Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Ver. 10.1. The Spirit, ερευνα, fearcheth. Le Clerc, thinking it improper to speak of the Spirit's fearching, fuppofes that fearching, the caufe, is put for knowing, the effect of fearching. And therefore, he would have the claufe tranflated, knoweth the depths; in which sense the word fearcheth feems to be ufed, Rev. ii. 23. I am he, ὁ ερευνών, who fearcheth; that is, who fully knoweth the reins and heart.

2. The depths of God. There are the various parts of that graud plan, which the wisdom of God hath formed for the falvation of mankind, their relation to, and dependence on each other, their operation and effect upon the fyftem of the univerfe, the dignity of the perfon by whom that plan hath been executed, and the final iffue thereof in the falvation of believers; with many other particulars, which we shall not know, till the light of the other world break in upon us.

Ver. 12. The fpirit of the world, is that diabolical infpiration by which the heathen priests and priesteffes delivered oracles, and which is here called the Spirit of the world, becaufe by these false oracles, the devil ruled the heathens, termed in fcripture the world, and this world.

Ver. 13.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

10 But, although no faculty in man could difcover these things, God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit knoweth all things, even the deep counfels of God refpecting the falvation of men.

11 This ye may know, by reflecting on yourselves: for who among men knoweth the depths, the concealed thoughts and defigns of a man, but the Spirit of man which is in him; fo alfo, the deep concealed defigns of God, no one knoweth, except the Spirit of God who is confcious of the whole.

12 Now, we have received, not the infpiration of that evil spirit who agitates the heathen priefs and priefteffes, but the infpiration which cometh from God, that we might know fully the blessings, (ver. 9.) which are gifted to us and to all who believe, not by any idol, but by the true God.

13 Which bleffings alfo we declare to the world, not in the flowery language prefcribed by the Greek rhetoricians, but in the unadorned language fuggefted to us by the holy Spirit; explaining spiritual things in words dictated by the Spirit, because they are beft adapted to exprefs them.

Ver. 13.-1. Words taught by the Holy Spirit. From this we learn, that as often as the apostles declared the doctrines of the gospel, the Spirit prefented thefe doctrines to their minds clothed in their own language; which indeed is the only way in which the doctrines of the gofpel could be prefented to their minds. For men are fo accustomed to connect ideas with words, that they always think in words. Wherefore, though the language in which the apostles delivered the doctrines of the gospel, was really fuggefted to them by the Spirit, it was properly their own ftyle of language. This language in which the doctrines of the gospel was revealed to the apoftles, and in which they delivered thefe doctrines to the world, is what St. Paul calls the form of found words, which Timothy had heard from him, and was to hold faft, 2 Tim. i. 13. Every one therefore ought to beware of altering or wrefting the infpired language of fcriptnre, in their expofitions of the

articles

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

articles of the Chriftian faith.-Taylor, in the fixth chapter of his Key, at the end, explains the verfe under confideration thus: Which things we fpeak, not in philofophical terms of human invention, but which the Spirit teacheth in the writings of the Old Teftament: and contends, that the apoftle's meaning is, that he expreffed the Chriftian privileges in the very fame words and phrafes, by which the Spirit expreffed the privileges of the Jewifh church in the writings of the Old Teftament. But if the Spirit fuggefted thefe words and phrafes to the Jewish prophets, why might he not fuggeft to the apoftles, the words and phrafes in which they communicated the gofpel revelation to the world? Efpecially as there are many difcoveries in the gofpel which could not be expreffed clearly, if at all, in the words by which the prophets exprefied the privileges of the Jewish church. Befides, it is evident, that when the apoftles introduce into their writings the words and phrafes of the Jewish prophets, they explain them in other words and phrafes, which no doubt were fuggefted to them by the Spirit. See 2 Tim. iii. 16. note 4.

2. Explaining fpiritual things. The original word Guyngworss, is rightly tranflated interpreting or explaining; being used by the LXX. to denote the interpretation of dreams, Gen. xl. 16. 22. xli. 12, 13. 15. Dan. ii. 4. v. 7. 12.

This

3. In fpiritual words. So I tranflate prix But Dr. Pearce tranflates the clause, explaining fpiritual things 10 Spiritual men. fenfe I acknowledge the original will bear, only it does not agree fo well with the firil part of the verfe, where words taught by the Holy Spirit are mentioned.

Ver 14. Now an animal man. An animal man, is one who makes the faculties of his animal nature, that is, his fenfes, his paffions, and his natural reafon darkened by préjudices, the measure of truth, and the rule of his conduct, without paying any regard to the difcoveries of revelation. Of this character were the heathen philofophers, to whom the doctrines of the gospel were foolifbnefs, chap. i. 23 Alfo the Jewish fcribes, and thofe falfe teachers whom Jude, ver. 19 calls

ψυχικούς

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

4uxixo, animal men, not having the Spirit Thefe all rejected the gofpel, because they could not explain its doctrines by their own principles, or preconceived notions.

2. Because they are fpiritually examined. (Vulgate, examinantur.) Beza, by dividing on thus, o, T, tranflates the claufe, neither can he know any thing which is fpiritually difcerned.

Ver. 15. The fpiritual man, being oppofed to the animal man, is not an infpired perfon, as Whitby thinks, but a perfon whose spiritual faculties, his reafon and confcience, are not biaffed by his animal nature, but have their due afcendant; and who entertains a juft fenfe of the authority of revelation, in matters pertaining to God. And being fincerely defirous to know the truth, is affifted in his enquiries by the Spirit. Such a fpiritual man, and he only, is able to judge properly of the things revealed by the Spirit of God.

Ver. 16.-1. For what man hath known, &c. Tis yag yo voy nuga; is ouμbicaσ AUTO; This is fuppofed by fome, to be quoted from the LXX. tranflation of Ifa. xl. 13 which runs thus: Tyv vav xugia, και τις συμβελών αυτ8 εγενετο, ός συμβιβασει αυτόν. But as the apoftle has omitted the middle claufe, I think it is an application of the prophet's words to a different fubject, rather than a quotation. I have therefore followed Locke, who fuppofes that the relative autov, him, refers to the remote antecedent, and denotes, not the Lord, but the fpiritual

man.

4

2. (Nav, Vulgate, Senfum.) The mind of the Lord; that is, the plan of the falvation of mankind, which exifts in the mind of the Lord; his deep defigns concerning us. See 1 Cor. xiv. 14. note, for the meaning of vas

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

3. Who will inftruct bim? Explica auto; that is, prove to the fpiritual man that the principles on which he judges of fpiritual things are falfe, inform him of things he is ignorant of, and fhew him that in believing the gofpel he hath fallen into error.-The truth implied in

this

F

CHAP. III.

View and Illustration of the Matters treated in this Chapter.

ROM what is faid in this chapter, it appears that the falfe teacher had reprefented St. Paul, either as ignorant or as unfaithful, because he had not fully inftructed the Corinthians, before his departure. The fame teacher had also boasted concerning himself, that he had given them complete inftruction, The confutation of thefe calumnies, the apofle with great propriety introduced, after having in the former chapter, difcourted largely concerning the perfect knowledge of the gospel, given to the apostles by the Spirit. Wherefore, having in that chapter obferved, that animal men receive not the things of the Spirit of God, he began this chapter with telling the Corinthians, that though he was an apoftle fully inftructed, he could not, during his abode with them, fpeak to them as to fpiritual, but as to flefly or weak perfons, even as to babes in chriftianity, ver. L. This was a fevere blow to the pride of the Greeks, Notwithstanding their boafted proficiency in the fciences, they were fiefbly or weak men, and babes in religious matters. It feems their admiration of their own philofophy, their confidence in human reafon as the only judge of truth, and the prevalence of their animal paflions, had rendered them incapable of undertanding and relishing fpiritual things. He had therefore given them milk and not meat, because they were not then able to boar meat; neither were they yet able to bear it, ver. 2.-That the Corinthians were ftill fleshly, was evident from the ftrifes and divifions which were among them, on account of the particular teachers to whom they had attached themfelves, ver. 3.- For one said, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, ver. 4. Fron this we learn, that there were two principal factions in the church at Corinth, the one of which adhered to Paul, and the

other

« PreviousContinue »