What shall I say The apostle's complaint against a portion, and apparently not a small portion, of the Corinthian church may be thus paraphrased in modern language: "When you assemble in your accustomed place of meeting on the Lord's day, you do so avowedly to partake of the Lord's Supper, but in reality you do not celebrate it in a manner deserving the name. For those who arrive first, having produced their provisions, begin to eat as at a common meal; so eagerly and selfishly that, while one member of the church remains hungry and unsatisfied, and has his poverty exposed, another is filled to absolute satiety. Now have you not houses in which eating and drinking can be carried on? Why convert the house of worship, dedicated to 'brotherly love,' into a place of selfish and sensual feasting? Can it be that you despise the church of God, and wish to put to shame your less affluent brethren, who have not your means of satisfying their physical appetites? to you? Shall I commend you for such conduct? I do not commend you." [Having described the institution of the Lord's Supper in order to impress the Corinthians with the solemnity proper to its observance, he returns to their illbehaviour, ver. 33, 34] "Let it therefore, my brethren, be your practice in future, when you come together to partake of the Lord's Supper, to wait for one another before you enter upon the sacred service. If any one is hungry, let him eat to satisfy his appetite in his own house, either before or after this Christian communion, so that he will not be tempted to withhold his surplus from the common stock, and be involved in a common condemnation; and as to the rest of your irregularities❞—whether including the use of the common elements of the love-feast, instead of the proper and carefully prepared bread and wine of the passover,"those I will set in order on my personal arrival amongst you." We learn from this passage, 1. That the Christians had unwisely mixed up a social meal (yet eaten unsocially by not a few) with the proper celebration of the Lord's Supper; but whether this eranos had actually been substituted for a distinct celebration of the Supper, or had marred its devout observance by introducing into it a spirit of irreverence and discontent, cannot now be decided. 2. That this association of common eating and drinking with religious worship was disapproved in general by the apostle, on account both of the abuses incident to it, and of the want of accordance between it and the design of spiritual communion-elements of defect not at all to be lessened by the introduction of intoxicating agents. 3. That this association was peremptorily forbidden, so that the offices of the Lord's day and Lord's house might be suitably discharged, including, as they then did, a weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper. The Corinthians, we may hope and conclude, rendered obedience to the apostle's directions; but ecclesiastical history makes it evident that the abuses censured in this epistle long continued in other places. It became customary, however, to celebrate the agapæ (love-feasts) after the Lord's Supper, and in course of time they became separated from the Lord's day worship altogether. CHAPTER XI. VERSES 23-26. 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 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 shew the Lord's death till he come. V. 23. I DELIVERED TO YOU] Paredōka humin. IN WHICH HE WAS BETRAYED] Hee paredidoto. This striking difference of meaning within one verse in a double use of the same word paradidōmi, is a lesson to those who insist that a word like yayin or oinos could bear but a single signification—' fermented juice of the grape'! It is also useful as showing that too much stress is not to be laid on an identity of meaning between peina in ver. 21 and peina in ver. 34. Hence the invaluable rule of taking the context into consideration is sure to misguide rather than to instruct, if a cast-iron identity of sense between similar words (or of the same words in different relations) is obstinately assumed. V. 24. TAKE, EAT] Labete, phagete. These words are absent from all the most ancient MSS. V. 25. THIS CUP] Touto to poteerion, this the cup' this cup which I now give to you.' Dean Stanley THIS DO YE AS OFTEN AS YE DRINK IT] Touto poieite hosakis an pineete, 'this do ye as often as ye may drink it.' Codex A stops at poieite, 'do ye.' remarks," Not only at the original feast, but at all your feasts.' are emphatically introduced, as the thought conveyed in them is carried on to the next verse, in order to indicate the continuance and identity of the original meal with its subsequent celebration. 'Not only on that one occasion, but on all public occasions.' '* There may also be the further object of showing that in the original institution the intention was that they should commemorate the Lord's death, not only on stated occasions, but at all their meals, whenever they ate bread and drank wine."-(Notes on Ep. Cor., vol. ii. 243.) Yet it seems somewhat strained and superfluous to apply the hosakis, as often,' to any other occasions than the social assemblies, when believers came together to call upon the name of their Lord, and celebrate His sacrificial love; and it is, moreover, not consistent with the Pauline distinction of eating at home and eating in the church. If we accept the exegesis *This institution, in fact, is a Divine and human pledge conjointly: when the faithful disciple truly observes it, he receives renewals of grace from its Author, to whose service he pledges himself afresh; while, on the human side, he shows forth the great truth of sacrifice to the world. People who loosely talk against pledges should 'think upon these things.'-EDS. + While Dean Stanley suggests the common use of the symbols of salvation, a clerical friend of the Temperance cause argues, that since grape-juice was consecrated as the symbol of atonement, it has become unlawful for common use, as was the blood of animals under the old dispensation. But it is obvious (from Gen. ix. 4) that the use of blood was forbidden in ancient times simply because of its being the ultimate seat of animal life, a reason not applicable to grape-juice; also that the prohibition extended to the use of blood in the flesh as much as to extracted blood, whereas only grape-juice expressed, and not grapes themselves with their contained wine, are supposed to be now forbidden. Neither does analogy require that because blood, as a symbol of atonement, was forbidden to the Jews, therefore grape-juice, which is simply an emblem of Christ's blooditself the true and specific symbol of His atonement,-should be equally interdicted. Again, the eucharistic bread, equally with the wine, is a representation of the mysteries of redemption, and should, for the same reason as the fruit of the vine, be excluded as ordinary food. That the Saviour's own words do not clearly forbid all common use of the fruit of the vine,' and that they were not so understood by the eleven, or by St Paul, is manifest from the novelty of the theory, and from the absence of any single reference to it in the apostolic epistles. It is evident, on the contrary, from the Circular Letter of the Council at Jerusalem, and from numerous passages in the Pauline Epistles, that such a construction of our Lord's words never occurred to those to whom the Holy Spirit was given, expressly that He should lead them into all the truth' necessary to the preaching of the gospel and the observance of its laws. thrown out by Dean Stanley, but not absolutely approved by him, it would involve a distinct recognition of the Saviour's self-sacrifice whenever and wherever bread and wine are socially partaken of by believers. It does not, however, appear to us that more can be fairly deduced from the recited injunction than the duty of using the bread and the cup in devout and grateful remembrance of the Lord 'as often' as they are introduced into the assemblies of His people. CHAPTER XV. VERSE 32. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. This sensual sentiment had long passed into a proverb. [See Note on Isa. xxii. 13.] The classical writers offer illustrations too numerous to quote. Anacreon, in his Fourth Ode To Himself,' has "Stretched on tender myrtles and upon lotus herbage, I wish to drink to my friends. And let Cupid, having bound his vest above his neck with papyrus, serve me with sweet drink (methu). For like a chariot's wheel life runs, being rolled along; and we, our bones dissolved, shall lie reduced to a little dust," etc. So in the Fourteenth Ode, 'On being devoid of Envy,' he exclaims, "To-day concerns me; but who knows to-morrow? Whilst, therefore, it is fair weather, both drink and throw dice, and pour out libations of Bacchus; lest, if disease should come along, it should say, It is not for thee to drink"! The same sentiment is expressed in Odes 24, 25, 35, 39, and 40. Herodotus (book ii. chap. 78) says it was customary among the Egyptians of his day to produce at all their feasts a wooden effigy of a dead person in a coffin, which was shown to all the guests, each of whom was addressed in these words,—' Looking upon this, both drink and enjoy thyself; for thou shalt be such as this is when thou art dead!' CHAPTER XV. VERSE 33. Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. The words 'evil communications corrupt good manners' are found in one of Menander's dramas, but it may have passed into a proverb in the Apostle's days, and have been cited by him as such. The statement itself is confirmed by daily experience, and evinces the wisdom of reducing our necessary contact with evil within the narrowest possible limits, that the personal and social corruption they are calculated to produce may be restrained. That drinking fashions and tippling resorts are vehicles of such corruption, in its most contagious and injurious forms, cannot be doubted by those who have carefully inquired into their influence on domestic and public life. Hence the demand for earnest and persistent effort to place the one under the stigma of a moral public opinion, and the other under the ban of civil law. CHAPTER XV. VERSE 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS] Ekneepsate, dikaiōos, 'be sober again, righteously.' The present imperative is employed to mark that the change should be immediate. Ek, prefixed to neepsate, indicates a return to sobriety, neepsis, from an opposite condition. In the Lxx. the phrase is used in the sense of awakening out of a drunken sleep,-in reference to Noah, Nabal, and the drunkards of Israel. [See Notes on Gen. ix. 24; 1 Sam. xxv. 37; Joel 1. 5.] Commentators differ on the question whether the word here has a literal or figurative application,—whether the apostle calls upon the Corinthians to become literally 'sober,' or whether he compares their spiritual state to one of intoxicating stupor, and invokes them to shake themselves free of it. [As to neepho, see Note on I Thess. v. 7.] The exact force of the adverb dikaiōs is also disputed. Some take it in the modal sense of 'fully,' 'perfectly,' 'effectually' 'become sober again, thoroughly.' Others prefer the moral sense of 'justly' or 'righteously''become sober again, as it is right. Others agree with the A. V., in giving to ekneepsate dikaiōs a causal connection and righteous result='become sober again, and so enter on a righteous career.' Conybeare and Howson, in their Life and Letters of St Paul,' paraphrase the verse thus :-"Change your drunken revellings into the sobriety of righteousness, and live no more in sin." However it may be read, it must be understood as antagonistic to every degree of sensualizing influence. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. CHAPTER V. Verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh : yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. By knowing Christ after the flesh' (kata sarkos) the apostle alludes to the external events of the Saviour's life separated from their spiritual significance. With such a knowledge of Christ he declares he would not be satisfied, since it was wholly devoid of that transforming and assimilating power which belongs to a spiritual discernment of Christ, and that alone. May not this passage be justly applied to those who think they find a sanction to their use of intoxicating drinks in the example of the Redeemer? If, as they suppose—and suppose without any warrant from the Gospel history,—the Lord made and used inebriating wine, their plea is at best grounded in a knowledge of Him after the flesh,—such a knowledge, in fact, as they would never dream of putting to a similar use by conforming to His style of dress, manner of travelling, and outward life in general. On the contrary, to know Him' after the spirit' is to understand, appreciate, and imitate Him in the spiritual principles by which He was actuated. If we have not His spirit, ‘we are none of His,' and the paramount question for every Christian to consider and answer for himself is, whether a resemblance to that spirit, so loving and selfdenying, is not exhibited in abstinence from alcoholic beverages, rather than in their most limited but self-indulgent use? Beyond all dispute, if abstinence is vastly more conducive to the good of society than drinking, a perception of this truth will lead those who know 'Christ after the spirit' to abstain with all readiness and cheerfulness. If any man say that he honestly believes drinking to be, on the whole, more useful to society and to the cause of religion than abstinence would be, it is not for us to judge our brother, but we may affectionately urge him not to rest in such a condition without a full, careful, and unbiassed examination of all the evidence within his reach. CHAPTER VII. VERSE I. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. |