If therefore you have judgments of things pertaining to this world, set them to judge, who are the most despised in the church.

“And to return to the praise of martyrdom, there is a word of the blessed Paul, who says; "Know ye not that they who run in a race strive many, but one receiveth the prize? But do ye so run, that all of you may obtain." Moreover also elsewhere, that be may exhort us to martyrdom, he has called us fellow-heirs with Christ; nay, that he might omit nothing, he says, "If ye are dead with Christ, why, as if living in the world, do ye make distinctions? " Because, dearest brethren, we who bear the rewards of resurrection, who seek for the day of judgment, who, in fine, are trusting that we shall reign with Christ, ought to be dead to the world. For you can neither desire martyrdom till you have first hated the world, nor attain to God's reward unless you have loved Christ. And he who loves Christ does not love the world. For Christ was given up by the world, even as the world also was given up by Christ; as it is written, "The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." The world has been an object of affection to none whom the Lord has not previously condemned; nor could he enjoy eternal salvation who has gloried in the life of the world. That is the very voice of Christ, who says: "He that loveth his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come; but he that hateth his life in this world, shall find it in the world to come." Moreover, also, the Apostle Paul says: "Be ye imitators of me, as I also am of Christ." And the same elsewhere says: "I wish that all of you, if it were possible, should be imitators of me."”

“"If then ye have to judge things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are of no account in the Church." Wishing to instruct us as forcibly as possible that they ought not to commit themselves to those without, whatsoever the matter may be; having raised what seemed to be an objection, he answers it in the first instance. For what he says is something like this: Perhaps some one will say, "No one among you is wise, nor competent to pass sentence; all are contemptible." Now what follows? "Even though none be wise," says he, "I bid you entrust things to those who are of least weight."”

“Therefore the apostle wished wise, holy, and faithful persons who were well established in the various places to be judges of such matters, and not persons who, in preaching, traveled about here and there.… If wise judges were lacking, he wished even the lowly and contemptible to be appointed so that the affairs of Christians might not be brought to the public eye.”

“Above, the Apostle had rebuked the Corinthians for negligence of judgment; here he rebukes in them certain other sins concerning judgments. And first, as to the judges before whom they litigated; second, as to the judgments themselves, there: *now indeed altogether*. Concerning the first he does three things. First he argues against them concerning disorder; second he assigns the reason for the rebuke, there: *do you not know*; third he applies a remedy, there: *secular judgments therefore*. He says therefore first: thus you are negligent in judging your own, but nevertheless you are presumptuous in undergoing the judgments of unbelievers, and this is what he says: *does* someone *dare*, that is, presume, *any of you having a matter*, namely a secular one, *against another, to be judged before the unjust*, that is, to undergo the judgment of unbelievers, *and not before the saints*, that is, before the faithful, who are sanctified by the sacraments of the faith. For this is disordered in many ways. First indeed, because by this the authority of the faithful is derogated; second, because the dignity of the faithful is derogated as to this, that they undergo the judgments of unbelievers; third, because by this occasion is given to unbelieving judges to despise the faithful, whom they see disagreeing among themselves; fourth, because by this occasion is given to unbelieving judges to slander and oppress the faithful, whom they hold in hatred on account of the faith and the diversity of rite. And therefore it is said in Deut. 1:15f: *I took from your tribes wise and noble men, and I commanded them, saying: hear them, and judge what is just*. And in the same book, 17:15: *you shall not be able to make king a man of another nation, who is not your brother*. But this seems to be against what is said in 1 Peter 2:13: *be subject to every human creature for God's sake, whether to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him*: for it pertains to the authority of the prince to judge concerning his subjects. It is therefore against divine law to prohibit that one stand by his judgment, if he be an unbeliever. But it must be said that the Apostle does not prohibit that the faithful, established under unbelieving princes, appear before their judgment, if they are summoned, for this would be against the subjection which is owed to princes; but he forbids that the faithful should not voluntarily choose the judgment of unbelievers. Then, when he says *do you not know*, etc., he assigns the reason against that which they were doing, taken from this, that they were derogating from the authority of the saints. And first as to the authority which they have over worldly things; second as to the authority which they have with regard to super-worldly things, that is, over the Angels, there: *do you not know that we shall judge Angels?* He says therefore first: judgment before unbelievers is disordered, because the faithful have the authority of judging: *do you not know that the saints shall judge this world*, that is, concerning the worldly men of this world? This indeed is fulfilled in three ways. First indeed according to comparison, namely according as not only the good shall judge the wicked, and the saints the worldly; but also according as the good shall be judged by the better, and the wicked shall judge the worse, according to that saying of Matt. 12:41: *the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it*. Second, they shall judge by approving the sentence of the judge, namely Christ, and this will properly belong to the just, according to that saying of the Psalm: *the just man shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge*. Hence it is said in Wisdom 3:8: *the saints shall judge nations*. In a third way, through the pronouncing of the sentence. And this will belong to the apostles and those like them, who, having despised the things of the world, clung to spiritual things alone. For the spiritual man judges all things, as was said above, 2:15. Hence also it is said in Matt. 19:28: *you who have followed me, shall sit upon seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel*. And in Ps. 149:6f it is said: *two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance upon the nations*. This pronouncing of the sentence, however, is understood not as vocal, but as spiritual, insofar as through the higher saints the lower, or even sinners, will be illuminated by a certain spiritual illumination, as to what punishments and what rewards are owed to them: just as even now men are illuminated by Angels, or even the lower Angels by the higher. Second, from this that has been said, he argues to his purpose, saying: *and if the world shall be judged in you*, that is, through you, that is, worldly men, *are you unworthy* to judge concerning *the smallest* matters, namely concerning secular affairs? Luke 16:10: *he who is unjust in that which is little, shall be unjust also in that which is greater*. Then, when he says *do you not know*, etc., he argues to the same point from the authority of the saints over the Angels. And first he states it, saying: *do you not know that we*, namely the faithful of Christ, *shall judge Angels?* This indeed can be understood of the evil Angels, who will be condemned by the saints, by whose power they have been conquered. Hence the Lord, Luke 10:19, says: *behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents, and upon all the power of the enemy*. And in Ps. 90:13: *you shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk*. This can also be understood of the good Angels, very many of whom will be found, in a certain comparison, inferior to Paul and those like him. Hence significantly he does not say: *you shall judge*, but *we shall judge*. Although it can also be said that, as a consequence, if the saints shall judge men good and evil, there will be judgment concerning the good Angels also, whose accidental reward is increased from the reward of the saints who are illuminated through the Angels, and also concerning the evil Angels, whose punishment is increased from the punishment of the men seduced by them. Second, he argues to his purpose, saying: *how much more shall we be fit to judge secular matters*, namely judgments: for he who is fit for greater things, is much more fit for lesser things. Hence also the lord, to whom he had entrusted five talents, afterward entrusted one, as is found in Matt. 25:28. Then, when he says *secular judgments therefore*, he applies a remedy against their fault. And first he sets forth the remedy; second he explains it, there: *I say this to your shame*. He says therefore first: therefore, since the saints shall judge this world, if you have secular judgments among you, which nevertheless you ought not to have, *appoint those who are contemptible in the Church* to judge, rather, namely, than that you be judged before unbelievers. Hence also it is said in Ps. 140:5: *the just man shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head*. And it is said in Ecclesiastes 9:4: *better is a living dog than a dead lion*. Then, when he says *I say this to your shame*, he explains in what sense he said the foregoing. For someone might believe that, according to the letter, the more contemptible were to be chosen for judging; but he excludes this, saying *I say this to your shame*. As if he were to say: I did not say this that it should be done so, but that I might make you ashamed, namely by that confusion which brings grace and glory, as is said in Ecclesiasticus 4:25. For the contemptible in the Church would have to be chosen for judging, if wise men were not found among you, which would be shameful for you. Hence he adds: *is it so that there is not among you any wise man, who can judge between brother and brother, but brother contends with brother in judgment, and this before unbelievers?* Rather, however, than that you should do this, you ought to appoint the contemptible, who are in the Church, to judge and to supply the defect of the wise, which nevertheless does not exist among you, according to that which he had said above in chapter one: *you were made rich in him, in every word and in every knowledge*. Or otherwise, from that place *secular*, etc. For he had said that the saints are fit to judge secular matters, and therefore he wishes to show through whom secular judgments ought to be exercised, namely through the contemptible who are in the Church. He calls contemptible, however, those who are wise in worldly matters, by comparison to those who are wise in divine matters, to whom reverence is to be shown, who are not occupied in temporal matters, so that they may be free for spiritual things alone. And this is what is added: *I say this to your shame*; according to another reading: *to your reverence*. Hence also the apostles said, Acts 6:2: *it is not right that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables*. Afterward, however, he returns to that which he had rebuked above, namely that the Corinthians were litigating under unbelieving judges, saying: *is it so that there is not among you any wise man*, namely in temporal matters, whom above he called contemptible. Hence the rest are not changed from the first exposition, which nevertheless seems to be more literal.”

“If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life,.... Not judgements relating to life and death, for these were not in the power of a Jewish sanhedrim now, and much less of a Christian community, but were wholly in the power of the Roman magistrates; but judgments relating to the common affairs of life, or what the Jews call , "pecuniary judgments" (b), in distinction from , "judgments of souls", or capital ones. The Jews say (c), "that forty years before the destruction of the temple, capital judgments were taken from Israel; and in the days of R. Simeon ben Jochai, pecuniary judgments were taken away from Israel.'' Now this Rabbi lived many years after the times of the apostles, so that as yet the Jews had a power of exercising such judgments; and no doubt the Christian's also, who as yet were very little, if at all, distinguished from the Jews by the Romans: and therefore since such judgments were within the compass of their authority, the apostle advises to set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church; meaning, not those of the lowest circumstances of life, and of the meanest abilities and capacities; for in the next verse he requires a wise man for such a business; but private persons, laymen, who were not in any office and authority in the church, in distinction from pastors, elders, and rulers, that were in office, power, and high esteem, whom he would not have troubled with cases of this nature; but should rather choose out from among the laity persons of the best judgment and capacity, to be umpires and arbitrators in such worldly matters, which do not so properly come under the notice and cognizance of spiritual guides. The phrase, "to judge", is not in the original text, where it is only "set", or "put in the chair"; but is added in the Vulgate Latin version; and to which agree both the Syriac and Arabic versions; the former reading the words, "they that are despised in the church, set for you in judgment"; and the latter, "make them to sit judges". The Jews, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, besides their great sanhedrim of seventy one persons, and that other of twenty three in their cities of note, and their triumvirate in every synagogue, had also two sorts of benches, who judged of lesser matters; the one was called , "the bench of authorized persons", experienced men, that were approved of, and had their authority from the sanhedrim; and the other was called , "the bench of idiots" (d), or private persons, or , "the bench of those who were not authorized" (e), or had not their authority, from the higher courts; but being judged proper persons, were chosen by the people to arbitrate matters in difference between them; and these are the men the apostle means, at least alludes to, before whom he would have the causes brought. (b) Misn Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 1. (c) T. Hieros. Sanhedrin. fol. 24. 2. (d) T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 32. 1. (e) Maimon. Hilch. Ishot, c. 17. sect. 13. T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 88. 2. Gloss. in. ib.”

“Things pertaining to this life - They could examine all civil cases among themselves, which they were permitted to determine without any hinderance from the heathen governments under which they lived. Who are least esteemed in the Church - Τους εξουθενημενους, Those who were in the lowest order of judges; for the apostle may refer here to the order in the Jewish benches, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, of which there were five, viz.: - 1. The great Sanhedrin, consisting of seventy-two elders, which presided in Jerusalem. 2. The little Sanhedrin of twenty-five, in large cities, out of Jerusalem. 3. The Bench of Three in every synagogue. 4. The Authorized, or Authentic Bench. 5. The Bench not authorized, εξουθενημενος. This latter bench was so called because it received not its authority immediately from the Sanhedrin, but was chosen by the parties between whom the controversy depended. The apostle certainly does not mean persons of no repute, but such as these arbitrators, who were chosen for the purpose of settling private differences, and preventing them from going before the regular magistrates. The following verse makes it pretty evident that the apostle refers to this lower kind of tribunal; and hence he says, -”

“Set them to judge, who are the most despised in the Church. Rather make choice of Christians of lesser parts and talents, than have recourse to infidels, who will be scandalized at the injuries and injustice done by Christians to each other. Besides you cannot but have some wise men among you to decide such matters. (Witham) — St. Paul does not here mean to tell the Corinthians that they must choose the most despised and the most ignorant, but he wishes to inform them that if there were none but men of this description in the Church, it would still be much more preferable to appoint these judges than to go to law before idolatrous judges. (Estius) — It is plainly a fault, [1] weakness in you to run to such heathen judges: you should rather bear, and put up with the injuries done to you. — A fault. Law-suits can hardly ever be without a fault, on one side or the other; and oftentimes on both sides. (Challoner)”

“judgments--that is, cases for judgment. least esteemed--literally, "those of no esteem." Any, however low in the Church, rather than the heathen (Co1 1:28). Questions of earthly property are of secondary consequence in the eyes of true Christians, and are therefore delegated to those in a secondary position in the Church.”