1 Corinthians 4:4

The negative clauses, οὐδὲν γὰρ … ἀλλʼ οὐκ, together explain, parenthetically, Paul's meaning in 1 Corinthians 4:3 : “For I am conscious of nothing against myself” (in my conduct as Christ's minister to you: cf. 10, 18; 2 Corinthians 1:12-17) nothing that calls for judicial inquiry on your part or misgiving on my own “but not on this ground (οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ) have I been justified”. Σύνοιδα with reflexive pron [645] (h. l. in N.T.) has this connotation, of a guilty conscience, occasionally in cl [646] Gr [647] (see Lidd [648]); cf. the Horatian “Nil conscire sibi, nulla pallescere culpa” (Al [649]). “By” signifies “against” in Bible Eng. (see New Eng. Diet. s. v., 26 d; cf. Deuteronomy 27:16; Ezekiel 22:7); “I know no harm by him” is current in the Midland counties (Al [650]). For δικαιόω ἐν, see parls. The pf. pass [651] διδικαίωμαι defines an act of God complete in the past and determining the writer's present state. P. has been and continues justified not on the sentence of his conscience as a man self-acquitted (“not of works of righteousness, which we had done,” Titus 3:5 ff.), but as an ill-deserving sinner counted righteous for Christ's sake (1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11 1 Corinthians 15:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 3:23 ff., Romans 4:25; Romans 7:24 to Romans 8:1, etc.). This past “justification” is the ground of his whole standing before God (Romans 5:1 ff.); it forbids presuming on the witness of his own conscience now. A good conscience is worth much; but, after P.'s experience, he cannot rely on its verdict apart from Christ's. Paul looks for his appraisement at the end (1 Corinthians 4:5), to the source from which he received his justification at the beginning. Accordingly for the present, he refers to Christ the testing of his daily course: ὁ δὲ ἀνακρίνων με Κύριός ἐστιν, “but he that does try (examine) me is the Lord ” not you, nor my own conscience; I am searched by a purer and a loftier eye. “The Lord is alone qualified for this office” (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:3 ff., and notes; Revelation 2:3; John 5:22, etc.). The Lord's present ἀνάκρισις prepares for his final κρίσις (1 Corinthians 4:5). The above interpretation, which maintains the Pauline use of δικαιόω, is that of Calovius, Rückert, Mr [652], Hn [653], Bt [654], and others. Cm [655], Cv [656], Est., Bg [657], Al [658], Ev [659], Ed [660], Gd [661], Sm [662], etc., insist on taking the term “in a meaning entirely diff [663] from its ordinary dogmatic sense” (Gd [664]), referring it iu spite of the tense, on account of 1 Corinthians 4:5, to the future judgment; but this brings confusion into Paul's settled language, and abandons the rock of his personal standing before God and men (cf. Galatians 2:15 ff.). Since P. accepted justification by faith in Christ, not his innocence, but his Saviour's merit has become his fixed ground of assurance.

[645]ron. pronoun.

[646] classical.

[647] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[648] idd. Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon.

[649] Alford's Greek Testament.

[650] Alford's Greek Testament.

[651] passive voice.

[652] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[653] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[654] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[655] John Chrysostom's Homiliœ († 407).

[656] Calvin's In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii.

[657] Bengel's Gnomon Novi Testamenti.

[658] Alford's Greek Testament.

[659] T. S. Evans in Speaker's Commentary.

[660] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[661] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

[662] P. Schmiedel, in Handcommentar zum N.T. (1893).

[663] difference, different, differently.

[664] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).