I Corinthians 4 · The Lantern

Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God.

There is a big difference between being a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God. Anyone who has read the Bible can be a servant of Christ, but to be a steward of the mysteries one must plumb their depths.

"Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." After he had cast down their spirit, mark how again he refreshes it, saying, "as ministers of Christ." Do not thou then, letting go the Master, receive a name from the servants and ministers.

Having rebuked the Corinthians for glorying in certain ministers, the Apostle now attacks them for looking down on other ministers. In regard to this he does two things: first, he censures their guilt; secondly, he concentrates on correcting them (v. 14).

Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful.

But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself.

For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me.

From Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts, both by land and sea, both by night and day, being bound to ten leopards, I mean a band of soldiers, who, even when they receive benefits, show themselves all the worse.

Then because this saying also seemed to be that of one extolling himself greatly, this too he corrects, saying, "Yet am I not hereby justified." What then? Ought we not to judge ourselves and our own misdeeds? Yes surely: there is great need to do this when we sin.

He assigns the reason for this when he says: I am not aware of anything against myself, i.e., I am not aware of any mortal sin: "My heart does not reproach me for any of my days" (Jb 27:6); but I am not thereby acquitted, i.e., that does not suffice for pronouncing myself just, because certains sins can be hiding in me, which I do not know: "Who can discern his sins?" (Ps 19:12…

And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God.

From Him also shall "praise be had by every man," from whom proceeds, as from a judge, the opposite also of praise.

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come; who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall each man have his praise from God." What then? Is it not right that our teachers should do this?

The when he says, Judge not before, he concludes the prohibition against rash judgment. In regard to this he does three things: first, he forbids them to anticipate God's judgment, saying: Therefore, in keeping with my example, who neither judge myself nor care about being judged by others, but reserve my judgment to God, do not pronounce judgment before the time, because "ever…

And so, brothers, I have presented these things in myself and in Apollo, for your sakes, so that you may learn, through us, that no one should be inflated against one person and for another, not beyond what has been written.

"Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to think of men above that which is written." So long as there was need of expressions as harsh as these, he refrained from drawing up the curtain, and went on arguing as if he were himself the person to whom they were addressed; in order that the dign…

He says this to the people, varying his instruction and directing his speech sometimes to the disciples and sometimes to the teachers and leaders, as he also does now. For the Corinthians boasted against one another about their teachers, namely: the disciple of one teacher exalted himself over the disciple of another, because he preferred his own teacher to the other.

After berating the Corinthians for the rashness with which they judged Christ's ministers, the Apostle now censures the self-satisfaction with which they scorned Christ's ministers. In regard to his he does three things: first, he states his proposition; secondly, he assigns a reason (v. 7); thirdly, be belittles their contemptuous attitude (v. 8).

For what distinguishes you from another? And what do you have that you have not received? But if you have received it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?

So, now you have been filled, and now you have been made wealthy, as if to reign without us? But I wish that you would reign, so that we, too, might reign with you!

"Know ye not that we are to judge angels? " Again, of how open censure (does) the free expression (find utterance), how manifest the edge of the spiritual sword, (in words like these): "Ye are already enriched! ye are already satiated!

Words inspired by indignation. So quickly, he says, you have acquired everything! You have need of nothing! You are already satiated; in a short time you have attained perfection and received all the wealth of knowledge and gifts! Perfection is attained in the age to come, but you, it would seem, already possess it.

Then when he says, Already you are filled!, he mocks the pride of those who looked down on Christ's apostles: first, in general; then specifically. As to the first he does two things: first, he ridicules them for presuming too much on themselves; secondly, for looking down on the apostles (v. 9).

For I think that God has presented us as the last Apostles, as those destined for death. For we have been made into a spectacle for the world, and for Angels, and for men.

So we are fools because of Christ, but you are discerning in Christ? We are weak, but you are strong? You are noble, but we are ignoble?

Even to this very hour, we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and repeatedly beaten, and we are unsteady.

And "let no one," saith he, "think that I speak only of the past:" "Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked." Seest thou that all the life of Christians must be such as this; and not merely a day or two? For though the wrestler who is victorious in a single contest only, be crowned, he is not crowned again if he suffer a fall.

What, he says, is the point of recalling the past? Look at what is now — at how you are drowning in pleasures, while we are quite the opposite.

Then when he says, To the present hour, he discloses the cause of this scorn: first, he assigns the lack of temporal goods as the cause; secondly, the evils they suffered (v. 12); thirdly, he reaches his conclusion (v. 15).

And we labor, working with our own hands. We are slandered, and so we bless. We suffer and endure persecution.

We are cursed, and so we pray. We have become like the refuse of this world, like the reside of everything, even until now.

Let not then any one deceive you, as indeed ye are not deceived; for ye are wholly devoted to God. For when there is no evil desire within you, which might defile and torment you, then do ye live in accordance with the will of God, and are [the servants] of Christ.

What is "offscouring"? Everything that is swept away or wiped off as worthless. Thus, if someone wipes away something filthy with a sponge, they call it offscouring. This also means "dust, trampled by all"; for to trample (περιφάν) is the same as to wipe around with a sponge.

Thirdly, he touches on the cause of each when he says: we are slandered, i.e., we are called sorcerers, evil-doers and enemies of God: "The hour comes what whosoever kills you, will think that he does a service to God" (Jn.

I am not writing these things in order to confound you, but in order to admonish you, as my dearest sons.

Paul is acting here like a good physician who alleviates the pain caused by his operation to remove the disease, so that the sick person will let himself be cured.

I do not write this to shame you, he says, and not with an evil and hateful intention do I say this; but "as beloved children" (I admonish you), and not simply children, but "beloved." Forgive me, then, if I have said anything offensive, for this comes from love. And he did not say: I reproach, but "I admonish." Who would not endure a father's admonition?

After censuring the Corinthians for rashly judging the apostles and presumptuously despising them, the Apostle now applies himself to correcting them. First, by oral advice; secondly, by examples (v. 16); thirdly, with the rod of correction (v. 18).

For you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, but not so many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you.

A eunuch, then, does not mean a man who has been castrated, nor even an unmarried man, but a man who is unproductive of truth. Formerly he was "dry wood," but if he obeys the word and observes the sabbaths by abstaining from sins and keeps the commandments, he will be in higher honour that those who are educated in word alone and fail to do what is right.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that nobody else will ever love them the way he does.

Secondly, he shows the correct way to admonish, saying: For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Here it should be noted that a father is one who begets, but a guide nurses and trains the child: "The law was our custodian until Christ came" (Gal 3:24).

Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.

Paul is saying to the Corinthians: "Be humble as I am humble, suffer as I suffer. It is by your sufferings, not by your gifts, that you will be rated."

By this Paul meant that if he was humble, they should also be humble. What he was prepared to suffer, they should be prepared to suffer. They were to glory in their hardships, not in their blessings.

Then when he says, I urge you, the, he starts to correct them with his own example. First, he urges them to follow his example, saying: Then, since you are my children and good children should imitate their fathers, I urge you, be imitators of me, so as not to judge rashly (just as I don't, because I do not ever presume to judge myself) but to think humbly of yourselves and hig…

For this reason, I have sent you Timothy, who is my dearest son, and who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere, in every church.

Certain persons have become inflated in thinking that I would not return to you.

Some of the Corinthians were angry that Paul had not come to them, not because they wanted him to but because they were proud and imagined that Paul thought they were unworthy of a visit. In fact, Paul wanted to go but had more important things to do.

It is clear from this that what was being said was that Paul and his companions were weak, while the Corinthians were strong.

Then when he says, As though I were not coming to you, he threatens them with the rod of correction. First, he shows that they deserve the rod of correction, saying: As though I were not coming to you, some are arrogant, as though not fearing to be convicted of pride by me; and yet they deserved the rod, because the humble are corrected by words alone, but the proud need stripe…

But I will return to you soon, if the Lord is willing. And I will consider, not the words of those who are inflated, but the virtue.

It teaches the magnificence of the wisdom implanted in her children by instruction. Now the apostle says, "I will know not the speech of those that are puffed up, but the power; for the kingdom of God is not in word." By which is clearly revealed that the gnostic does not sin in speech, nor is puffed up by talk, but is full of work, having made his whole life in accordance with…

Paul promises to come, so that the Corinthians can prepare themselves for correction. On the one hand he was forced by his irritation to say "I shall come," but on the other hand he added "if the Lord wills," because of his sense of dependence on God.

Secondly, he tells them of his visit, when he will come to judge them. First, he foretells his coming when he says: But I will come to you soon. But because in says in Prov (16:9): "The heart of man disposes his way, but the Lord must direct his steps," he adds: If the Lord wills: "If the Lord will and if we shall live, we will do this or that" (Jas 4:5).

For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in virtue.

What would you prefer? Should I return to you with a rod, or with charity and a spirit of meekness?

See the care, and wisdom, and power of the Instructor: "He shall not judge according to opinion, nor according to report; but He shall dispense judgment to the humble, and reprove the sinners of the earth." And by David: "The Lord instructing, hath instructed me, and not given me over to death." For to be chastised of the Lord, and instructed, is deliverance from death.

"What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?" There is much both of terror and of gentleness in this saying. For to say, "I will know," was the language of one as yet withholding himself: but to say, "What will ye?

Finally, he threatens to chastise them, but leaves the choice to them, saying: What do you wish? Shall I come to you to chastise you with a rod, namely, of discipline or with love, i.e., with a display of love, in a spirit of gentleness? As if to say: it depends on you whether or not I shall deal more harshly with you.

I Corinthians4