Chapter Four

¹ Chapter Four. So let a man account us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Since we teachers are servants, why do you, forsaking the Master, name yourselves after us the servants? And by naming the apostles and teachers stewards of mysteries, he showed that one must not dispense the word to all without discernment, but to those to whom one ought, and when one ought, and as one ought; and besides, since they are mysteries, they ought not to be uncovered to all—for this is not the mark of a prudent steward.

² Now what is further sought in stewards is that a man be found faithful. That is, that he may not appropriate the Master’s goods to himself, that he may not handle the affairs as a master, but administer them as belonging to another and to the Master—not saying that the Master’s things are his own, but, on the contrary, that his own things are the Master’s.

³ But to me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s day. Such a sickness was prevalent in Corinth. For those who were divided over their teachers, sitting as judges presiding, mocked and cast out men pious and beloved of God on account of their lack of learning, while they approved men laden with countless evils on account of their eloquence, rashly casting such votes: This man is better than that, and this one inferior to that, and that one better than this, and that one than this. Since, then, Paul had said that in stewards it is sought that one be found faithful, and he seemed to give them an opening to judge each man’s life—and this made the dissensions greater—lest they suffer this, he restrains them from judging, and says, “But to me it is a very small thing”; as if to say, I count it the greatest dishonor to be judged by you at all. Then, lest he wound them as men despised, he added, “Or by man’s day”—that is, or by any other man of repute and exalted; for Scripture is wont to name a man’s loftiness his “day.” But let no one charge Paul with arrogance; for these things he does not say truly concerning himself, since he did not judge himself at all; but, that they might not judge others, he sets right in his own person what he wishes.

⁴ But neither do I judge myself; for I am conscious of nothing against myself; yet I am not thereby justified; but he who judges me is the Lord. Do not think, he says, that in making light of you, or of all other men, I disdain to be judged; but neither do I deem myself sufficient for such exactness. For I am not conscious to myself of any fault, inasmuch as I am unable to judge rightly and exactly. “Yet I am not thereby justified”—that is, Not as though I were clean from sin. For it is likely that some things have been sinned by me, but that I am ignorant of them; and the Lord alone is he who judges exactly and surely. And from this consider for me how great is the exactness of the judgment to come.

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come. Do you see that Paul said these things that others might not be judged by the Corinthians, and not for his own sake? For such was Paul, ever taking upon his own person the things of others, and in himself teaching what he means to teach.

⁶ Who will also bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. Now, he says, wicked deeds are hidden (for these are “the hidden things of darkness”), and often a man seems to be something, while he is profane and corrupt. But then God will uncover all things, yea, and will make manifest also the counsels of the hearts. For example: Here someone praises another; behold, the deed is good, but perhaps the counsel is corrupt—for it may be that he does this not with a good aim. Again, someone reproves another, as it seems, but not so as to set him right, but so as to parade his brother’s faults. And countless such counsels of hearts will then be made manifest.

⁷ Then shall each man have his praise from God. It would have followed to say, Either punishment or praise; but he laid up the saying in the more auspicious form.

⁸ But these things, my brethren, I have transferred in a figure to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you may learn not to be minded above that which is written. “These things”—both what was said above concerning the dissensions, and what was said immediately concerning those who condemn others. “That,” he says, through our person, “you may learn not to be minded above that which is written.” For Scripture says, concerning not being lifted up: He who wishes to be first, let him be last of all; and, He who humbles himself shall be exalted; and countless such things. And concerning not judging: Judge not, that you be not judged.

⁹ That none of you be puffed up for the one against the other. This he says to the people. For he varies the teaching, and at one time directs his words to the disciples, at another to the teachers and the rulers, as indeed also now. For they were puffed up over their teachers. For example, he who had this man for teacher was high-minded against that disciple, being puffed up on behalf of his own teacher against the other teacher. And well did he name the thing a “puffing up,” as it were a swelling and a tumor, by a metaphor from a body swollen by some evil humor or wind.

¹⁰ For who distinguishes you? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it? Again he directs his words to the teachers, and says: Who distinguished you and voted you worthy to be praised? A man? But human judgment errs. But grant that you do have something worthy of praise; this is not yours, but belongs to the giver; and you received it, you did not achieve it. And if you did receive it, how, then, are you lifted up as though you had not received it, but as having this of yourself and from your own labors? For he who has received ought not to be lifted up over what he received; for it belongs to another.

¹¹ Already you are filled, already you are rich. These are the words of one bearing them heavily. So quickly, he says, do you need nothing? Are you in want of nothing? But already you are sated, having in a little time arrived at perfection, and received all the wealth both of knowledge and of the gifts of grace? And yet perfection is in the world to come; but you, it seems, already have it; for your boasting shows this, that you have arrived at perfection itself. And these things he says, showing that they are imperfect, if indeed they are so disposed.

¹² Without us you have reigned. And these things also he says with the same temper, showing their want of conscience, that, Having been deemed worthy of gifts so great, you do not wish to take us, who labored, as partakers.

¹³ And would that you did reign, that we also might reign together with you. Would, he says, that you reigned—that is, that you had attained perfection. Then, lest the saying should seem to be irony, he adds, “That we also might reign together with you”—that is, that we might attain the same good things. For your glory is mine; since to every teacher the perfecting of his disciples is a thing longed for.

¹⁴ For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as men appointed to death. He speaks words of one grieving, or rather of one putting them to shame. For as I see, he says, from the things you do, we the apostles have been shown forth by God last of all, and appointed to death—that is, condemned men, prepared to be put to death. For from the fact that you have already reigned, I conjecture that we, thereafter, have been condemned to be last, and as condemned men; we the apostles, that is, we who have suffered so much for Christ.

¹⁵ For we have become a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. That is, We suffer not in one place, but everywhere on earth; and not men only behold us (for the things that happen are not so paltry), but angels also. For great are our wrestlings, so as to be worthy even of angelic beholding. For we wrestle not against men only, but also against the powers of the wicked angels.

¹⁶ We are fools for Christ’s sake; but you are wise in Christ. Again this also he says by way of shaming. For since the apostles were beaten and despised for Christ’s sake, while those men were honored and reckoned wise, and boasted that these things were in Christ—How, he says, is it possible for contraries to come together in those who are of the same mind? It is necessary, then, either that we are not minded according to Christ, or that you are. But surely it is absurd that the apostles of Christ should not be minded according to Christ; you, therefore, are they who err.

¹⁷ We are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are without honor. That is, We are driven, persecuted; but you enjoy security. For everywhere he calls the trials “weakness.” And you indeed are honored and noble; but we are in dishonor. All these things he says bearing them heavily. For the sense is such: How is it likely that we should suffer ill, while you enjoy security and are amid good things? So that it is plain that you are not amid good things, but rather are now ill and unworthily of the apostles. You ought not, then, to be lifted up over these things.

¹⁸ Even to the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked. Why, he says, do I speak of the old things? Look at the things of now: how you indeed live luxuriously, but we…

¹⁹ And are buffeted. That is, are beaten. And this is against those who are puffed up.

²⁰ And have no fixed abode. That is, We are driven, we flee. And this is against those who are rich.

²¹ And we toil, working with our own hands. These things he says, putting to shame those who, for the sake of gain and profit, undertake and dare to preach.

²² Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being slandered, we entreat. And the greatest of all, he says, is that we are not even vexed at these things. And whence is this plain? From the fact that we requite even those who do such things to us with the contrary. For we speak well of those who revile us, and those who bear themselves somewhat more harshly (for this is slander, the harsher assault), these too we entreat, addressing them with the gentler and softer word, and requiting them with the contraries. For this is “entreaty,” the discourse that soothes. On this account the Christians seem to be fools, because they do these things.

²³ We have become as the offscourings of the world, the refuse of all, even until now. What is the “offscouring”? That which is called a wiping-off. When one wipes off something filthy, that wiping-off is called the offscouring. And the “refuse” itself signifies the same; for “to wipe round” means to sponge off all around. He says, then, that We are worthy to be cast off, and to be reckoned as an abomination, not to you alone, but to the whole world, and to all men; and not for a season, but until now. And see what manner of man the Christian must be, and that he ought to strive until the end.

²⁴ I write these things not to shame you, but as admonishing you as my beloved children. Not putting you to shame, he says, nor with a wicked and hateful mind do I say these things, but as children; and not simply children, but beloved. Pardon me if anything burdensome has been said; for these things come of love. And he did not say, I rebuke, but, “I admonish.” And who would not bear with a father admonishing?

²⁵ For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet you have not many fathers. What then? they say; do not the others love us? Not so, he says, as I do. For they indeed are tutors, but I am a father; just as, then, in the case of children, the father is one, but the tutors are perhaps many—and compared with the affection of the one, the father, I say, their disposition falls far short—so also in our case, he says. And see how he added “in Christ” in the case of the tutors, that he might not altogether wound them; but he gave to them the more laborious part (for such is the tutor), while he reserved for himself the surpassing measure of love.

²⁶ For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I begot you. Establishing how he is a father, he says that, By the help of Christ I begot you through the Gospel. For I do not, as do the many among you, reckon the deed to myself, but to Christ. And he did not say, I taught, but, “I begot,” displaying his love by the name of nature, and showing that these are his most intimate and most genuine disciples, as he declares everywhere in the Epistle.

²⁷ I exhort you, therefore, become imitators of me. Imitate me, he says, in all things, being lifted up neither over wisdom nor over wealth, nor standing apart from the brethren; but knowing both wisdom and wealth to be the love toward Christ and the brethren. And see his tender affection, how he exhortes, he does not command. And it belongs to great boldness to set oneself forth as a pattern.

²⁸ For this cause I sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved child. Because, he says, I care for you as for children, I sent to you Timothy. For I myself wished to come, that I might set you in order; but since it was not possible, I sent this man, who is my beloved child. And this he said, that he might at once show how much he loves them, if indeed he was willing to be parted from him for their sakes; and at the same time, that he might become worthy of reverence to them.

²⁹ And faithful in the Lord. That is, not in matters of mere reflection, but in the things that are according to Christ. So that in the things concerning you also he will minister faithfully.

³⁰ Who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every Church. He did not say, He will teach, lest they be vexed (for Timothy was young), but, “He will remind.” The things you know, he says, these he will renew in you. And by “ways” he means the dispensations in the preaching, the canons, the customs, the divine laws; how one is to walk, that is, not puffed up as you are, not bringing in divisions and schisms. And he said “which are in Christ”—that is, those which have nothing human, but all according to Christ, or also those which are accomplished by the help of Christ. And he will show you, even as I teach in every Church. For I said nothing new to you, but all bear me witness of these things. So that you should be ashamed, having fallen away from our ways beyond all the other Churches.

³¹ But as though I were not coming to you, some are puffed up. Since he had said, “I sent Timothy,” lest they should become the more careless, he says that, Even if I do not come now—and on this account my absence has puffed up some—nevertheless I will come. And he shows their understanding to be childish. For it is the mark of children, when the teacher is absent, to be disorderly. And who were they that were puffed up? Those about the fornicator, who was both wise and rich; and simply all who were lifted up over such things, and who, as though there were no Paul to reprove them, were high-minded.

³² But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will. This saying is of one repressing them and preparing them to be sober. And well did he add, “If the Lord will.” For all things are led by his nod.

³³ And I will know not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Since they were confident in their eloquence and set Paul at naught as an unlettered man, he says that, I will see, not your eloquence—for there is no need of this—but power, the power that is in signs. For the kingdom of God was preached and confirmed not through elegant speech, but through signs, which came to pass by the power of the Spirit.

³⁴ What will you? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and a spirit of meekness? By “rod” he means the chastisement, the punishment. He says, then, that, You are lords of my coming either in this way or in that; if you are careless, I will come and chastise, as I did Elymas; but if you are sober, I will use the spirit of meekness. For there is in him an inclination both to severity and to punishment, but he names it from the kindlier qualities; just as we call God compassionate and merciful, and not a chastiser, although he is this also.