1 Corinthians 4:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Look at Paul's wisdom. By the very things through which, in the present case, he expresses his superiority, weight, and greatness, he also rebukes them, calling himself condemned to death. This is what it means to do everything at the proper time.

The expression "condemned to death," epithanatous, here means those sentenced to death and worthy of every kind of death.

What does "we have become a spectacle to the world" mean? It means, he says, that we suffer this not in some corner and not in a small part of the world, but everywhere and before all. And what does "to Angels" mean? In other words, one can be a spectacle to men, but not to angels, when what is done is insignificant. But our contests, he says, are such that they are worthy to be a spectacle even for angels.

See how, by what seems to humble him, he exalts himself all the more. By the very things in which they exalted themselves, he proves their worthlessness. To be foolish seemed worse than to be wise. Likewise, to be weak seemed worse than to be strong, and to be dishonored worse than to be glorious and renowned. Yet he attributes the latter to them and assigns the former to himself. By this he proves that the former is better than the latter, because it draws the gaze not only of men, but of the assemblies of angels.

"For our wrestling is not" only with men, but with bodiless powers (Eph 6:12). Therefore a great multitude of spectators looks upon us.

"For we have become a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men." We suffer not in some corner, but throughout the whole earth. Not only men look upon us, for our actions are not insignificant, but Angels also. Our contests are so great that they are worthy even of angelic contemplation. For we wrestle not only with men, but also with the powers of evil angels.

Then he describes the contemptible and distressed condition of the Apostles. If you, he says, are truly filled with every virtue, have become rich, and have reigned without us, your teachers, then I think God has displayed us Apostles as the last of all men, "as men condemned to death" (1 Cor 4:9). That is, as those appointed only for slaughter and death.

"I think that we have become a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men." By "spectacle" he means a sight, and by "world" the visible and invisible world. All Angels, he says, both good and evil, look upon us Apostles. The good do so by helping us and rejoicing in our successes. The evil, that is, the demons, do so by tempting us and grieving over our steadfastness.

All men, both faithful and unbelieving, look upon us. The faithful do so by suffering with us, and the unbelieving by tormenting and persecuting us. After this, continuing the rebuke in the same manner of speech, he compares the condition of the Apostles with the imagined condition of the Corinthians, saying:

Here it should be noted that eschatoi, "last," among the Romans referred to persons who came out after the gladiators to fight wild beasts. These were mostly criminals condemned to death. In connection with the following expressions, "men condemned to death," epithanatious, and "a spectacle," theatron, the expression under discussion shows that the Apostle compared his struggle to combat in an amphitheater. He considered himself a man doomed to death in a battle with beasts.

So it was with the Apostles. So it is also, in greater or lesser measure, with all perfect Christians (2 Tim 3:12). Some among the Corinthians, however, thought the opposite. Having become Christians, perhaps from among slaves, they thought they had received outward advantages in which they should boast.

In instructing such people by pointing to his own condition, the Apostle at the same time touches the general sickness of the Corinthians: boasting in worldly wisdom and outward power. He sets them in comparison with himself and the other Apostles, who not only did not exalt themselves in wisdom and power, but, on the contrary, were considered foolish by worldly sages. They were not offended by this, nor by the fact that the strong of the earth considered them nobodies, the dust of the ground.

By the Angels for whom the Apostles were objects of spectacle, one may understand both good and evil Angels. The struggle that they waged from different sides was an object of attention for both, because the cause for which they fought has universal significance.

The good Angels rejoice, seeing the victorious struggle of the Apostles and of all who believe in Christ. The evil angels contrive to bring greater shame upon them. This is why in another epistle the Apostle Paul says: "Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12).

Verse 9: "For I think that God has displayed us Apostles last, as men condemned to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men." "For" gives the reason for an unspoken thought. We would wish you to reign, so that we ourselves might reign with you. But the time is not such. The present time is marked by sorrows, deaths, and privations. And this is according to God's intention. God has so appointed it.

"I think" means, I hold with certainty, the same as, I see. He wishes to say: it is evident that God was pleased to display us Apostles as last, that is, last in lot. God was pleased that we should stand in the very last and lowest lot. We are to be as men condemned to death, sentenced to die and handed over to public shame, like those given to be devoured by beasts.

That this is so, look at what we are. "We have become a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men." "Spectacle" means a display, not for glory, but for shame and complete humiliation. Yet spiritually this is glorious and majestic.

We select some points from the words of St. John Chrysostom: "The Apostle speaks as though saying: I proclaim that the present time is not a time of honors and glory, but of persecutions and sorrows. I see that we Apostles are the most despised of all and condemned to endure continual afflictions. Those who sow the preaching of piety God has displayed last, as men condemned to death, that is, as sentenced to die and worthy of every kind of death.

"'For we have become a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men.' What does 'a spectacle to the world' mean? It means, he says, that we suffer this not in a hidden place and not in a small part of the world, but everywhere and before all. And what does 'to Angels' mean? One can be a spectacle to men, but not to Angels, when what is done is insignificant. But our contests, he says, are such that they are worthy to be a spectacle even for Angels, though in appearance they are so humiliating.

"They draw the gaze not only of men, but of the whole assembly of Angels. 'For our wrestling is not against men, but against bodiless powers' (Eph 6:12). Therefore a great multitude of spectators looks upon us."

Such are the Apostles. They are humbled and deprived of lot only outwardly. In essence, what they accomplish has universal significance. Men unenlightened by grace do not see this. The enlightened can see it if they cast aside worldly concepts about the brightness or gloom of outward conditions.

But the Angels undoubtedly see it. The evil angels see it, for their kingdom is being destroyed. The good Angels see it, for their work is to assist the spread of the kingdom of good, which is always their joy.