Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Chapter 4. The Apostolic Ministry
Lecture 1. God the only judge
4:1 Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. [n. 185]
4:2 Here now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful. [n. 189]
4:3 But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you or by man’s day. [n. 190] But neither do I judge my own self.
4:4 For I am not conscious to myself of anything. Yet I am not hereby justified: [n. 192] but he who judges me is the Lord. [n. 193]
4:5 Therefore, judge not before the time: until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise from God. [n. 194]
185. Having rebuked the Corinthians for glorying in certain ministers, the Apostle now attacks them for looking down on other ministers.
In regard to this he does two things.
First, he censures their guilt;
second, he concentrates on correcting them, at I do not write these things (1 Cor 4:14).
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he censures their rashness in judging ill of ministers;
second, their arrogance in looking down on ministers of Christ, at but these things, brethren (1 Cor 4:6).
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he shows what should be assuredly felt about Christ’s ministers;
second, that they should not be judged rashly, at here now it is required.
186. First, therefore, he says: I have said that none of you should glory in men; nevertheless, each of you should recognize the authority of our office, which is that we are mediators between Christ whom we serve—he refers to this when he says, let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ; men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God (Isa 61:6)—and his members who are the faithful of the Church, to whom we dispense Christ’s gifts. He refers to this when he says, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God, i.e., of his secrets. These are his spiritual teachings: by the Spirit he speaks mysteries (1 Cor 14:2) or the sacraments of the Church, in which divine power secretly works salvation; hence in the formula for consecrating the Eucharist it is said: the mystery of faith.
187. Therefore, in governing their subjects the prelates of the Church should seek to serve Christ alone, for love of whom they feed his sheep: if you love me, feed my sheep (John 21:17). Furthermore, they should dispense the things of God to the people: a dispensation is committed to me (1 Cor 9:17). It is in this way that they are mediators between Christ and the people: I stood between the Lord and you at that time (Deut 5:5).
This view of the Church’s prelates is necessary for the salvation of the faithful, for unless they recognize them as Christ’s ministers, they will not obey them as Christ: you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus (Gal 4:14). Again, if they do not regard them as stewards, they would refuse to receive gifts from them, contrary to what the Apostle says: what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ (2 Cor 2:10).
188. Then when he says, here now it is required, he shows that they should not judge rashly in matters concerning Christ’s ministers.
In regard to this he does three things.
First, he mentions the standard by which to judge the faithfulness of ministers;
second, he shows that he is not concerned about this judgment but leaves it to God, at but to me it is a very small thing;
third he concludes his prohibition against rash judgment, at therefore, judge not.
189. In regard to the first it should be noted that some are faithful ministers and dispensers of Christ, and some unfaithful. The unfaithful ministers do not seek the people’s welfare and Christ’s honor, when they dispense the divine mysteries: you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (Luke 16:11). But the faithful ones seek the honor of God and the welfare of his members in all things: who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household? (Luke 12:42). Who the faithful ministers are will be disclosed in the divine judgment to come.
But the Corinthians rashly desired to discuss which dispensers were faithful and which unfaithful. And this is what he says: here now, i.e., in the present time, it is required, i.e., it is being discussed, among the dispensers that a man be found faithful. For they judged that many were unfaithful, supposing that scarcely anyone was faithful: many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but a faithful man who can find? (Prov 20:6).
190. Then when he says, but to me it is a very small thing, he shows that he has no regard for this judgment.
First, he asserts that he is not concerned about the judgment of others on this point, saying, but to me, who am the least of the dispensers, it is a very small thing, i.e., I regard it a trivial good, to be judged by you as faithful or unfaithful.
But lest they suppose that he says these things out of contempt, as though he scorned their opinion as coming from worthless persons, he adds, or by man’s intellect, which is the day of man: if a man walks in the day he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world (John 11:9). Or, by man’s day, i.e., by the intellect of persons judging in this time. As if to say: I am little concerned about your judgment or any man’s: I have not desired the day of man, you know (Jer 17:16).
191. It should be noted, however, that one should have regard for men’s judgment in two ways: first, in regard to others who are edified or scandalized by what is heard. For this reason the saints did not regard it a small thing but very important to be judged by men, since the Lord said: that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven (Matt 5:16).
Second, in regard to themselves, and then they do not care much, because they neither desire human glory: nor sought we the glory of men, neither of you nor of others (1 Thess 2:6), nor fear men’s reproaches: Fear not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their blasphemies (Isa 51:7). Hence the Apostle says significantly, but to me, i.e., as far as it pertains to me. Nor does he regard it as nothing, but as a very small thing, because temporal things, among which a good reputation finds a place, are not null goods but very small ones, as Augustine says in the book On Free Will. Hence it is also stated in Wisdom: all gold in comparison of her is as a little sand (Wis 7:9).
192. Second, he shows that he does not even presume to judge himself, saying, but neither do I judge my own self.
But this seems to conflict with a later statement: but if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Cor 11:31). Therefore, everyone should judge himself.
However, it should be noted that everyone should judge himself with the judgment of self-examination, about which the Apostle speaks here, according to a psalm: I meditate and search my spirit (Ps 77:6), as well as with the judgment of condemnation and reproach in the face of obvious evils: I will reprove my ways in his sight (Job 13:15). But with the judgment of absolution a person should not presume to judge himself innocent: though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse (Job 9:20).
He assigns the reason for this when he says, I am not conscious to myself of anything, i.e., I am not aware of any mortal sin: my heart does not reproach me for any of my days (Job 27:6); yet I am not hereby justified, i.e., that does not suffice for pronouncing myself just, because certain sins can be hiding in me, which I do not know: who can discern his sins? (Ps 19:12) I am blameless; I do not regard myself (Job 9:21).
193. Third, he concludes to the one to whom this judgment should be reserved, saying, but he who judges me is the Lord, i.e., it is God’s exclusive province to judge whether I am a faithful minister or not, because this pertains to the heart’s intention, which God alone can weigh: the Lord weighs the spirit (Prov 16:2); the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? I the Lord search the mind and try the heart (Jer 17:9).
194. Then when he says, therefore, judge not, he concludes the prohibition against rash judgment. In regard to this he does three things.
First, he forbids them to anticipate God’s judgment, saying: therefore, in keeping with my example, who neither judge myself nor care about being judged by others, but reserve my judgment to God, judge not before the time, because every matter has its time (Eccl 8:6), until the Lord comes to judge: the Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people (Isa 3:14). Hence the Lord himself said: do not judge (Matt 7:1). However, this must be understood of hidden things, because God has commissioned men to judge manifest things: hear them, and judge what is just (Deut 1:16).
195. For some things are manifested not only by the evidence of the fact, being notorious, but also by confession or by the proved testimony of witnesses. But God reserves hidden things for his own judgment. But things which lie in our heart or are done in secret are hidden to ourselves. Of these it is said: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds (Ps 4:5). Hence a man is as rash in judging about these matters as a delegated judge, who exceeds his mandate by judging matter not committed to him.
Consequently, a judgment is rash when a person judges about doubtful matters; but it is perverse when he pronounces a false judgment. Now although judgment should not be made concerning persons, as when a person judges as evil a man who is good, nevertheless it is more grievous, when it is a perverse judgment about things themselves, as when a person says that virginity is evil and fornication good, against which Isaiah says: woe to you that call good evil and evil good (Isa 5:20).
196. Second, he describes the completeness of the divine judgment to come, saying: who, namely the Lord coming to judgment, will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, i.e., will make clear and obvious the things done secretly in darkness; and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, i.e., all the secrets of the heart: he reveals deep things out of darkness, and brings up to light the shadow of death (Job 12:22); I will search Jerusalem with lamps (Zeph 1:12). This, of course, refers both to good things and to evil things that have been committed and covered over by penance, according to a psalm: blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps 32:1).
197. Third, he mentions the fruit which good men will obtain from the divine judgment, saying, and then shall every man have praise from God, i.e., every man that is good. This commendation will be true, because God can neither deceive nor be deceived: his praise is not from men but from God (Rom 2:29); it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends (2 Cor 10:18).