1 Corinthians 9:13-22 | |
13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple; and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? | 13. Nescitis, quod qui sacris operantur, ex sacrario 1 edunt? et qui altari ministrant (ad verbum: adstant) altaris sunt participes? |
14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. | 14. Sic et Dominns ordinavit, ut qui Evangelium annuntiant, vivant ex Evangelio. |
15. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. | 15. Ego autem nullo horum usus sum: neque vero haec scripsi, ut ita mihi fiat: mihi enim satius est mori, quam ut gloriam meam quis exinaniat. |
16. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, iflpreach not the gospel! | 16. Nam si evangelizavero, non est quod glorier: quandoquidem necessitas mihi incumbit, ut vae sit mihi, si non evangelizem. |
17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. | 17. Si enim volens hoc facio, mercedem habeo: si autem invitus, dispensatio mihi eat credita. |
18. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without | 18. Quae igitur mihi merces? ut quum evangelizo, gratuitum impendam Evangelium Christi, ut non abutar potestate mea in Evangelio. |
19. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. | 19. Liber enim quum essem ab omnibus, servum me omnibus feci, ut plures lucrifaciam. |
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; | 20. Itaque factus sum Iudaeis tanquam Iudaeus, ut Iudaeos lucrifaciam: iis qui sub Lege erant, tanquam Legi subiectus, ut eos qui erant sub Lege lucrifaciam; |
21. To them that are 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. | 21. his qui sine Lege erant, tanquam exlex, (tametsi non absque Lege, Deo, sed subiectus Legi Christi,) ut eos qui sine Lege erant lucrifaciam. |
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 some. | 22. Factus sum infirmis tanquam infirmus, ut infirmos lucrifaciam: omnibus omnis factus sum, ut omnino aliquos servem. |
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Again he makes use of a new comparison, to prove that he had not used the power that he had from the Lord. Nor does he any longer borrow examples from any other source, but shows that this has been appointed by the Lord -- that the Churches should provide for the support of their ministers. There are some that think that there are two comparisons in this passage, and they refer the former to the Lord's priests, and the latter to those that acted as priests to the heathen gods. I am, however, rather of opinion that Paul expresses, as he is accustomed, the same thing by different terms. And, truly, it would have been a weak argument that was derived from the practice of the heathens, among whom the revenues of the priesthood were not devoted to food and clothing, but to magnificent dresses, royal splendor, and profuse luxury. These would, therefore, have been things too remote. I do not call it in question, however, that he has pointed out different kinds of ministerial offices; for there were priests of a higher order, and there were afterwards Levites, who were inferior to them, as is well known; but that is not much to the point.
The sum is this -- "The Levitical priests were ministers of the Israelitish Church; the Lord appointed them sustenance from their ministry; hence in ministers of the Christian Church the same equity must be observed at the present day. Now the ministers of the Christian Church are those that preach the gospel." This passage is quoted by Canonists, when they wish to prove that idle bellies must be fattened up, in order that they may perform their masses;2but how absurdly, I leave it to children themselves to judge. Whatever is stated in the Scriptures as to the support to be given to ministers, or the honor that is to be put upon them, they immediately seize hold of it, and twist. it to their own advantage. For my part, however, I simply admonish my readers to consider attentively Paul's words. He argues that pastors, who labor in the preaching of the gospel, ought to be supported, because the Lord in ancient times appointed sustenance for the priests, on the ground of their serving the Church. Hence a distinction must be made between the ancient priesthood and that of the present day. Priests under the law were set apart to preside over the sacrifices, to serve the altar, and to take care of the tabernacle and temple. Those at the present day are set apart to preach the word and to dispense the sacraments. The Lord has appointed no sacrifices for his sacred ministers to be engaged in;3there are no altars for them to stand at to offer sacrifices.
Hence appears the absurdity of those who apply this comparison, taken from sacrifices, to anything else than to the preaching of the gospel. Nay farther, it may be readily inferred from this passage, that all Popish priests, from the head himself to the lowest member, are guilty of sacrilege, who devour the revenues appointed for true ministers, while they do not in any way discharge their duty. For what ministers does the Apostle order to be maintained? Those that apply themselves to the preaching of the gospel. What right then have they to claim for themselves the revenues of the priesthood?4"Because they hum a tune and perform mass."5But God has enjoined upon them nothing of that sort. Hence it is evident that they seize upon the reward due to others. When, however, he says that the Levitical priests were
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This is a remarkable statement, from which we learn, in the first place, what, as to ministers, is the nature, and what the closeness of the tie that is involved in their calling, and farther, what the pastoral office imports and includes. Let not the man, then, who has been once called to it, imagine that he is any longer at liberty to withdraw when he chooses, if, perhaps, he is harassed with vexatious occurrences, or weighed down with misfortunes, for he is devoted to the Lord and to the Church, and bound by a sacred tie, which it were criminal to break asunder. As to the second point,8he says that a curse was ready to fall upon him,
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Papists endeavor from this passage to establish their contrivance as to works of supererogation.11"Paul," they say, "would have fulfilled the duties of his office by preaching the gospel, but he adds something farther over and above. Hence he does something beyond what he is bound to do, for he distinguishes between what is done willingly and what is done from necessity." I answer, that Paul, it is true, went a greater length than the ordinary calling of pastors required, because he refrained from taking pay, which the Lord allows pastors to take. But as it was a part of his duty to provide against every occasion of offense that he foresaw, and as he saw, that the course of the gospel would be impeded, if he made use of his liberty, though that was out of the ordinary course, yet I maintain that even in that case he rendered to God nothing more than was due. For I ask: "Is it not the part of a good pastor to remove occasions of offense, so far as it is in his power to do so?" I ask again, "Did Paul do anything else than this?" There is no ground, therefore, for imagining that he rendered to God anything that he did not owe to him, inasmuch as he did nothing but what the necessity of his office (though it was an extraordinary necessity) demanded. Away, then, with that wicked imagination,12that we compensate for our faults in the sight of God by works of supererogation.13Nay more, away with the very term, which is replete with diabolical pride.14This passage, assuredly, is mistakingly perverted to bear that meaning.
The error of Papists is refuted in a general way in this manner: Whatever works are comprehended under the law, are falsely termed works of supererogation, as is manifest from the words of Christ. (Luke 17:10.)
When ye have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done what we were bound to do.
Now we acknowledge that no work is good and acceptable to God, that is not included in God's law. This second statement I prove in this way: There are two classes of good works; for they are all reducible either to the service of God or to love. Now nothing belongs to
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He adds the particle as, to intimate that his liberty was not at all impaired on that account, for, however he might accommodate himself to men, he nevertheless remained always like himself inwardly in the sight of God. To
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Let them alone, (says he,) they are blind, and leaders of the blind. (Matthew 15:14.)
Hence we must accommodate ourselves to the weak, not to the obstinate.15
Now his design was, that he might bring them to Christ -- not that he might promote his own advantage, or retain their good will. To these things a third must be added -- that it was only in things indifferent, that are otherwise in our choice, that he accommodated himself to the weak. Now, if we consider how great a man Paul was, who stooped thus far, ought we not to feel ashamed -- we who are next to nothing in comparison with him -- if, bound up in self, we look with disdain upon the weak, and do not deign to yield up a single point to them? But while it is proper that we should accommodate ourselves to the weak, according to the Apostle's injunction, and that, in things indifferent, and with a view to their edification, those act an improper part, who, with the view of consulting their own ease, avoid those things that would offend men, and the wicked, too, rather than the weak. Those, however, commit a two-fold error, who do not distinguish between things indifferent and things unlawful, and accordingly do not hesitate, for the sake of pleasing men, to engage in things that the Lord has prohibited. The crowning point, however, of the evil is this -- that they abuse this statement of Paul to excuse their wicked dissimulation. But if any one will keep in view these three things that I have briefly pointed out, he will have it easily in his power to refute those persons.
We must observe, also, the word that he makes use of in the concluding clause;16 for he shows for what purpose he endeavors to gain all -- with a view to their salvation. At the same time, he here at length modifies the general statement, unless perhaps you prefer the rendering of the old translation, which is found even at this day in some Greek manuscripts.17 For in this place, too, he repeats it --
1 "Des choses qui sont sacrifiees;" -- "Of the things that are sacrificed."
2 "Et autres brimborioas;" -- "And other baubles."
3 "Auiourd'huy;" -- "At the present day."
4 "De quel droict s'usurpent ces ventres paresseux le reuenu des benefices, qu'ils appelent?" -- "By what right do these lazy bellies claim to themselves the revenue of the benefices, as they call it?"
5 "Pource qu'ils gringotent des messes et anniuersaires;" -- "Because they hum a tune at masses and anniversaries."
6 In the original, the words
7 "Veu qu'il y estoit contraint, et ne pouuoit euiter telle necessite;" -- "Inasmuch as he was constrained to it, and could not avoid such a necessity."
8 That is, the duty which the pastoral office involves. -- Ed.
9 "Ce que nous appelons chef-d'oeuvre;" -- "What we call a masterpiece." The idiomatic phrase, operae pretium, is ordinarily employed by the classical writers to mean -- something of importance, or worthwhile. Thus Livy, in his Preface, says: "facturusne operae pretium sim;" -- "whether I am about to do a work of importance," and Cicero (Cat. 4. 8)says: "Operae pretium est;" -- "It is worth while." Calvin, however, seems to make use of the phrase here in a sense more nearly akin to its original and literal signification -- recompense for labor -- what amply rewarded the self-denial that he had exercised -- consisting in the peculiar satisfaction afforded to his mind in reflecting on the part that he had acted. The term made use of by him in his French Translation -- chef-d'oeuure (masterpiece) corresponds with the Latin phrase operae pretium in this respect, that a masterpiece is a work, which the successful artist, or workman, sets a value upon, and in which he feels satisfaction, as amply recompensing the pains bestowed. -- Ed.
10 "Son chef-d'oeuure;" -- "His masterpiece."
11 "C'est a dire, d'abondant;" -- "That is to say, over and above."
12 "Ceste perverse et mal-heureuse imagination;" -- "That perverse and miserable fancy."
13 "C'est a dire, lesquelles nous faisons de superabondant;" -- "That is to say, what we do over and above."
14 Our Author expresses himself in similar terms elsewhere as to the word merit. See Harmony, vol. 2. p. 197. -- Ed.
15 The reader will find this sentiment more fully brought out in the Harmony, volume 2. p. 258. -- .Ed.
16 "Afin que totalement i'en sauue quelques uns;" -- "That I may by all means save some."
17 The rendering of the Vulgate, referred to by Calvin, is -- Ut omnes servarem, (That I might save all.) Four ancient Greek MSS. have
18 "Afin queie sauue tous;" -- "That I may save all."
19 "Le profit et salut pour le moths de quelques uns;" -- "The profit and welfare of at least some individuals."