1 Corinthians 4:8-13, "You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us; and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now."
You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us: "My, you Corinthians seem to have it all! Isn't it funny that we apostles have nothing!"
Though Paul is using strong sarcasm, his purpose isn't to make fun of the Corinthian Christians. His purpose is to shake them out of their proud self-willed thinking. "He was laughing at them with holy laughter, and yet with utter contempt for what they had been doing." (Morgan)
Indeed I could wish you did reign: Wouldn't it be great if they really were reigning already? Then Paul also might reign with you!
God has displayed us: Instead of being full, and rich, and reigning as royalty, the apostles were on display in a humiliating spectacle to the world. The Corinthian Christians looked at themselves so highly, while God has displayed the apostles so low!
The Corinthian Christians had two problems: they were proud of their own spirituality, and they were somewhat embarrassed of Paul because of his "weakness" and humble state. Paul is trying to address both of these problems!
We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! With contrast after contrast, Paul sarcastically shows how foolish it is for the Corinthians to think that they are more spiritually privileged, or blessed, or endowed, than the apostles were.
We both hunger and thirst: Paul's description of his own ministry focuses on deprivation and humiliation. These were things that the Corinthian Christians, in their pride, wanted to avoid at all cost.
Today, the church is heavy with this same attitude of the Corinthian Christians. They were concerned about the image of worldly success and power, and many of them despised Paul and the other apostles because they did not display that image. Today, there is no shortage of ministers who want to display the image of worldly success and power, and no shortage of Christians who will value that in their minister.
And we labor, working with our own hands: The Corinthians, in their love of Greek wisdom, embraced the Greek idea that manual labor was fit only for slaves. It would offend them that one of God's apostles would actually work with his own hands!
Being defamed, we entreat: Paul is saying that when they were slandered, the apostles would reach out in kindness to the one who spoke against them. This also was offensive to the Greek ideal; they thought a man was a wimp if he didn't fight back when slandered.
The offscouring of all things: Some ancient Greeks had a custom of casting certain worthless people into the sea during a time of plague or famine, while saying "Be our offscouring!" The victims were called "scrapings" in the belief that they would wipe away the communities' guilt.
So Paul may have a double meaning here when using the words filth and offscouring; he may be mean he is both despised and a sacrifice on their behalf.
Dear God, may I always be reminded of Your Power as the Source of all in my life!
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