1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1

And I was with you - At my first entrance. In weakness - Of body, 2 Corinthians 12:7 And in fear - Lest I should offend any. And in much trembling - The emotion of my mind affecting my very body.

1 Corinthians 9:2

And my speech in private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use; but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the conscience with the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence.

1 Corinthians 9:3

That your faith might not be built on the wisdom or power of man, but on the wisdom and power of God.

1 Corinthians 9:4

Yet we speak wisdom - Yea, the truest and most excellent wisdom. Among the perfect - Adult, experienced Christians. By wisdom here he seems to mean, not the whole Christian doctrine, but the most sublime and abstruse parts of it. But not the wisdom admired and taught by the men of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, Jewish or heathen, that come to nought - Both they and their wisdom, and the world itself.

1 Corinthians 9:5

But we speak the mysterious wisdom of God, which was hidden for many ages from all the world, and is still hidden even from “babes in Christ;” much more from all unbelievers. Which God ordained before the world - So far is this from coming to nought, like worldly wisdom. For our glory - Arising from the glory of our Lord, and then to be revealed when all worldly glory vanishes.

1 Corinthians 9:6

Had they known it - That wisdom. They would not have crucified - Punished as a slave. The Lord of glory - The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to the great Jehovah, plainly shows him to be the supreme God. In like manner the Father is styled, “the Father of glory,” Ephesians 1:17; and the Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of glory,” 1 Peter 4:14. The application of this title to all the three, shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are “the God of glory;” as the only true God is called, Psalms 29:3, and Acts 7:2.

1 Corinthians 9:7

But this ignorance of theirs fulfils what is written concerning the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom. No natural man hath either seen, heard, or known, the things which God hath prepared, saith the prophet, for them that love him. Isaiah 64:4

1 Corinthians 9:8

But God hath revealed - Yea, and “freely given,” 1 Corinthians 2:12. Them to us - Even inconceivable peace, and joy unspeakable. By his Spirit - Who intimately and fully knows them. For the Spirit searcheth even the deep things of God - Be they ever so hidden and mysterious; the depths both of his nature and his kingdom.

1 Corinthians 9:9

For what man knoweth the things of a man - All the inmost recesses of his mind; although men are all of one nature, and so may the more easily know one another. So the things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit - Who, consequently, is God.

1 Corinthians 9:10

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world - This spirit is not properly received; for the men of the world always had it. But Christians receive the Spirit of God, which before they had not.

1 Corinthians 9:11

Which also we speak - As well as know. In words taught by the Holy Spirit - Such are all the words of scripture. How high a regard ought we, then, to retain for them! Explaining spiritual things by spiritual words; or, adapting spiritual words to spiritual things - Being taught of the Spirit to express the things of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 9:12

But the natural man - That is, every man who hath not the Spirit; who has no other way of obtaining knowledge, but by his senses and natural understanding. Receiveth not - Does not understand or conceive. The things of the Spirit - The things revealed by the Spirit of God, whether relating to his nature or his kingdom. For they are foolishness to him - He is so far from understanding, that he utterly despises, them Neither can he know them - As he has not the will, so neither has he the power. Because they are spiritually discerned - They can only be discerned by the aid of that Spirit, and by those spiritual senses, which he has not.

1 Corinthians 9:13

But the spiritual man - He that hath the Spirit. Discerneth all the things of God whereof we have been speaking. Yet he himself is discerned by no man - No natural men. They neither understand what he is, nor what he says.

1 Corinthians 9:14

Who - What natural man. We - Spiritual men; apostles in particular. Have - Know, understand. The mind of Christ - Concerning the whole plan of gospel salvation. Isaiah 40:13

1 Corinthians 9:16

And I, brethren - He spoke before, 1 Corinthians 2:1, of his entrance, now of his progress, among them. Could not speak to you as unto spiritual - Adult, experienced Christians. But as unto men who were still in great measure carnal, as unto babes in Christ - Still weak in grace, though eminent in gifts, 1 Corinthians 1:5.

1 Corinthians 9:17

I fed you, as babes, with milk - The first and plainest truths of the gospel. So should every preacher suit his doctrine to his hearers.

1 Corinthians 9:18

For while there is among you emulation in your hearts, strife in your words, and actual divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk according to men - As mere men; not as Christians, according to God.

1 Corinthians 9:19

I am of Apollos - St. Paul named himself and Apollos, to show that he would condemn any division among them, even though it were in favour of himself, or the dearest friend he had in the world. Are ye not carnal - For the Spirit of God allows no party zeal.

1 Corinthians 9:20

Ministers - Or servants. By whom ye believed, as the Lord, the Master of those servants, gave to every man.

1 Corinthians 9:22

God that giveth the increase - Is all in all: without him neither planting nor watering avails.

1 Corinthians 9:23

But he that planteth and he that watereth are one - Which is another argument against division. Though their labours are different. they are all employed in one general work, - the saving souls. Hence he takes occasion to speak of the reward of them that labour faithfully, and the awful account to be given by all. Every man shall receive his own peculiar reward according to his own peculiar labour - Not according to his success; but he who labours much, though with small success, shall have a great reward. Has not all this reasoning the same force still? The ministers are still surely instruments in God’s hand, and depend as entirely as ever on his blessing, to give the increase to their labours. Without this, they are nothing: with it, their part is so small, that they hardly deserve to be mentioned. May their hearts and hands be more united; and, retaining a due sense of the honour God doeth them in employing them, may they faithfully labour, not as for themselves, but for the great Proprietor of all, till the day come when he will reward them in full proportion to their fidelity and diligence!

1 Corinthians 9:24

For we are all fellowlabourers - God’s labourers, and fellowlabourers with each other. Ye are God’s husbandry - This is the sum of what went before: it is a comprehensive word, taking in both a field, a garden, and a vineyard. Ye are God’s building - This is the sum of what follows.

1 Corinthians 9:25

According to the grace of God given to me - This he premises, lest he should seem to ascribe it to himself. Let every one take heed how he buildeth thereon - That all his doctrines may be consistent with the foundation.

1 Corinthians 9:26

For other foundation - On which the whole church: and all its doctrines, duties, and blessings may be built. Can no man lay than what is laid - In the counsels of divine wisdom, in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, in the preaching of the apostles, St. Paul in particular. Which is Jesus Christ - Who, in his person and offices, is the firm, immovable Rock of Ages, every way sufficient to bear all the weight that God himself, or the sinner, when he believes, can lay upon him.

1 Corinthians 9:27

If any one build gold, silver, costly stones - Three sorts of materials which will bear the fire; true and solid doctrines. Wood, hay, stubble - Three which will not bear the fire. Such are all doctrines, ceremonies, and forms of human invention; all but the substantial, vital truths of Christianity.