1 words, lest the cross of Christ | should be made of none effect. or, speech. apostles were travelling from place to place, this could be better intrusted to those who were to be with them as their ordinary religious teachers. It was an advantage that those who imparted this instruction should also administer this ordinance. (3.) It is not improbable, as Doddridge supposes, that the administration of this ordinance was intrusted to inferiors, because it was commonly practised by immersion, and was attended with some trouble and inconvenience, while the time of the apostles might be more directly occupied in their main work. But to preach the gospel. As his main business; as the leading, grand purpose of his ministry. This is the grand object of all ministers. It is not to build up a sect or party; it is not to secure simply the baptism of people in this or that communion; it is to make known the glad tidings of salvation, and call men to repentance and to God. Not with wisdom of words (iux iv oopia adycu). Not in wisdom of speech. Margin. The expression here is a Hebraism, or a form of speech common in the Hebrew writings, where a noun is used to express the meaning of an adjective, and means not in wise | words or discourse. The wisdom here mentioned, refers, doubtless, to that which was common among the Greeks, and which was so highly valued. It included the following things:-(1.) Their subtle and learned mode of disputation, or that which was practised in their schools of philosophy. (2.) A graceful and winning eloquence; the arts by which they sought to commend their sentiments, and to win others to their opinions. On this also the Greek rhetoricians greatly valued themselves, and this, probably, the false teachers endeavoured to imitate. (3.) That which is elegant and finished in literature, in style and composition. On this the Greeks greatly valued them selves, as the Jews did on miracles and wonders. Comp. ver. 22. The apostle means to say, that the success of the gospel did not depend on these things; that he had not sought them; nor had he exhibited them in his preaching. His doctrine and his manner had not been such as to appear wise to the Greeks; and he had not depended on eloquence or philosophy for his success. Longinus (on the Sublime) enumerates Paul among men distinguished for eloquence; but it is probable that he was not distinguished for the graces.of manner (comp. 2 Cor. x. 1. 10), so much as the strength and power of his reasoning. Paul here introduces a new subject of discourse, which he pursues through this and the two following chapters-the effect of philosophy on the gospel, or the estimate which ought to be formed in regard to it. The reasons why he introduces this topic, and dwells upon it at such length, are not perfectly apparent. They are supposed to have been the following. (1.) He had incidentally mentioned his own preaching, and his having been set apart particularly to that; ver.17. (2.) His authority, it is probable, had been called in question by the false teachers at Corinth. (3.) The ground of this, or the reason why they undervalued him, had been probably, that he had not evinced the elo. quence of manner and the graces of oratory on which they so much valued themselves. (4.) They had depended for their success on captivating the Greeks by the charms of graceful rhetoric and the refinements of subtle argumentation. (5.) In every way, therefore, the deference paid to rhetoric and philosophy in the church, had tended to bring the pure gospel into disrepute ; to produce faction; and to destroy the authority of the apostle. It was necessary, therefore, thoroughly to examine the subject, and to expose the real influence of the philosophy on which they placed so high a value. Lest the cross of Christ. The simple doctrine that Christ was crucified to make 18 For the preaching of the foolishness; but unto us which cross is to them " that perish are saved it is the power of God. b truths, borne to the mind by the agency of the Holy Spirit. atonement for the sins of men. This was the peculiarity of the gospel; and on this doctrine the gospel depended 18. For the preaching of the cross. for success in the world. Should be Greek, the word (os) of the made of none effect. Should be render- cross;' i. e. the doctrine of the cross; ed vain and ineffectual. That is, lest the or the doctrine which proclaims salvasuccess which might attend the preach- tion only through the atonement which ing of the gospel should be attributed the Lord Jesus Christ made on the to the graces of eloquence, the charms cross. This cannot mean that the of language, or the force of human ar- statement that Christ died as a martyr gumentation, rather than to its true on a cross, appears to be foolishness to cause, the preaching of Christ crucified; men; because, if that was all, there or lest the attempt to recommend it by would be nothing that would appear the charms of eloquence should divert contemptible, or that would excite their the attention from the simple doctrines opposition more than in the death of of the cross, and the preaching be really any other martyr. The statement that vain. The preaching of the gospel de- Polycarp, and Ignatius, and Paul, and pends for its success on the simple Cranmer died as martyrs, does not appower of its truths, borne by the Holy pear to men to be foolishness, for it is Spirit to the hearts of men; and not a statement of an historical truth, and on the power of argumentation, and their death excites the high admiration the charms of eloquence. To have of all men. And if, in the death of adorned the gospel with the charms of Jesus on the cross, there had been Grecian rhetoric, would have obscured nothing more than a mere martyr's its wisdom and efficacy, just as the death, it would have been equally the gilding of a diamond would destroy its object of admiration to all men. But brilliancy. True eloquence, and real the "preaching of the cross" must denote learning and sound sense, are not to more than that; and must mean, (1.) be regarded as valueless; but their use That Christ died as an atoning sacrifice in preaching is, to convey the truth for the sins of men, and that it was this with plainness; to fix the mind on the which gave its peculiarity to his sufferpure gospel; and to leave the convic-ings on the cross. (2.) That men can tion on the heart that this system is the be reconciled to God, pardoned, and power of God. The design of Paul saved only by the merits and influence here cannot be to condemn true elo- of this atoning sacrifice. To them quence and just reasoning, but to re- that perish (Tois Mev añoλλuμevols). To buke the vain parade, and the glitter- those who are about to perish, or to ing ornaments, and dazzling rhetoric those who have a character fitting which were objects of so much esteem them for destruction; i. e. to the wickin Greece. A real belief of the gospel, ed. The expression stands in contrast a simple and natural statement of its with those who are "saved," i. e. those sublime truths, will admit of, and who have seen the beauty of the cross prompt to, the most manly and noble of Christ, and who have fled to it for kind of eloquence. The highest pow- salvation. Foolishness. Folly. That ers of mind, and the most varied learn- is, it appears to them to be contemptiing, may find ample scope for the illus-ble and foolish, or unworthy of belief. tration and the defence of the sim- To the great mass of the Jews, and to ple doctrines of the gospel of Christ. the heathen philosophers, and indeed, But it does not depend for its success to the majority of the men of this on these, but on its pure and heavenly world, it has ever appeared foolishness, for the following reasons. (1.) The | it than the gallows has with us. With humble origin of the Lord Jesus. They them, therefore, the death on the cross despise him that lived in Nazareth; was associated with the idea of all tha. that was poor; that had no home, and few friends, and no wealth, and little honour among his own countrymen. (2.) They despise him who was put to death, as an impostor, at the instigation of his own countrymen, in an ignominious manner on the cross-the usual punishment of slaves. (3.) They see not why there should be any particular efficacy in his death. They deem it incredible that he who could not save himself should be able to save them; and that glory should come from the ignominy of the cross. (4.) They are blind to the true beauty of his personal character; to the true dignity of his nature; to his power over the sick, the lame, the dying, and the dead; they see not the bearing of the work of atonement on the law and government of God; they believe not in his resurrection, and his present state of exalted glory. The world looks only at the fact, that the despised man of Nazareth was put to death on a cross, and smiles at the idea that such a death could have any important influence on the salvation of man.-It is worthy of remark, also, that to the ancient philosophers this doctrine would appear still more contemptible than it does to the men of these times. Every thing that came from Judea, they looked upon with contempt and scorn; and they would spurn above all things else the doctrine that they were to expect salvation only by the crucifixion of a Jew. Besides, the account of the crucifixion has now lost to us no small part of its reputation of ignominy. Even around the cross there is conceived to be no small amount of honour and glory. There is now a sacredness about it from religious associations; and a reverence which men in Christian lands can scarcely help feeling when they think of it. But to the ancients it was connected with every idea of ignominy. It was the punishment of slaves, impostors, and vagabonds; and had even a greater degree of disgrace attached to is shameful and dishonourable; and to 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, a Isa.29.14. Jer.8.9. to each of these effects; just fitted to the soul by him who knows it; and adapted to produce just these results. The Holy Spirit secures their influence on the mind; and is the grand living agent of accomplishing just what the truth of God is fitted originally to produce. Thus the preaching of the cross is "the power of God;" and every minister may present it with the assurance that he is presenting, not "a cunningly devised fable," but a system really fitted to save men; and yet, that its reception by the human mind depends on the promised presence of the Holy Spirit. and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. ner which human wisdom would not have devised; and in such a way as to show that he is not dependent on the wisdom of man. As such, the sentiment is applicable to the gospel; and expresses just the idea which the apostle wished to convey-that the wisdom of the wise should be confounded by the plan of God; and the schemes of human devising be set at naught. I will destroy. That is, I will abolish; or will not be dependent on it; or will show that my plans are not derived from the counsels of men. The wisdom of the wise. The professed wisdom of philosophers. And will bring to nothing. Will show it to be of no value in this matter. The prudent. The men professing understanding; the sages of the world. We may remark, (1.) That the plan of salvation was not the contrivance of human wisdom. (2.) It is unlike what men have themselves devised as systems of religion. It did not occur to the ancient philosophers; nor has it 19. For it is written. This passage is quoted from Isa. xxix. 14. The Hebrew of the passage, as rendered in the English version is, "the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." The version of the LXX. is, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent I will hide" (ngúfw), corresponding substantially with the quo-occurred to the modern. (3.) It may tation by Paul. The sense in the Hebrew is not materially different. The meaning of the passage as used by Isaiah is, that such was the iniquity and stupidity of " Ariel" (Isa. xxix. 1), that is, Jerusalem, that God would so execute his judgments as to confound their wise men, and overwhelm those who boasted of their understanding. Those in whom they had confided, and on whom they relied, should appear to be bereft of their wisdom; and they should be made conscious of their own want of counsel to meet and remove the impending calamities. The apostle does not affirm that this passage in Isaiah refers to the times of the gospel." Decline and Fall of the Roman EmThe contrary is manifestly true. But pire," is contained in his attempt to it expresses a general principle of the state the causes of the early propagadivine administration-that the coming tion of Christianity, in ch. xv. xvi.; forth of God is often such as to con- and the obvious failure of the account found human prudence; in a man-shows how much the mind of the phi be expected to excite the opposition, the contempt, and the scorn of the wise men of this world; and the gospel makes its way usually, not with their friendship, but in the face of their opposition. (4.) Its success is such as to confound and perplex them. They despise it, and they see not its secret power; they witness its effects, but are unable to account for them. It has always been a question with philosophers why the gospel met with such success; and the various accounts which have been given of it by its enemies, show how much they have been embarrassed. The most elaborate part of Gibbon's 20 Where is the wise? | where is the scribe? where is a Isa.33.18. losophic skeptic was embarrassed by the fact of the spread of Christianity. (5.) The reception of the gospel demands an humble mind. Mark x. 15. Men of good sense, of humble hearts, of childlike temper, embrace it; and they see its beauty, and are won by its loveliness, and controlled by its power. They give themselves to it; and find that it is fitted to save their souls. (6.) In this, Christianity is like all science. The discoveries in science are such as to confound the wise in their own conceits, and overthrow the opinions of the prudent, just as much as the gospel does, and thus show that both are from the same God--the God who delights to pour such a flood of truth on the mind as to overwhelm it in admiration of himself, and with the conviction of its own littleness. The profoundest theories in science, and the most subtle speculations of men of genius, in regard to the causes of things, are often overthrown by a few simple discoveries and discoveries which are at first despised as much as the gospel is. The invention of the telescope by Galileo was to the theories of philosophers and astronomers, what the revelation of the gospel was to the systems of ancient learning, and the deductions of human wisdom. The one confounded the world as much as the other; and both were at first equally the object of opposition or contempt. ance of the people from the threatened invasion of Sennacherib. The 18th verse represents the people as meditating on the threatened terror of the invasion; and then in the language of exultation and thanksgiving at their deliverance, saying, where is the wise man that laid the plan of destroying the nation? Where the Inspector General (see my Note on the passage in Isaiah), employed in, arranging the forces? Where the receiver (marg. the weigher), the paymaster of the forces? Where the man that counted the towers of Jerusalem, and calculated on their speedy overthrow? All baffled and defeated; and their schemes have all come to naught.' So the apostle uses the same language in regard to the boasted wisdom of the world in reference to salvation. It is all baffled, and is all shown to be of no value. The wise (ocpós). The sage. At first the Greek men of learning were called wise men (op), like the magians of the East. They afterwards assumed a more modest appellation, and called themselves the lovers of wisdom (poopa), or philosophers. This was the name by which they were commonly known in Greece, in the time of Paul. Where is the scribe? (garsus). The scribe among the Jews was a learned man, originally employed in transcribing the law, but subsequently the term came to denote a 20. Where is the wise? Language learned man in general. Among the similar to this occurs in Isa. xxxiii. 18, Greeks the word was used to denote a "Where is the scribe? where is the public notary; or a transcriber of the receiver? where is he that counted the laws; or a secretary. It was a term, towers?" Without designing to quote therefore, nearly synonymous with a these words as having an original re- man of learning; and the apostle eviference to the subject now under con- dently uses it in this sense in this sideration, Paul uses them as any man place. Some have supposed that he does language where he finds words referred to the Jewish men of learning with which he or his readers are fami- here; but he probably had reference to liar, that will convey his meaning. A the Greeks. Where is the disputer man familiar with the Bible, will natuThe acute and subtle rally often make use of Scripture ex- sophist of this age. The word dispressions in conveying his ideas. In puter (σurns), properly denotes one Isaiah the passage refers to the deliver-who inquires carefully into the causes of this world? |