John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. But with me it is a very small thing , etc.] 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 apostles 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 mans judgment : it is in the Greek text, or of mans 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 wna wy , in ( Jeremiah 17:16) hmeran anyrwpou , mans day; and very frequently in the Talmud is the distinction of ym ynyd , the judgments of God and da ynyd , 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, na rb lk m wa , 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Apostles were no more than servants of Christ, but they were not to be undervalued. They had a great trust, and for that reason, had a honourable office. Paul had a just concern for his own reputation, but he knew that he who chiefly aimed to please men, would not prove himself a faithful servant of Christ. It is a comfort that men are no to be our final judges. And it is not judging well of ourselves, or justifying ourselves, that will prove us safe and happy. Our ow judgment is not to be depended upon as to our faithfulness, any mor than our own works for our justification. There is a day coming, tha will bring men's secret sins into open day, and discover the secrets of their hearts. Then every slandered believer will be justified, an every faithful servant approved and rewarded. The word of God is the best rule by which to judge as to men. Pride commonly is at the botto of quarrels. Self-conceit contributes to produce undue esteem of ou teachers, as well as of ourselves. We shall not be puffed up for on against another, if we remember that all are instruments, employed by God, and endowed by him with various talents.
Greek Textus Receptus
εμοι 1698 P-1DS δε 1161 CONJ εις 1519 PREP ελαχιστον 1646 A-ASN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ινα 2443 CONJ υφ 5259 PREP υμων 5216 P-2GP ανακριθω 350 5686 V-APS-1S η 2228 PRT υπο 5259 PREP ανθρωπινης 442 A-GSF ημερας 2250 N-GSF αλλ 235 CONJ ουδε 3761 ADV εμαυτον 1683 F-1ASM ανακρινω 350 5719 V-PAI-1S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. A very small thing (eiv elaciston). Lit., unto a very small thing: it amounts to very little.Judged. See on ch. ii. 14. Rev., in margin, examined.
Man's judgment (anqrwpinhv hmerav). Lit., man's day, in contrast with the day of the Lord (ver. 5).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:3 {But with me} (emoi de). The ethical dative of personal relation and interest, "as I look at my own case." Cf. #Php 1:21. {It is a very small thing} (eis elaciston estin). this predicate use of eis is like the Hebrew, but it occurs also in the papyri. The superlative elaciston is elative, very little, not the true superlative, least. "It counts for very little with me." {That I should be judged of you} (hina huf' humwn anakriqw). Same use of hina as in verse #2. For the verb (first aorist passive subjunctive of anakrinw) see on 1Co 2:14f. Paul does not despise public opinion, but he denies "the competency of the tribunal" in Corinth (Robertson and Plummer) to pass on his credentials with Christ as his Lord. {Or of man's judgement} (e hupo anqrwpines hemeras). Or "by human day," in contrast to the Lord's Day (_der Tag_) in #3:13. "_That_ is the tribunal which the Apostle recognizes; a _human_ tribunal he does not care to satisfy" (Robertson and Plummer). {Yea, I judge not mine own self} (all' oude emauton anakrinw). alla here is confirmatory, not adversative. "I have often wondered how it is that every man sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others" (M. Aurelius, xii. 4. Translated by Robertson and Plummer). Paul does not even set himself up as judge of himself.
