The False Judgment of Disciples

For this boasting is cheap, where everything belongs to you: the apostles—for they were sent for the sake of those being helped—the world, which has become yours for enjoyment, your life, as those being saved, and death; for if the things of death were not fearsome, the things of the coming life would not have been prepared. For by the same logic, the present and the future are spoken of; for those who despise the present things think they attain the future things.

Therefore all these things said of you, that you yourselves have become Christ's, and that those belonging to Christ please God, are all through you. How and in what way? That you yourselves have become Christ's, and in order to show that those belonging to Christ please God, he added: Christ is God's.

It is sufficient for us to be esteemed as servants of Christ, though from us some are named slanderers. You see us as servants of God, but what servant is faithful? Do not seek it—for this is in danger among you—and it is not worthy for teachers to be judged by students. Why does he say these things? Because he realized that some of the teachers were being punished by them as unworthy, while the worthy were being reviled, whence he foresaw schisms coming among them. Therefore he more vehemently accuses, hurrying to restrain the passion.

So that he might not seem to say these things as if being contemptuously despised, he says this only once: do not think that I send these things on my own behalf; for I do not conduct myself in such a way that I be interrogated by you; for I consider this unworthy toward you and toward every man. He calls man a human day, signifying the temporary and ephemeral nature of human life.

Then, because it seems great to say 'I have said nothing against myself,' he added 'but I have not been acquitted by this'; for one who has stumbled through ignorance is not to be struck in the conscience. Furthermore, not failing to do something justifies, but doing rightly perfects virtue. And it is likely that he said this with moderation: therefore do not judge me greater or less than you, but wait for the Judge. This serves the whole purpose of making sober those who wish to be named this or that, or not to be named this or that; for in judging these things, it is the one both worthy and unworthy.

Therefore, do not think highly of yourselves, but wait for the Judge; for while a corrupted character may deceive you, the one who illuminates the secrets of darkness will not let anything hidden escape him. He said these things because much happened among them through deception and they were honored unworthily. Those being honored were not entirely good, but their virtue reached only to the appearance, while those who were naturally good were being overlooked; for he would not have said these things.

He presents himself and Apollos, silencing the faces of those demanding honor and being called disciples by them, so that you might take from us a pattern and a following to approach teachers moderately. And do not think beyond what is written concerning us, but consider us servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, and do not dishonor the former, but honor the latter. He clarified their opinion more clearly in these things; for he who is named by that other and yet circumscribes that other, is puffed up by the former but has the character of the latter.

You, who desire to be called by this one or to leave that one, who distinguishes? Do you not wait for the Judge? You, the obedient one, wait for the Judge, yet you subject the teacher to your own judgment? Who distinguishes you, the common people, regarding those things about which you think or act, that you dare to distinguish others and these people teachers? Is it not the Lord? If then you, the disciple, wait for the Lord as Judge, how do you subject the teacher to your judgment, calling the one worthy and the other unworthy? Why do you think you have an advantage which you do not have or have not received? But he speaks of the surpassing understanding through which it is possible both to judge and to test teachers. Even if you received understanding from God, it is necessary to offer glory to God who gave it, not to think greatly of yourself and to be puffed up as if an advantage were being presented to you as your own possession.

It is not that they had such things, but they show that they were spreading falsehoods about themselves, thinking they were filled with all knowledge as a remainder to judge even teachers. Already the gifts have become a reality for you, and not always a thing to be desired. That which is apart from us shows that you have already reached the state of reigning without us, and indeed it is a loss through the midst.