20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

21

PARAPHRASE.

pressed in scripture, for (in Job, chap. v. v. 13.) God is described as "putting to a stand the wise of this world in their application of the systems of morality which they have with much subtilty de20 vised for influencing the conduct of men." And again, in Psalm xciv. v. 11., it is said, " the Lord knoweth that the reasonings of the wise of this world, employed in devising systems of morality, are ineffectual to the end designed." Wherefore let no one glory in men employed as subordinate agents by God, for effecting his designs in the Gospel, as being the authors of what they teach, nor in any individual minister as conveying exclusive advantages by his teaching; for they, and indeed all the things in nature, belong in common to you all as Christians, being equally designed for promoting your advancement in Christian knowledge and practice. Paul, and Apollos, and Peter, and the material world, filled as it is with the stores of creation, and the life we now enjoy, and the death we must undergo, and the events of this present time, and those of the future, all belong in common to you all as Christians, and you belong to Christ, being designed to promote his honour;

22

23

CHAPTER IV.

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

1

PARAPHRASE.

and Christ in his human nature belongs to God, being designed to promote his infinite glory.

In this equal light then let every man look upon us both, that is, as alike servants of Christ, and stewards of the revelations of God, alike commissioned to deliver the joyful message of salvation through Christ, and to explain the divine revelations relating to it; and accordingly avail himself 2 indifferently of our services. But, as to the remaining consideration which I have noticed re- specting Christian ministers, that of their fidelity, it is, I admit, reasonable to enquire about the characters of different stewards, in order to find a faithful one, and I might therefore wish to appear 3 such to you; yet, whatever I might hope to gain in your estimation by your having the power of judging in that respect, I must say that I am very little desirous that my fidelity to my trust should be judged of by you or by any human being in anticipation of the final judgment. But so far am I from wishing that anticipation that I myself even do not pass judgment on myself in that respect;

3

4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

4

5

PARAPHRASE.

* for as to that, I have no certain knowledge with regard to myself. I am not however thereby altogether exempted from judgment, but the person to judge of my fidelity is the Lord, whose servant I am. Wherefore do not, prematurely, decide on any minister's fidelity, but wait until the Lord comes, who, when he comes, will also as a previous step necessary to a just judgment, bring to light what is now concealed in impenetrable darkness, and accordingly will make known the secret designs of all hearts; and the commendation which each one may then receive will be derived from God, and therefore founded on truth.

6

Now these subjects of the equal attention due to all Christian ministers as alike servants of Christ and stewards of the revelations of God, and the suspension of the judgment respecting their fidelity, I have thus set before you, brethren, in a fictitious case as between me and Apollos, though, as you know, there is no question of superiority between us. I have so represented it however for your sakes, in order that you might, by considering

7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

8

7

PARAPHRASE.

the matter apart from any partiality for an individual, and solely in relation to us who disclaim any superiority on the ground of our mode of preaching the Gospel, most effectually learn not to think more highly of Christian ministers than it has been here written to you to do, to the intent that you may not be, as you now are, elated, severally, with unreasonable notions in favour of one minister, and against another. And surely I may claim your obedience to this direction of mine, as being the person who laid among you the foundation of the Gospel; which doubtless I am. For, I ask each of you who is thus unreasonably elated about a particular minister, from what other than me, primarily, have you received the profession of faith which distinguishes you from the rest of mankind? And what knowledge on the subject have you which you have not received immediately or remotely from me and my associates? But, if you have so received all you have, why do you glory in it, as if it were the result of human reason, and that you had not so received it? Instead of looking to us, as might be expected, for further instruction and guidance, you are apparently already satiated with religious knowledge, and fully enriched with the blessings

9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

PARAPHRASE.

of the Gospel, you have apparently already obtained the heavenly kingdom, independently of us : (and I wish indeed that you had obtained it, that we might end our labours and enjoy it with you; 'for I presume that the laborious exertions which we are making to establish the Gospel, and thereby to secure our own and your salvation, are unnecessary, and that God has appointed us, the last apostles, to undergo the greatest sufferings for no good reason, like the gladiators in the public shows sentenced without any just cause to certain death; and that as they are previously exhibited in the theatre to be gazed upon by the assembly, so we have been merely a spectacle for admiration to the world, even to those who have been previously entrusted with a divine mission, as well as to men in 10 general.) We from submission to the doctrine of the efficacy of Christ's crucifixion are regarded as foolish, but you are esteemed persons of judgment your views of Christianity; we accordingly, are in human estimation professors of an inefficient system, but you of a powerful one; you are in consequence honoured for your profession of the faith, but we are contemned for it: such is our actual condi

in