But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man’s day; but neither do I judge my own self.

“"With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's day." "I judge myself unworthy," saith he, "of being judged by you." And why say I, "by you?" I will add, "by any one else." Howbeit, let no one condemn Paul of arrogance; though he saith that no man is worthy to pass sentence concerning him. For first, he saith these things not for his own sake, but wishing to rescue others from the odium which they had incurred from the Corinthians. And in the next place, he limits not the matter to the Corinthians merely, but himself also he deposes from this right of judging; saying, that to decree such things was a matter beyond his decision. At least he adds, "I judge not mine own self." But besides what has been said, we must search out the ground upon which these expressions were uttered. For he knew well in many cases how to speak with high spirit: and that, not of pride or arrogance, but of a certain excellent management seeing that in the present case also he saith this, not as lifting up himself, but as taking down other men's sails, and earnestly seeking to invest the saints with due honor. On this account Paul also, not to exalt himself, but to humble others, and to keep down those who were rising up out of their places, and to persuade them to be modest, said, "With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's day." Observe how he soothes the other party also. For whosoever is told that he looks down on all alike, and deigns not to be judged of any one, will not thenceforth any more feel pain, as though himself were the only one excluded. For if he had said, "Of you," only, and so held his peace; this were enough to gall them as if treated contemptuously. But now, by introducing, "nor yet of man's day," he brought alleviation to the blow; giving them partners in the contempt. Nay, he even softens this point again, saying, "not even do I judge myself." Mark the expression, how entirely free from arrogance: in that not even he himself, he saith, is capable of so great exactness.”

“Above, the Apostle rebuked the Corinthians for this, that they gloried in certain ministers; but here he rebukes them because they despised other ministers. And concerning this he does two things. First, he rebukes their fault; second, he presses toward their correction, at "not to confound you." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he rebukes their rashness, by which they judged wrongly concerning the ministers; second, he rebukes their elation, by which they despised the ministers of Christ, at "but this, brothers." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he shows what must be firmly held concerning the ministers of Christ; second, that they must not be rashly judged concerning them, at "here now it is sought among stewards." He says therefore first: I said that none of you ought to glory in men, yet each of you ought to recognize the authority of our office, to which it pertains that we are mediators between Christ, whom we serve — to which it pertains what he says, "so let a man esteem us as ministers of Christ," Is. LXI, v. 6: "you shall be called priests of God, it shall be said to you, ministers of our God" — and among his members, who are the faithful of the Church, to whom they dispense the gifts of Christ, to which it pertains what is added, "and stewards of the mysteries of God," that is, of his secrets, which indeed are his spiritual teachings, according to that below XIV, 2: "it is the spirit that speaks mysteries"; or also the ecclesiastical sacraments, in which the divine power more secretly works salvation. Hence also in the form of the consecration of the Eucharist it is said: "the mystery of faith." It pertains, therefore, to the office of the prelates of the Church, that in the governing of their subjects they desire to serve Christ alone, for love of whom they feed his sheep, according to that in Jn., last chapter: "if you love me, feed my sheep." It pertains also to them, that they dispense divine things to the people, according to that below IX, 17: "a dispensation has been entrusted to me"; and according to this they are mediators between Christ and the people, according to that Deut. V, 5: "I was the go-between, and stood between God and you at that time." But this estimation concerning the prelates of the Church is necessary for the salvation of the faithful; for unless they recognized them as ministers of Christ, they would not obey them as they would Christ, according to that Gal. IV, 14: "you received me as an angel of God, as Jesus Christ." Again, if they did not recognize them as stewards, they would refuse to receive gifts from them, against what the same Apostle says II Cor. II, 10: "what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it for your sake in the person of Christ." Then when he says "here now it is sought among stewards," he shows, concerning the ministers of Christ, that they ought not to be rashly judged. And concerning this he does three things. First, he sets down a certain thing by which they are busy judging concerning the fidelity of the ministers; second, he shows that he does not care about this judgment, but reserves it to God, at "but to me it is a very small thing"; third, he concludes with a prohibition of rash judgment, at "therefore do not." Concerning the first it must be considered that, of the ministers and stewards of Christ, some are faithful, some unfaithful. Unfaithful stewards are those who, in dispensing the divine ministries, do not intend the benefit of the people, and the honor of Christ, and the benefit of his members, according to that Lk. XVI, v. 11: "you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon." But faithful are those who in all things intend the honor of God, and the benefit of his members, according to that Lk. XII, 42: "who, do you suppose, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the lord has set over his household?" But who are faithful will be made manifest in the future by divine judgment. But the Corinthians rashly wished to discuss which stewards were faithful or unfaithful. And this is what he says: "here," that is, among you, "now," that is, at the present time, "it is sought," that is, it is discussed, "that someone," that is, some one, "be found faithful among the stewards." For they judged that many were unfaithful, scarcely thinking any man to be faithful, according to that Prov. XX, 6: "many men are called merciful, but who shall find a faithful man?" Then when he says "but to me it is a very small thing," he shows that he reckons this judgment as nothing, and concerning this he does three things. First, he sets down that he does not care to be judged by others concerning this, saying "but to me," who am the least among the stewards, "it is a very small thing," that is, I reckon it a very small good, "that I be judged by you," namely, to be faithful or unfaithful. And lest they should think these things were said by the Apostle in contempt of them, as if he despised their judgment, as though they were persons of no worth, he adds "or by human understanding," which is the day of man, according to that Jn. XI, 9: "he who walks in the day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world." Or, to the letter, "or by the human day," that is, by the understanding of those judging in this time — as if he were saying: I care little for the judgment of you, or of whatsoever men. Jer. XVII, 16: "I have not desired the day of man, you know." But it must be known that one ought to care about the judgment of men in two ways. In one way, as regards others, who from their good are either edified or scandalized, and thus the saints hold it not as a very small thing, but as a great thing, to be judged by men, since the Lord says Matth. V, 16: "let them see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." In another way, as regards themselves, and thus they do not care much, because they do not desire human glory, according to that I Thess. II, 6: "nor seeking glory from men, neither anything from you, nor from others." Nor do they fear the reproach of man, according to that Is. LI, 7: "do not fear the reproach of men, and do not be afraid of their blasphemies." Hence the Apostle pointedly says "but to me," etc., that is, as far as it pertains to me — yet this is not as nothing, but as a very small thing, because temporal goods, among which good repute is counted, are not no goods at all, but the smallest goods, as Augustine says in the book On Free Will. Hence also Wis. VII, 9: "all gold in comparison with her is a little sand." Second, he shows that he does not presume to judge even himself, saying "but neither do I judge my own self." But this seems to be against what is said below XI, 31: "if we judged ourselves, we would certainly not be judged." Each one, therefore, ought to judge himself. But it must be known that by the judgment of examination, of which the Apostle here speaks, each one ought to judge himself, according to that Ps. LXXVI, 7: "I was exercising myself, and I swept my spirit"; and likewise by the judgment of condemnation and reproof in manifest evils, according to that Job XIII, 15: "I will argue my ways before him"; but by the judgment of absolution no one ought to presume to judge himself innocent; hence it is said Job IX, 20: "if I wish to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I consider myself innocent, it will prove me perverse." He assigns the reason for this, saying "I am conscious of nothing to myself," that is, I do not have consciousness of any mortal sin, according to that Job XXVII, 6: "neither does my heart reprove me in all my life." "But I am not hereby justified," that is, this does not suffice for me to pronounce myself just, because there can be certain sins hidden in me, of which I am ignorant, according to that Ps.: "who understands his faults?" And Job ch. IX, 21 it is said: "and if I be simple, this very thing my soul will not know." Third, he concludes to whom this judgment is reserved, saying "but he who judges me is the Lord," that is, it pertains to God alone to judge whether I am a faithful minister or not; for this pertains to the intention of the heart, which God alone can weigh, according to that Prov. XVI, 2: "the Lord is the weigher of spirits." And Jer. XVII, 9: "the heart of man is perverse and unsearchable, who shall know it? I the Lord, trying the reins and searching the hearts." Then when he says "therefore do not," etc., he concludes with a prohibition of rash judgment, and concerning this he does three things. First, he forbids forestalling the divine judgment, saying: therefore, by my example, who neither judge myself, nor care to be judged by others, but reserve my judgment to God, "do not judge before the time," because, as it is said Eccl. ch. VIII, 6, "for every matter there is a time and an opportunity." "Until the Lord come," namely to judge, according to that Is. III, v. 14: "the Lord will come to judgment with the elders of his people." Hence also the Lord said Matth. VII, 1: "do not judge." But this must be understood of hidden things; but to judge concerning manifest things has been committed by God to men, according to that Deut. I, 16: "hear them, and judge what is just." For some things are manifest not only through the evidence of the deed, as notorious things, but also on account of confession, or the proof of witnesses. But hidden things God reserves to his own judgment. But hidden to us are those things which lie hidden in the heart, or also which are done in secret, and concerning these it is said in Ps. IV, 5: "the things you say in your hearts, be pricked with compunction in your chambers." Hence man indeed is a rash judge concerning these things, like a delegated judge, who exceeds the form of his commission by judging a case not committed to him. It is, therefore, a rash judgment, when someone judges concerning doubtful things. But it is perverse, when he pronounces a false judgment. And although one ought not to judge concerning persons, for instance that someone judge a man to be evil who is good, nevertheless it is much more grave that judgment be perverted concerning the things themselves, for instance if someone should say that virginity is evil, and fornication good. Against which it is said Is. V, 20: "woe to you who call good evil, and evil good." Second, he describes the perfection of the future divine judgment, saying "who," namely the Lord coming to judge, "will illuminate the hidden things of darkness," that is, he will make lucid and manifest those things which were done secretly in darkness. "And will manifest the counsels of hearts," that is, all the hidden things of the heart, according to that Job XII, 22: "who reveals hidden things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death into light." And Zeph. I, 12: "I will search Jerusalem with lamps." This indeed must be understood both of good things, and of evil things, which have not been covered through penance, according to that Ps. XXXI, v. 1: "blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." Third, he sets down the fruit which the good will carry away from the divine judgment, saying "and then praise will be to each one" — namely of the good — "from God." And this praise indeed will be true, because God can neither be deceived, nor deceive. Rom. II, 29: "whose praise is not from men, but from God." II Cor. X, 18: "for not he who commends himself is approved, but he whom God commends."”

“But with me it is a very small , thing . . . or of man's judgment The Latin version gives “of man’s day.” The meaning is the same ; for the “ day of the Lord ” is frequently put for the “judgment of the Lord,” and a day is commonly named for defendants to appear for judgment Cf. S. Jerome (ad Algas . qu. x.). He adds that Paul, as a native of the Cilician Tarsus, used the Greek idiom common there, and called “ human judgment ” “man’s day.” It would, however, be better to say that Paul, being a Hebrew, borrowed this from the idiom of the Hebrews. For he is alluding to Jer. xvii. 16, where Jeremiah, being mocked and persecuted because of his prophecies, says: “Neither have I desired man’s day; Thou knowest” The day of roan is that wherein man prospers, and is honoured and praised by all as powerful, happy, and enviable. Jeremiah’s meaning, then, is : “I have not desired longer life, prosperity, riches, honours, pleasures, or the applauses of men; for if I had looked for such things I should not have prophesied to them of sadness and disaster, but I should have praised their glory and their lusts; but this I did not do, nor desired man’s day or his applause. For I know that man is but frail and miserable, and quickly to vanish away in death with all his goods and glory. Knowing this and recollecting it, I have not desired to please man in my prophecies and teachings, but to please and obey Thee, alone, O God, and to win commendation Digitized by v^,ooQle WORTHLESSNESS OF MEN'S JUDGMENT 73 from none but Thee, and I call upon Thee to be my witness to this by saying, ‘Thou knowest,' just as Job did when he said (xvL 19), ‘Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.'* So, too, say S. Jerome, Rabanus, Hugo, S> Thomas, and others. In imitation of Jeremiah, therefore, the Apostle says: “With me it is a very small thing to be judged of you or of man's day.” In other words, he cared little for the power and wisdom of this •world, for man's favour and applause. Happy he who could say, “ I have not desired man's day,'' and call God for a witness to his truth. This is the height of perfection which enables a man to count all things as dross if only be can gain Christ This noble portion was that of Moses, who abjured his position as son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. S. Chrysostom well moralises here : “ Let us not, therefore, seek the praises of men. For to do so is to offer an insult to God, as though we counted His praise insufficient, and so passed Him by, and strove for that of our fellow-servants. For as those who contend for the mastery in a small arena seek for themselves a larger, because they think that the other is not large enough to display their prowess, so do they who contend in the sight of God pass by the larger arena, when they seek for the applause of men, and heap up for themselves punishment through their lust for the lesser good. Everything has been perverted, the whole world overturned, by this desire of ours to do everything for the sake of men, by our want of diligence in good works , by our disdaining the praise of God, and seeking only that of our fellow-servants. In our crimes, again, we despise God, and fear man; for if man were present we should abstain from fornication, and even though our lust burnt more fiercely its violence would be held in check by very shame lest we be seen by man. But when none but God sees us, we not only are guilty of adultery and fornication, but we have dared and still dare to commit far more heinous wickedness . Would not this alone be enough to bring down upon us Gods avenging thunders ? Hence it is that all our woes have sprung, because in our disgraceful actions we fear not God but man.” Digitized by v^,ooQle 74 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE S. Chrysostom again ( Horn . 17 in Ep. ad Rom.) says : “Just as boys in play put on each other’s heads crowns of hay , and often laugh behind his back at the boy they have crowned, so too do those who speak you fair to your face jeer at you quietly among themselves. What else is this but placing crowns of hay on each other’s heads ? Would it were nothing else but hay / But as it is, this crown of ours is full of warning to us, for it destroys all that we have rightly done. Consider , then , its value ; flee from the loss it entails. For if there are a hundred, or a thousand, or a host without number to applaud you, yet all of them are nothing more than chattering jackdaws. Nay, if you but think of the cloud of angel-witnesses they will seem viler than worms, and their words more flimsy than cobwebs, more fleeting than smoke, or than a dream of the night. Say to thy soul what Paul said, 4 Knowest thou not that we shaH judge angels ? * Then call it away from such a feast, and chide it, and say, 4 Dost thou that art to sit in judgment on angels wish to be judged by such unclean spirits V ” S. Jerome too (ad Pammach.) wisely says : 44 The first monastic virtue is to despise the judgment of men, and always to bear in mind the words of the Apostle, 4 Jf yet I pleased mm I should not be the servant of Christ Some such saying, too, did God address to the Prophets when He told them that He would make their face as a city of brass, and an adamantine stone, and an iron pillar, that they might not tremble at the threats of the people, but with unmoved brow tread under foot the impudent jeers of their adversaries.” Lastly, Anselm says here : 44 The righteous look not for marts judgments but for the award of the Eternal Judge, and therefore with Paul they despise the words of detractors.” This is what one of the Saints meant when he said, 44 If you wish to be happy learn to despise and to be despised.” Yea, I judge not mine own self. I cannot certainly judge myself my works, my motives, my conscience”

“But with me it is a very small thing,.... It stood for little or nothing, was of no account with him, what judgment and censures were passed on him by men with regard to his faithfulness in the ministry not even by the Corinthians themselves: that I should be judged of you; not that the apostle declined, or despised the judgment of a church of Christ, rightly disposed, and met together in the fear of God, to try prove, and judge of his ministry, and his fidelity in it; but he made no account of theirs, and slighted it as being under bad influence, the influence of the false teachers, who had insinuated many things among them to the prejudice of the apostle's character; wherefore he set it at nought and rejected it, and rightly refused to submit to it, and, indeed, to any mere human judgment: or of man's judgment: it is in the Greek text, "or of man's day": in distinction from the day of the Lord, or the day of judgment; and because that men have their stated days for judgment, and because of the clearness of evidence, according to which judgment should proceed. This is not a Cilicism, as Jerom thought, but an Hebraism; so the Septuagint render , in Jer 17:16 , "man's day"; and very frequently in the Talmud (r) is the distinction of , "the judgments of God" and , "the judgments of men"; the former the apostle was willing to be subject to, but not to the latter; he appealed from men to God; he cared not what any man thought or said, or judged of him; he not only was indifferent to the judgment of the Corinthians concerning him, whether they did or did not praise him, but of any other person; and so the Syriac version renders it, , "or of any man": he adds, yea I judge not mine own self; for though as a spiritual man he judged all things, and so himself, his conduct, state, and condition; examined his own heart and ways, and was able to form a judgment of what he was and did; yet he chose not to stand and fall by his own judgment; and since he would not abide by his own judgment, who best knew himself, much less would he be subject to theirs, or any human judgment, who must be greater strangers to him; and this he said, not as conscious to himself of any unfaithfulness in his ministerial work. (r) T. Bab Bava Koma, fol. 22. 2. 29. 1. 47. 2. 55. 2. 56. 1. 91. 1. 98. 1. & Bava Metzia, fol. 82. 2.”

“It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you - Those who preferred Apollos or Kephas before St. Paul, would of course give their reasons for this preference; and these might, in many instances, be very unfavourable to his character as a man, a Christian, or an apostle; of this he was regardless, as he sought not his own glory, but the glory of God in the salvation of their souls. Or of man's judgment - Η ὑπο ανθρωπινης ἡμερας, literally, or of man's day: but ανθρωπινη ἡμερα signifies any day set apart by a judge or magistrate to try a man on. This is the meaning of ἡμερα, Psa 37:13 : The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his Day, ἡ ἡμερα αυτου, his judgment is coming. Mal 3:17 : And they shall be mine in the Day, εις ἡμεραν, in the judgment, when I make up my jewels. It has the same meaning in Pe2 3:10 : But the Day, the Judgment, of the Lord will come. The word ανθρωπινος, man's, signifies miserable, wretched, woful; so Jer 17:16 : Neither have I desired, יום אנוש yom enosh, the day of man; but very properly translated in our version, the woful day. God's Days, Job 24:1, certainly signify God's Judgments. And the Day of our Lord Jesus, in this epistle, Co1 1:8; Co1 5:5, signifies the day in which Christ will judge the world; or rather the judgment itself. I judge not mine own self - I leave myself entirely to God, whose I am, and whom I serve.”

“Or by human judgment. Literally, by human day. The sense, says St. Jerome, is, by any human judgment, or by men, whose judgment is in the day, or time of this life: but God judges in his day, after this life, and chiefly at the last day of judgment. — Neither do I judge myself, so as to look upon myself absolutely certain of the state of my soul, or that I am for certain justified, though I am not conscious to myself of any thing, because I am to be judged by an omniscient God, the great searcher of hearts, who perhaps may discover faults, which I, partial to myself, overlook. Now if St. Paul durst not say, he was justified, what presumption is it for others to pretend to an absolute certainty, that they are just in the sight of God! (Witham)”

“it is a very small thing--literally, "it amounts to a very small matter"; not that I despise your judgment, but as compared with God's, it almost comes to nothing. judged . . . of man's judgment--literally, "man's day," contrasted with the day (Co1 3:13) of the Lord (Co1 4:5; Th1 5:4). "The day of man" is here put before us as a person [WAHL]. All days previous to the day of the Lord are man's days. EMESTI translates the thrice recurring Greek for "judged . . . judge . . . judgeth" (Co1 4:4), thus: To me for my part (though capable of being found faithful) it is a very small matter that I should be approved of by man's judgment; yea, I do not even assume the right of judgment and approving myself--but He that has the right, and is able to judge on my case (the Dijudicator), is the Lord.”