TEXT.

25 After the same manner also, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

PARAPHRASE.

said, "Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you: 25 this do in remembrance of me." So, likewise, he took the cup also, when he had supped, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as ye do it, in 26 remembrance of me." So that the eating of this bread, and the drinking of this cup of the Lord's supper, is not to satisfy hunger and thirst, but to show forth the Lord's death, 27 till he comes. Insomuch that he, who eats this bread, and drinks this cup of the Lord, in an unworthy manner, not suitable to that end, shall be guilty of a misuse of the body 28 and blood of the Lord. By this institution, therefore, of Christ, let a man examine himself; and, according to

NOTES.

27 'Avažíws," unworthily." Our Saviour, in the institution of the Lord's supper, tells the apostles, that the bread and the cup were sacramentally his body and blood, and that they were to be eaten and drunk in remembrance of him; which, as St. Paul interprets it, ver. 26, was to show forth his death till he came. Whoever, therefore, eat and drank them, so as not solemnly to show forth his death, followed not Christ's institution, but used them unworthily, i. e. not to the end to which they were instituted. This makes St. Paul tell them, ver. 20, that their coming together to eat it, as they did, viz. the sacramental bread and wine promiscuously with their other food, as a part of their meal, and that though in the same place, yet not all together, at one time, and in one company, was not eating of the Lord's supper.

e

d "Evoxos sa, shall be liable to the punishment due to one, who makes a wrong use of the sacramental body and blood of Christ in the Lord's supper. What that punishment was, vid. ver. 30.

28 St. Paul, as we have observed, tells the Corinthians, ver. 20, That to eat it after the manner they did was not to eat the Lord's supper. He tells them also, ver. 29, That to eat it, without a due and direct imitating regard had to the Lord's body, (for so he calls the sacramental bread and wine, as our Saviour did, in the institution) by separating the bread and wine from the common use of eating and drinking, for hunger and thirst, was to eat unworthily. To remedy their disorders herein, he sets before them Christ's own institution of this sacrament; that in it they might see the manner and end of its institution; and, by that, every one might examine his own comportment herein, whether it were conformable to that institution, and suited to that end. In the account he gives, of Christ's institution, we may observe, that he parti

TEXT.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

PARAPHRASE.

29 that, let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. For he, who eats and drinks after an unworthy manner, without a due respect had to the Lord's body, in a discriminating and purely sacramental use of the bread and wine, that represent it, draws

g

NOTES.

ticularly remarks to them, that this eating and drinking was no part of common eating and drinking for hunger and thirst, but was instituted in a very solemu manner, after they had supped, and for another end, viz. to represent Christ's body and blood, and to be eaten and drunk in remembrance of him; or, as St. Paul expounds it, to show forth his death. Another thing, which they might observe in the institution, was, that this was done by all who were present, united together in one company, at the same time. All which, put together, shows us what the examination here proposed is. For the design of the apostle here, being to reform what he found fault with, in their celebrating the Lord's supper, it is, by that alone, we must understand the directions he gives them about it, if we will suppose he talked pertinently to this captious and touchy people, whom he was very desirous to reduce from the irregularities they were run into, in this matter, as well as several others. And if the account of Christ's institution be not for their examining their carriage by it, and adjusting it to it, to what purpose is it, here? The examination, therefore, proposed, was no other but an examination of their manner of eating the Lord's supper, by Christ's institution, to see how their behaviour herein comported with the institution, and the end, for which it was instituted. Which farther appears to be so, by the punishment annexed to their miscarriages herein, which was infirmities, sickness, and temporal death, with which God chastened them, that they might not be condemned with the unbelieving world, ver. 30, 31. For if the unworthiness, here spoken of, were either unbelief, or any of those sins, which are usually made the matter of examination, it is to be presumed the apostle would not wholly have passed them over in silence: this, at least, is certain, that the punishment of these sins is infinitely greater than that, which God here inflicts on unworthy receivers, whether they, who are guilty of them, received the sacrament, or no.

f Kal outws. These words, as to the letter, are rightly translated, "and so." But that translation, I imagine, leaves generally a wrong sense of the place, in the mind of an English reader. For in ordinary speaking, these words, “Let a man examine, and so let him eat," are understood to import the same with these, "Let a man examine, and then let him eat;" as if they signified no more, but that examination should precede, and eating follow; which I take to be quite different from the meaning of the apostle here, whose sense the whole design of the context shows to be this: "I here set before you the institution of Christ: by that let a man examine his carriage, xal Tws, and according to that let him eat: let him conform the manner of his eating to that." 29 & Mǹ daxpívar, "not discriminating," not putting a difference between the sacra mental bread and wine (which St. Paul, with our Saviour, calls Christ's body) and other bread and wine, in the solemn and seperate use of them. The Corinthians, as has been remarked, eat the Lord's supper in and with their own ordinary supper; whereby it came not to be sufficiently distinguished (as became a religious and Christian observance, so solemnly instituted) from common eating VOL. VIII.

L

TEXT.

30 For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you,

sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

h

PARAPHRASE.

30 punishment on himself, by so doing. And hence it is, that many among you are weak and sick, and a good number are 31 gone to their graves. But if we would discriminate ourselves,

i.e. by our discriminating use of the Lord's supper, we should 32 not be judged, i. e. i punished by God. But, being punished by the Lord, we are corrected, that we may not be con33 demned hereafter, with the unbelieving world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you have a meeting for celebrating the Lord's supper, stay for one another, that you may eat it all together, as partakers, all in common, of the Lord's table, 34 without division, or distinction. But if any one be hungry, let him eat at home to satisfy his hunger, that so the disorder in these meetings may not draw on you the punishment abovementioned. What else remains to be rectified in this matter I will set in order when I come.

NOTES.

for bodily refreshment, nor from the Jewish paschal supper, and the bread broken, and the cup of blessing used in that: nor did it, in this way of eating it in separate companies, as it were in private families, show forth the Lord's death, as it was designed to do, by the concurrence and communion of the whole assembly of Christians, jointly united in the partaking of bread and wine, in a way peculiar to them, with reference solely to Jesus Christ. This was that, as appears by this place, which St. Paul, as we have already explained, calls eating unworthily.

29" Damnation," by which our translation renders xpiua, is vulgarly taken for eternal damnation, in the other world; whereas xpiμa here signifies punishment of another nature, as appears by ver. 30, 32.

31 i Aaxpívem does nowhere, that I know, signify to judge, as it is here translated, but always signifies "to distinguish," or "discriminate," and in this place has the same signification, and means the same thing, that it does, ver. 29. He is little versed in St. Paul's writings, who has not observed how apt he is to repeat the same word, he had used before, to the same purpose, though in a different, and sometimes a pretty hard construction; as here he applies Saxpive to the persons discriminating, as in the 29th verse to the thing to be discriminated, though in both places it be put to denote the same action.

k

32 Пdevóμeba properly signifies to be corrected, as scholars are by their master, for their good.

1 'Expóμða here signifies the same that xîμa does, ver. 29.

SECTION IX.

CHAPTER XII. 1-XIV. 40.

CONTENTS.

THE Corinthians seem to have inquired of St. Paul, "What order of precedency and preference men were to have, in their assemblies, in regard of their spiritual gifts?" Nay, if we may guess by his answer, the question they seem more particularly to have proposed was," Whether those, who had the gift of tongues, ought not to take place, and speak first, and be first heard in their meetings?" Concerning this there seems to have been some strife, maligning, and disorder among them, as may be collected from chap. xii. 21-25, and xiii. 4, 5, and xiv. 40.

To this St. Paul answers in these three chapters, as followeth : 1. That they had all been heathen idolaters, and so being deniers of Christ, were in that state none of them spiritual: but that now, being Christians, and owning Jesus to be the Lord (which could not be done without the Spirit of God) they were all veμalinol, spiritual, and so there was no reason for one to undervalue another, as if he were not spiritual, as well as himself, chap. xii. 1-3.

2. That though there be diversity of gifts, yet they are all by the same Spirit, from the same Lord, and the same God, working them all in every one, according to his good pleasure. So that, in this respect also, there is no difference or precedency; no occasion for any one's being puffed up, or affecting priority, upon account of his gifts, chap. xii. 4-11.

3. That the diversity of gifts is for the use and benefit of the church, which is Christ's body, wherein the members (as in the natural body) of meaner functions are as much parts, and as necessary in their use to the good of the whole, and therefore to be honoured, as much as any other. The union they have, as members in the same body, makes them all equally share in one another's good and evil, gives them a mutual esteem and concern one for another, and leaves no room for contests or divisions amongst them, about their gifts, or the honour and place due to them, upon that account, chap. xii. 12-31.

4. That though gifts have their excellency and use, and those, who have them, may be zealous in the use of them; yet the true and sure way for a man to get an excellency and preference above others, is the enlarging himself in charity, and excelling in that,

without which a Christian, with all his spiritual gifts, is nothing, chap. xiii. 1-13.

5. In the comparison of spiritual gifts, he gives those the precedency, which edify most; and, in particular, prefers prophesying to tongues, chap. xiv. 1-40.

SECTION IX. NO. 1.

CHAPTER XII. 1-3.

TEXT.

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ig

norant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say, that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

PARAPHRASE.

1 As to spiritual men, or men assisted and acted by the Spirit a, I shall inform you; for I would not have you be ignorant. 2 You yourselves know, that you were heathens, engaged in the worship of stocks and stones, dumb, senseless idols, by those, 3 who were then your leaders. Whereupon let me tell you, that no one, who opposes Jesus Christ, or his religion, has the Spirit of God. And whoever is brought to own Jesus to be the Messiah, the Lord, does it by the Holy Ghost.

a

NOTES.

1 Пveuμalinov, "spiritual." We are warranted, by a like use of the word, in several places of St. Paul's epistles, as chap. ii. 15, and xiv. 37, of this epistle, and Gal. vi. 1, to take it here in the masculine gender, standing for persons, and not gifts. And the context obliges us to understand it so. For if we will have it stand for gifts, and not persons, the sense and coherence of these three first verses will be very hard to be made out. Besides, there is evidence enough, in several parts of it, that the subject of St. Paul's discourse here is veμalixol, persons endowed with spiritual gifts, contending for precedency, in consideration of their gifts. See ver. 13, &c. of this chapter; and to what purpose else, says he, chap. xiv. 5, Greater is he that prophesieth, than he that speaketh with tongues?

3b This is spoken against the Jews, who pretended to the Holy Ghost, and yet spoke against Jesus Christ, and denied that the Holy Ghost was ever given to the Gentiles: vid. Acts x. 45. Whether their Judaizing false apostle were at all glanced at in this, may be considered.

Lord. What is meant by Lord, see note, chap. viii. 5.