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"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that
no one of you be puffed up for one against another" (I Cor. 4: 6).
Paul and Apollos were `stewards of the mysteries of God'. The Revised Version text
of I Cor. 2: 1 reads musterion `mystery' in place of marturion `testimony', and it is
possible that Paul disappointed the Corinthians by his determination to know nothing
among them save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, a resolution which would lead many to
criticize his method, matter and motive. To this he now returns. Stewards of the
mysteries (secrets) of God must be `found faithful', all else is subsidiary. The fact that
his life's work would be submitted to the test of `that day' rendered the puny criticisms of
man in this day, of little or no account. The word translated `judgment' in I Cor. 4: 3 is
literally `day' and is evidently used in opposition to the `day' of I Cor. 3: 13 which
should `declare' and `reveal' the nature of all service.
"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged (examined) of you, or of
man's judgment (day): yea, I judge (examine) not mine own self. For I know nothing
against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth (examineth) me is the
Lord. Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who will both
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts;
and then shall each man have his praise from God" (I Cor. 4: 3-5, R.V.).
Here is the great distinction between "man's day" and "that day". To be over careful
regarding the former, is to degenerate into a man-pleaser, a time-server, a popular yet
unfaithful steward. To study to show one's self approved unto God, to be unashamed at
desertion, adverse criticism and denunciation, to know Whom we have believed, to leave
all unto `that day' is to follow in the victorious footsteps of the despised Apostle.
The expression `I know nothing by myself' (I Cor. 4: 4) is somewhat ambiguous.
"By" can have the meaning `concerning' in vulgar use, as `I have done my duty by him',
and this usage was common at the time of the A.V. translation. For example "He that
setteth not by himself" (Psa. 15: 4 Prayer Book) for "He that is not wise in his own
conceits". Alford complained that this meaning of `by' does not occur in our ordinary
dictionaries. This defect is made good in the Oxford English Dictionary, which has, as
one subdivision:
"About, concerning, with respect to, in regard to, as concerns" and signifies by the
letter OE, that this is an Old English usage.
To make the Apostle's meaning intelligible today, we must adopt the R.V. and read "I
know nothing against myself". The verb `to know' used here, gives us the word
suneidesis `conscience', and occurs in Paul's epistles twenty-six times, and is used by
Paul in Acts 23: 1 and 24: 16. Paul was not `conscious' of any delinquency, but
this did not form any ground of self-justification. What he looked upon with friendly
eyes, the Lord might judge in that day as unfaithful service. This being so, the Apostle
left the whole question of judging to the Lord, and to that day. Consequently, if that were
his attitude, it is not likely that he would be perturbed by the judgment of the Corinthians.
All this, however, was not uttered in pride, but in humility, so that the Corinthians in the
matter of their preference for Paul or Apollos should not be: