SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:15
Porque aunque tengis diez mil ayos en Cristo, no tendris muchos padres; que en Cristo Jess yo os engendr por el Evangelio.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:15
Verse 15. For though ye have ten thousand instructers] muriouv paidagwgouv, Myriads of leaders, that is, an indefinite multitude; for so the word is often used. The paidagwgov, from which we have our word pedagogue, which we improperly apply to a school master, was among the Greeks, the person or servant who attended a child, had the general care of him, and who led him to school for the purpose of being instructed by the didaskalov, or teacher. It seems there were many at Corinth who offered their services to instruct this people, and who were not well affected towards the apostle. Not many fathers] Many offer to instruct you who have no parental feeling for you; and how can they? you are not their spiritual children, yon stand in this relation to me alone; for in Christ Jesus-by the power and unction of his Spirit, I have begotten you-I was the means of bringing you into a state of salvation, so that you have been born again: ye are my children alone in the Gospel. Schoettgen produces a good illustration of this from Shemoth Rabba, sect. 46, fol. 140. "A girl who had lost her parents was educated by a guardian, who was a good and faithful man, and took great care of her; when she was grown up, he purposed to bestow her in marriage; the scribe came, and beginning to write the contract, said, What is thy name? The maid answered, N. The scribe proceeded, What is the name of thy father? The maid was silent. Her guardian said, Why art thou silent? The maid replied, Because I know no other father but thee; for he who educates a child well, is more properly the father than he who begot it." This is the same kind of sentiment which I have already quoted from Terence, Rom. xvi. 13.
Natura tu illi pater es, consiliis ego.
Adelphi, Act i., scene 2, ver. 47.
Thou art his father by nature, I by instruction.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ , etc.] Or schoolmasters; by whom he means the false teachers, whom, for argument sake, he admits to be instructors in Christ, or ministers of his, as in ( 2 Corinthians 11:23) and who were many, and of whose number the Corinthians boasted; though they were not so numerous as here supposed; for the expression is hyperbolical: perhaps some reference may be had to the multitude of schoolmasters, tutors, and governors, and who also were called twba , fathers, which those that were Jews of this church at Corinth had before they believed in Christ; as the members of the great sanhedrim, the great number of doctors, wise men, Scribes and Pharisees, who pretended to instruct them: now though it should be allowed, that the present teachers among them were instrumental in instructing them further in the knowledge of Christ; or as the Arabic version reads it, in the love of Christ; yet they had no hand in their conversion; the apostle first preached the Gospel to them, and ministerially laid Christ the foundation among them, and directed them unto him, and was the minister by whom they believed; these teachers at most and best built on his foundation, and that only wood, hay, and stubble; and whereas they were only a sort of schoolmasters, and not fathers, they taught with mercenary views, and for lucres sake, and with severity, as such men do; and not with such a single eye to their good, and with that tenderness and affection a parent has, and in which relation he stood to them: yet have ye not many fathers ; as it is in nature, so it is in grace; how many masters and instructors soever a child may have, whether together or successively, he has but one father; and so how many after instructors, either nominally or really, believers may have to lead them on, or who pretend to lead them on to a further knowledge of Christ; yet have they but one spiritual father, who has been the happy instrument and means of their conversion, as the Apostle Paul was to the Corinthians; for in Christ Jesus have I begotten you through the Gospel ; which is to be understood of regeneration, a being born again, and from above; of being quickened when dead in trespasses and sins; of having Christ formed in the soul; of being made a partaker of the divine nature, and a new creature; which the apostle ascribes to himself, not as the efficient cause thereof, for regeneration is not of men but of God; not of the will of the flesh, of a mans own free will and power, nor of the will of any other man, or minister; but of the sovereign will, grace, and mercy of God, Father, Son, and Spirit. The Father of Christ beget us again according to his abundant mercy; and the Son quickens whom he will; and we are born again of water and of the Spirit, of the grace of the Spirit; hence the washing of regeneration, and renewing work are ascribed to him: but the apostle speaks this of himself, only as the instrument or means, which God made use of in doing this work upon the hearts of his people; and which the other phrases show: for he is said to do it in Christ; he preached Christ unto them, and salvation by him, and the necessity of faith in him; he directed them to him to believe in him, and was the means of bringing of them to the faith of Christ; and it was the power and grace of Christ accompanying his ministry, which made it an effectual means of their regeneration and conversion: and which were brought about through the Gospel; not through the preaching of the law; for though by that is the knowledge of sin, and convictions may be wrought by such means; yet these leave nothing but a sense of wrath and damnation; nor is the law any other than a killing letter: no regeneration, no quickening grace, no faith nor holiness come this way, but through the preaching of the Gospel; in and through which, as a vehicle, the Spirit of God conveys himself into the heart, as a spirit of regeneration and faith; and God of his own will and rich mercy, by the word of truth, by the Gospel of grace and truth, which came by Christ, so called in distinction from the law which came by Moses, begets us again as his new creatures; which shows the usefulness of the Gospel ministry, and in what account Gospel ministers are to be had, who are spiritual fathers, or the instruments of the conversion of men.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-21 - In reproving for sin, we should distinguish between sinners and their sins. Reproofs that kindly and affectionately warn, are likely to reform. Though the apostle spoke with authority as a parent, he woul rather beseech them in love. And as ministers are to set an example others must follow them, as far as they follow Christ in faith an practice. Christians may mistake and differ in their views, but Chris and Christian truth are the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever Whenever the gospel is effectual, it comes not in word only, but als in power, by the Holy Spirit, quickening dead sinners, deliverin persons from the slavery of sin and Satan, renewing them both inwardl and outwardly, and comforting, strengthening, and establishing the saints, which cannot be done by the persuasive language of men, but by the power of God. And it is a happy temper, to have the spirit of love and meekness bear the rule, yet to maintain just authority __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εαν 1437 COND γαρ 1063 CONJ μυριους 3463 A-APM παιδαγωγους 3807 N-APM εχητε 2192 5725 V-PAS-2P εν 1722 PREP χριστω 5547 N-DSM αλλ 235 CONJ ου 3756 PRT-N πολλους 4183 A-APM πατερας 3962 N-APM εν 1722 PREP γαρ 1063 CONJ χριστω 5547 N-DSM ιησου 2424 N-DSM δια 1223 PREP του 3588 T-GSN ευαγγελιου 2098 N-GSN εγω 1473 P-1NS υμας 5209 P-2AP εγεννησα 1080 5656 V-AAI-1S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Tutors (paidagwgouv). From paiv boy and ajgwgov leader. The Paedagogus was a slave to whom boys were entrusted on leaving the care of the females, which was somewhere about their sixteenth year. He was often a foreigner, sometimes educated and refined, but often otherwise; for Plutarch complains that seamen, traders, usurers, and farmers are engaged in this capacity. The office was one of general guardianship, not of instruction, though sometimes the paedagogus acted as teacher. He accompanied the boy to school, carrying his books, etc., and attended him to the gymnasium and elsewhere. 87 See, further, on Gal. iii. 24.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:15 {To admonish} (nouqetwn). Literally, admonishing (present active participle of nouqetew). See on 1Th 5:12,14. {For though ye should have} (ean gar ecete). Third-class condition undetermined, but with prospect of being determined (ean and present subjunctive), "for if ye have." {Tutors} (paidagwgous). this old word (pais, boy, agwgos, leader) was used for the guide or attendant of the child who took him to school as in #Ga 3:24 (Christ being the schoolmaster) and also as a sort of tutor who had a care for the child when not in school. The papyri examples (Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_) illustrate both aspects of the paedagogue. Here it is the "tutor in Christ" who is the Teacher. These are the only two N.T. examples of the common word. {I begot you} (humas egennesa). Paul is their {spiritual father} in Christ, while Apollos and the rest are their {tutors} in Christ.
