Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 6
Overview:
Cautions against going to
Law in
Heathen courts.
(1-8) Sins
which, if lived and died in, shut out from the
Kingdom of God.
(9-11) Our bodies, which are the members of
Christ, and temples
of the
Holy Ghost, must not be defiled.
(12-20)
1-8 Christians should not contend with one another, for they
are brethren. This, if duly attended to, would prevent many
Law-suits, and
End many quarrels and disputes. In matters of
great damage to ourselves or families, we may use lawful means
to right ourselves, but Christians should be of a forgiving
temper. Refer the matters in dispute, rather than go to
Law
about them. They are trifles, and may easily be settled, if you
first conquer your own spirits.
Bear and forbear, and the men of
least skill among you may
End your quarrels. It is a shame that
little quarrels should grow to such a head among Christians,
that they cannot be determined
By the brethren. The peace of a
Man's own mind, and the calm of his neighbourhood, are worth
more than victory. Lawsuits could not take place among brethren,
unless there were faults among them.
9-11 The
Corinthians are warned against many great evils, of
which they had formerly been guilty. There is much force in
these inquiries, when we consider that they were addressed to a
people puffed up with a fancy of their being above others in
Wisdom and knowledge. All unrighteousness is
Sin; all reigning
Sin, nay, every actual
Sin, committed with design, and not
repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of
Heaven. Be not
deceived. Men are very much inclined to flatter themselves that
they may live in
Sin, yet die in
Christ, and go to
Heaven. But
we cannot
Hope to sow to the
Flesh, and reap
Everlasting Life.
They are reminded what a change the
Gospel and
Grace of
God had
made in them. The
Blood of
Christ, and the
Washing of
Regeneration, can take away all guilt. Our
Justification is
owing to the suffering and merit of
Christ; our
Sanctification
to the working of the Holy
Spirit; but both go together. All who
are made righteous in the sight of
God, are made holy
By the
Grace of
God.
12-20 Some among the
Corinthians seem to have been ready to
say, All things are lawful for me. This dangerous conceit St.
Paul opposes. There is a liberty wherewith
Christ has made us
free, in which we must stand
Fast. But surely a
Christian would
never
Put himself into the power of any bodily appetite. The
body is for the
Lord; is to be an instrument of
Righteousness to
Holiness, therefore is never to be made an instrument of
Sin. It
is an honour to the body, that
Jesus Christ was raised from the
dead; and it will be an honour to our bodies, that they will be
raised. The
Hope of a resurrection to
Glory, should keep
Christians from dishonouring their bodies
By fleshly lusts. And
if the soul be united to
Christ By Faith, the whole
Man is
become a member of his spiritual body. Other vices may be
conquered in "fight"; that here cautioned against, only
By
"flight". And vast multitudes are cut off
By this vice in its
various forms and consequences. Its effects fall not only
directly upon the body, but often upon the mind. Our bodies have
been redeemed from deserved condemnation and hopeless slavery
By
the atoning
Sacrifice of
Christ. We are to be
Clean, as vessels
fitted for our Master's use. Being united to
Christ as one
Spirit, and bought with a price of unspeakable value, the
believer should consider himself as wholly the
Lord's,
By the
strongest ties. May we make it our business, to the latest
Day
and
Hour of our lives, to
Glorify God with our bodies, and with
our spirits which are his.