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rying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven 7 leaveneth the whole lump? Take away thoroughly the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, inasmuch as ye are unleavened*: for our passover † hath been slain [for 8 us,] even Christ. Let us therefore keep our feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of wickedness and maliciousness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

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I write unto you in this epistle, not to keep com10 pany with fornicators: [yet] not wholly with the forni

cators, or covetous, or oppressors, or idolaters, of this 11 world for then indeed ye must go out of the world: but I now write unto you, not to keep company with him, if any that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, 12 or an oppressor; not even to eat with such an one. For

what have I to do to judge§ those [also] that are without? 13 Should not ye judge those that are within? and will not God judge those that are without |? Put away [therefore] from among yourselves that wicked person.

CH. VI. DARETH any of you, having a matter against another,

to be judged before the unrighteous, and not before the 2 saints? Know ye not that the saints will judge the world¶?

the government of Christ, the other under the tyranny of Satan. When a heathen became a believer, he was translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. When a believer for misbehaviour was dismissed from the christian community, he was said to be delivered over to Satan. This was done "for the destruction of the flesh," that is, for the correction of his vices, that he might be made sensible of his fault, and brought to repentance. Col. i. 13; 1 Tim. i. 20. *Or, that as ye are now a new lump, ye may be unleavened.

↑ Or, our paschal lamb.

I wrote to you in that letter, W.

Or, how doth it concern me to judge. N. m. Or, No: but judge ye those that are within: (and those that are without God will judge:) and put away, &c. See MSS. N. m.

¶ The saints will judge the world, and, ver. 3, we shall judge angels. "This," says Dr. Priestley, "is figurative language; as is the representation of Christ sitting and judging all nations. What it is that is really to be understood by this we cannot at present know. It will, no doubt, be sufficiently verified, though, perhaps, in a manner of which we cannot at this time have any proper conception. And whatever powers and prerogatives are given to Christ, will be shared by him with his disciples, according

but if the world will be judged by you, are ye unworthy 3 to judge the smallest causes? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things which belong to 4 this life? If then ye have judgements of causes belong

ing to this life, rather set those to judge who are of no 5 account in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not even one wise man among you, who can 6 decide between his brethren? but is brother brought into judgement with brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 Now therefore it is certainly a defect among you, that ye have suits one with another. Why do ye not rather 8 suffer wrong? why are ye not rather defrauded? whereas ye wrong, and defraud; and that your brethren.

ye

Know ye not that injurious men will not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor impure abusers of them10 selves*, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor oppressors, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but have been washed, but ye have been sanctified, but ye have been justified, by the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient all things are lawful to me, but I will not be 13 brought under the power of any thing. Meats are for

to his prayer before his death, in which he says, John xvii. 22, 'The glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, as we are one."" See Dr. Priestley's Notes on Scripture. It is plain from this text, that whatever is meant by the phrase, "judging the world," that it is an office to which human beings may be made competent. To say that this expression means one thing when applied to Christ, and another when used of the saints, is gratuitous and unfounded. Perhaps the expression "to judge the world," may not imply any personal act, either on the part of Christ, or of christians in general. It may possibly signify nothing more than that the final state of mankind shall be determined agreeably to the declarations of the gospel which was first promulgated by Christ; to which declarations all the professed disciples of Christ in succeeding ages, however they may have differed upon other points, have borne their unanimous testimony. In the same manner the antient prophets are said to have done that which they were only commissioned to foretel. See Jer. i. 10.

So Wakefield,

"6 nor pathicks, nor abusers of themselves with mankind," N.

the belly, and the belly is for meats: yet God will destroy both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, 14 but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body and God

hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise up us also 15 by his power. Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? By no means. 16 Know ye not that he who is joined to an harlot, is one

body? (for two," saith the scripture, "shall be one 17 flesh." But he that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Most sins which a man committeth,

are without the body; but he who committeth fornica19 tion, sinneth against his own body. Know ye not that

your body is the temple of the holy spirit which is in you, 20 which ye have from God? Nor are ye your own: for ye have been bought with a price: glorify therefore God with your body *.

CH. VII. Now concerning the things about which ye have

written to me: It is good for a man not to touch a wo2 man. Nevertheless, because of avoiding fornications, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have 3 her own husband. Let the husband render to the wife

the debt of marriage †; and in like manner the wife also 4 to the husband. The wife hath not power over her own

body, but the husband: and in like manner the husband also hath not power over his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one another; unless perhaps partly, with

consent, for a time, that ye may have leisure for prayer ‡, and may come together again; that Satan tempt you not 6 because of your incontinence. But I speak this by way 7 of permission; not by way of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself am. But every man hath his proper gift from God; one according to this manner, and another according to that.

* and with your spirit, which are God's. R. T.

+ due benevolence. R. T.

for fasting and prayer, R. T.

8

Now I say to widowers and to widows, It is good for 9 them if they remain even as I. But, if they have not

continence, let them marry: for it is better to marry 10 than to burn. And to the married I command, yet not I

only but the Lord, that the wife depart not from her hus11 band: (but if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:) and that the husband do not put away his wife.

12.

But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she choose to dwell with 13 him, let him not put her away. And if a woman have an unbelieving husband, and he choose to dwell with her, 14 let her not put him away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the* wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children 15 are unclean; but now they are holy. But if the unbelieving person depart, let such depart. the sister is not enslaved in such cases. 16 hath called us to peace. For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17

The brother or However, God

However, according as God hath distributed to every one, according as the Lord hath called every one, so let such walk. And thus I appoint in all the churches. 18 Hath any man been called, being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Hath any man been called in uncircumcision? let him not become circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing;

but the keeping of the commandments of God is every 20 thing. Let every one remain in that calling wherein he 21 was called. Wast thou called being a servant? care not 22 for it but if thou canst be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the free

* his-her, N. Some expositors would place the 16th verse after the 13th. Mr. Wakefield places it after the 14th.

+ would be, N.

A brother or a sister, N.

f

man of the Lord: in like manner also he that is called, 23 being a free-man, is the servant of Christ. Ye have been bought with a price; do not become servants to men. 24 Brethren, let every man remain with God in that state wherein he was called.

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Now concerning single persons, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgement, as having obtained mercy from the Lord, that I might be faithful. 26 I think therefore that this is good, because of the present

distress, I say, that it is good for a man to continue as he 27 is. Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. 28 Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But if thou marry, thou hast not sinned: and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless, 29 ble in the flesh. But I spare you.

such will have trouHowever, this I say, brethren, The time is short. It remaineth, that both 30 those that have wives, be as those that have none; and

those that weep, as those that weep not; and those that rejoice, as those that rejoice not; and those that buy, as 31 those that possess not; and those that use this world, as

those that use it not: for the fashion of this world passeth 32 away. But I would have you without anxious care. He

that is unmarried, careth for the things of the Lord, how 33 he may please the Lord: but he that is married, careth

for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is this difference also between a wife and a virgin :

The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how 35 she may please her husband. Now I speak this for your own advantage; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for becomingness, and for a right attendance on the Lord without distraction.

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But if any man think that he behaveth himself unbecomingly toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and it ought so to be; let him do what he pleaseth,

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