1 Corinthians 5:9-13 | |
9. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: | 9. Scripsi vobis in Epistola, Ne commisceamini scortatoribus: |
10.Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. | 10. Neque in universum scortatoribus mundi hujus, vel avaris, vel rapacibus, vel idololatris: quandoquidem debuissetis ex hoc mundo exire. |
11. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. | 11. Nunc autem scripsi vobis, Ne commisceamini: si is qui frater nominatur, vel scortator sit, vel avarus, vel idololatra, vel maledicus, vel ebriosus, vel rapax: cum tali ne cibum quidem sumatis. |
12. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? | 12. Quid enim mea refert extraneos iudicare? an non eos qui intus sunt iudicatis? |
13. But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. | 13. Extraneos vero Deus iudicat: eiicite scelestum ex vobis ipsis. |
9.
He adds an exception, that they may the better understand that this refers particularly to those that belong to the Church, as they did not require to be admonished2 to avoid the society of the world. In short, then, he prohibits the Corinthians from holding intercourse with those who, while professing to be believers, do, nevertheless, live wickedly and to the dishonor of God. "Let all that wish to be reckoned brethren, either live holily and becomingly, or be excommunicated from the society of the pious, and let all the good refrain from intercourse and familiarity with them. It were superfluous to speak as to the openly wicked, for you ought of your own accord to shun them, without any admonition from me." This exception, however, increases the criminality of remissness, inasmuch as they cherished in the bosom of the Church an openly wicked person; for it is more disgraceful to neglect those of your own household than to neglect strangers.
10.
I pray not, Father, that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest deliver them from the evil.
Against this exposition a question might be proposed by way of objection: "As Paul said this at a time when Christians were as yet mingled with heathens, and dispersed among them, what ought to be done now, when all have given themselves to Christ in name? For even in the present day we must go out of the world, if we would avoid the society of the wicked; and there are none that are strangers, when all take upon themselves Christ's name, and are consecrated to him by baptism." Should any one feel inclined to follow Chrysostom, he will find no difficulty in replying, to this effect: that Paul here took for granted what was true -- that, where there is the power of excommunication, there is an easy remedy for effecting a separation between the good and the bad, if Churches do their duty. As to strangers, the Christians at Corinth had no jurisdiction, and they could not restrain their dissolute manner of life. Hence they must of necessity have quitted the world, if they wished to avoid the society of the wicked, whose vices they could not cure.
For my own part, as I do not willingly adopt interpretations which cannot be made to suit the words, otherwise than by twisting the words so as to suit them, I prefer one that is different from all these, taking the word rendered
11.
It is uncertain, however, what he means by an
The Roman antichrist, not content with this severity, has burst forth into interdicts, prohibiting any one from helping one that has been excommunicated to food, or fuel, or drink, or any other of the supports of life.12 Now, that is not strictness of discipline, but tyrannical and barbarous cruelty, that is altogether at variance with Paul's intention. For he means not that he should be counted as an enemy, but as a brother, (2 Thessalonians 3:15;) for in putting this public mark of disgrace upon him, the intention is, that he may be filled with shame, and brought to repentance. And with this dreadful cruelty, if God is pleased to permit, do they rage even against the innocent.13 Now, granting that there are sometimes those who are not undeserving of this punishment, I affirm, on the other hand, that this kind of interdict14 is altogether unsuitable to an ecclesiastical court.
12.
13.
1 The original word,
2 "Ce seroit vne chose superflue de les admonester," etc.; -- "It were a superfluous thing to admonish them," etc.
3 "The rendering of Erasmus is as follows: "Alioqui utinam videlicet e mundo exissetis;" -- "Otherwise I would, truly, that you had departed out of the world."
4 "Car tout le monde est mis a mal;" -- "For the whole world is addicted to evil."
5 "En ceste sentence;" -- "In this sentence."
6 "C'est a dire, entr'eux;" -- "That is to say, among themselves."
7 "Au texte Grec il y a de mot a mot, Si aucun frere nomme," etc.; -- "In the Greek text it literally, If any one, called a brother," etc.
8 It is so according to the common reading, which is as follows: --
9 "Qu'ils en tirent;" -- "Which they draw from it."
10 "Il les faut redarguer auec seuerite, et les soliciter continuellement par admonitions;" -- "They ought to be reproved with severity, and plied perseveringly with admonitions."
11 "Car leur condition n'est pas telle comme estoit celle des Corinthiens;" -- "For their condition is not like that of the Corinthians."
12 "Est venu furieusement jusques aux defenses et menaces, Que nul ne fust si hardi de donner a boire ou a manger, ou de feu a celuy qui seroit excommunier, ou de luy aider aucunement des choses necessaires a la vie presente;" -- "Has in his fury gone so far as to issue forth prohibitions and threatenings -- 'Let no one be so daring as to give meat, or drink, or fuel, to the man who has been excommunicated, or to help him in any way with the things necessary for the present life.'"
13 "Et ces bourreaux encore exercent ceste cruaute extreme, mesme contre les innocens;" -- "And these hangmen do, besides, exercise this extreme cruelty even against the innocent."
14 "Telle facon d'excommunier;" -- "Such a method of excommunication."
15 "Et courir a trauers champs;" -- "And run across the fields."
16 "Quand on supporte un homme meschant et mal-vivant;" -- "When a wicked and unprincipled man is allowed to continue." -- Ed.
17 It is well observed by Witsius in his Dissertations on the Lord's Prayer, (Biblical Cabinet, No. 24,) that the appellation of the evil One is properly applied to Satan, "because he does nothing but what is evil -- because all the evil that exists in the universe originated with him -- because in doing evil, and in persuading others to do evil, he finds his only delight, the wicked and malignant solace of his desperate misery." -- Ed.
18 "Combien il est utile et necessaire;" -- "How useful it is and necessary."
19 "Quand il y a vne license de malfaire, et les meschans sont soufferts;" -- "When there is a license to do evil, and the wicked are tolerated."
20 "Desnuee de puissance externe;" -- "Destitute of external power."