1 Corinthians 4

— then shall every man have praise of God.] Those, who have discharged their stewardship fairly and honestly, shall be rewarded by their own Master and proper Judge, the just and all-seeing God. Dean Stanhope. As they that deserve shall have blame, so every man that hath done well, shall be by God justified and commended. Dr. Hammond.

1 Corinthians 4:3

3. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you.] Not that he was unconcerned, whether the Corinthians had a good esteem of him or not: the contrary is evident from the whole drift of his Epistles, in which he labours to convince them of the truth of his doctrine, and of his sincerity in the discharge of his office, and rejoiceth greatly in their affection to him, 2 Cor. vi. 13; vii. 14, 15; viii. 24. His meaning only is, that their judgment is little to him, in comparison of the final and unerring judgment of the Lord. Dr. Whitby.

— I judge not mine own self.] I dare not rely upon my own judgment, so far as to depreciate others, and prefer myself. Dean Stanhope.

1 Corinthians 4:4

4. For I know nothing by myself; &c.] For though, I bless God, my conscience reproaches me not with any neglect or mismanagement in my office, yet I will not be bold to say, I am absolutely clear of any. Because God will make a stricter inquiry into these matters, and knows me better than I do myself. Dean Stanhope. See the note from Bp. Sanderson on 2 Cor. i. 12.

1 Corinthians 4:5

5. Therefore judge nothing before the time.] Suspend such censures of your teachers, and do not anticipate the judgment of God. Dean Stanhope. The Apostle does not mean to condemn all judgment, civil or ecclesiastical, of any person’s deeds or words; or bid us suspend our judgment of things occurring to our senses, till the day of judgment: but only forbids our censures of things uncertain, of which no righteous judgment can be passed, because we cannot be certain of the truth of that judgment, and of things, of which it belongs not to us to judge. Dr. Whitby. This is one of those general expressions, of which there are a great number in Scripture, that must be limited by the subject to which they are applied. Dr. Macknight.

— the Lord] That is, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a strong proof of the divinity of our blessed Saviour. He that has knowledge of the heart, of the secrets of the hearts of all men, and has all these subject to His judgment, is undoubtedly God. See 1 Kings viii. 39; 1 Chron. xxviii. 9; Jer. xvii. 10. But Christ ascribes all this knowledge to Himself, Rev. ii. 23. Therefore He is essentially and really God. Burkitt, Dr. Whitby.

hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1 Corinthians 4:6

6. — these things,—I have in a figure transferred &c.] I have thus said in the persons of myself and Apollos, to give you, under that figure, a general rule how to demean yourselves to any other ministers of the Gospel. Dr. Hammond. The Apostle appears to refer to what he had said, chap. iii. 5—8. Dr. Whitby.

— above that which is written.] That is, above the directions here given. Dr. Hammond. Or, as it has been explained in something of a different sense, above what Scripture warrants. Dr. Doddridge.

1 Corinthians 4:7

7. For who maketh thee to differ from another? &c.] As if the Apostle had said, Who is it that maketh one minister to differ from and excel another? Is it not God? If so, then let those ministers, who have received the greatest gifts from God, whom the inspiration of the Almighty hath made most wise and understanding, be most humble themselves; and let none take occasion from thence to despise others who have received less. Burkitt. The Apostle is manifestly speaking here of those gifts of the Spirit, which were immediately infused without human industry, and were dispensed by God and by His Spirit, according to His good pleasure, chap. iii. 6; xii. 11. But it cannot be hence argued, that no man doth any thing to make himself differ from another, in any virtue or in any pious dispositions, in which we are continually exhorted to excel, and in which we differ from one another, as by God’s grace preventing and exciting us, so by our faculties co-operating with that grace. Dr. Whitby.

According to the judgment of the most learned expositors, the Apostle speaks here, not of sanctifying, but of edifying grace: that is, such as was given to the teachers, not so much for the private good of themselves, as for the benefit of the Church, as appears chap. iii. 5. The ministers of the Church being then qualified for their work by miracle, the Apostle justly checks their arrogance for glorying in such gifts, as were not acquired by their own study and industry, but inspired into them immediately of the Holy Ghost: which abilities therefore were not rewardable nor commendable in them that had them, as to the manner of possession, chap. ix. 16, 17; Gal. i. 11, 12; but only so far forth as they did employ and improve them for the edification of the church. Bp. Womack.

The apostles spectacles to the world. Anno DOMINI 1st.

1 Corinthians 4:8

8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, &c.] In these words the Apostle ironically rebukes the overwrening opinion, which the Corinthians had of their present attainments and spiritual perfections. As if he had said, Now you think yourselves so full and rich in all kinds of knowledge, that you despise your spiritual fathers, who first converted you to the faith. Burkitt.

—full,—rich.] “Full” of secular wisdom; “rich” both in wealth and in spiritual gifts, chap. xiv. 26. All the ancient commentators having noticed in their prefaces to this Epistle, that Corinth was a city, which abounded in wealth, and was full of rhetoricians and philosophers, and that hence arose their disorders, pride, and vainglory, as well as from their gifts; the text appears to require this twofold interpretation. Dr. Whitby.

—I would to God ye did reign.] I wish with all my heart your happiness were real, that we might be sharers in it: but verily I fear that you are only puffed up with false notions, and that ye have little, except in conceit. Burkitt.

1 Corinthians 4:9

9.—us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death.] This is an allusion to the Roman theatrical spectacles. From a passage of Seneca’s Epistles, quoted by Dr. Whitby, it appears, that in the morning those combatants, to whom was given a chance of escaping with their lives, fought with the wild beasts armed. But in the afternoon the gladiators fought naked; and he who escaped was only reserved for slaughter to another day: so that they might well be called persons “appointed to death.” By comparing the Apostles to these devoted persons, St. Paul has given us a strong and affecting picture of the dangers which the Apostles encountered in the course of their ministry: dangers, which at length proved fatal to the majority of them. Dr. MacKnight.

The design of Providence was, that hereby the world, to whom the Apostles preached the Gospel, might be fully convinced of their sincerity in the preaching of it; that they sought not themselves, or their own ease and advantage, but were content for the propagation of the Gospel, of which they were ministers, to endure the greatest inconveniences, necessities, and extremities. This was sufficient to satisfy all sober and reasonable persons that they had no design of their own, that their only aim was the advancement of that truth, which, with so great a loss and hazard to themselves, they constantly published to the world. Bp. Bull.

1 Corinthians 4:10

10. We are fools for Christ’s sake, &c.] We are vile and despised for doing our duty, the exercise of our apostolic office; but you forsooth are very wise men, deeply learned in the doctrine of Christ, &c. Dr. Hammond. In this verse the Apostle repeats ironically the things which his enemies at Corinth said of him. And in the same spirit of irony he attributes to them the contrary qualities. Dr. MacKnight.

1 Corinthians 4:11

11.—are naked.] Not strictly so, but ill clothed. Bp. Pearce.

1 Corinthians 4:12

12. And labour, working with our own hands.] The Apostles, whose whole lives were dedicated to preaching the Gospel of Christ, yet were not elevated above the common relations, they did not undervalue the common duties, of life. The very reverse: they frequently recalled men to observe, but never encouraged them to neglect, such duties; they never exhorted them to abandon business or industry; and to retire to the cave or the desert for the purpose of indulging indolence or spiritual pride beneath the mask of devotion, and thus becoming a burden to others for their support, without contributing any thing to the general good. We observe in their conduct no unnecessary austerities, no self-inflicted sufferings, no habitual melancholy; not even in St. Paul, whose conduct is more particularly detailed, and whose remorse for having persecuted the church of Christ had made the deepest impression on his soul: even he did not attempt to atone for his offence by solitude and penance, but by indefatigable activity in the service of that Christ whom he had persecuted: this was sincerity, not enthusiasm. Imposers would not adhere to a religion attended with such difficulties as are here enumerated; see ver. 9—12; enthusiasts would not endeavour to exhibit an example of active, humble industry, even in the midst of the most severe persecutions, and most important religious engagements. The conduct, as well as the language, of the Apostle bespeaks “truth and soberness.” Dr. Graves.

1 Corinthians 4:13

13.—as the filth of the earth.] When a city was under any great calamity, the heathens used to choose out some very base, vile, and sordid person, whom they burnt in a ditch, and cast the ashes with imprecations into the sea, for the purification of the city. This is what is meant by “the filth” of the world: and “the offescouring of all things” appears to be another expression for the same thing; namely, the vilest refuse creature in a city, such as used to be the expulsion in a publick calamity: or else it signifies the dirt and filth which scavengers rake together in the street, and carry to the dunghill. Dr. Hammond, Burkitt.

We may observe here the several kinds of sufferings to which the holy Apostles were exposed: hunger and want, poverty and reproach, persecution and death. They suffered in their bodies by hunger, and nakedness, and stripes: in their names by scandals and reproaches, being accounted “the filth of the earth and the offescouring of all things.” Nor was it only at their first entrance on the apostolic office that they met with this usage; but all along, from the first hour that they began to preach the Gospel, “even unto this present hour,” saith St. Paul. The manner too, in which they supported this burden of reproach, disgrace, and persecution, is not less remarkable. “Being reviled,

The apostles our fathers in Christ, I. CORINTHIANS. whom we ought to follow. Anno DOMINI 50. and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

1 Corinthians 4:14

14. I write not these things to shame you.] For having increased my sufferings by the calumnies you have uttered against me. In this apology for mentioning his sufferings, the Apostle hath shewn admirable prudence and the greatest goodness of heart. Dr. MacKnight.

—as my beloved sons I warn you.] Out of the affections of a father I advise and admonish you to behave yourselves more like dutiful children towards me. Drs. Hammond and Whitby.

1 Corinthians 4:15

15.—I have begotten you through the gospel.] That is, converted you to Christianity. Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 4:16

16.—be ye followers of me.] Your spiritual father, adhering to those doctrines which I taught you. Dr. Wells.

St. Paul here, ver. 8—16, by giving an account of his own carriage, gently rebukes them for following men of a different character, and exhorts them to be followers of himself. Locke.

1 Corinthians 4:17

17.—Timotheus,—my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord.] Whom I converted to the faith, and one who hath long associated with me, and done me faithful service in propagating the Gospel. Dr. Hammond.

—who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways &c.] Who therefore exactly knowing my whole course of Christian doctrine, may be your remembrancer, and tell you what is my doctrine and practice in every church, where I come to confirm them. Dr. Hammond.

1 Corinthians 4:18

18.—as though I would not come to you.] As not being able to defend myself against my opposers. Dr. Wells.

It appears from 2 Cor. i. 15—18, that St. Paul had not only intended, but even promised them a visit before, but had not been able to execute his intention. And this seeming breach of his word, and the delay of his visit, had with some, who were evil affected towards him, given birth to a suggestion, that he would come no more to Corinth. Archdeacon Paley.

1 Corinthians 4:19

19.—not the speech—but the power.] Not their eloquence, but the spiritual authority which attends their preaching. Dr. Whitby. What miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost are in them. Dr. Wells.

1 Corinthians 4:20

20. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.] The Gospel is not propagated by a fluent tongue and eloquent discourse, but by the miraculous operations of the Holy Ghost. Dr. Wells. It is propagated, saith Theophylact, ‘by miracles done by the power of the Spirit.’ Dr. Whitby.

1 Corinthians 4:21

21.—with a rod.] With a rod of censure to correct your exorbitances. Bp. Hall. That the Apostles had the power of inflicting temporal punishments on the persons of some, who opposed the progress, or notoriously violated the rules, of the Gospel, is the opinion of all the ancient commentators, who instance in the death inflicted by St. Peter on Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v. 5, 10; the blindness inflicted by St. Paul on Elymas, chap. xiii. 11; the delivery of Hymeneus and Alexander, and of the incestuous person, unto Satan, 1 Tim. i. 20; 1 Cor. v. 5; that their bodies might be chastised with some disease. And so they interpret these words, “shall I come unto you with a rod?” that is, with punishments and chastisements? This sense is confirmed by the words of the Apostle, 2 Cor. xiii. 10. Opposed to this power of inflicting chastisements is “the spirit of meekness” that follows; namely, mercifulness in withholding punishment on sight of their speedy refor-