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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, Psalm 37:13; : The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his Day, ἡ ἡμερα αυτου, his judgment is coming. Malachi 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 2 Peter 3:10; : But the Day, the Judgment, of the Lord will come. The word ανθρωπινος, man's, signifies miserable, wretched, woful; so Jeremiah 17:16; : Neither have I desired, אנוש יום 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, 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Corinthians 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.
But with me - In my estimate; in regard to myself. That is, I esteem it a matter of no concern. Since I am responsible as a steward to my master only, it is a matter of small concern what men think of me, provided I have his approbation. Paul was not insensible to the good opinion of people. He did not despise their favor or court limit contempt. But this was not the principal thing which he regarded; and we have here a noble elevation of purpose and of aim, which shows how direct was his design to serve and please the master who had appointed him to his office.
That I should be judged - The word rendered “judged” here properly denotes to examine the qualities of any person or thing; and sometimes, as here, to express the result of such examination or judgment. Here it means to “blame” or “condemn.”
Of you - By you. Dear as you are to me as a church and a people, yet my main desire is not to secure your esteem, or to avoid your censure, but to please my master, and secure his approbation.
Or of man‘s judgment - Of any man‘s judgment. What he had just said, that he esteemed it to be a matter not worth regarding, whatever might be their opinion of him, might seem to look like arrogance, or appear as if he looked upon them with contempt. In order to avoid this construction of his language, he here says that it was not because he despised them, or regarded their opinion as of less value than that of others, but that he had the same feelings in regard to all people. Whatever might be their rank, character, talent, or learning, he regarded it as a matter of the least possible consequence what they thought of him. He was answerable not to them, but to his Master; and he could pursue an independent course whatever they might; think of his conduct. This is designed also evidently to reprove them for seeking so much the praise of each other. The Greek here is “of man‘s day,” where “day” is used, as it often is in Hebrew, to denote the day of trial; the Day of Judgment; and then simply Judgment. Thus, the word יום yowm“day” is used in Job 24:1; Psalm 37:13; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1; Malachi 4:1. Yea, I judge not my own self - I do not attempt to pronounce a judgment on myself. I am conscious of imperfection, and of being biased by self-love in my own favor. I do not feel that my judgment of myself would be strictly impartial, and in all respects to be trusted. Favorable as may be my opinion, yet I am sensible that I may be biased. This is designed to soften what he had just said about their judging him, and to show further the little value which is to be put on the judgment which man may form “If I do not regard my own opinion of myself as of high value, I cannot be suspected of undervaluing you when I say that I do not much regard your opinion; and if I do not estimate highly my own opinion of myself, then it is not to be expected that I should set a high value on the opinions of others” - God only is the infallible judge; and as we and our fellow-men are liable to be biased in our opinions, from envy, ignorance, or self-love, we should regard the judgment of the world as of little value.
These principles are dwelt upon at length in Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church. The apostle refers to “the ministers of Christ” as “stewards of the mysteries of God,” and of their work he declares: “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet I am not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. AA 276.1
It is not given to any human being to judge between the different servants of God. The Lord alone is the judge of man's work, and He will give to each his just reward. AA 276.2
The apostle, continuing, referred directly to the comparisons that had been made between his labors and those of Apollos: “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. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” Verses 6, 7. AA 276.3
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