TEXT. 53 For this corruptible must put on incerruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, " Death is swallowed up in 66 victory." PARAPHRASE. 53 alive, shall be changed. For this corruptible frame, and constitution of ours, must put on incorruption, and 54 from mortal become immortal. And, when we are got into that state of incorruptibility and immortality, then shall be fulfilled what was foretold in these words, "Death is swallowed up of victory";" i. e. death is perfectly subdued and exterminated, by a complete victory over it, so that there shall be no death any more. NOTES. 53° To plαprov," corruptible," and rò dintor, "mortal," have not here σώμα, body," for their substantive, as some imagine; but are put in the neuter gender absolute, and stand to represent Expo, "dead;" as appears by the immediately preceding verse, and also ver. 42, Tw nai ʼn ávásaσss Tür νεκρῶν, σπείρεται ἐν φθορᾶ. "So is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in "corruption;" i. e. mortal, corruptible men are sown, being corruptible and weak. Nor can it be thought strange, or strained, that I interpret paplov and So, as adjectives of the neuter gender, to signify persons, when in this very discourse, the apostle uses two adjectives, in the neuter gender, to signify the persons of Adam and Christ, in such a way, as it is impossible to understand them otherwise. The words, no farther off than ver. 46, are these: 'A' & πρῶτον τὸ πνευματικὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ψυχικὸν, ἔπειτα τὸ πνευματικόν. The like way of speaking we have, Matt. i. 20, and Luke i. 35, in both which, the person of our Saviour is expressed by adjectives of the neuter gender. To any, of all which places, I do not think any one will add the substantive opa, "body," to make out the sense. That, then, which is meant here, being this, that this mortal man should put on immortality, and this corruptible man, incorruptibility; any one will easily find another nominative case to wipela, "is sown," and not oua," body," when he considers the sense of the place, wherein the apostle's purpose is to speak of Expo, "mortal men," being dead, and raised again to life, and made immortal. Those, with whom grammatical construction, and the nominative case, weigh so much, may be pleased to read this passage in Virgil: 66 Linquebant dulces animas, aut ægra trahebant "Corpora." Æneid. l. 3, ver. 140. where, by finding the nominative case to the two verbs, in it, he may come to discover that personality, as contra-distinguished to both body and soul, may be the nominative case to verbs. 54 P Nixos, "victory," often signifies end and destruction. See Vossius "de lxx interpret," cap. 24. TEXT. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. PARAPHRASE. 55 Where, O death, is now that power, whereby thou deprivest men of life? What is become of the dominion of the grave, whereby they were detained prisoners 56 there? That, which gives death the power of men is 57 sin, and it is the law, by which sin has this power. But thanks be to God, who gives us deliverance and victory over death, the punishment of sin, by the law, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from the 58 rigour of the law. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, continue stedfast and unmovable in the christian faith, always abounding in your obedience to the precepts of Christ, and in those duties which are required of us, by our Lord and Saviour, knowing that your labour will not be lost. Whatsoever you shall do, or suffer, for him, will be abundantly rewarded, by eternal life. NOTE. 55 This has something of the air of a song of triumph, which St. Paul breaks out into, upon a view of the saints victory over death, in a state, wherein death is never to have place any more. TEXT. 1 NOW concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me. PARAPHRASE. 1 AS to the collection for the converts to christianity, who are at Jerusalem, I would have you do, as I have directed 2 the churches of Galatia. Let every one of you, according as he thrives in his calling, lay aside some part of his gain by itself, which, the first day of the week, let him put into the common treasury of the church, that there may 3 be no need of any gathering, when I come. And when I come, those, whom you shall approve of, will I send with letters to Jerusalem, to carry thither your benevo4 lence. Which if it deserves, that I also should go, they shall go along with me. NOTES. 2 a encaufiler seems used here in the sense I have given it. For it is certain that the apostle directs, that they should, every Lord's day, bring to the congregation what their charity had laid aside, the foregoing week, as their gain came in, that there it might be put into some public box, appointed for that purpose, or officers' hands. For, if they only laid it aside at home, there would nevertheless be need of a collection, when he came. 3 » Δοκιμάστηκε, δι ̓ ἐπιτελῶν τέτες πέμψω. This pointing, that makes δι ἐπιςολῶν belong to πέμψω, and not δοκιμάσητε, the apostie's sense justifes; he telling them here, that finding their collection ready, when he came, he would write by those, they should think fit to send it by, or go himself with them, if their present were worthy of it. There needed no approbation of their messengers to him, by their letters, when he was present. And if the corinthians, by their letters, approved of them to the saints at Jerusalem, how could St. Paul say, he would send them? SECT. XII. CHAP. XVI. 5—12. CONTENTS. HE E He gives them an account of his own, Timothy's, and Apollos's intention of coming to them. TEXT. 5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia (for I do pass through Macedonia:) 6 And it may be, that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey, whithersoever I go. 7 For I will not see you now, by the way; but I trust to tarry awhile with you, if the Lord permit. 8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great door, and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. 10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11 Let no man, therefore, despise him; but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren. PARAPHRASE. 5 I will come unto you, when I have been in Macedonia; 6 for I intend to take that in my way: And perhaps I shall make some stay, nay, winter with you, that you may 7 bring me going on my way, whithersoever I go. For I do not intend just to call in upon you, as I pass by; but I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permit. 8 But I shall stay at Ephesus till Pentecost, i. e. Whitsun9 tide. For now I have a very fair and promising oppor tunity given me of propagating the gospel, though there 10 be many opposers. If Timothy come to you, pray take care, that he be easy, and without fear amongst you: for he promotes the work of the Lord, in preaching the gos11 pel, even as I do. Let no-body, therefore, despise him; but treat him kindly, and bring him going, that he may come unto me: for I expect him with the brethren. TEXT. 12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to согре unto you, with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come, when he shall have convenient time. PARAPHRASE. 12 As to brother Apollos, I have earnestly endeavoured to prevail with him to come to you with the brethren": but he has no mind to it at all, at present. He will come, however, when there shall be a fit occasion. NOTES. 12 There be few, perhaps, who need to be told it; yet it may be conve nient here, once for all, to remark, that, in the apostle's time," brother" was the ordinary compellation that christians used to one another. "The brethren," here mentioned, seem to be Stephanas, and those others, who, with him, came with a message, or letter, to St. Paul, from the church of Corinth, by whom he returned this epistle in answer. SECT. XIII. CHAP. XVI. 13-24, CONTENTS. THE conclusion, wherein St. Paul, according to his custom, leaves with them some, which he thinks most necessary, exhortations, and sends particular greetings. TEXT. 13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be 13 Be upon your guard, stand firm in the faith, behave 14 yourselves like men, with courage and resolution: And whatever is done amongst you, either in public assemblies, or elsewhere, let it all be done with affection, and |