I will now turn back to take up the thread of the contents of this epistle
from the beginning. Paul was an apostle by the will of God. That was his
authority, however it might be with others. Moreover the same call that
made those of Corinth Christians had made him an apostle. He addresses the
assembly of God at Corinth, adding a character (the application of which is
evident when we consider the contents of the epistle)-"sanctified in Christ
Jesus." Afterwards the universality of the application of the doctrine and
instructions of the epistle, and of its authority over all Christians,
wherever they might be, is brought forward in this address. Happily,
whatever sorrow he felt at the state of the Corinthians, the apostle could
fall back upon the grace of God, and thus recognise all the grace which He
had bestowed on them. But the placing them thus in relationship to God
brought all the effects of His holiness to bear upon their consciences,
while giving the apostle's heart the encouragement of the perfect grace of
God towards them. And this grace itself became a powerful lever for the
word in the hearts of the Corinthians. In the presence of such grace they
ought to be ashamed of sin. Nor can there be a more remarkable testimony
than is here found of reckoning on the faithfulness of God towards His
people. The relationship does claim holiness: in holiness alone it is
enjoyed; but it reposes on the faithfulness of God. The Corinthians were
walking, as we know, badly. The apostle lets none of the evil pass; but
still he declares that God was faithful and would confirm them to the end
that they might be-not safe, but-blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and then proceeds to blame them. what a wonderful testimony!
Paul (the Spirit Himself) thus linked the Corinthians with God; and that
which He was in this connection with them had all its force upon their
hearts and consciences. At the same time the use of this weapon opened
their heart to all that the apostle had to say. One must be very near the
Lord to be able in practice thus to look at Christians who are walking
badly. It is not to spare their sins-the apostle is very far from doing
that; but it is grace which brings their own consciences to be occupied
with it, as having a relationship with God that was too precious to allow
them to continue in sin or to permit it.
The Epistle to the Galatians supplies us with a remarkable instance of the
confidence thus inspired; compare chapters 4:20; 5:10.
The Corinthians were enriched by God with His gifts, and His testimony was
thus confirmed among them, so that they came behind in no gift, waiting for
the revelation of the Lord, the fulfilment of all things. Solemn day! for
which God, who had called them, confirmed them in His faithfulness, that
they might be without reproach in that day, called as they were to the
fellowship and communion of His Son Jesus Christ. Short but precious
exposition of the grace and faithfulness of God, serving as a basis (if
their condition did not allow the apostle to develop it as he did to the
Ephesians) to all the exhortations and instructions which he addressed to
the Corinthians in order to strengthen them and direct their wavering
steps.
The apostle first takes up the folly of the Corinthians in making the chief
christian ministers and Christ Himself heads of schools. Christ was not
divided. They had not been baptised unto the name of Paul. He had indeed,
on occasion, baptised a few; but his mission was to preach, not to
baptise.[see note #1]
It was in virtue of, and according to, Acts 26:17, and 13:2 to 4, and not
Matthew 28:19. Moreover, all this human wisdom was but foolishness, which
God brought to nothing: the preaching of the cross was the power of God;
and God had chosen the weak things, the things of nought, foolish things
according to the world, to annihilate the wisdom and strength of the world,
in order that the gospel should be evidently the power of God. The Jews
asked for a sign, the Greeks sought for wisdom; but God caused Christ
crucified to be preached, a scandal to the Jews, foolishness to the Greeks,
but to them which are called the power of God. By things that are not He
brought to nought things that are, because His weakness is stronger than
the strength of the world; His foolishness wiser than the wisdom of the
age. The flesh shall not glory in His presence. God dealt with conscience,
though in grace, according to the true position of responsible man, and did
not subject Himself to the judgment and reasonings of man's mind, wholly
incompetent thereto, and which put him out of his place as if he could
judge of God. But, besides this, the Christian was more even than the
object of God's instruction; he was himself of God in Christ Jesus; of God
he had his life, his being, his position as a Christian. And Christ was
unto him, from God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption-all in contrast with the pretensions of the human mind, with the
false righteousness of the Jew under the law, with the means and the
measure of the sanctification it supplied, and with the weakness of man,
the last trace of which God will remove in the deliverance He will
accomplish by His power in Christ when He shall complete the work of His
grace. Thus we are of God, and Christ is everything for us on God's part,
in order that he who glories may glory in the Lord: a brief but mighty
testimony to what Christianity is in its elements.
