17 For if I do this thing, 17 Ει γαρ έχων τουτο willingly, I have a reward: πρασσω, μισθον εχω ει δε but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18 What is my reward then? verily that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the : inore. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; ακών, οικονομιαν πεπιςευμαι. 18 Τις ουν μοι εςιν μισ θος; ἵνα ευαγγελιζομενος απ δαπανον θησω το ευαγγελιον του Χριςου, εις το μη καταχρησασθαι τη εξυσια μου εν τῷ ευαγγελιῳ. 19 Ελευθερος γαρ ων ΕΚ παντων, πασιν εμαυτον εδουλωσα, ἵνα τους πλειονας κερ δησω. 20 Και εγενομην τους Ιουδαιοις ὡς Ιουδαιος, ἵνα Ιουδαιους κερδήσω· τοις ὑπο νομον ὡς ὑπο νομον, ἵνα τους ὑπο νομον κερδήσω· Ver. 13.1. They who wait at the altar. In the original it is, (Προσο δρευοντες, Qui assident.) Who sit at the altar; a phrase which denotes continual and persevering service at the altar. In the first clause of the verse, the service of the Levites is supposed to be alluded to; but in this clause, the service of the priests. Ver. 17. 1. Now if I do this willingly. The apostle means his preaching the gospel from a conviction of its truth, and from a regard to the glory of God and the good of men; for these principles would make him not only firm, but cheerful in the work. 2. I have a reward. I shall obtain that distinguished reward, which in the life to come, will be bestowed on them who turn many to righteousness, and who in that work undergo great hardships. This was St. Paul's case, who in his journey's underwent innumerable dangers, hardships and bodily fatigue. Ver. 18.-1. What then to me is the reward? This is an elliptical expression, which the scope of the apostle's discourse directs us to supply, as I have done in the commentary. Ver. 19. 1. I have enslaved myself to all. Εμαυτον εδέλωσα. There is a peculiar beauty in the original expression. Slaves wrought for their masters without hire, and were careful to comply with their humours. The apostle, while preaching the gospel, reduced himself to the condition of a slave, both by serving all men without hire, nay without requiring maintenance . 17 Now, if I do this so willingly as to forego maintenance, and endure hardships more than the other apostles, I shall obtain a distinguished reward. But if unwillingly on my part, I am intrusted with the stewardship, and shew no zeal in discharging its duties, I have no distinguished reward. 18 What then to me is the cause of the distinguished reward? Why this, that when preaching, I shall establish the gospel of Christ without charge to my disciples, in order that I may not abuse (See chap. vii. 31. note 1.) my power in the gospel of demanding maintenance, which I would do, if thereby I hindered the gospel. 19 Therefore, though Ib e a freeman (ver. 1.) with respect to all men, I have made myself a slave to all, by complying with their prejudices when I could do it innocently, that I might gain the more disciples to Christ. 20 So, to the Jews out of Judea, I became as a Jew, I abstained from the meats which they reckoned unclean, that I might gain the Jews to Christ: To those in Judea, who are under the law of Moses as the law of the state, I lived as under the law, by observing its precepts, that I might gain those in Judea, who are under the law. from them, and by complying with their prejudices, in all cases where he could do it without sin. 2. That I might gain the more. Kepdnow. By using this word, the apostle insinuates, that his converting men to Christ, was a part of the gain or hire, which he proposed to obtain by preaching the gospel. Ver. 20.-1. To the Jews I became as a few. In the preceding chapter, the apostle ordered the Corinthians to comply with the prejudices of their weak brethren, in the affair of meats sacrificed to idols, and declared 21 To them that are 21 Τοις ανομοις ὡς ανομος, without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save (μη (μη ων ανομος Θεῷ, αλλ' εννομος Χριςῳ) ἵνα κερδήσω ανο μους. 22 Εγενομην τους ασθε νεσιν ὡς ασθενης, ἵνα τους αστ πενεις κερδήσω τοις πασι γεγονα τα παντα, ἵνα παντως his own resolution, that if his eating meat occasioned others to sin, he would not eat flesh while he lived. It is therefore probable, that his becoming to the Jews as a few, means that he observed the distinction of meats enjoined by Moses, while he lived with the Jews in the heathen countries. Also it may refer to his circumcising Timothy, to render his preaching acceptable to the Jews. These compliances with the prejudices of the weak he shewed only to gain their good-will. For when the judaizing teachers insisted on the observance of any of the rights of the law as necessary to salvation, he always resolutely withstood them, as in the case of Titus, Gal. ii. 3. 5. 14. Ver. 23. 1. That I may become a joint partaker. Pierce in his note on Philip. i. 7. translates συγκοινωνΘ αυτε, a joint communicator of it, namely, of the gospel. See chap. x. 16. note 2. Ver. 24 1. Run in the stadium. The place where the athletes contend. ed, was called the stadium -The Isthmian, one of the four sacred games, being celebrated in the territory of Corinth, the apostle, in writing to the Corinthians, very properly used arguments taken from these games. 2 So run. In the race, there were certain rules prescribed, which those who ran were obliged to observe. They were to run on the side of the 21 To persons not subject to the law of Moses, I became as not subject to that law, by not enforcing it on them, (yet not being without the law of God written on my heart, but under the law enjoined by Christ) that I might gain the Gentiles who are without the law, and averse to its rites. 22 To the weak, who think some things sins which are lawful, I became as weak, by abstaining from these things, that I might gain the weak. To all I have become all things, that by all innocent compli ances rendering myself acceptable, I might save some. 23 Now, all this I do for the sake of making the gospel successful, and that I myself may become a joint partaker of its rewards, with those who are most eminent for their active virtues. 24 Do ye not know, that they who run in the stadium, run indeed all, but one only receiveth the prize? Whereas, in the Christian race, the success of one is no hinderance to that of another. So run that ye all may lay hold on the prize. 25 Now, that I do and suffer such things for the gospel, cannot be thought strange by you who know, course assigned to them. They were not to trip nor jostle one another, &c. In like manner, in running the Christian race, we must observe all the rules of conduct prescribed by Christ, otherwise we cannot hope to receive the prize. 3. That ye may lay hold on the prize. Concerning the different prizes, see verse 25. note 2. See also Philip. iii. 12. 14. notes, where some of the ago. nistical words and phrases are explained. Ver. 25.-1. Is temperate in all things. Those who taught the Gymnastic art, prescribed to their disciples the kind of meat that was proper, the quantity they were to eat, and the hours at which they were to eat. (This was called avaynoqayev.) They prescribed to them likewise, the hours of Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any μεν ουν, ἵνα φθαρτον ςεφανον λαβωσιν ἡμεις δε, αφθαρτον. 26 Εγω τοινυν έτω τρεχω, ὡς ουκ αδήλως έτω πυκτεύω, ώς ουκ αερα δερων· 27 Αλλ' ὑπωσιαζω μου το σωμα και δουλαγωγω, μηπως their exercise and rest. They forbade them the use of wine and women. So Horace tells us, Art. Poet. lin. 412. Qui studet optatam cursu contingere metam, Multa tulit fecitque puer, sudavit et alsit, This whole course, which lasted for many years, was called Agunois, Exercise. Hence the ancient monks, who imitated and even outstripped the athletes, in their rules of temperance, and in the laboriousness of their exeroises, were called Aountai, Asceticks. 2. Receive a fading crown. The crowns for which the Greeks contended in the games, were for the most part made of the leaves of trees, which though evergreens, soon withered. In the Olympic games, sacred to Jupiter, the crowns were of the wild olive; in the Pythian, sacred to Apollo, they were of laurel: in the Isthmian, of pines; and in the Nemeaan, of smallage, or parsley. The honours likewise of which these crowns were the pledges, by length of time lost their agreeableness, and at last perished, being all confined to the present life. But the crown for which Christians, contend, being a crown of righteousness, 2 Tim. iv. 8. and a crown of life, James i. 12. Rev. ii. 10. it never fades, as the apostle observes in the next clause; that is, there shall never be any period put to the honours and advantages, of which this crown is the pledge. 3. But we one that does not fade. The apostle's enemies, who from his not taking maintenance, inferred that he was no apostle, affirmed that whatever disinterestedness he might pretend, it was not credible that he would undergo such continued labour in preaching, and in complying with the humours of mankind, unless he had reaped some present advantage from his labours. But to shew them the futility of their reasoning, he desired them to consider the long course of laborious discipline and exercise, which the athletes submitted to for so small a prize as a crown of green leaves, which, after their utmost pains, they were not sure of obtaining, and which when obtained, would soon fade, with all its honours and advantages. Whereas by the labours and sufferings which he underwent as an apostle, he was sure of obtaining an infinitely better crown, which will never fade. Ver. 26.-1. I therefore so run. The reward being so great, I do not exert myself with just so much agility and strength as is sufficient to ensure the prize. But I exert myself to the utmost, as one who is sensible that he is always in the view of his judge. |