1 Corinthians 4
Wesley1 Corinthians 4:1
If thy brother is grieved - That is, wounded, led into sin. Destroy not him for whom Christ died - So we see, he for whom Christ died may be destroyed. With thy meat - Do not value thy meat more than Christ valued his life.
1 Corinthians 4:2
Let not then your good and lawful liberty be evil spoken of - By being offensive to others.
1 Corinthians 4:3
For the kingdom of God - That is, true religion, does not consist in external observances. But in righteousness - The image of God stamped on the heart; the love of God and man, accompanied with the peace that passeth all understanding, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 4:4
In these - Righteousness, peace, and joy. Men - Wise and good men.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Peace and edification are closely joined. Practical divinity tends equally to peace and to edification. Controversial divinity less directly tends to edification, although sometimes, as they of old, we cannot build without it, Nehemiah 4:17.
1 Corinthians 4:6
The work of God - Which he builds in the soul by faith, and in the church by concord. It is evil to that man who eateth with offence - So as to offend another thereby.
1 Corinthians 4:7
Thy brother stumbleth - By imitating thee against his conscience, contrary to righteousness. Or is offended - At what thou doest to the loss of his peace. Or made weak - Hesitating between imitation and abhorrence, to the loss of that joy in the Lord which was his strength.
1 Corinthians 4:8
Hast thou faith - That all things are pure? Have it to thyself before God - In circumstances like these, keep it to thyself, and do not offend others by it. Happy is he that condemneth not himself - By an improper use of even innocent things! and happy he who is free from a doubting conscience! He that has this may allow the thing, yet condemn himself for it.
1 Corinthians 4:9
Because it is not of faith - He does not believe it lawful and, in all these cases, whatsoever is not of faith is sin - Whatever a man does without a full persuasion of its lawfulness, it is sin to him.
1 Corinthians 4:11
We who are strong - Of a clearer judgment, and free from these scruples. And not to please ourselves - Without any regard to others.
1 Corinthians 4:12
For his good - This is a general word: edification is one species of good.
1 Corinthians 4:13
But bore not only the infirmities, but reproaches, of his brethren; and so fulfilled that scripture. Psalms 69:9
1 Corinthians 4:14
Aforetime - In the Old Testament. That we through patience and consolation of the scriptures may have hope - That through the consolation which God gives us by these, we may have patience and a joyful hope.
1 Corinthians 4:15
According to the power of Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 4:16
That ye - Both Jews and gentiles, believing with one mind, and confessing with one mouth.
1 Corinthians 4:17
Receive ye one another - Weak and strong, with mutual love.
1 Corinthians 4:18
Now I say - The apostle here shows how Christ received us. Christ Jesus - Jesus is the name, Christ the surname. The latter was first known to the Jews; the former, to the gentiles. Therefore he is styled Jesus Christ, when the words stand in the common, natural order. When the order is inverted, as here, the office of Christ is more solemnly considered. Was a servant - Of his Father. Of the circumcision - For the salvation of the circumcised, the Jews. For the truth of God - To manifest the truth and fidelity of God.
1 Corinthians 4:19
As it is written - In the eighteenth psalm, here the gentiles and Jews are spoken of as joining in the worship of the God of Israel. Psalms 18:49