SECTION VI. NO. 1. CHAPTER X. 1-22. CONTENTS. It seems, by what he here says, as if the Corinthians had told St. Paul, that the temptations and constraints they were under, of going to their heathen neighbors' feasts upon their sacrifices, were so many and so great, that there was no avoiding it; and, therefore, they thought they might go to them without any offence to God, or danger to themselves, since they were the people of God, purged from sin by baptism, and fenced against it, by partaking of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's supper. To which St. Paul answers, that, notwithstanding their baptism and partaking of that spiritual meat and drink, yet they, as well as the Jews of old did, might sin, and draw on themselves destruction from the hand of God: that eating of things that were known, and owned, to be offered to idols, was partaking in the idolatrous worship: and, therefore, they were to prefer even the danger of persecution before such a compliance; for God would find a way for them to escape. TEXT. 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized, unto Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea; PARAPHRASE. 1 I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers, the whole congregation of the children of Israel, at their coming out of Egypt, were, all to a man, under the cloud, and 2 all passed through the sea; And were all, by this baptism, in the cloud, and passing through the water, initiated into the Mosaical institution and government, by these two miracles of NOTE. * The apostle calls it baptism, which is the initiating ceremony into both the Jewish and Christian church: and the cloud and the sea, both being nothing but water, are well suited to that typical representation; and that the children of Israel were washed with rain from the cloud, may be collected from Psalm lxviii. 9. TEXT. 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: (for they drank of that spiritu al rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.) 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent, we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. PARAPHRASE. 3 the cloud and the sea. And they all eat the same meat, which 4 had a typical and spiritual signification; And they all drank the same spiritual, typical drink, which came out of the rock, and followed them, which rock typified Christ: all which were typical representations of Christ, as well as the bread and wine, which we eat and drink in the lord's supper, are typical representations of him. But yet, though every one of the children of Israel that came out of Egypt, were thus solemnly separated from the rest of the profane, idolatrous world, and were made God's peculiar people, sanctified and holy, every one of them to himself, and members of his church: nay, though they did all partake of the same meat, and the same drink, which did typically represent Christ, yet they were not thereby privileged from sin: but great numbers of them provoked God, and were destroyed in the wilderness, for their 6 disobedience. Now these things were set as patterns to us, that we, warned by these examples, should not set our minds a-longing, as they did, after meats, that would be safer let 7 alone. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose NOTES. 5 It may be observed here that St. Paul, speaking of the Israelites, uses the word σαντες, all, five times in the four foregoing verses; besides that, he carefully says, το αυτο βρωμα, the same meat, and το αυτό πομα, the same drink, which we cannot suppose to be done by chance, but emphatically to signify to the Corinthians, who, probably, presumed too much upon their baptism, and eating the Lord's supper, as if that were enough to keep them right in the sight of God; that though the Israelites, all to a man, eat the very same spiritual food, and, all to a man, drank the very same spiritual drink, yet they were not all to a man preserved; but many of them, for all that, sinned and fell under the avenging hand of God in the wilderness. 6 ° Κακων, “evil things:" the fault of the Israelites, which this place refers to, seems to be their longing for flesh, Numb. xi., which cost many of them their lives: and that which he warns the Corinthians of here, is their great propension to the pagan sacrifice feasts. TEXT. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but PARAPHRASE. 8 up to play d." Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thou9 sand. Neither let us provoke Christ, as some of them pro10 voked, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the 11 destroyer. Now all these things happened to the Jews for examples, and are written for our admonition, upon whom 12 the ends of the ages are comes. Wherefore, taught by these examples, let him that thinks himself safe, by being in the church, and partaking of the Christian sacraments, take heed lest he fall into sin, and so destruction from God overtake 13 him. Hitherto, the temptations you have met with have NOTES. 7 d Play, i. e. dance; feasting and dancing usually accompanied the heathen sacrifices. 10 • Ὀλοθρευτος, " Destroyer," was an angel, that had the power to destroy, mentioned Exod. xii. 23. Heb. xi. 28. 11 It is to be observed, that all these instances mentioned by the apostle, of de struction which came upon the Israelites who were in covenant with God and partakers in those typical sacraments above-mentioned, were occasionedby their luxurious appetites about meat and drink, by fornication, and by idolatry, sins which the Corinthians were inclined to, and which he here warns them against. g So I think τα τελη των αίωνων should be rendered, and not, contrary to grammar, "the end of the world;" because it is certain that τελη and συντελεια του αίωνος, οι των αιώνων, cannot signify every where, as we render it, "the end of the world," which denotes but one certain period of time, for the world can have but one end; whereas those words signify, in different places, different periods of time, as will be manifest to any one who will compare these texts where they occur, viz. Matt. xiii. 39, 40, and xxiv. 3, and xxviii. 20. 1 Cor. x. 11. Heb. ix. 26. It may be worth while, therefore, to consider whether αιων hath not ordinarily a more natural signification in the New Testament, by standing for a considerable length of time, passing under some one remarkable dispensation. TEXT. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men: judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread, which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, being many, are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they, which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing? PARAPHRASE. been but light and ordinary; if you should come to be pressed harder, God, who is faithful, and never forsakes those who forsake not him, will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength; but will either enable you to bear the persecution, 14 or open you a way out of it. Therefore, my beloved, take care to keep off from idolatry, and be not drawn to any approaches near it, by any temptation or persecution whatso15 ever. You are satisfied that you want not knowledge: and therefore, as to knowing men, I appeal to you, and make you judges of what I am going to say in the case. They, who 16 drink of the cup of blessing, which we bless in the Lord's supper, do they not thereby partake of the benefits, purchased by Christ's blood, shed for them upon the cross, which they here symbolically drink? And they, who eat of the bread broken there, do they not partake in the sacrifice of the body of 17 Christ, and profess to be members of him? For, by eating of that bread, we, though many in number, are all united, and make but one body, as many grains of corn are united into 18 one loaf. See how it is among the Jews, who are outwardly, according to the flesh, by circumcision, the people of God. Among them, they, who eat of the sacrifice, are partakers of God's table, the altar, have fellowship with him, and share in the benefit of the sacrifice, as if it were offered for them. 19 Do not mistake me, as if I hereby said, that the idols of the Gentiles are gods in reality; or that the things, offered to them, 15 Vid. chap. viii. 1. NOTES. 16" Cup of Blessing" was a name given by the Jews to a cup of wine, which they solemnly drank in the passover, with thanksgiving. * This was also taken from the custom of the Jews, in the passover, to break a cake of unleavened bread. TEXT. 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he ? PARAPHRASE. change their nature, and are any thing really different from what they were before, so as to affect us in our use of them 1. 20 No: but this I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that you should have fellowship, and be in league with devils, as they, who by eating of the things offered to them enter into 21 covenant, alliance, and friendship with them. You cannot eat and drink with God, as friends at his table, in the eucharist, and entertain familiarity and friendship with devils, by eating with them, and partaking of the sacrifices offered to them: You cannot be Christians and idolaters too: nor, if you should endeavour to join these inconsistent rites, will it avail you any thing. For your partaking in the sacraments of the Christian church will no more exempt you from the anger of God, and punishment due to your idolatry, than the eating of the spiritual food, and drinking of the spiritual rock, kept the baptised Israelites, who offended God by their idolatry, or 22 other sins, from being destroyed in the wilderness. Dare you, then, being espoused to Christ, provoke the Lord to jealousy, by idolatry, which is spiritual whoredom? Are you stronger than he, and able to resist him, when he lets loose his fury against you? NOTES. 19 This is evident from what he says, ver. 25, 27, that things offered to idols may be eaten as well as any other meat, so it be without partaking in the sacrifice, and without scandal. 21 m It is plain, by what the apostle says, that the thing he speaks against here is their assisting at the heathen sacrifices, or at least at the feasts in their temples upon the sacrifice, which was a federal rite. 17 |