1 Corinthians 4:3

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. IT IS A VERY SMALL THING literally 'it amounts to a very small matter;' not that I despise your judgment but as IT IS A VERY SMALL THING - literally, 'it amounts to a very small matter;' not that I despise your judgment, but as compared with God's it almost comes to nothing. JUDGED ... OF MAN'S JUDGMENT - literally, 'man's day' (here personified) contrasted with the day (1 Corinthians 3:13) of the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:5). All days previous to that day are man's days. The thrice-recurring Greek for judged ... judge ... judgeth ...

3._But with me it is a very small thing _It remained that he should bring before their view his _faithfulness_, that the Corinthians might judge of him from this, but, as their judgment was corrupted, he throws it aside and appeals to the judgment-seat of Christ. The Corinthians erred in this, that they looked with amazement at foreign masks, and gave no heed to the true and proper marks of distinction. (214) He, accordingly, declares with great confidence, that he despises a perverted and blind judgment of this sort. In this way, too, he, on the one hand, admirably exposes the vanity of the false Apostles who made the mere applause of men their aim, and reckoned themselves happy if they were held in admiration; and, on the other hand, he severely chastises the arrogance (215) of the Corinthians, which was the reason why they were so much blinded in their judgment....

1-6 Apostles were no more than servants of Christ, but they were not to be undervalued. They had a great trust, and for that reason, had an honourable office. Paul had a just concern for his own reputation, but he knew that he who chiefly aimed to please men, would not prove himself a faithful servant of Christ. It is a comfort that men are not to be our final judges. And it is not judging well of ourselves, or justifying ourselves, that will prove us safe and happy. Our own judgment is not to be depended upon as to our faithfulness, any more than our own works for our justification. There is a day coming, that will bring men's secret sins into open day, and discover the secrets of their hearts. Then every slandered believer will be justified, and every faithful servant approved and rewarded. The word of God is the best rule by which to judge as to men. Pride commonly is at the bottom o...

Verse 1 Corinthians 4:3. _IT IS A VERY SMALL THING THAT I SHOULD BE JUDGED OF_ _YOU_] Those who preferred _Apollos_ or _Kephas_ before St. Paul, would of course give their reasons for this preference; and these might, in many instances, be very unfavourable to his character as a man, a Christian, or an apostle; of this he was regardless, as he sought not his own glory, but the glory of God in the salvation of their souls. _OR OF MAN'S JUDGMENT_] Η ὑπο ανθρωπινης ἡμερας, literally, _or of_ _man's day_: but ανθρωπινη ημερα signifies any day set apart by a judge or magistrate to try a man on. This is the meaning of ημερα, Psalms 37:13: _The Lord shall laugh_ at _him: for he seeth that his_ DAY, ηημερα αυτου, his...

BUT WITH ME - In my estimate; in regard to myself. That is, I esteem it a matter of no concern. Since I am responsible as a steward to my master only, it is a matter of small concern what men think of me, provided I have his approbation. Paul was not insensible to the good opinion of people. He did not despise their favor or court limit contempt. But this was not the principal thing which he regarded; and we have here a noble elevation of purpose and of aim, which shows how direct was his design to serve and please the master who had appointed him to his office. THAT I SHOULD BE JUDGED - The word rendered “judged” here properly denotes to examine the qualities of any person or thing; and sometimes, as here, to express the result of such examination or judgment. Here it means to “blame” or “condemn.” OF YOU - By you. Dear as you are to me as a church and a peop

EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 4:1 _Judgments, human and Divine, respecting ministers._ 1 CORINTHIANS 4:1 LET A MAN SO ACCOUNT OF US. Since it is inevitable that Christians should form some estimate of the position of their ministers, he proceeds to tell them what that estimate should be. Ministers are not to be unduly magnified, for their position is subordinate; they are not to be unduly depreciated, for if they are faithful they may appeal from frivolous human prejudices and careless depreciations to that only Judge and Master before whom they stand or fall. MINISTERS; here _huperetas; _in...

BUT WITH ME IT IS A VERY SMALL THING,.... It stood for little or nothing, was of no account with him, what judgment and censures were passed on him by men with regard to his faithfulness in the ministry not even by the Corinthians themselves: THAT I SHOULD BE JUDGED OF YOU; not that the apostle declined, or despised the judgment of a church of Christ, rightly disposed, and met together in the fear of God, to try prove, and judge of his ministry, and his fidelity in it; but he made no account of theirs, and slighted it as being under bad influence, the influence of the false teachers, who had insinuated many things among them to the prejudice of the apostle's character; wherefore he set it at nought and rejected it, and rightly refused to submit to it, and, indeed, to any mere human judgment: OR OF MAN'S JUDGMENT: it is in the Greek text, "or of man's day": in distinction from the day o...

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Servants of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1)._ 2. Contrast Between Self-Glorification and Humiliation. (1 Corinthians 4:6). 3. Admonition to Beloved Children. (1 Corinthians 4:14). Paul speaks of himself and the fellow workmen as servants of Christ and the stewards of the mysteries of God. They were serving under Christ. Apollos, though not an Apostle, is included by Paul. Apollos with his great eloquence probably appealed strongly to the Corinthians and thus the party spirit had been fostered among them. But Paul classes Apollos with himself; he might have told the Corinthians that Apollos was not an Apostle and

PAUL WILL ACCEPT NO JUDGMENT BUT CHRIST'S. THE FORTUNATE LOT OF THE CORINTHIANS CONTRASTED WITH THE MISERABLE CONDITION OF THE APOSTLES. This section is concerned with the attitude of the Corinthians to Paul. Some were critical, there may have been a suggestion to put him on his trial before the church. He first states the criterion that ought to be applied in judging him and his colleagues. They are mere subordinates (a different Gr. word from that in 1 Corinthians 3:5), entrusted with a stewardship. The main qualification for such a position is not brilliant gift but incorruptible fidelity. However, what judgment they or any men pass upon him is a matter of indifference; he does not, though he knows himself so much more intimately than they can, venture to pass judgment even on himself. True, his conscience is clear, yet God alone is competent to pronounce him righteous. So they sh

Let a man then so think of us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secrets which God reveals to his own people. In ordinary everyday life, that a man should be found faithful, is a quality required in stewards. To me it matters very little that I should be judged by you or by any human day. No--I do not even judge myself. For, supposing that I am conscious of no fault, yet I am not acquitted because of that. He who judges me is the Lord. So then, make a practice of passing no judgment before the proper time--until the Lord comes--for he will light up the hidden things of darkness and he will bring to light the counsels of men's hearts; and then each man will receive his praise from God. Paul urges the Corinthians not to think of Apollos and Cephas and himself as leaders of parties; but to think of them all as servants of Christ. The word that he uses for a servant is interestin...