3. But I fear He begins to explain, what is the nature of that virginity of which he has made mention — our cleaving to Christ alone, sincerely, with our whole heart. God, indeed, everywhere requires from us, that we be joined with him in body and in spirit, and he warns us that he is a jealous God, (Exodus 20:5,) to avenge with the utmost severity the wrong done to him, in the event of any one’s drawing back from him. This connection, however, is accomplished in Christ, as Paul teaches in Ephesians, (Ephesians 5:25.) He points out, however, at present the means of it — when we remain in the pure simplicity of the gospel, for, as in contracting marriages among men, there are written contracts (802) drawn out, so the spiritual connection between us and the Son of God is confirmed by the gospel, as a kind of written contract. (803) Let us maintain the fidelity, love, and obedience, that have been there promised by us; he will be faithful to us on his part.
Now Paul says that he is concerned, that the minds of the Corinthians may not be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Paul, it is true, says in Greek εἰς Χριστόν , which Erasmus renders towards Christ, (804) but the Old Interpreter has come nearer, in my opinion, to Paul’s intention, (805) because by the simplicity that is in Christ is meant, that which keeps us in the unadulterated and pure doctrine of the gospel, and admits of no foreign admixtures (806) By this he intimates that men’s minds are adulterated, (807) whenever they turn aside, even in the least degree, to the one side or to the other, from the pure doctrine of Christ. Nor is it without good reason, for who would not condemn a matron as guilty of unchastity, so soon as she lends an ear to a seducer? So in like manner we, when we admit wicked and false teachers, who are Satan’s vile agents, show but too clearly, that we do not maintain conjugal fidelity towards Christ. We must also take notice of the term simplicity, for Paul’s fear was not, lest the Corinthians should all at once openly draw back altogether from Christ, but lest, by turning aside, by little and little, from the simplicity which they had learned, so as to go after profane and foreign contrivances, they should at length become adulterated.
He brings forward a comparison as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty For if false teachers have a show of wisdom, if they have any power of eloquence for persuading, if they plausibly insinuate themselves into the minds of their hearers, and instill their poison by fawning artifices, it was in a similar way that Satan also beguiled Eve, as he did not openly declare himself to be an enemy, but crept in privily under a specious pretext.
(802) Tabuloe — Juvenal makes use of this term in the same sense: “ Signatae tabuloe ; ” — “The marriage contract is signed.” — (Juv. 2 119.) See also Juv. 9:75. — Ed.
(803) “ Est conferme et establi par l’Euangile, comme par vn instrument authentique;” — “Is confirmed and established by the gospel, as by an authentic instrument.”
(804) Beza, while, like Calvin, he views the expression εἰς τὸν Χριστόν, as meaning “in Christ,” makes mention of the rendering of Erasmus, adding a note of explanation, “ Quoe erat erga Christum, nempe quia pure ac simpliciter illi obtemperabatis;” — “Which was towards Christ; that is, inasmuch as you obeyed him in purity and simplicity.” Cranmer (1539) renders as follows: “Euen so youre wyttes shuld be corrupte from the singlenes that ye had toward Christ. — Ed.
(805) The rendering of the Vulgate is the same as that adopted by Calvin, “ A simplicitate quae est in Christo;” — “From the simplicity which is in Christ.” — Ed.
(806) “ Corruptions et desguisemens venans d’ailleurs :” — “Corruptions and disguises springing from some other sources.”
(807) “ S’abbastardissent, corrompent, et debauchent;” — “Are adulterated, corrupted, and debauched.”