles — of 
 that we are certain ; and we must deal with them. 
 
 The apostle was naturally anxious to know what effect 
 his former letter had had upon the Corinthian church. 
 Such a report was expected from Timothy, who was to 
 have arrived shortly after the epistle had been received 
 (1 Corinthians iv. 17 ; xvi. 10). Apparently, Timothy 
 had not been as favorably received as the apostle had 
 expected, probably because of the party divisions (1 Corin- 
 thians i. 11-13) and existing strife among the members. 
 This fact disturbs Paul ; so, subsequently, he sends Titus 
 to Corinth to become acquainted with conditions and re- 
 port to him (2 Corinthians ii. 12, 13 ; vii. 6, 7). For 
 some reason or other Titus is delayed. Paul becomes ex- 
 ceedingly anxious — so much so that he cannot wait at 
 
 195 
 
196 II Corinthians 
 
 Troas (2 Corinthiaus ii. 11-13), but passes into Europe 
 to the Macedonian city of Philippi (2 Corinthians ii. 13), 
 where Titus meets him and brings a report of miugled 
 joy and sorrow : joy because of the manner in which they 
 had received the apostle's exhortations, rebuke, and coun- 
 sel in his previous letter (2 Corinthians vii. 9-16;, haviug 
 carried out his injunction regarding discipline (1 Corin- 
 thians V. 1-8 J cf. 2 Corinthians ii. 4—11) ; sorrow because 
 the anti-Pauline element and Judaistic teachers had ma- 
 ligned him, personally, and officially. ''He was charged 
 with fickleness (2 Corinthians i. 15-20) ; self-laudation 
 (2 Corinthians iii. 1 ; v. 12 ; x. 8) ; unrightful assump- 
 tion of authority (2 Corinthians x. 14) ; with being a 
 traitor to his country and an apostate from his faith 
 (2 Corinthians xi. 22) ; not a true minister of Christ 
 (2 Corinthians x. 7 ; xi. 23) ; and putting himself on a 
 level with the apostles (2 Corinthians xi. 5 ; xii. 11)." 
 They made attacks on the private life of the apostle 
 (2 Corinthians i. 17, 18, 23 ; ii. 1 ; x. 10; xiii. 2). They 
 said he ran away from Damascus (xi. 32, 33) and from 
 Corinth (ii. 1 ; xiii. 2) ; that he was vacillating (i. 17, 
 18) ; impious (x. 8) ; cowardly (i. 23 ; xiii. 2) ; con- 
 scious of imposture and consequently did not dare take 
 support (xi. 7-9; xii. 14), yet guilty of getting it by 
 questionable means (vii. 2 ; xii. 17, 18) if not by stealing 
 (viii. 20, 21). They ridiculed his personal presence 
 (x. 10) and his speech (xi. 6), In the first epistle Paul's 
 apostleship had been questioned and criticized, but in 
 the second epistle he is openly defied, insulted, and 
 laughed at. 
 
 Naturally, Paul is hurt, cut to the quick, and speedily 
 springs to the defense of his personal character and 
 apostleship (iii. 5 ; iv. 5 ; x. 8 ; xi. 16-18 ; xii. 1, 11). 
 
 How severely the apostle rebukes these false charges 
 and false teachers ! How strong the language he uses 
 
Introductory 197 
 
 agaiust them (x. 7 ; xi. 3, 4, 5, 13, 22, 23 ; xii. 11, 12) ! 
 Such false teachers are corrupters of the gospel (ii. 17; 
 iv. 2 ; xi. 3, 13), but not of Paul's gospel (iii. 5-10 ; xi. 
 4, 14) ; they had brought down the standard of spiritual 
 life to meet their own low level of living (x. 12) ; instead 
 of trying to break new ground to win souls, they had 
 entered upon the field and labors of the apostle, and 
 sought to undo his work (s. 15, 16) ; they exacted 
 maintenance by force (xi. 15-20) ; they were no less than 
 ministers of Satan (xi. 15), although they carried with 
 them letters of recommendation (iii. 1). 
 
 Time and Place of Writing. This epistle was 
 written, probably, from the Macedonian city of Philippi 
 (or Thessalonica) (ii. 13 ; vii. 5 ; viii. 1 ; ix. 2, 4), some 
 few months after the first epistle was written — about 
 57 A. D. 
 
 Titus was probably the bearer of the epistle (viii. 23 j 
 ix. 3, 5). 
 
 The Occasion and Purpose of Writing. 
 
 1. The return of Titus with good news regarding the 
 reception by the Corinthian Christians of Paul's former 
 epistle to them (i. 8; ii. 13 ; vii. 6-13). 
 
 2. To defend his character and apostolic authority 
 against the insinuations of false teachers. 
 
 3. To encourage benevolence in behalf of the poor 
 saints at Jerusalem. 
 
 4. To put the Corinthians in a proper state of mind 
 for his intended visit. 
 
The Introduction to the Book 
 
 (i. l-U) 
 
 THE introduction contains two thoughts : the 
 Address and Greeting (i. 1, 2), and the Thanks- 
 giving (i. 3-14). 
 
 1. The Address and Greeting (i. 1, 2). The address 
 is similar to, only briefer than that of the first epistle 
 (for which see pp. 115, 116). Timothy is associated with 
 Paul (not as author, but as sender of the epistle) instead 
 of Sosthenes (cf. 1 Corinthians i. 1). 
 
 ''The church of God which is at Corinth, with all the 
 saints which are in all Achaia " are addressed. Not that 
 the epistle is encyclical with regard to its application, 
 for surely a recognition of the nature of its peculiar con- 
 tents shows that it has its strict and almost exclusive ap- 
 plication to the church at Corinth. Probably the region 
 round about Corinth is included (cf. 1 Corinthians xvi. 15 ; 
 Acts xix. 21), Corinth doubtless being looked upon as the 
 mother church. Eeference is made to the local churches 
 of this region in viii. 1, 18, 19, 23, 24 ; xi. 8, 28 ; xii. 13 ; 
 consequently the salutation here is probably limited to 
 the church as a regularly established assembly and also 
 to the scattered saints in and about that region. The 
 words may be a gentle reminder to the proud Corinthian 
 church that it was not important enough to be the whole 
 thing. As the Corinthian believers are the church of 
 God, so Paul is the apostle of Christ Jesus. 
 
 2. The Thanksgiving and Hope for the Corinthian 
 
 198 
 
The Introduction to the Book. 199 
 
 Believers (i. 3-14). The apostle is grateful to God for 
 the comfort he has found in all his tribulation for the 
 gospel's sake, not only for its personal blessing, but also 
 for its altruistic effect and the sympathy which it has 
 created. His troubles have been serious and heavy. 
 They have bowed him down. They are described aa 
 "above measure," as "a sentence of death," and *'so 
 great a death." Such sufferings are to be expected — 
 they came to Christ ; they will come to His followers 
 (John XV. 20 ; 2 Timothy iii. 12). The Head suffered ; 
 so must also the body. Indeed, just as Christ suffered 
 for the redemption of the Church, so the Church must 
 suffer for its upbuilding. There was no crown without 
 suffering for Him ; neither will there be for us (cf. 2 Tim- 
 othy ii. 12 ; iii. 12). Strange that the followers of Christ 
 suffer for well-doing ! Yet so it is. So did Christ suf- 
 fer ; so will His followers. This is the mystery of the 
 cross which the reason of man cannot reconcile. The 
 sufferings of the Church are the trials of Christ. It is as 
 though they were inflicted on Him, so closely identified 
 is Christ with His Church (cf. 1 Corinthians xii. 12). 
 
 The sufferings of life are a discipline in the school of 
 experience. They are for our comfort, confidence, and 
 sympathy (cf. Hebrews iv. 15). Only as we suffer do we 
 know the comfort of God and are we able to comfort 
 others in like circumstances. As to ourselves, such suf- 
 fering awakens our conscience (i. 12), draws us nigh to 
 God (i. 9), imparts hope to our longing hearts by bidding 
 us look to the future (i. 10), and puts us into sympathy 
 with others (i. 7). To shrink from suffering is to lose the 
 opportunity for helpful comfort to others. The soldier 
 who sits around the camp-fire will not know what true 
 bravery is. " The admonitions of a veteran general have 
 a power which no young captain can have." He who 
 lacks suffering lacks equipment for his work. 
 
200 II Corinthians 
 
 God's comfort extends to every aud all trouble— 
 whether of body or mind. No less than ten times in 
 these verses is the comfort which God gives us under all 
 circumstances referred to. 
 
n 
 
 Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit to 
 the Church at Corinth 
 
 (i. 15-vU. 16) 
 
 1. The Deferred Visit and Its Purpose (1. 15-11. 17). 
 
 (a) The Matter Discussed in General (i. 15-22). For 
 legitimate reasons the apostle had deferred his visit to 
 Corinth. The enemies of the apostle had taken this 
 postponement as an occasion to charge him with fickle- 
 ness and double-dealing in his plans — with making prom- 
 ises with no thought of keeping them ; they accused him 
 of being a man moved too much by the impulse of the 
 flesh (i. 17) rather than by a determined purpose. They 
 inferred that he was a diplomat or a Jesuit, or perhaps 
 both. 
 
 The apostle appeals to the faithfulness of God and to 
 the unchanging nature of the gospel he had preached 
 in their midst to witness against any such insinuations 
 laid against his character. "Prophets and apostles can 
 be trusted because God, who chose them, is faithful" 
 (cf. 1 Timothy i. 12). The Son of God, whom Paul had 
 preached among them, was not a vacillating Saviour — a 
 reed shaken with the wind. Christ was a rock, and on 
 Him every promise of God was established. Is it not 
 likely, therefore, that His ministers also will be likewise ? 
 Jesus Christ was God's "Amen" to every promise, and 
 upon Him we may absolutely rely and firmly build our 
 hopes. He is immutable and unchangeable. Such a 
 
 201 
 
202 II Corinthians 
 
 Christ and gospel Paul proclaims, lives for, and glorifies. 
 Is it not likely that the ministers of such a Saviour would 
 be likewise? Is it likely that Paul, as an apostle of 
 Christ, wotild be guilty of duplicity, fickleness, and un- 
 reliableness in statement ? It is surely incredible that a 
 true minister of Christ, the "Amen" of God, should be 
 insincere, fickle, and unfaithful. God had anointed the 
 Apostle Paul, even as He had anointed Jesus, and sealed 
 him also to this ministerial work (i. 21, 22). Whom God 
 anoints and seals He also confirms. God, who is faith- 
 ful, would not call an unworthy and unreliable instru- 
 ment, nor are those whom God calls likely to be fickle 
 and unfaithful, but cause glory to be given to God for His 
 faithfulness. Such a God Paul calls as a witness to his 
 sincerity and vindication of his character (i. 23). Not 
 levity, but consideration (1 Corinthians iv. 21 ; vii. 28) 
 led to the apostle's change of plans (cf. xiii. 10 ; 1 Cor- 
 inthians iv. 18, 19). It was to spare the Corinthians, not 
 because of any fickleness on his part, that the intended 
 visit to Corinth had been postponed. Conditions were 
 such in the Corinthian church as to make it necessary 
 that Paul should come to them with a rod of iron (1 Corin- 
 thians iv. 21 ; vii. 28 ; 2 Corinthians xiii. 10). This he 
 disliked to do. He would prefer to wait until their atti- 
 tude changed, so that he could come to them in love. 
 He would be among them as a helper, not as a master. 
 No tyrannical, despotic lord would he be (cf. i. 24 ; 
 1 Corinthians vii. 35 ; 2 Corinthians x. 8 ; xii. 10). He 
 would gladden, not sadden them. Fellow-laborers are 
 the apostles. He would be "a helper of their faith" — 
 that faith which has united both him and them to the 
 same Christ (i. 21) and which therefore forbids anything 
 like dissembling or fickleness (cf. i. 24). Such help from 
 the apostle was needed to make full their joy and increase 
 their faith (cf. Philippians i. 25 ; Eomaus xv. 13). So it 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 203 
 
 would seem that joy is the end of the Christian life. 
 Christianity is perfect when it sings (cf. 1 John i. 4). 
 
 Thus the apostle explains how he would be a helper of 
 their joy and could not very well come to them and cause 
 them sorrow. He postponed his visit, therefore, in order 
 to give them time to return to obedience, that he might 
 come to them in joy and not sorrow. He could have 
 come to them and severely reprimanded them, but 
 this he would not do. The change in plans, there- 
 fore, was the result of a ''determined purpose," and 
 not the result of levity or fickleness. The whole matter 
 had been prayerfully and carefully thought out and "de- 
 termined." 
 
 (6) The Real Reason for the Postponement of the Visit 
 (i. 23-ii. 4). 
 
 Negatively : Paul's visit was deferred in order that he 
 might spare the Corinthian believers. It was a feeling 
 of compassion for them in their infirmity and sin that led 
 Paul to put off a visit which must have been necessarily 
 characterized by severe rebuke because of their conduct 
 (i. 23 ; cf. 1 Corinthians iv. 21— ''What will ye? shall I 
 come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit 
 of meekness?"). 
 
 Such authority in matters of discipline (although not 
 in the matter of their faith) Paul had and could exercise 
 by virtue of his apostolic function and office. The re- 
 buke and regulation had to do with matters of discipline 
 pertaining to their outward life and conduct (i. 24). 
 Their faith and inward religious life was a matter between 
 them and their Lord (i. 24 ; cf. Eomans xiv. 4-12, 22). 
 The apostle could lead them into a larger joy, how- 
 ever, by showing them a more excellent way of living 
 and serving Christ. 
 
 What a lesson for the pastor in his relation to his peo- 
 ple ! He is not to lord it over them (cf. 1 Peter v. 2, 3 ; 
 
204 11 Corinthians 
 
 Ezekiel xxxiv. 4 ; Matthew xx. 25, 26 ; Mark x. 42, 43). 
 How beautifully Paul exemplifies this spirit in his own 
 life (cf. Philemon 8-14). Of course, in so far as the in- 
 spired utterances of the apostle were concerned, they set 
 forth the nature, requirements, and objects of faith ; so 
 even the faith of the Corinthian believers was, to this ex- 
 tent, controlled by the teaching of the apostles. Yet, 
 outside of this, the apostles gloried in beiug helpers, not 
 lords, over God's heritage. Faith cannot be forced. 
 The apostle would bring about a present joy which is an 
 earnest and foretaste of the heavenly joy to come (cf. 
 Ephesians i. 13, 14 ; Eomans viii. 23). 
 
 Fositively : In thus sparing the Corinthians, Paul had 
 a personal interest — it was for his own sake as well as 
 theirs. He was in hopes that the letter he had written 
 them, severe as it was in its nature, would so work upon 
 them as to bring about in them that change of heart and 
 life which would give joy to both him and them. In 
 order that this letter might accomplish this desirable 
 end, the apostle had postponed his visit. 
 
 No sorrow will be greater to the true pastor than that 
 which comes through the failure of his flock to appreciate 
 all that God has purposed for them, and no truer joy 
 than that which comes when his people are walking ac- 
 cording to truth (cf. Hebrews xiii. 17 ; Eomans xvi. 19). 
 
 It is necessary at times to cause grief in order that 
 good may come. Apparently some former visit had been 
 made amid grief and pain. 
 
 (c) TJie Need for Such Discipline and Severity Has Now 
 Been Removed by the Penitence and Restoration of the Of- 
 fending Party (ii. 5-11). Just who the offending party 
 was we may not be quite certain, but very likely it was 
 the one guilty of the sin of fornication referred to in 
 1 Corinthians v. 
 
 The lesson of this section is that discipline has an end ; 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 205 
 
 indeed, is but a means to an end (cf. 1 Corinthians xi. 
 28-34 ; James v. 13-16). In every case discipline must 
 be tempered with mercy. The penitent offender must be 
 restored and fellowship with the brethren again accorded 
 him. Discipline may be carried too far if not governed 
 by Christian forbearance and prudence, and may result in 
 the complete discouragement of the offending party (cf. 
 ii. 5-8). In restoring, as well as in disciplining the 
 penitent offender we prove our love. Eestoration is just 
 as much an element of love as is discipline. In this for- 
 giveness and restoration the apostle gladly participates 
 (ii. 10). Not to forgive the penitent is to give Satan (to 
 whom the offender had been temporarily committed, cf. 
 1 Corinthians v. 5) an advantage over us, and so the 
 whole body (cf. "for yoursakes," ii. 10) of Christ suffers 
 because of the suffering of one of its members. 
 
 To have the mind of Christ (Philippians ii. 5 ; Ephe- 
 sians v. 1, 2) is to be wise to the devices of Satan. Par- 
 ticularly is this true with reference to the matter of the 
 forgiveness of others (cf. Matthew v. 21-26 ; Ephesians 
 iv. 26, 27). Satan will resort to any means to get a child 
 of God within his grasp again or to keep him within his 
 power (cf. Job chaps, i., ii. ; 1 Peter v. 8). 
 
 Despair is one of Satan's principal weapons (cf. ii. 7 — 
 " his sorrow " R. V.). The offender in question (1 Cor- 
 inthians v. 5) had been "delivered unto Satan for the 
 destruction of the flesh." The Corinthians must beware 
 lest Satan get this man's soul also, and he be " swallowed 
 up with overmuch sorrow." Paul would have the Cor- 
 inthians hold wisely the balance between a false security 
 and a hopeless despair. The offending party should not 
 be permitted to sink into either condition. 
 
 Surely the personality of Satan is very clearly taught 
 in this passage. For other Scriptures dealing with the 
 matter see Matthew xiii. 19, 39 ; John xiii. 2 ; Acts v. 3 ; 
 
2o6 II Corinthians 
 
 2 Corinthians xi. 3, 14 ; 2 Peter 11. 4 ; Jude 6 ; cf. 
 Ezekiel xxviii. 12-19 ; Isaiah xiv. 12-14. 
 
 As Paul had joined with the Corinthian believers In 
 the excommunication of this offender, thus giving the 
 matter apostolic sanction, so now would he unite with 
 them in restoring the offender (11. 10), thus giving the 
 restoration emphatic apostolic ratification, which would 
 doubtless be of great comfort to the repentant offender. 
 
 The expression **in the person of Christ" (or in the 
 face, or presence of Christ, cf. ill. 7, 13, 18) would indi- 
 cate that the forgiveness is not of Paul but of Jesus 
 Christ through Paul (cf. John xx. 23 ; 1 John ii. 12). 
 Just as in the case of discipline the offender was handed 
 over to Satan " in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ " 
 (1 Corinthians v. 4), so now the restoration takes place 
 *'in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." The expres- 
 sion "in the person of Christ" may also indicate that 
 the apostle acts towards the offender as in the presence 
 of Christ and would have them treat him as though 
 Christ were actually looking on, as in point of fact He 
 was actually doing. 
 
 How gently and delicately the apostle deals with this 
 offender who has been restored ! He refers to him in the 
 words " if any one" and "such a one" (cf. the same ex- 
 pression in 1 Corinthians v. 5 — "deliver such an one over 
 to Satan "). How tactful we need to be in dealing with 
 the erring ! How gentle we need to be in our methods of 
 restoration ! The conduct of the church towards an of- 
 fending brother should always aim at his restoration (cf. 
 Galatians vi. 1-5). A church is in danger of falling into 
 Satan's clutches by over-severity just as by over-laxity. 
 
 The church, of course, should exercise discipline in 
 such a manner and at such times as the good of the of- 
 fender demands : when the church is threatened with in- 
 jury because of it, and when the sin has been of such a 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 207 
 
 nature as to arouse the righteous indignation of God's 
 people — an indignation calling for such an expression. 
 Such discipline, however, should not be without end. It 
 should be discontinued when the end and purpose of the 
 punishment have been secured and the penitence of the 
 offender has been expressed. Thus by the proper dem- 
 onstration of discipline, punishment has been meted out 
 to the offender and the righteousness of the church vindi- 
 cated. 
 
 {d) The News from Titus Comforts the Apostle and 
 Makes Possible a Visit Characterized by Joyfulness (ii. 
 12-17). This section is really a continuation of the 
 thought following ii. 4, from which the apostle digressed 
 to deal with the matter of the offending brother. 
 
 The fact that God had caused the apostolic message and 
 instruction to triumph in Corinth as He had elsewhere is 
 a source of rejoicing to the apostle and an encouragement 
 to further labor. The unrest of spirit which the apostle 
 had endured pending the knowledge of such a triumph in 
 relation to the church at Corinth had interfered with his 
 labors at Troas (cf. Acts xx. 1, 2, 6-13 ; 1 Corinthians 
 xvi. 5-9), where otherwise he could have done a great 
 work for God (cf. 1 Corinthians xvi. 9 ; Eevelation 
 iii. 8). 
 
 It is evident from this statement that not every *'open 
 door" is to be entered. Therefore, every opportunity, 
 call, or open door is not the will of God. There may be 
 a greater need and call elsewhere (Acts xvi. 7-10). This 
 is a word of caution which Christians are in sore need of 
 to-day, for too easily are our relations in our fields of la- 
 bor uprooted by what purports to be another call of God 
 or an open door to work elsewhere. 
 
 God had again, as always, caused the apostle to triumph 
 — not in himself, but in Christ, to whose service he had 
 devoted himself, and whose gospel he has given his life 
 
2o8 II Corinthians 
 
 to proclaim. Aud so God had not only caused them, the 
 apostolic ambassadors, to triumph, but God had also ex- 
 hibited them as divine triumphs in themselves. God had 
 triumphed in the conversion of the apostle on the way to 
 Damascus, and He had continued to set Paul forth as His 
 triumph again and again throughout the years of his 
 service for Him. "In our spiritual course, our only true 
 triuniphs are God^s triumphs over us. His defeats of us 
 are our only real victories. " Through such triumphs the 
 knowledge of God is diffused as odors were scattered along 
 the pathway of the ancient conquerors (cf. Ephesians v. 
 2 ; Philippians iv. 18). 
 
 God had made the ministry of the apostles life-giving 
 or death-dealing. To those who looked upon the gospel 
 of Christ as mere fiction or the empty announcement of 
 the story of a crucified man, aud who, in spite of the 
 apostolic testimony, witnessed by the Spirit, refused to 
 believe — to them the gospel was a ministry of death : an 
 odor wafted from death, just as the Eoman triumphal 
 processions often ended in the death of some captives. 
 On the contrary, to those who believed and received the 
 apostolic message concerning Christ crucified, risen, and 
 glorified, it was a message of life : an odor wafted from 
 life. The gospel works both ways (cf. Matthew xxi. 44 ; 
 Luke ii. 34 ; John ix. 39 ; 1 Peter ii. 7, 8). To which 
 class a man belongs, whether of life (cf. ill. 1 ; iv. 2) or 
 of death (cf. iv. 4-6), is determined by his attitude 
 towards the person and work of Christ. The minister of 
 the gospel should think of the permanent and eternal re- 
 sults of his preaching (life or death) as they will seem in 
 another world (cf. 1 Thessalonians ii. 19 ; Hebrews xiii. 
 17 ; Ezekiel iii. 16-20 ; xxxiii. 7-9). 
 
 The power, efi&cacy, and suffering of the gospel, and 
 the Producer of these triumphs is God (ii. 16 ; cf. iii. 5). 
 The question asked in ii. 16 — "And who is sufiBcient for 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 209 
 
 these things'?" — is auswered in iii. 5 — " Not that we are 
 sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves ; 
 but our sufficiency is of God. " 
 
 This dependence upon God for success leads to the men- 
 tion of those false teachers who were hucksters of the 
 divine Word, adulterating it according to their own 
 whims and fancies in order for gain or popularity (cf. 
 1 Timothy vi. 5), instead of depending on the Holy Spirit 
 of God and speaking as in His presence (ii. 1). To adul- 
 terate the Word of God is to deal with the Bible as tavern 
 keepers of old did with their wine when they adulterated 
 it in order to make gain out of it (cf. 2 Peter iii. 2). 
 Never will Paul stoop to such conduct. The eye of God 
 is upon him, and he cannot but be sincere under this con- 
 sciousness. The apostle's life and being were in Christ 
 (Galatians ii. 20 ; cf. Psalm Ixxxvii. 7). Hence his mes- 
 sage was from the Christ. 
 
 2. The Dignity and Superiority of the Apostolic 
 Office (iii. 1-vi. 10). This section is really parenthetical 
 between ii. 14 and vii. 5. In ii. 14 the apostle refers to 
 the waiting for Titus at Troas ; vii. 5 refers again to the 
 same event. 
 
 (a) Apostolio Credentials (iii. 1-3). The thought of 
 triumphs wrought through the apostles brings him next 
 to the question of commendatory letters. The practice of 
 granting such letters to traveling preachers seems to have 
 been in vogue in the church at that time (cf. 1 Corin- 
 thians iv. 14 ; XV. 12 ; Galatians i. 7). There is in this 
 section clearly an attack on the false apostles who were 
 creating trouble in the church. The apostles themselves, 
 through their labors for and interest in the spiritual wel- 
 fare of the Corinthian believers, furnished such letters of 
 commendation (cf. iv. 2 ; 1 Corinthians xiv. 25). It is as 
 if the apostle said, Do we need to speak of our triumphs 
 in other places to uphold our standing in Corinth 1 The 
 
210 II Corinthians 
 
 character of our ministry in your midst is our recommen- 
 dation. Paul needed no such letters to Corinth, or to any 
 other church, as did false teachers and so-called apostles. 
 He was well and better known than any or all of them to 
 all the churches. Christ had written His work upon the 
 hearts of the Corinthian believers surely. The apostle 
 himself was but the amanuensis of Christ ; the living 
 Spirit of God, the ink ; and the hearts of the believers, 
 tablets (cf. Exodus xxi. 18 ; Proverbs iii. 3 ; vii. 3 ; Jere- 
 miah xxxi. 31-34 ; Ezekiel xi. 19 ; xxxvi. 26). Nor did 
 the apostle fear any inspection by the world of the reality 
 of the Corinthians' faith and life. 
 
 The Corinthians were the commendatory letter of the 
 apostle. First, they were written on his own heart and 
 conscience. They were the divine credentials of his apos- 
 tolic ministry. The fruit of his labors were they. Sec- 
 ondly, they were the apostle's recommendation to them- 
 selves. Were they not proofs that his ministry was 
 divine ? Could they not point to their own experience in 
 the Lord ? Third, the Corinthians were a letter of com- 
 mendation to the world. Their lives were open to inspec- 
 tion by all people. Not the crowds that follow but the 
 permanent fruit that abides is the divine credential the 
 minister needs. 
 
 (6) Such Credentials Give No Ground for Apostolic 
 Boasting, for They Are the Work of God (iii. 4-11). Had 
 Paul seemed to give any ground for his enemies to say 
 that he was puffing himself up or recommending himself 
 (cf. 1 Corinthians chaps, ii.-iv. ; vii. 25, 40; ix. 14, 18; 
 XV. 10). Is the vindication of character and action ever 
 necessary, and may such take place without vanity and 
 pride t 
 
 Such successes as the apostle has mentioned in both 
 Corinth and Asia were triumphs of God in Christ, and he 
 would so designate them. The power and sufficiency are 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 211 
 
 of God, who made the apostles able aud sufficient minis- 
 ters of the new covenant, which is the gospel (iii. 6 ; cf. 
 Matthew xxiv. 28, 29 ; Ephesiaus iii. 7 ; Colossians i. 
 23 ; 1 Corinthians xi. 25 ; Galatians iv. 24 ; Hebrews 
 ix. 15). 
 
 Evidently Paul has in mind the false and Judaizing 
 teachers who were preaching the doctrine of legalism and 
 demanding obedieuce to the Mosaic law. Such a doctrine 
 could only kill ; it could not make alive (cf. Eomans v. 
 12, 13 ; vii. 9 ; viii. 2), and was well represented by the 
 law written on tables of stone as contrasted with the true 
 gospel, which is written by the Spirit of God on the tab- 
 lets of the human heart. The gospel is '' spirit and life " 
 (Romans ii. 29 ; vii. 6) ; the law means condemnation 
 and death to the sinner (cf. Eomans v. 20 ; vii. 7-13), 
 because, by reason of the weakness of the flesh, he cannot 
 keep it (Romans viii. 3). 
 
 The ministry of the gospel is superior to the ministry 
 of the law inasmuch as Christ is greater than Moses — 
 "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ " (iv. 6) 
 being far greater and more permanent than the glory of 
 the law on the face of Moses (iii. 10). The glory of the 
 law on the face of Moses has faded before the glory of the 
 gospel "in the face of Jesus Christ." The glory of the 
 law was temporary — it passed away ; the glory of the 
 gospel is permanent — it remains (iii. 11). Because of 
 the superiority of the gospel of Christ which Paul 
 preached over the law which the Judaizing teachers pro- 
 claimed, Paul had reason to be bold, and had no need of 
 dissembling (or adulterating) the Word of God, as ac- 
 cused by his enemies. The words "the letter killeth " 
 do not refer to the literal, as distinguished from the 
 spiritual or figurative interpretation, but to the letter of 
 the law as contrasted with the Spirit of the gospel. The 
 advent of the Spirit is not in the nature of a letter, but 
 
212 II Corinthians 
 
 of a power. The law biiugs death ; the Spirit giveth 
 life. If those representatives of the law — these false 
 teachers — represented the legal system of Moses, which 
 had a fading, transitory glory, counted themselves, or 
 were counted by the Corinthians, as worthy of honor, 
 how much more the Apostle Paul and the twelve apostles 
 who were ministers of the gospel, the glory of which was 
 not only greater but more enduring. The glory in the 
 face of Moses passed away, and the patriarch, perchance, 
 put the veil on his face so that the children of Israel 
 might not see the glory fading, or departing. Not so is 
 it with the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 
 With unveiled face we may see glory abiding, and pass- 
 ing from one stage of glory to another (iii. 18). 
 
 It is true that even to-day Israel does not see the im- 
 measurable superiority of the gospel over the law, but 
 that is because a veil is still over their minds (Isaiah 
 xxix. 9-14), probably through the hardening of sin (iii. 
 14). As soon, however, as Israel shall turn to Christ, 
 that veil will be taken away. When Moses returned to 
 God from speaking with the people, he removed the veil 
 from his face. So when Israel shall return to God, the 
 veil that now hides Christ from them shall be removed, 
 and they will see the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
 Christ, their Messiah, whom because of their ignorance — 
 the ignorance that is in them because of sin — they see not 
 now as their rightful Messiah and King (cf. Zechariah 
 xii. 10). Such a "beholding" (iii. 18) they will see in 
 the gospel of Jesus Christ, which, in reality, mirrors 
 forth the Messianic glory (iv. 4). 
 
 The removal of the veil is true of Israel individually 
 now, as the individual Jew turns to Christ. It will be 
 true nationally some day, when Israel as a nation shall 
 turn to Christ (cf. Eomans xi. 25). 
 
 (c) The Possession of so Glorious a Gosj^el Gives Bold- 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 213 
 
 ness of Speech (iii. 12-18). Possessing such a glorious 
 message, so saiDerior to the Old Testament revelation, 
 there surely was uo need ou the part of the apostle, as in 
 the case of Moses, for any concealment, nor any need of 
 lack of full confidence ou the part of the people in the 
 apostle. ** Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is 
 liberty " (iii. 17), freeness, openness of speech, and no 
 need of concealment. The apostle has uo need of fear, 
 concealment, or reserve. He will be frank, open, bold, 
 full of candor, and not — as his opponents had described 
 him — vacillating, dissembling, concealing (cf. iii. 12, 
 13). The apostle had no fear that the glory of the 
 gospel of Christ would, like the glory in the face of 
 Moses, pass away. On the contrary, the freest, fullest, 
 and most complete investigation of the gospel is so- 
 licited. We may search and see (John i. 39, 46 ; Psalm 
 xxxiv. 8). 
 
 If there be a veil hiding truth from any life, it should 
 be remembered that the veil is not over the Book (the 
 Scriptures), but over the sinner's heart. If the reader 
 of the Bible sees no beauty in it, it is not because of any 
 fault in the Bible, but because of wrong in his heart and 
 life (iii. 15 ; cf. 1 Corinthians ii. 14). Sin — unwillingness 
 to see, hear, or obey — throws a veil over, and causes a 
 hardening of the heart. When men shall turn away from 
 sin and manifest a willingness to obey God, then the veil 
 will be removed, and they will see the glory of God in 
 the face of Jesus Christ (iii. 16-18 ; cf. John i. 14 ; 
 Colossians ii. 9). 
 
 It is worth while to notice the closeness and identity 
 of Christ and the Holy Spirit in these verses (iii. 17, 18). 
 The fellowship of Christ is the fellowship of the Spirit, 
 and the fellowship of the Spirit is the fellowship of 
 Christ. Christ dwells in (he hearts of believers by His 
 Holy Spirit («f. Eomans viii. 9 ; Galatians ii. 20 ; iv. 6 j 
 
214 
 
 II Corinthians 
 
 Philippiaus i. 19 ; Acts xx. 28 ; Ephesians iv. 11 ; John 
 xiv. 18). 
 
 Such a beholding of Christ in all His glory will do for 
 us what the beholding of the glory of God in the face of 
 Moses did not do for the Israelites — it will change us 
 from one degree of glory to another and greater. Not 
 only will it be true that this glory will come from Christ, 
 who is its source, but it will grow from one stage to an- 
 other (iii. 17, 18). It will not pass away as did the 
 glory in the face of Moses. Note, further, in this won- 
 derful passage (iii. 14-18) : first, what we behold — the 
 glory of the Lord, which is Christ (iii. 17) ; second, the 
 possibility of actually beholding in the gospel the glory 
 of God in the face of Jesus Christ ; third, this privilege 
 all may have ; fourth, the effect of such beholding — 
 " changed into the same image " ; fifth, the cause of such 
 a transfiguration is the Spirit. 
 
 A Eelation of Contrasts 
 We shall be helped in our endeavor to understand the 
 relation between the two Testaments by considering the 
 element of contrast in the method of presenting truth. 
 
 The Old Testament The New Testament 
 
 1. Contains the darkness. 1. Contains the light. 
 
 2. Contains the bondage. 2, Contains the liberty. 
 
 3. Contains the letter. 3, Contains the spirit. 
 
 4. Contains the temporary. 4. Contains the eternal, 
 
 5. Contains carnal and exter- 5. Contains spiritual and in- 
 nal institutions and ceremonies. ternal principles. 
 
 6. Seeks by outward observ- 6. Seeks by inward principles 
 ances and commands to govern to govern and control outward 
 and control inward principles. actions and life. 
 
 7. The transcendence of God — 7. The immanence of God — 
 God above us. God with us. 
 
 8. Introduction of sin. 8. Remedy for sin. 
 
 9. Paradise lost. 9. Paradise regained* 
 
 10. Prophecies. 10. Fulfillment. 
 
 11. Types. 11. Antitypes. 
 
 12. Shadows. 12. Substance. 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 215 
 
 13. Death. 13. Life and immortality. 
 
 14. Gathered to their fathers. 14. Gone to be with Christ. 
 
 15. Law our schoolmaster. 15. Christ, an elder Brother. 
 
 16. Deals principally with law 16. Deals principally with grace 
 — so ends with a curse (Mai. — so ends with a blessing (Rev. 
 iv. 6). xxii. 14, 21). 
 
 17. Law given by Moses. 17. Gracecame by Jesus Christ. 
 
 18. God seeking man — "Where 18. Man seeking Christ — 
 art thou? " (Gen. iii. 9), " Where is He? " (Matt. ii. 2). 
 
 19. Book of the generations of 19. Book of the generation of 
 Adam (Gen. v. 1). Jesus Christ (Matt. i. 1). 
 
 20. Presents Christ as the Mes- 20. Reveals Christ as the Sa- 
 siah. viour. 
 
 21. Characterized by begin- 21. Characterized by end- 
 nings. ings. 
 
 22. Preparatory, prophetic, typ- 22. Complete, historic, doo- 
 ical. trinal. 
 
 " The two Testaments correspond somewhat as a mold 
 and a medallion do, the same image being found in both 
 — sunk in the surface of the one, projecting from the sur- 
 face of the other. Both Testaments are necessary the one 
 to the other as the right and left hands are to the human 
 body whose very unlikeness helps in cooperation. " 
 
 Some Lessons From iii. 12-18. There is a vast dif- 
 ference between the bondage of legalism — the law, and the 
 liberty of grace — the gospel. There can be no real en- 
 joyment until we are freed from the bondage of the law. 
 Slavery to legalism puts a veil over the true perspective 
 of oui- standing in Christ. It gives a closed eye to re- 
 vealed truth. Not doing, but trusting gives a clear vision 
 and faith. 
 
 Thus the Scriptures likewise assume a new aspect. 
 One film of legalism after another must fall from the eyes 
 before there can be the enjoyment of the liberty of the 
 Spirit. No one is in a position to understand the Bible 
 until he has turned to the Lord, then the veil is removed 
 (John vii. 17). It is bad enough to be blind, but to be 
 blind with no desire to see is worse (John ix. 39 ; Eevela- 
 tion iii. 17). Trust in Christ, and the whole Bible be- 
 
2i6 II Corinthians 
 
 comes illumined. It is not in the light of common sense, 
 or philosophy, or science that we come to understand the 
 Bible. It is only when we turn to the Lord — when we 
 behold the glorious person of Christ in the mirror of His 
 "Word, that, beholding Him, we are changed into His 
 image. 
 
 3. The Office of the Ministry Exercised in all 
 Sincerity by the Apostle (iv. 1-6). 
 
 (a) The Sincerity of the Apostle's Ministry. The fact 
 that it is of the mercy of God that Paul had received his 
 ministry leads to the exercise of all sincerity in its execu- 
 tion. 
 
 Paul here refers, doubtless, to the insinuation of his 
 opponents (xii. 16) who had accused him of fickleness 
 and dissembling in his dealings with the Corinthians. It 
 is as though the apostle replied, " Our handling of sacred 
 things and our relation to the gospel is open, free from 
 any deceit, adulteration, or insincerity." There is noth- 
 ing in the gospel to make a man ashamed (Eomans i. 16 ; 
 2 Timothy i. 8, 12) or to cause him to resort to such rep- 
 rehensible conduct. There is no need for the servant of 
 God to seek to be crafty or to hide any part of his mes- 
 sage (cf. 1 Thessalonians ii. 1-12 ; Galatians ii. 5, 14 ; 
 cf. Ephesians iv. 14). The consciousness that God had 
 called him to this ministry inspired the apostle with 
 boldness of utterance and frankness of demeanor. " The 
 source of a hidden gospel is to be found, not in the gospel 
 itself, nor in its ambassadors, but in the wickedness of 
 the heart of the sinner, which is under the control of 
 Satan (iv. 3, 4 ; iii. 14, 15 ; 2 Thessalonians ii. 1-8). 
 Spiritual vision is not possessed by the natural man 
 (1 Corinthians i. 18 ; ii. 14-16 ; Matthew v. 8 ; Isaiah 
 xxix. 9-14). 
 
 The activity of Satan on the unregenerate is here graph- 
 ically described (cf. also Matthew xiii. 19). 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 217 
 
 By the ''god of this world" is meant that spirit of 
 evil who energizes men who are of this world (or age), 
 those who are yielding themselves to the ungodly, satauic 
 principle that is existent in this age and is antagonistic 
 to Christ and His cause (cf. Ephesians ii. 2 ; Philippiaus 
 iii. 19 ; 1 John v. 19). Either God's Spirit (Eomaus viii. 
 9, 14), or " the spirit of the power of the air " (Ephesians 
 ii. 2, 3) impels and controls men. Back of the disobe- 
 dience of man to God lies satanic activity and instigation 
 (1 Chronicles xxi. 1). The beauty and glory of God in 
 the face of Jesus Christ (cf. Philippians ii. 6 ; Colossians 
 i. 15 ; Hebrews i. 3 ; 1 Timothy i. 11) is lost to the man 
 in sin, because Satan has blinded his mind and clouded 
 his thought concerning Christ (iv. 3, 4 ; Isaiah liii. 1, 2 ; 
 Ephesians iv. 17-19). To behold the Son is to see the 
 Father (John xiv. 8-10), for the Son is the image of the 
 invisible God (Colossians i. 15 ; Hebrews i. 3). Jesus 
 Christ, the Son, exactly represents the Father in heaven, 
 "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily " (Colossians ii. 9). The substance of Paul's gos- 
 pel is Jesus Christ. His message was not an invention 
 of his own, as his enemies had suggested (cf. Galatians i. 
 11-21 ; ii. 6-10). Paul, even as the other apostles, had 
 seen the Lord (1 Corinthians ix. 1 ; xv. 8 ; Galatians 
 i. 16). Although the gospel is called "our gospel," yet 
 its subject was the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
 Christ — Jesus Christ as Lord. In opposition to those 
 whose minds had been closed by Satan that they might 
 not see the glorious light of the gospel, are the apostles 
 of Christ, whose hearts were illumined by God Himself 
 that they might see and proclaim its Christ (cf. Acts 
 xxvi. 16). One wonders if Paul was not here referring 
 to his Damascus experience (cf. Acts ix. 1-9 ; Galatians 
 i. 15, 16-18). 
 
 The purpose of God's shining into a human heart is in 
 
2i8 II Corinthians 
 
 order that that heart may give light to others (iv. 6; 
 cf. Matthew v. 16). 
 
 4. The Divine Provision Supports and Encourages 
 the Apostle in his Labors for God (iv. 7-v. 10). 
 
 (a) The SimjMcity of the Instrument (iv. 7). God ac- 
 complishes the preaching of the gospel, and, indeed, His 
 whole work, with very simple instruments — "We have 
 this treasure in earthen vessels" (cf. 1 Corinthians i. 
 25-29 ; 2 Timothy ii. 19-22). The magnificence of the 
 message (iii. 7-11) does not necessitate magnificent mes- 
 sengers. The poor appearance of the apostles and their 
 lack of oratory had often been ridiculed (cf. x. 10, etc. ). 
 The contents of a vessel, however, should not be judged 
 by the nature of the vessel which contains it. All this 
 is in order that the glory and sufficiency may be of God 
 (iv. 4-6), who not only glorifies simplicity, but supports 
 in suffering by granting a vision of future glory which 
 shows present suffering to be comparatively light and but 
 temporary (iv. 7-18). 
 
 (6) The Support of the Ministry (iv. 8-v. 10). How 
 wondrously, in this series of antithetic clauses (iv. 8-18) 
 is the surpassing greatness of God's power, sufficiency, 
 and support set forth, as it sustains the militant apostle 
 in his campaign for Christ. No matter how difficult the 
 position in which he may be placed, a way out is always 
 provided (cf. 1 Corinthians x. 13 ; Matthew xvi. 1 8 ; 
 Psalm cxviii. 17). The sufferings of the apostle were not, 
 as his enemies asserted, a judgment on him for speaking 
 against the law, but an opportunity for the display of 
 Christ's sufficient grace (cf. xii. 8-10). The blessed, glori- 
 ous resurrection hope and future glory is the sustaining 
 truth of these verses (iv. 18-v. 10). 
 
 Four glorious, supporting, and sustaining truths are 
 contained in v. 1-10, as follows : 
 
 First. There is a cheerful view of death. This is iu« 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 219 
 
 dicated in verse 6 : "Therefore we are always confident, 
 knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are 
 absent from the Lord : We are confident, I say, and will- 
 ing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present 
 with the Lord." To the apostle death was simply an 
 absence from the body to be at home with the Lord. 
 Death had been robbed of its sting and the grave of its 
 victory (cf. 1 Corinthians xv. 54-57). Dying days are 
 not finishing days with Paul. We die unto life, unto 
 largeness, unto liberty. 
 
 Second. This life is not all. There is another and 
 greater life than this. This is indicated in v. 1-4 : '^ For 
 we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were 
 dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, 
 earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house 
 which is from heaven : If so be that being clothed we 
 shall not be found naked. For we that are in this taber- 
 nacle do groan, being burdened : not for that we would 
 be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be 
 swallowed up of life." The apostle says that if this tent 
 of our human body be folded up and taken down, we are 
 not left without a house. We have a home better built 
 and more permanent, "a house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens. " If in this life only we have hope 
 in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable. If things are 
 to be measured by what can be seen and handled, then 
 the Christian is silent ; he has nothing to say. He has 
 then chosen a life of self-denial that shall end in his 
 obliteration. "If our lives are to be measured by the 
 pendulum of the clock, or by the sun-dial that may be 
 mute at any moment, and we are destined never to cross 
 and encircle the disk of eternity, then we may point to 
 the eagle which lives 500 years, to the sea-monster, which 
 lives 1,000 years, and to the grain of wheat which is said 
 
220 II Corinthians 
 
 to live from four to five thousand years, and ask, ' Is it 
 fair for God to give these things such a long tenure of 
 life, and to cut us off with but a haudbreadth of time ? ' " 
 How dark indeed would life be if there were no future ! 
 A picture with no sky has no glory. The supremest mo- 
 ment in any human life is that which is likened to the 
 angel in Eevelation, who, standing with one foot on the 
 sea and the other on the land, had his eyes lifted up to 
 heaven. 
 
 Third. That which we already possess is an earnest 
 of what is to follow. This is indicated in v. 5 : ' ' Now 
 he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, 
 who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." 
 An earnest is a sample, a pledge, an assurance, a deposit 
 or part of a thing, the whole of which will some time 
 be delivered. The believer in Christ has heaven in 
 miniature in his heart. The indwelling Spirit and 
 heavenly joy is an earnest until the redemption of the 
 purchased possession. God has not implanted these 
 longings for the future in our hearts to disappoint us. 
 
 Fourth. There will be a final reward for all the good 
 we have done. This is indicated in v. 10 : "For we 
 must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ ; that 
 every one may receive the things done in his body, ac- 
 cording to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 
 "Hope is sown for the righteous." We do not always 
 receive reward for good done in this world. On the 
 contrary we are often misjudged, misunderstood, un- 
 appreciated, and it is for this reason that many a man 
 has given up his service for Christ. We are assured 
 here, however, that at the judgment seat of Christ every 
 man will be manifested or appear in his true light. Then 
 it will be actually displayed what a man really is, and 
 every bit of good that he has done will receive its full 
 reward. 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 221 
 
 5. The Apostle's Vindication (v. 11-vi. 10). The 
 thought of every believer appearing in his true light and 
 character at the j udgment seat of Christ affords Paul the 
 opportunity of again vindicating his severity (v. 11) and 
 unselfishness (v. 13, 14). His appeal is not only to the 
 conscience but also to the God before whom they all are 
 to give an account. This is not self-praise on the part 
 of the apostle (as some opponents would assert), but an 
 opportunity for the Corinthians to defend him whenever 
 occasion should arise (v. 12). The various attitudes of 
 mind, thought and action ascribed to the apostle were all 
 proofs of his devotion to God, His gospel, and the welfare 
 of the Corinthians (v. 13, 14). Just as Christ died and 
 rose again for the sake of all that they might die to sin 
 and live to God, the apostle claims that his motive is 
 similar to that of Christ. 
 
 No apostle or worker for God is to be valued because 
 of position, standing, or prestige among men. No man 
 must be known thus after the flesh (cf. Galatians ii. 6). 
 Only those who have died, and risen with Christ to new- 
 ness of life have any right to proclaim Him as Sovereign 
 Lord. When such faith is reposed in Christ, then a new 
 and right relation takes place. Such has been the ex- 
 perience of the Apostle Paul, and the great facts of such 
 a reconciliation which has been provided by God in 
 Christ has been committed to him to proclaim. 
 
 Having personally experienced such faith in Christ, 
 and having been then commissioned with the gospel of 
 reconciliation, the apostle glories in the fact that he is a 
 worker together with God and Christ in announcing this 
 gospel of reconciliation to the world (2 Corinthians vi. 1). 
 The apostle is both an ambassador (v. 20) and a suppliant 
 (vi. 1). 
 
 To commend himself to God and men as a worthy 
 minister of Christ is the apostle's ambition (vi. 4). The 
 
222 II Corinthians 
 
 sufferiugs aud afflictions of the apostle were the credentials 
 of his divine apostleship (vi. 5-10). 
 
 Three things are here referred to as characteristic of 
 the ministry of the apostle : First, fear of Christ as the 
 Judge, aud Christ's love for us as a Eedeemer (v. 11-15) 
 is its motive. Second, the basis of it lies in the finished 
 work of reconciliation in Christ (v. 16-19). Third, the 
 credentials of it are the facts of the apostle's ministry and 
 ambassadorship (v. 20-vi. 10). Such facts clearly dem- 
 onstrate that the apostle is a sincere and thoroughly 
 authenticated ambassador of Christ. 
 
 (a) The ApostWs Experience (v. 11-19). Paul is here 
 dealing largely with the defense of his apostolic sincerity, 
 particularly as in the sight of God, as well as of men, 
 and because of the motive — the sacrificial love of Christ 
 — that actuates his ministry. 
 
 The apostle was persuaded that God knew and honored 
 his sincerity ; he would have the Corinthians do likewise 
 (v. 11). God trusts the apostle ; why should not the 
 Corinthians? This appeal to God is true not only of the 
 future (v. 10), but also of apostolic action all the time 
 since his conversion. Of course, Paul wants to win and 
 persuade men, but he would rather win the approval of 
 God. He would like to have both (cf. 1 Corinthians ix. 
 19-22 ; Galatians 1. 10). 
 
 Is it the duty of the minister of Christ to defend his 
 reputation which may be falsely assailed (cf. Genesis 
 xxxix.)? Yes, if such wrong imputation hinders the 
 work of Christ. There is a great difference between de- 
 fending one's own wounded personality and defending 
 the cause of Christ (Jude 3). It is the duty of the 
 friends of a Christian worker or minister who has been 
 wrongly attacked, to come to his defense (v. 12 ; cf. Acts 
 iv. 34-41). 
 
 Zeal and earnestness in God's work may lead to a 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 223 
 
 wrong estimation of one's eliaracter and work. Paul's 
 enemies said he was unduly obscure, or overwrought and 
 crazy (iv. 3 ; xi. 1, 16 ; cf. Acts xxvi. 24). They said 
 likewise of Jesus (Mark iii. 21 ; John viii. 48), and all 
 the apostles (Acts ii. 13-16). 
 
 The love of God in Christ as reconciling the world unto 
 Himself and the passion of the apostle to proclaim this 
 great fact to men, the realization of his position between 
 a beseeching God and needy humanity gave to the apostle 
 a zeal and strenuosity which those who were barren of 
 such a passion misunderstood and wrongly stigmatized as 
 undue sobriety, or lack of self-control (v. 13-19). 
 
 It is interesting at this point to note the apostle's be- 
 lief regarding the death of Jesus Christ. It is set forth 
 as a reconciliation (v. 18, 19 ; cf. Romans v. 10 ; Eph- 
 esians ii. 16 ; Colossians i. 20). We are reconciled to 
 God by the death of His Son, by His cross, and by the 
 blood of His cross — that is the message of these Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 l- Eeconciliation has two sides : active and passive. In 
 the active sense we may look upon Christ's death as re- 
 moving the enmity existing between God and man, which 
 had hitherto been a barrier to fellowship. This state of 
 existing enmity is set forth in such Scriptures as Romans 
 viii. 7 — ''Because the carnal mind is enmity against 
 God." Also Ephesians ii. 15 and James iv. 4. In the 
 passive sense of the word it may indicate the change of 
 attitude on the part of man towards God, this change — 
 from enmity to friendship — being wrought in the heart 
 of man by a vision of the cross of Christ (cf. v. 20, 21). 
 It is probably better to state the case thus : God is 
 propitiated, and the sinner is reconciled. 
 
 The death of Christ is also viewed in a substitutionary 
 sense (v. 21 ; cf. Isaiah liii. 6 ; 1 Peter ii. 24 ; iii. 18). 
 The story of the passover lamb (Exodus xii.), with 1 Cor- 
 
224 II Corinthians 
 
 iuthians v. 7, illustrates the meaning of substitution as 
 here used : one life given in the stead of another. ' ' The 
 Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." God made 
 Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. Christ Him- 
 self bore our sins in His own body on the tree — this is 
 substitution. Christ died in our place, bore our sins, 
 paid the penalty due our sins j and all this, not by force, 
 but willingly (John x. 17, 18). The idea of substitution 
 is well illustrated by the nature of the preposition used 
 in connection with this phase of Christ's death : In Mat- 
 thew XX. 28 Christ is said to give His life a ransom for 
 all (cf. 1 Timothy ii. 6). That this preposition means 
 instead of is clear from, its use in Matthew ii. 22 — " Arche- 
 laus did reign in the room (or in the stead) of his father, 
 Herod." Also in Luke xi. 11 — " Will he for a fish give 
 him a serpent?" (See Hebrews xii. 2, 16). Substitu- 
 tion, then, as used here means this : That something hap- 
 pened to Christ, and because it happened to Christ, it 
 need not happen to us. Christ died for our sins ; we need 
 not die for them if we accept His sacrifice. For further 
 illustrations see Genesis xxii. 13 — God providing a ram 
 instead of Isaac ; also Barabbas freed and Christ bearing 
 his cross and taking his place. 
 
 " Upon a life I did not live; 
 Upon a death I did not die ; 
 Upon another's death, another's life, 
 I risk my soul eternally." 
 
 Such a conception of Christ's death (v. 18-21) makes 
 it, in the estimation of the apostle, impossible for him to 
 be guilty of selfishness, pride, or insincerity. It also 
 gives him a new outlook upon the possibilities that lie 
 dormant in mankind. Men are viewed not as they are in 
 themselves — according to the flesh — but in the light of the 
 cross, and as they may become in Christ : '' a new crea- 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 225 
 
 lion" (v. 16, 17 } cf. Galatians vi. 15 ; Romans v. 2-19 j 
 1 Corinthians xv. 45 ; Philippians iii. 7). Such a new 
 creature is not an evolution of mankind, but a definite 
 creative act of God (v. 18-20 ; cf. v. 5 ; i. 21 ; ii. 14 ; iv. 
 6 ; 1 Corinthians viii. 6 ; xi. 12 ; Romans xi. 36) brought 
 about through the death of Christ, which is here set forth 
 as a reconciliation, and in the stead of the sinner. 
 
 (6) The Sufferings of the Apostle (v. 20-vi. 10). With 
 such a ministry the apostle has been entrusted, and in 
 view of such a trust he aims to be a true ambassador 
 (v. 20), a faithful co-worker, and a sincere minister. For 
 the accomplishment of all this he has been called upon to 
 suffer. The dignity of the apostolic office Paul regards 
 as from God, not from men (i. 1 ; cf. 1 Corinthians i. 1 ; 
 Galatians i. 16). He regards himself as standing in the 
 place of God. The message of the apostle is equivalent 
 to a ** thus saith the Lord " of the Old Testament. "What 
 the apostle proclaims and enjoins upon the Corinthians 
 they should "receive" (cf. Romans v. 11) as the very 
 message of God, the apostle regarding himself as an am- 
 bassador from the court of heaven. 
 
 The apostle is not, in these verses (vi. 3-10), indulging 
 in any personal vindication, or asserting any supreme 
 claims to holiness or sinlessness, either for himself (Phi- 
 lippians iii. 11-15 ; 1 Corinthians xv. 8-11 ; iv. 4 ; 1 Tim- 
 othy i. 15) or for the Corinthian believers (xii. 20, 21 ; 
 1 Corinthians i. 11 ; iii. 3 ; v. 1, 11 ; viii. 2 ; x. 14 ; 
 xi. 30 ; Galatians iii. 1). 
 
 The fact that one's own conscience is clear with regard 
 to sin (cf. 1 Corinthians iv. 4 ; Romans xiv. 22) does not 
 prove the absence of sin in that life (cf. 1 John iii. 18-24). 
 God, not conscience, is the ultimate Arbiter in the mat- 
 ter. God may know of things which I do not yet see, 
 and which further light will reveal to me later. 
 
 This is the ideal of the apostle towards which he is 
 
226 II Corinthians 
 
 striving (cf. Philippiaus iii. 11-15). That he was seek- 
 ing to attain this ideal the Corinthians could testify. 
 Surely such a mode of life is sufficient answer to silence 
 all enemies (1 Peter ii. 11-21). 
 
 How easy it is for those whose hearts and minds are 
 biased, prejudiced, and envious, to see flaws in so won- 
 derful a life as that lived by the Apostle Paul, but so it 
 was, and so it is to-day. Too often is human opinion col- 
 ored by human prejudice. A seared conscience will not 
 see good in even the best of men (cf. 2 Peter ii. 10-18 ; 
 Jude 8-16). 
 
 We repeat that Paul is not defending himself, but his 
 ministry. He would not have the gospel nor his ministry 
 vilified or any blame attached to them (vi. 3 ; viii. 20) nor 
 by any reputed self-seeking, insincerity, or dissembling 
 on his part. 
 
 6. Confidential Relations Between the Apostle and 
 the Corinthians Restored (vi. 11-vii. 16). Two thoughts 
 are presented in this section : first the plea for a restora- 
 tion of such confidential relations (vi. 11-vii. 4) ; second, 
 the accomplishment thereof (vii. 5-16). 
 
 (a) The Plea for the Establishment of Confidential Rela- 
 tions (vi. 11-vii. 4). The apostle appeals to the frankness 
 with which he has unbosomed himself and his actions to 
 them as a basis for reciprocal treatment (vi. 11-13; 
 vii. 2-4). Impressive is the feeling with which he 
 appeals to them : " O Corinthians ! " Only rarely 
 does he make such a personal appeal (Galatians iii. 1 ; 
 Philippians iv. 15). It is as though the apostle said : 
 "We have given ourselves freely to you ; now will 
 you not freely give yourselves to us (vii. 2-4) ? We have 
 unreservedly committed ourselves to you ; will you not 
 do likewise ? Let there be that confidential relationship 
 between us that exists between a father and his children 
 (vii. 13). 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 227 
 
 In the midst of this plea for the establishment of a con- 
 fidential relationship, the apostle digresses (vi. 14-vii. 1) 
 in order to give expression to a warning which is based on 
 the reestablishment of this relationship. The believer in 
 Christ is to make no worldly or unbelieving alliances in 
 business, social, domestic, or marital relations. On the 
 contrary, he must separate himself from all such contam- 
 inating influences. 
 
 By a series of contrasting expressions : *' light and 
 darkness, " " righteousness and unrighteousness, " " Christ 
 and Belial," "believer and infidel, " and the use of five 
 words "unequally yoked," "fellowship," "communion," 
 "concord," and "agreement" — how impossible it is to 
 believe in Christ and to have any confidential fellowship 
 or dealings with the heathen and unbelieving. The tem- 
 ple of the true and living God is not a place for dead 
 idols. Both cannot co-exist in the one sanctuary. The 
 believer is a temple of God ; so is also the Church, the 
 whole body of Christ (vi. 16 ; cf. Acts vii. 48 ; xvii. 24 ; 
 1 Corinthians iii. 16, 17 ; vi. 19, 20 ; Ephesians ii. 19-22 ; 
 1 Timothy iii. 15 ; Hebrews iii. 6 ; 1 Peter ii. 5). Here, 
 however, the reference is to the whole Church rather than 
 to the individual believer as the temple of God — "and 
 such are toe." Note, too, that the Church and the indi- 
 vidual believer are referred to not as the Holy Place 
 merely, but as the Most Holy Place — the place where God 
 actually manifested forth His glory, the place where God 
 dwelt among His people (Exodus xxix. 45; Leviticus 
 XX vi. 12). " I will dwell " indicates the presence of God ; 
 "I will walk," His work. So will the believer have 
 companionship and fellowship with the living God. 
 
 In view of such great and precious promises, the be- 
 liever in Christ is exhorted to "come out" from the 
 ungodly, heathen, and unbelieving (Revelation xviii. 4 ; 
 Isaiah Iii. 11, 12 ; James iv. 4). There must be a sepa- 
 
228 II Corinthians 
 
 ration between the Church and the world. How much 
 sacrifice obedience to this injunction required we may 
 not know, but it must have been great. It doubtless 
 called for separation from loved ones and from friends 
 and society (cf. Matthew x. 34-38). 
 
 The fatherhood of God is dependent upon the faith and 
 obedience of His children. It is interesting to note that 
 Paul includes " daughters " in this appellation (cf. Isaiah 
 xliii. 6). 
 
 Such great promises made by so almighty a God form 
 sufficient incentive to renounce all sin and uncleanness. 
 We must see to it that our bodies are a fit, clean, holy 
 dwelling place for God. Sin is filthiness ; it stains and 
 pollutes the body, soul, and spirit — the whole man is 
 thereby contaminated, even as Sodom and Gomorrah 
 (Jeremiah xxiii. 14 ; Eevelation xiv. 4 ; 1 Corinthians 
 viii. 7). 
 
 We are to perfect holiness (vii. 1). Holiness is a 
 growth, and needs to be nurtured and perfected (2 Peter 
 iii. 18 J 2 Corinthians iii. 18 ; Hebrews xii. 14). Per- 
 fection in holiness should be the aim of every Christian 
 (Philippians iii. 12 ; Hebrews vi. 1, 2). The Christian 
 must not only purge himself from all uncleanness, he 
 must also cultivate holiness. It is not enough to pluck 
 up thorns, we must plant flowers. Overcoming sins is 
 but one part of the believer's life. There must be the 
 cultivation of Christian graces also. Not only must the 
 unclean spirit be cast out ; Christ must be taken in as 
 Guest (Luke xi. 24-26). 
 
 There is a positive as well as a negative side to the 
 development of holiness in the life of the Christian. There 
 must not only be the elimination of all things that mar 
 the image of Christ in the speech and conduct of His fol- 
 lowers, but also the assimilation of those Christian virtues 
 and graces which supply the believer with such knowl- 
 
Matters Concerning the Apostle's Visit 229 
 
 edge, principles and inspiration as will outwardly mani- 
 fest themselves in strong and positive qualities of holy 
 living. Such a character requires earnest prayer, faith, 
 activity, and the use of all legitimate Christian means of 
 grace. "We are to pursue, strive after, follow, eagerly 
 seek holiness. ''Follow peace with all men, and holi- 
 ness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (cf. 
 Hebrews xii. 14). 
 
 Having removed the final hindrances to the complete 
 reconciliation of the apostle and the Corinthian believers, 
 Paul returns to the matter of the plea on which he asks 
 for a return to the spirit of fellowship and confidence 
 (vii. 2-4; cf. vi. 12, 13). There is absolutely no reason 
 at all why they should not open their hearts to the 
 apostle. He has not defrauded any of them in order to 
 make gain. He did not play havoc with any one's doc- 
 trine or morals, thus bringing about spiritual ruin. No 
 such things could his enemies charge against him justly 
 — of these things the Corinthians themselves were wit- 
 nesses. 
 
 (&) Confidential Relations between the Apostle and the Cor- 
 inthian Believers Beesfablished (vii. 5-16). The renewal 
 of confidential relations is here set forth as being com- 
 pleted. The news of their changed and happy relation- 
 ship towards the apostle was brought by Titus when 
 Paul was in Macedonia (vii. 13-15). The apostle can 
 now say, "I rejoice in that in everything I am of good 
 courage concerning you " (vii. 16). 
 
Ill 
 
 Matters Concerning the Collection for the 
 
 Poor Saints at Jerusalem 
 
 {via. l-4x. 16) 
 
 I. Exemplary Beneficence (viii. 1-15). 
 
 (a) Illustrated in the Matchless Giving of the Macedo- 
 nian Churches (viii. 1-5). The Macedonian churches are 
 singled out by Paul as an example in true Christian 
 benevolence. They had contributed not only to the poor 
 saints' fund (viii. 3, 4), but also to the needs of the apostle 
 himself while in their midst during his itinerary and 
 while a prisoner at Rome (Philippians ii. 25 ; iv. 15-18). 
 This they had done in the midst of great privation and 
 need among themselves (viii. 2). They gave out of their 
 need which in itself might have been a legitimate excuse 
 for withholding their gifts at home and for themselves. 
 How often to-day we hear the plea of need at home 
 offered as an excuse for not sending money to aid the 
 cause of missions. 
 
 It is interesting to note what is said by way of charac- 
 terizing their giving. It was with singleness of heart 
 and purpose (cf. Ephesians vi. 5 ; Colossians iii. 22 ; 
 Romans xii. 8 ; Hebrews xiii. 15-16). It was up to and 
 beyond their means ; yea, they even needed to be held 
 back. This was a surprise to the apostles (viii. 3-5). It 
 was of their own suggestion that they thus offered ; they 
 needed no urging (viii. 3). They considered the oppor- 
 tunity to give a "grace from God," a ''fellowshij) with 
 the saints," and a gift of the Spirit (viii. 4, 7 ; cf. Ro- 
 
 230 
 
Collection for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem 231 
 
 mans xii. 8 ; 1 Corinthians xiii. 3) ; hence they recog- 
 nized the duty of stewardship (Luke xvi. 1-13). They 
 gave themselves (viii. 5), and after that everything else 
 was easy. They gave spontaneously, needing no " ser- 
 mon on the collection." They longed for the oppor- 
 tunity. Giving was to them a luxury ; they enjoyed it. 
 
 (6) The Example of Our Lord Jesus Christ (viii. 9). 
 Great as was the example of the Macedonian Christians 
 in the matter of beneficence, that of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 was infinitely greater and higher. Jesus Christ is the 
 supreme example of beneficence. With verse 9 — "For 
 we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though 
 he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye 
 through his poverty might be rich " — should be studied 
 Philippians ii. 5-11: "Have this mind in you, which 
 was also in Christ Jesus : Who, being in the form of 
 God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with 
 God : But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, 
 being made in the likeness of men ; And being found in 
 fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obe- 
 dient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 
 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto 
 him the name which is above every name ; That in the 
 name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in 
 heaven and things on earth and things under the earth ; 
 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ 
 is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (E. V.). What 
 wondrous riches Jesus Christ gave up for our sakes ! 
 Think of the treasures of heaven, the glory of the Father, 
 and the full enjoyment of His presence (John xvi. 15 ; 
 Ephesians iii. 8). All this He gladly and voluntarily 
 gave up in the incarnation (viii. 9 ; Hebrews ii. 14 ; Ga- 
 latians iv. 4). What poverty He assumed ! He was not 
 merely poor, but a pauper, a mendicant. He was born 
 in a borrowed cradle and buried in a borrowed tomb. 
 
232 
 
 II Corinthians 
 
 *'The foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests ; 
 but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" 
 (Luke ix. 58). And for whom was this great renuncia- 
 tion? " For our sakes. " And why? In order that we 
 "might become rich" — be made heirs of God (Romans 
 viii. 16, 17 ; John xvii. 22). O, the unsearchable riches 
 of God in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians iii. 4-23 ; Ephe- 
 sians i. 17-19) ! With such an example of renunciation 
 and beneficence before them, and us, they, and we, need 
 not that the apostle "speak by way of commandment" 
 (viii. 8). Example is stronger than precept. 
 
 (c) The Direct Appeal to the Corinthian Church to Give 
 to the Fund for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem (viii. 6-8, 
 10-15). Apparently the Corinthian believers had already 
 made a start at such an offering about a year previously 
 (viii. 6, 11), probably at the visit of the Apostle Paul 
 and at the active instigation of Titus, to whom is allotted 
 the task of perfecting that which they had already begun 
 (viii. 6). To incite them to this noble work the apostle 
 has cited the example of the Macedonian Christians (viii. 
 1-6 ; cf. xiii. 5) and our Lord Jesus Christ (viii. 9). 
 
 It is not enough for the Corinthians to determine to do 
 this thing ; they must carry out their intention. It is 
 good to be generous in will ; we must be generous in 
 deed also. Good resolutions, if not put into action, soon 
 wither and die. We must be beneficent in action as well 
 as in intention. 
 
 The purpose of the collection is for the supply of the 
 needs of the poor saints at Jerusalem, so that none of 
 God's saints have more than they need at the expense 
 of other saints of God who have not sufficient to meet 
 their necessities (viii. 15). 
 
 The measure of a gift in the estimation of God is not 
 its size, but its proportion in relation to that which the 
 giver has left (viii. 12-14). The real question for the 
 
Collection for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem 233 
 
 Christian to settle is not how much of my money shall I 
 give to God, but how much of God's money shall I keep 
 for myself? Only as our gifts spring from a willing 
 heart do they receive value. Some people part with 
 their money who do not give it. God loveth the glad, 
 cheerful giver. 
 
 2. The Care to be Exercised with Reference to 
 Raising and Distributing the Collection (viii. 16-ix. 5). 
 To Titus and two other friends of good repute is the care 
 of this offering committed (viii. 16-23). How careful the 
 apostle will be in the gathering and disposition of such 
 trust funds ! How careful to avoid suspicion or accusa- 
 tion (viii. 20-22) ! Paul was not indifferent with regard 
 to good opinion of others. He would provide things 
 honest not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight 
 of men (viii. 21). Appearances must not be neglected. 
 It does matter how our actions appear to others. The 
 apostle did not consider himself above careful consider- 
 ation and safeguard. He would give his enemies no 
 chance to accuse him of graft or misappropriation of 
 funds, even though it might seem that no one would be 
 likely to accuse Paul of dishonesty. He would not only 
 do right, but appear to do right also. Popular opinion 
 cannot always be ignored or despised. Paul was not 
 against having his accounts audited. 
 
 For these reasons Paul entrusts the matter of the col- 
 lection to Titus and two other friends who are of good 
 reputation in the gospel and well spoken of throughout 
 the churches (viii. 16-18, 23 ; cf. choice of deacons, Acts 
 vi. 3-6 — "men of good report"). So Paul recommends 
 men who can be trusted, — men whose methods he him- 
 self commends, — for as great care must be exercised in 
 the raising as in the disbursement of the collection. Only 
 such men as *' glorify God" should handle the church's 
 finances (viii. 23). 
 
234 II Corinthians 
 
 The godly jealousy of the apostle for the Corinthian 
 Christians, lest they should fall below his praise of them 
 to the saints in Macedonia, is strikingly set forth in these 
 verses (ix. 1-5). He would have the whole financial 
 matter settled and the collection all gathered by the time 
 he or his representatives, or perhaps both, arrived at 
 Corinth. How greatly was the joy and shame of Paul 
 associated with the career of his converts ! They were 
 part and parcel of himself: his glorying (ix. 2), his re- 
 joicing (1 Thessalonians ii. 19, 20), his joy and crown 
 (Philippians iv. 1), or his shame (2 Corinthians ix, 4). 
 
 3. The Nature and Blessing of True Giving (ix. 
 6-15). Not stinginess but liberality should characterize 
 Christian giving. Not how little but how much may we 
 give is the measure of true Christian beneficence. Bounti- 
 fully, not covetously, are the Corinthians exhorted to give. 
 Not how little may we give to satisfy our consciences, but 
 how much should we contribute considering the greatness 
 of the need. Not in a spirit of "keeping back ' ' (Acts v. 
 1-5) as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, but gladly, 
 liberally, ever mindful of the needs of others and with the 
 absence of that spirit which desires to have and to hold 
 even more than is necessary for its own needs should the 
 Christian exercise his philanthropy. 
 
 Here is the law of spiritual giving : **He that soweth 
 sparingly shall reap also sparingly ; and he that soweth 
 bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Let each man do 
 according as he hath purposed in his heart : not grudg- 
 ingly, or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver. 
 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you ; that 
 ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may 
 abound unto every good work." " He that giveth to the 
 poor lendeth to the Lord," and the Lord always pays His 
 debts, with good interest, too. The way to have much is 
 to give more ; the way to have little is to give less. If 
 
Collection for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem 235 
 
 we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly ; if we sow bounti- 
 fully, we reap accordingly (compare Haggai i. 7-12 ; 
 ii. 16-19 ; Malachi iii. 7-12). 
 
 Cheerfulness is to characterize our giving. Some men 
 part with their money who do not give it. A glad smile, 
 not a sad groan, should accompany every gift. Our giv- 
 ing should not cause us grief. ''If there be with thee a 
 poor man, one of thy brethren . . . thou shalt not 
 harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother 
 . . . thou shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need 
 . . . and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou 
 givest unto him ; because that for this thing Jehovah thy 
 God will bless thee in all thy work, and in all that thou 
 puttest thy hand unto " (Deuteronomy xv. 7-11 ; cf. 
 1 John iii. 17-19). Such cheerful, liberal, thoughtful 
 giving is not only a secret of blessing here, but is also a 
 laying up of treasure in heaven to abide forever (cf. Mat- 
 thew vi. 19, 20); it is a ''righteousness" that has eternal 
 rewards, that "abideth for ever " (2 Corinthians ix. 9). 
 
 Not only is it true that God is able (ix. 8) to supply 
 every need of such a giver (Philippians iv. 19), but we 
 are assured that He will actually do so (ix. 10) : "For 
 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love 
 which ye showed towards his name, in that ye ministered 
 unto the saints and still do minister " (Hebrews vi. 10). 
 God will multiply His grace towards the saints who ex- 
 hibit such a grace (ix. 8 ; cf. viii. 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, where 
 giving is called a "grace"). Such seed scattered shall 
 become "seed-corn," having the power to multiply and 
 bring forth a harvest (ix. 10). 
 
 Such giving is necessary in order that the saints of God 
 collectively may carry on the work of God, just as in 
 time of war it is the duty of those who stay at home to 
 provide money, provisions and clothing for those who are 
 at the front. This was the Corinthians' "service"; 
 
236 II Corinthians 
 
 so is it ours (ix. 11, 12) — our ** spiritual service." 
 Such a loose hold on the good things of life and a willing 
 distribution thereof among God's needy saints is proof to 
 others that the gospel of Christ has full sway in the heart, 
 that the needs of the brotherhood are a matter of concern, 
 and produces thanksgiving to God for, and intercession 
 in the hehalf of, the givers (ix. 14, 15). 
 
rv 
 
 Paul's Apostolic Character and Authority 
 Vindicated 
 (x. 1-xiii. 10) 
 
 AS we have already seen, this epistle has, as one of 
 its primary purposes, the vindication of the apos- 
 tolic character and reputation of Paul. Paul's 
 enemies had made insinuations against his character, 
 hoping thereby to lessen his influence with the Corinthian 
 and other believers in Christ. The Epistle to the Gala- 
 tians, also, is concerned with just such matters. 
 
 No real and true goodness of character and life exempts 
 a man from calumny and insinuation. Joseph (Genesis 
 xxxix,), Job (Job ii. andiii.), Jeremiah (Jeremiah xxxvii. 
 and xxxviii.), and even Christ Himself (Matthew xxvi. and 
 xxvii. ; 1 Peter iii. 18-21) endured such contradiction of 
 sinners against themselves. No servant of God can ex- 
 pect to be delivered from such temptation. He can 
 glorify God in it, however (1 Peter xxxiii. 13-18; iv. 
 12-16 ; Matthew v. 10-12 ; Acts v. 41), and may rest 
 assured of final vindication (Job xix. 25-26). 
 
 There are times when it is incumbent on the servant of 
 God to seek vindication and defend himself against such 
 insinuations and slanders. When and under what cir- 
 cumstances? When such attacks are representative 
 rather than personal, when they are aimed at the cause 
 rather than at the worker, or at the cause through the 
 character and reputation of the worker. There are times 
 when one may ''be angry and sin not." When is that, 
 
 237 
 
238 II Corinthians 
 
 and under what conditions ? When such anger is against 
 sin and not because of personal pique or hurt feelings. It 
 is the comprehension of such a principle as this which 
 must guide us in our understanding of some of the dif- 
 ficult passages in the Sermon on the Mount, and also the 
 so-called "Imprecatory Psalms." Under such circum- 
 stances both Jesus and Paul defended themselves. The 
 attack upon Paul in this epistle was with the intention 
 of lessening his influence as an apostle of Christ upon the 
 church of Corinth, and, indirectly, upon all the churches 
 in that region. To be able successfully to impugn Paul 
 would be to reflect upon his office and the gospel he 
 preached. Of course, the worker for God must see to it 
 that he is sufi'eriug "for Christ's sake," and not on ac- 
 count of his own faults and wrong-doings (1 Peter iii. 8-17 ; 
 iv. 12-19 ; Matthew v. 12). 
 
 I. The Insinuations Against the Apostle Stated and 
 Vindicated (x. 1-12). 
 
 (a) The GJiarges of Cowardice and Wealmess (x. 1-6). 
 The "gentleness and meekness" exhibited by the apostle 
 in his intercourse with the Corinthian Christians had 
 been misconstrued as indicating weakness, vacillation and 
 cowardice. Thus the disposition of Paul, so much like 
 that of Christ, who was "meek and lowly " (Matthew xi. 
 29-30) had been grossly misrepresented. As the wasp 
 sucks poison from the very same flower from which the 
 bee extracts honey, so had these enemies of the apostle 
 sought to make the virtues of Paul's life appear as vices 
 in the estimation of his friends at Corinth. But, as in the 
 case of the flower, the cause of the honey or the poison 
 extracted is to be sought for within the insect itself, each 
 insect giving its own character to that which is extracted 
 from the flower, so was it with the wicked hearts of Paul's 
 enemies. " Unto the pure all things are pure : but unto 
 them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 239 
 
 even their mind au d conscience i s defiled. ' ' Even the phys- 
 ical disabilities of Paul, such as " his bodily presence, " 
 which, apparently, was not by any means prepossessing, 
 but on the contrary, repulsive (he is said to have been 
 diminutive in stature and to have been afflicted with sore 
 eyes), for which he himself was not responsible, had been 
 made capital of by his enemies. Naturally, of course, to 
 the Greeks, who worshipped the perfect in nature, es- 
 pecially in the human form, a weak, imperfect and un- 
 prepossessing bodily presence was contemptible and des- 
 picable. On this trait of the Greek mind the opponents 
 of Paul had played, and to some extent played well. 
 
 They had, further, insinuated that Paul was a coward 
 in reality. He was bold in absence, and by letters he 
 made them afraid, but only weakness and fear (1 Corin- 
 thians ii. 3) did he manifest when in their midst (2 Corin- 
 thians X. 2, 8-11), and that, in reality, Paul was a coward 
 (cf. V. 6-8). 
 
 These insinuations Paul answers (x. 2-11). He ad- 
 mits such human frailty and insignificance as intimated 
 by his opponents, and boldly renounces "all confidence 
 in the flesh ' ' (x. 3), although at other times and under 
 different circumstances he shows that he has as much to 
 boast of in that line as his enemies have (Philippians iii. 
 1-10). But the battle he is fighting and the conflict in 
 which he is engaged is not one in which any " confidence 
 in the flesh " counts at all. He does not war ** after the 
 flesh." The gospel weapons are spiritual, not carnal 
 (x. 3-5 ; Ephesians vl. 10-19). Indeed victory in such a 
 warfare can never be achieved by resorting to human 
 wisdom and physical prowess. These human boasts must 
 be "cast down" and "brought into captivity unto 
 Christ" (x. 4, 5 ; cf. Lukeii. 24 ; Eomansvii. 23 ; 2 Tim- 
 othy iii. 6). 
 
 Christ's kingdom is not of this world, else would His 
 
240 II Corinthians 
 
 servants fight with worldly weapons (cf. Matthew xxvi. 
 5] , 52 ; John xviii, 33-38). God's weapons and instru- 
 mentalities are of a vastly different nature : a rod (Exo- 
 dus iv. 2, 3), a sling and stone (1 Samuel xvii. 49), an 
 oxgoad (Judges iii. 31), the jaw bone of an ass (Judges 
 XV. 14-20), and such, as the world calls them, ''base 
 things" (1 Corinthians i. 26-30) does God use with which 
 to achieve great victories in the realm of faith and spirit. 
 Not by man's wisdom — which is foolishness with God, 
 but with the simplicity of the thing preached, called 
 ''the foolishness of preaching" — regarded by man as 
 consummate foolishness, does God save men (1 Corin- 
 thians ii. 1-10). Whenever the pride, wisdom, clever- 
 ness and intrigue of man raises itself as an instrument for 
 the propagation of the work of God, it is to be cast down 
 and brought into captivity. Those spiritual forces alone 
 which God has ordained for the carrying on of His work 
 are to be exalted. Such spiritual weapons God com- 
 mands His servants to use. Obedience to such com- 
 mands brings blessing, while disobedience thereto brings 
 punishment (x. 6). 
 
 What a mistake to look upon things "after the out- 
 ward appearance" (x. 7), or, as they are called, "things 
 before your face" (x. 7, E. V. ; cf. Luke xvi. 15 ; 1 Sam- 
 uel xvi. 7 ; Jeremiah xvii. 9, 10). Not " the things before 
 your face" but the things before the throne are what 
 count for victory in this warfare. It is as if the apostle 
 said : ' ' You say my personal presence is weak and con- 
 temptible ; that when I am before your face I make no 
 strong impression. All of which I admit is true. But I 
 ask you to look not upon Paul as he stands before your 
 face, but see God in all the wonderful power of the gospel 
 in front of and also behind Paul inspiring and empower- 
 ing him. Even though I have authority from Christ, 
 even greater than that claimed by my opponents, and 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 241 
 
 even though I should i)ut on a bold front, as I do, so they 
 say, in my letters, when I am with you, I would not then 
 be playing false with you, for such boldness and authority 
 is mine from Christ. It would not be an assumed atti- 
 tude, for such a power I have as an ambassador of Christ 
 (x. 8). Surely I am no less Christ's than are my oppo- 
 nents. Surely the marks of an apostle I bear among 
 you, certainly, even if not among others (such marks as 
 we shall see in chap. xii.). Let those who think that we 
 are of 'no account' (cf. 1 Corinthians i. 26-28; vi. 4) 
 ' reckon ' (cf. x. 2, 7) on this : that we can be the same, 
 whether present or absent, in word or by letter. That 
 which we have always been, we are, and we shall be when 
 again we visit Corinth " (x. 11). Words and deeds must 
 go together in a trae Christian worker (1 John iii. 17, 18 ; 
 James ii. 14-26 ; Acts vii. 22 ; Eomans xv. 18). 
 
 2. Paul's Glorying is According to the Divine 
 Standard (x. 13-18). If in any sense the apostle is 
 weak, timid or seemingly cowardly, it is only in this one 
 respect : that he lacks the courage to compare himself 
 with himself as his opponents seem to delight in doing — 
 comparing themselves with themselves or among them- 
 selves. He has not the courage which they seem to 
 possess, of setting up his own standard of comparison 
 and glorification (x. 12), " According to God's meas- 
 ure " is the measure of Paul's standard. He is too timid 
 to constitute himself, as his opponents constitute them- 
 selves, **a self-admiration and a mutual admiration so- 
 ciety. " Foolish he may be but not so foolish. The con- 
 duct of his opponents in thus comparing themselves with 
 themselves is here likened to a lack of understanding : 
 "without understanding" (ver. 12), which means the 
 "inability to put two and two together" (cf. Eomans 
 XV. 21 ; Bphesians v. 17). Thus claiming superiority, 
 they are shown to lack ordinary common sense. 
 
242 II Corinthians 
 
 The apostle claims the right, however, to be bold and 
 courageous in his attitude towards the Corinthian Chris- 
 tians, for they constituted that part of God's vineyard 
 which had been allotted to Paul for labor and fruit 
 (x. 13-16). A man's work shall be his reward, the fruits 
 of his labors his best vindication. This is what Paul 
 claimed under God with reference to his work at Corinth. 
 The enemies of the apostle were using the Corinthians as 
 a basis for their glorying. They had no right to do so. 
 The Corinthians were the result of Paul's labors. He, if 
 any human being (which, of course, he denies, x. 17), has 
 a right to point to the Corinthians as a vindication of 
 his apostleship and a source of real commendation. He 
 would not build upon another man's foundation (Eomans 
 XV. 17-20), nor would he be guilty of taking the glory 
 for other men's work (ver. 16). To go where no other 
 worker had gone, to build where no one else had built, 
 to evangelize the ''regions beyond" — this was Paul's 
 glory and joy. Never should it be overlooked, however, 
 and the apostle would have them understand it that, 
 after all, no matter who the human agent might be, the 
 glory and power belonged to God. Paul may plant, and 
 ApoUos may water, but God must give the increase 
 (1 Corinthians iii. 6). So, after all, not self-commenda- 
 tion (in which the opponents of Paul were indulging) 
 but God-commendation (such as Paul looked forward to) 
 alone counts in the final reckoning up of things (x. 8). 
 
 3. The Emoluments and Evidences of Apostleship 
 (xi. 1-xii. 18). The emoluments are described in xi. 1 
 to xii. 10 ; the evidences in xii. 11-21. 
 
 (a) The Emoluments of Apostleship (xi. 1-xii. 10). 
 Apologetically, the apostle here resorts to the same tac- 
 tics as those employed by his adversaries, viz., that of 
 glorying in one's self or one's work. In thus doing, he 
 is somewhat abashed, a fact which he puts before the Cor- 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 243 
 
 inthians at the beginuiug (xi. 1), the middle (xi. 16-20), 
 and the end (xii. 11) of this section. 
 
 The strength of his own claims to apostleship, as con- 
 trasted with the weakness of those of his opponents, is 
 set forth under the guise of what may be called foolish 
 boasting (xi. 1). This foolishness, however, is not as 
 bold as that referred to in the first epistle (i. 18-21, 23 j 
 iii. 18-20). 
 
 The zeal of the apostle for the Corinthian church is 
 natural inasmuch as he was its father in the faith 
 (cf. 1 Corinthians i. 14 ; iv. 15). So in this sense the 
 church at Corinth was his daughter. Who, then, can 
 wonder that when he should present his daughter to 
 Christ, the Bridegroom, he would be desirous of present- 
 ing her as a pure virgin (xi. 2) ? The time of conversion 
 was the time of their betrothal. Some day, when the 
 Lord shall return, the marriage itself shall be consum- 
 mated (cf. Ephesians v. 27 ; John iii. 29 ; 1 Thessalonians 
 iii. 13 ; v. 23 ; Eevelation xix. 7-9). Just as Eve, pure 
 and spotless, was presented to the first Adam (Genesis ii. 
 18-25 ; 1 Corinthians xv. 45) so would Paul present the 
 Corinthian Christians to Christ, the second Adam, 
 
 The apostle is not unmindful of the subtilty of Satan 
 through his agents (xi. 13-15 ; cf. Ephesians iv. 14) to 
 thwart that purpose by substituting scholastic philosophy 
 and science, falsely so-called (Colossians ii. 8-10), for 
 simple faith in Christ. Whether the language of xi. 4 : 
 "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom 
 we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, 
 which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye 
 have not accepted, ye might bear well with him," is sar- 
 castic or not, it at least shows us the nature of the claims 
 of the false teachers and the fact that it was another gos- 
 pel they were preaching. Is it right that one who is en- 
 gaged or ready to be married (as the Corinthians were 
 
244 ^^ Corinthians 
 
 to Christ) should listen to the proposal of another (the 
 false gospel proclaimed by the false teachers) 1 Is this the 
 proper thing to do ? No. One's sense of loyalty com- 
 pels a negative answer. The Saviour was to the Corin- 
 thians the Christ, not merely Jesus ; He was the anointed 
 Saviour of the world, not merely and certainly not exclu- 
 sively the Jewish Messiah. Why should the Corinthians 
 receive the message of these false teachers rather than the 
 gospel preached by PauU Had these enemies of Paul 
 greater claims to apostleship than he had, superior as 
 they claimed themselves to be? It is surely to these false 
 apostles and not to the twelve to whom Paul here refers. 
 Certainly the context makes no reference to the twelve, 
 but, on the contrary, to certain, specific, false teachers. 
 
 Greater orators than Paul these false teachers may be, 
 but they did not have the real knowledge of the things 
 of God such as he possessed (cf. 1 Corinthians i.-iii.). 
 It is true, also, that his teaching may have been looked 
 upon as cheap because gratuitous and thus contrary to 
 the practice of these false teachers who charged for their 
 services (xi. 20). It was Paul's boast everywhere and at 
 all times that he had not availed himself of the divine 
 provision — that they who preach the gospel should live 
 of the gospel, but, on the contrary, had supported him- 
 self while preaching, by manual labor (at Corinth, Acts 
 xviii. 3 ; 1 Corinthians ix. 7-18 ; 2 Corinthians xi. 7-12 ; 
 xii. 14-18 ; at Thessalouica, 1 Thessalonians ii. 8, 9 ; at 
 Ephesus, Acts xx. 34). The Corinthians, however, must 
 not misunderstand the matter, for, while Paul's teaching 
 was gratuitous, it by no means follows that in itself it was 
 worth nothing. Nor is the apostle's refusal to accept pay 
 to be constructed as a consciousness on his part of his not 
 being really an apostle, or revealing a spirit of pride as 
 being superior to the twelve. Is there any real consistency 
 between the high office of an apostle and ambassador of 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 245 
 
 Jesus Christ and a tent-maker, which Paul was by trade, 
 and by the use of which he supported himself by preach- 
 ing ? No, say the false teachers. But we may ask, was 
 Christ any less great because He worked as a carpenter! 
 Manual labor is of divine appointment. 
 
 " This is the gospel of labor, 
 Ring it, ye bells of the kirk, 
 The Lord of love came down from above 
 To dwell among men who work." 
 
 A full gospel is what Paul would preach — God's gospel 
 without charge (cf. Isaiah Iv.). Such liberty with regard 
 to the proclamation of the truth gave Paul a freedom in 
 its dissemination, even though unpleasant, that might not 
 be as easily possible did he receive his support from those 
 to whom he preached. May we not ask the question if 
 this is not the main reason of Paul's independent spirit 
 with regard to receiving wages from those among whom 
 he worked? It was also a sign of great love to them, 
 showing that his ministry was not for any gain to himself 
 (xi. 11-12). None could ever be able, truthfully, to lay 
 against him a charge of greed or covetousness (xi. 12). 
 
 Chapter xi. 13-15 gives us a description of the false 
 apostles, and also the retribution which is to be, not ac- 
 cording to their profession, but according to their works. 
 
 For the third time, Paul indulges in glorying, having 
 twice turned from it because it was repulsive to him 
 (cf. X. 8 ; xi. 1, 6). He now turns to face it again. Divine 
 guidance, even if not divine sanction of the "Word, is 
 claimed for the apostolic utterances here (xi. 17). Paul 
 is recording his personal experience, and no divine revela- 
 tion is necessary for that, although the record of even that 
 is inspired. Even in such a record of experiences, Paul 
 would magnify the Holy Spirit and not boast "after the 
 flesh" (xi. 18-30). It is of the Lord rather than of him- 
 
246 II Corinthians 
 
 self that he would speak. What a great blessing a re- 
 counting of the apostolic experience has been to the 
 Christian Church ! Paul was always reluctant to narrate 
 his experiences: "We preach not ourselves but Christ 
 crucified" was his argument always. There were times, 
 however, when the interest and welfare of the gospel 
 seemed to necessitate the narration of his personal expe- 
 riences. Under such circumstances, the apostle never 
 hesitated to record what he had seen, heard and felt. 
 
 Ironically, Paul charges the Corinthians with not only 
 being gullible, but with the enjoyment of it. Did the 
 existence of such foolishness on the part of the false teach- 
 ers give the Corinthians an opportunity to boast of their 
 wisdom ? The foolish boasting of Paul, if foolish it could 
 be called, is not for the puffing up of man but for the ex- 
 altation of the power and glory of the Lord and in order 
 that men may be saved. For this cause Paul gloried in 
 his weakness (xi. 30), and not, as in the case of the false 
 teachers, of his prowess and powers. Paul glories, as one 
 has well said, "not in what he has done, but in what he 
 has borne." Of course, there is a sense in which no such 
 boasting is "after the Lord," or well pleasing in His 
 sight. 
 
 The willingness of the Corinthians to be fooled is evi- 
 denced by the impositions they were willing to endure at 
 the hands of their deceivers, the false apostles (cf. xi. 
 19-20). The expressions here used describing such im- 
 positions are very strong. The false teachers were ava- 
 ricious, devouring, smiting, capturing, and led the people 
 into bondage (cf. iv. 10 ; Matthew xxiii. 13 ; Acts xxiii. 2 ; 
 Eomans xvi. 18 ; 2 Corinthians ii. 6 ; 1 Peter v. 2-3 ; 
 3 John 9). The Apostle Paul had been the opposite of 
 all this in his relation to the Corinthians, hence it may 
 have been natural for them to consider him as being 
 "weak" (xi. 21) and having no courage or boldness. 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 247 
 
 Yet when a true comparison is made, it will be seen that 
 the apostle has both courage and authority, not human 
 but divine. 
 
 The false teachers boasted of their nationality, their 
 ministry and their suffering (xi. 22-23), and pressed 
 home these things upon the Corinthians as claims for 
 their allegiance. Paul, too, could boast of such things, 
 and in a much more abundant measure (cf. Philippians 
 iii. 1-12). 
 
 The catalogue of afaictious, persecutions and sufferings 
 endured by the Apostle Paul, as here recorded, is the 
 most astounding and startling ever penned. Nor is it by 
 any means a complete list of all that Paul endured. It 
 further shows that the record of the experiences of Paul 
 in the Book of Acts is no exaggeration. One cannot help 
 but recall the words uttered at the time of Paul's con- 
 version by Jesus to Ananias, when speaking of Paul He 
 said : " I will show him how great things he must suffer 
 for my Name's sake." One can understand better, after 
 reading this catalogue of suffering, what Paul meant 
 when he said : *' Who now rejoice in my sufferings for 
 you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of 
 Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the 
 church" (Colossians i. 24). With this list of persecu- 
 tions should be compared 1 Corinthians iv. 11-13 ; 
 2 Corinthians iv. 7-10 ; vi. 4-10. From the time of the 
 vision of Christ on the way to Damascus, at which time 
 Paul was told how much he should suffer for Christ's 
 sake, and on throughout all the intervening years, Paul's 
 life had been full of suffering : labor and toil of body and 
 mind, burden of soul, and anxiety of spirit, persecutions 
 and tribulations, had continued throughout all the years 
 since his conversion, yea, and did continue until he laid 
 his head upon the executioner's block to pour out his 
 blood as an offering to Christ and His Church. All of 
 
248 II Corinthians 
 
 this Paul endured for Christ's sake and for the Church's 
 sake. 
 
 Such sufferings witnessed the reality of that in which 
 Paul believed, at least to the apostle himself, and conse- 
 quently had evidential value. No matter what others 
 may have thought of his experience on the way to Da- 
 mascus, Paul was firmly persuaded that he had seen and 
 spoken with the Lord. This list of sufferings shows us, 
 also, the power of the gospel to comfort and to make the 
 Christian more than conqueror through all the experi 
 ences of life. The sufferings were a result of the zeal, 
 energy and enterprise of Paul for Christ and the gospel. 
 Had he been less aggressive, he would doubtless have 
 suffered less persecution ; had he been a man of less 
 principle and more expediency, this catalogue of suffer- 
 ing might have been reduced. 
 
 Paul's Revelations and Thorn in the Flesh (xii. 1-10). 
 It is difficult to tell just to what experience the apostle 
 refers to as having transpired "above fourteen years 
 ago." Some think the reference is to the time of his 
 vision at the temple (Acts xxii. 17), or to the time of the 
 stoning at Lystra (Acts xiv. 19). Both these views, 
 however, are attended with difficulties hard to explain. 
 At auy rate, it was an experience in which the spirit 
 was, as it were, lifted out of, or separated from the body 
 (cf. Ezekiel iii. 12-14 ; Acts viii. 39 ; Eevelation iv. 1, 2), 
 and taken up to Paradise and the third heaveu, by which 
 is doubtless meant the place where Christ is. Paradise 
 was first on the earth — the Garden of Eden ; then it was 
 below the earth — the upper part of Hades, into which 
 Christ descended ; it is now located above, where Christ 
 is. Some day it will be on the earth again — probably 
 the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven upon the 
 earth (cf. Genesis ii. ; Luke xxiii. 43 ; Eevelation ii. 7 ; 
 xxi. 2, 10-27). 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 249 
 
 lu some supernatural way, certain revelations had thus 
 been granted to Paul. * ' Visions and sights not vouchsafed 
 to the human eye, in the natural way of ordinary seeing, 
 visions with the aid of the most perfect helps, because 
 these visions which the apostle saw are essentially super- 
 natural in their character (cf. Acts ix. 4-6 ; xvi. 9 ; 
 xviii. 9 ; xxiii. 11 ; xxvii. 23), revelations which, in this 
 case, were communicated by means of the vision. The 
 point is that Paul was exceptionally enlightened by the 
 Lord, and the reason is found in his exceptional call and 
 mission, and this accounts for his reluctance to narrate 
 these experiences." What these revelations were, we do 
 not know. If it was unlawful to utter them, it is cer- 
 tainly foolish for us to seek to find out what Paul saw 
 and heard. That the man whom Paul "knows" (not 
 "knew") is the apostle himself, is clear from xii. 7. 
 The sublime positiveness of the apostle is refreshing and 
 is evident by the repetition of the word "know." By 
 "visions" is meant something seen, by "revelations," 
 something heard. 
 
 Paul's "thorn in the flesh," "the messenger of Satan" 
 "to buffet him," " lest he should be exalted above meas- 
 ure by reason of the abundance of the revelations granted 
 him," has many and various interpretations. It has been 
 defined as epilepsy ; fits of ill temper ; the struggle for 
 continency ; stings of conscience because of his past life, 
 especially as a persecutor of the Church of God ; pains 
 in the ear and head ; a severe affliction of the eyes, 
 and hypochondria. Evidently, it was "a stake in the 
 flesh," that is, a bodily affliction, a "thorn," not 
 "thorns," a "crown of thorns," but some particular, 
 specific bodily ailment. Just as in the case of Job Satan 
 is permitted to afflict Job bodily, so Satan is permitted to 
 treat Paul likewise. The purpose of the affliction is 
 clearly stated : lest the apostle should be puffed up by 
 
250 II Corinthians 
 
 reason of the abundance of revelations granted to him. 
 Paul frankly admits the danger, and also the purpose of 
 the thorn in the flesh. 
 
 For the removal of this affliction, Paul prayed three 
 times. His prayer was unanswered as to the removing 
 of the affliction, but grace sufficient was furnished to en- 
 dure it, so that Paul by this experience learned the value 
 of ''seasonable grace" (Hebrews iv. 16), that is, grace 
 sufficient to bear whatever afflictions of life come to us. 
 Paul is to learn that "power" (not "my" power) is 
 made /'perfect in weakness"; strength, in infirmity; 
 might, in helplessness. The strength of Christ is con- 
 trasted with the weakness of Paul. This mode of answer 
 to prayer Paul readily and gladly accedes to and rejoices 
 in. He recognizes that it compels daily grace and be- 
 stows continual communion with his Lord. 
 
 (&) Evidences of Apostleshvp (xii. 11-21). Instead of 
 Paul having to thus glory, the Corinthians ought to have 
 gloried in his behalf and stead. His life and work in 
 their midst should have met with commendation from 
 them. It ought not to have been necessary for Paul to 
 have descended to this kind of glorying and defence 
 (cf. iii. 1-2 ; V. 12 ; x. 12-18). The signs of an apostle 
 he surely had, both Godward and manward (cf. xii. 12 ; 
 iv. 17 ; V. 5 ; vii. 10 ; ix. 11 ; Mark xvi. 20 ; Acts x. 38 ; 
 Acts ii. 22 ; Hebrews ii. 3, 4). Not one bit was he be- 
 hind these self-styled " chief apostles " (the reference here 
 being not to the twelve apostles of our Lord but to the 
 false teachers). 
 
 Ironically, he refers to one thing in which, perchance, 
 he lacked one sign of an apostle — the matter of receiving 
 compensation for his services among them (xii. 3). 
 When he shall visit them for the third time, as he in- 
 tends to do, he will not change his policy in this regard 
 (xii. 14). Why should he change it, seeing it has not 
 
Paul's Character and Authority Vindicated 251 
 
 been wrong but in full accord with a divine principle 
 (xii. 14), and an illustration of the unselfishness of his 
 ministry among them (xii. 14-15) ? Thus does he also 
 repudiate the charge of the false teachers against him — 
 that being crafty, he caught the Corinthians as the hunter 
 catches his prey in a snare (xii. 16). Neither he nor his 
 representatives were guilty of any such deceit (xii. 17-18). 
 
 The apostle would not have the Corinthians think that 
 all the while he has had self- vindication in their sight in 
 mind (xii. 19). Not at all. He is interested in being 
 clear "in the sight of God " (xii. 19 ; cf. ii. 17 ; 1 Corin- 
 thians iv. 3, 4). God alone can read and judge motives. 
 Not to defend himself, but to build up the Church of 
 Christ is the end the apostle has in view in all his reason- 
 ing and dealing with the Corinthians (xii. 19). 
 
 He would love to find an absence of the bitter fruits of 
 false teaching, such as " strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, 
 backbi tings, whisperings, swellings, tumults" (xii. 20) 
 in their midst when he again visits them. To find such 
 existing vices would be to him a real personal sorrow and 
 loss (xii. 21). 
 
 4. Apprehensions of View of Paul's Intended Visit 
 (xiii. 1-10). The apostle announces an intended third 
 visit to the Corinthians, in which he avows his intention 
 of dealing in severity with sinners who had been doubt- 
 ing the reality of Christ speaking in and through him 
 (xiii. 1-3). No weak front will he present. The Christ 
 whom they had known by and seen in him, as well as 
 felt in their own experience, was the Christ of ** power." 
 Weak Paul may be in himself, but strong he is in Christ 
 (xiii. 4). Had the Corinthians challenged the Christ in 
 Paul to manifest his power? So it would seem from 
 xiii. 3. They ought to be seeking the proof of Christ in 
 themselves rather than in the apostle (xiii. 5). It is 
 themselves, not the apostle, that they are to judge. Self- 
 
252 II Corinthians 
 
 criticism they will find more beneficial than criticizing 
 the apostle. To find in their hearts (and it is for this 
 they are to look, for the word ** examine" here means to 
 look for good) even the least bit of real faith in Christ is 
 to stamp them as belonging to Christ. To believe in 
 Christ and not to enjoy assurance is wrong and worthy 
 of censure (cf. 1 John v. 10-13). The apostle expresses 
 his faith in them that they are Christians (xiii. 5-7 ; 
 cf. i. 24 ; viii. 7). Indeed, the expectant finding of such 
 faith in the Corinthians is more Christlike and pleasing 
 to the apostle than to be able to manifest the power of 
 Christ in the rebuking of evil, and thus vindicate Christ 
 speaking in him (cf. xiii. 3). It is good, not evil, that 
 Paul seeks to find in the Corinthians. Paul does not de- 
 sire such an opportunity for the proof of Christ's power 
 resident in him (xiii. 9-10). He considers his highest 
 calling to consist in building up, not casting down the 
 work of grace in human hearts (xiii. 10 j cf. x. 4, 8). 
 
Conclusion 
 
 (xiii. 11- 14) 
 
 THE concluding words of the epistle (xiii. 11-14) 
 are full of hope, joy and peace, a really re- 
 markable fact, considering the stern character 
 of the epistle throughout, than which there is none more 
 severe excepting that to the Galatians. 
 
 It is interesting to study the concluding salutations of 
 the Apostle Paul as found in his various epistles. (See 
 1 Thessalonians v. 20 ; 1 Corinthians xvi. 19-20 ; Eomans 
 xvi. 3-23 ; Philippians iv. 21-22). 
 
 The Corinthians are exhorted to hold the injunctions 
 of the apostle which will tend to their perfection, unifica- 
 tion and peace (xiii. 11). 
 
 The salutation with a kiss was a common practice of 
 the early Church (xiii. 12, cf. Romans xvi. 16 ; 1 Corin- 
 thians xvi. 20 ; 1 Thessalonians v. 26 ; 1 Peter v. 14). 
 It was customary for the women to kiss the women and 
 the men the men — such is the testimony set forth in the 
 Apostolic Constitutions ii. 57 ; viii. 11, and in the Canons 
 of Laodicea 19. 
 
 The dignity and deity of Christ is emphasized by its 
 place in the benediction (xiii. 14). 
 
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