1 Corinthians 4:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He said that such judgment was beyond his own understanding: “I do not even,” he adds, “judge myself.” Moreover, one must observe the disposition with which he said this. He often used lofty expressions, but not from pride or vainglory, rather from wise foresight. So also now, in these words, he does not exalt himself, but humbles others and strives to show the dignity of the saints. That he was among the very humble, listen to what he says when presenting the testimony of his enemies about himself: “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account” (2 Cor 10:10). And elsewhere: “Last of all He appeared also to me, as to one untimely born” (1 Cor 15:8). Yet this humble man, when need arose, see to what height he raised the thoughts of his disciples. He did not teach them pride, but instilled sound judgment. Speaking to the same Corinthians, he says, “If the world is to be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” (1 Cor 6:2). A Christian must avoid both pride and flattery, and an ignoble way of thinking. If someone says, for example, that he counts possessions as nothing and regards all present things as shadow, dream, and children’s toys, we do not accuse him of pride. Otherwise we would have to accuse Solomon also of pride, since he philosophizes about this and says, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Eccl 1:2). But let us not call philosophy by the name of pride. To despise present goods is not pride but magnanimity, although kings, rulers, and nobles do not reject them. A poor man who lives philosophically often despises them. We will not call him proud for this. Likewise, we will not call a man who is excessively attached to them moderate and humble-minded, but weak, fainthearted, and partial. If a son did not think about what belongs to his father, but occupied himself with what belongs to a slave, we would not call him humble-minded. We would condemn him as a man with ignoble and servile feelings. But if he despised what is servile and prized what is his father’s, we would extol him with praises. To consider oneself better than people like oneself is pride. To pronounce a true judgment about things is not pride, but philosophy. Thus Paul does not exalt himself, but humbles others. He instructs those who are puffed up and teaches them humility when he says, “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by other men.” Do you see how he heals them? Hearing that he pays equal no attention to everyone’s judgment and considers all unworthy to judge him, none of them could grieve and say that he alone had been rejected. If he had said only, by you, and had stopped there, they might have been pained as rejected. But by adding, “or by other men,” he softened the blow, declaring others along with them unworthy. Then he softens even this by adding, “I do not even judge myself.” Do you see that his words do not come from pride? I myself, he says, am not able to pronounce judgment. Since even these words could be attributed to excessive pride, he says, to avert such an opinion, “Yet I am not justified by this.” What then? Should one not condemn oneself even for one’s sins? One should, and very much so, when one sins. But Paul is not speaking about that.

To prevent this evil, he restrains the Corinthians from judgment and says, "With me it is a very small thing." It is as though he says. "I consider it a dishonor for myself to be subject to your judgment." Then, so as not to offend them or appear to despise them, he adds, "or by any human court." Yet let no one accuse Paul of recklessness. He does not speak here about himself in the strict sense, for no one was judging him. Rather, so that others may not be judged, he takes their place and thereby accomplishes what is needed. "Indeed, I do not even judge myself." Do not think, he says, that I reject your judgment because I despise you or all others. I consider even myself incapable of such exact examination.

Therefore, if they dare to judge him without having the right to do so, he gives no weight to their judgment. Consequently they must leave off their judgment of the Apostles as a useless matter, and as something belonging not to them but to God. The thought of his own account before God gave the Apostle occasion to speak also about everyone's answer before God. In doing so he especially notes evil deeds, which are usually committed in darkness and obscurity, and also the thoughts of the heart, which are even less known than deeds done in darkness. Everything, everything will then be revealed. No one will then be hidden with his most secret thoughts and intentions, for which there will also be recompense according to their true worth. This recompense will not be according to the verdict now pronounced by men, who often judge many things by appearance, and not by a deep and many-sided examination of the matter. St. John Chrysostom, dwelling on the Apostle's rebuke of judging others, says: "I do not know how, among other kinds of evil, the evil of scrutinizing and inappropriately condemning one's neighbors entered human nature. Christ also rebuked it when He said, 'Judge not, that you be not judged' (Mt 7:1). It does not even provide any pleasure, as other sins do, but leads only to unpleasantness and punishment. Meanwhile we ourselves are guilty of countless sins and have, as it were, a beam in our own eyes, yet we carefully examine the sins of our neighbor, which are no more than a speck (Mt 7:3). So it was among the Corinthians. They mocked and rejected pious men pleasing to God because of their lack of learning, while they honored men guilty of countless vices for their eloquence. For two reasons, or rather for three, our judgment is not right. First, even if we know nothing against ourselves, we are not guiltless before the judgment of Him Who exposes our sins with exactness. Second, the greater part of deeds remains undisclosed and unknown to us. Third, many actions of others seem good to us, but are not done with a good intention. Men cannot see everything. This is possible only for the one unsleeping Eye. We can deceive men, but never Him. Therefore do not say, 'Darkness and walls surround me; who sees me?' There is One Who penetrates even to soul and spirit, joints and marrow (Heb 4:12)."

“A very small thing,” εἰς ἐλάχιστον, means that your judgment, and human judgment in general, is a matter of the last importance to me. I consider it the very smallest of small things and count it as nothing. He does not say this because he despises men and their judgment. He says it because this judgment cannot determine anything certain when it judges what each man is. The Apostle calls human judgment a human day, just as the day of the Lord is the judgment of the Lord. “To examine,” ἀνακρίνειν, means to judge or consider someone or something with a determination of worth. It means to pronounce judgment with a decisive verdict. Whether you praise me, he says, or blame me when judging me, this has no weight for me. It is nothing. Here is an edifying word of Saint Chrysostom on this passage: “I do not know how, among other kinds of evil, the evil of examining and improperly condemning one’s neighbors entered human nature. Christ also rebuked it when He said, Judge not, that you be not judged (Mt 7:1). It does not even provide any pleasure, as other sins do, but leads only to unpleasantness and punishment. Meanwhile we ourselves are guilty of countless sins and have, as it were, a beam in our own eyes. Yet we carefully examine the sins of our neighbor, which are no more than a splinter (Mt 7:3). So it was with the Corinthians. They mocked and rejected pious and God-pleasing men because of their lack of learning. But they honored men guilty of countless vices because of their eloquence. Taking upon themselves the role of judges, they boldly pronounced verdicts: this man is worthy, that man is better than another, this one is above that one, and that one below this one. Instead of lamenting their own sins, they judged others and thereby stirred up great discord among themselves. To heal this disease, see how wisely Paul instructs them. After saying, Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful, and by these words seeming to permit them to judge and examine each man’s life, he wishes to free them from such a passion and says, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you. Again he points to his own person. Do not think that Paul speaks thus from pride, as though none of men were worthy to pronounce judgment upon him. First, he says this not for his own sake, but in order to heal others of their disease. Second, he did not stop with the Corinthians, but did not even ascribe the right of judgment to himself, saying that such judgment is above his own understanding. But I do not even judge myself, he adds. Thus he does not exalt himself, but humbles others. He instructs those who are puffed up and teaches them humility when he says, With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human day. Do you see how he heals them? Hearing that he pays equal no attention to everyone’s judgment and considers all incapable of judging him rightly, none of them could grieve and say that he alone had been rejected. If he had said only, by you, and stopped there, they might have been pained as rejected. But by adding, or by a human day, he softened the blow, declaring others along with them incapable. Then he softens even this by adding, But I do not even judge myself. Do you see that his words do not come from pride? I myself, he says, am not able to pronounce judgment.”