SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:7
¶ Porque ¿quin te hace juzgar? ¿O qu tienes que no hayas recibido? Y si lo recibiste, ¿de qu te glorias como si no lo hubieras recibido?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:7
Verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ] It is likely that the apostle is here addressing himself to some one of those puffed up teachers, who was glorying in his gifts, and in the knowledge he had of the Gospel, &c. As if he had said: If thou hast all that knowledge which thou professest to have, didst thou not receive it from myself or some other of my fellow helpers who first preached the Gospel at Corinth? God never spoke to thee to make thee an apostle. Hast thou a particle of light that thou hast not received from our preaching? Why then dost thou glory, boast, and exult, as if God had first spoken by thee, and not by us? This is the most likely meaning of this verse; and a meaning that is suitable to the whole of the context. It has been applied in a more general sense by religious people, and the doctrine they build on it is true in itself, though it does not appear to me to be any part of the apostle's meaning in this place. The doctrine I refer to is this: God is the foundation of all good; no man possesses any good but what he has derived from God. If any man possess that grace which saves him from scandalous enormities, let him consider that he has received it as a mere free gift from God's mercy. Let him not despise his neighbour who has it not; there was a time when he himself did not possess it; and a time may come when the man whom he now affects to despise, and on whose conduct he is unmerciful and severe, may receive it, and probably may make a more evangelical use of it than he is now doing. This caution is necessary to many religious people, who imagine that they have been eternal objects of God's favour, and that others have been eternal objects of his hate, for no reason that they can show for either the one, or the other. He can have little acquaintance with his own heart, who is not aware of the possibility of pride lurking under the exclamation, Why me! when comparing his own gracious state with the unregenerate state of another.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from another , etc.] This question, and the following, are put to the members of this church, who were glorying in, and boasting of the ministers under whom they were converted, and by whom they were baptized, to the neglect and contempt of others; when the apostle would have them consider, and whatever difference was made between them and others, was made, not by man, but God; that whatever good and benefit they had enjoyed under their respective ministers, were in a way of receiving, and from God; and therefore they ought not to glory in themselves, nor in their ministers, but in God, who had distinguished them by his favours: whatever difference is made among men, is of God; it is he that makes them to differ from the rest of the creation; from angels, to whom they are inferior; and from beasts, to whom they are superior; and from one another in their person, size, shape, and countenance, which is a physical, or natural difference. It is God that makes them to differ from one another in things of a civil nature; as kings and subjects, masters and servants, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, which may be called a political, or civil difference; and there is an ecclesiastical difference which God makes in his own people, who have gifts differing one from another; there are diversities of gifts, administrations, and operations among them, and all from the same spirit: but the grand distinction God has made among men, lies in his special, distinguishing, and everlasting love to some, and not others; in his choice of them in Christ unto everlasting salvation; in the gift of them to Christ in the eternal covenant; in the redemption of them by his blood; in his powerful and prevalent intercession for them; in Gods effectual calling of them by his grace; in his resurrection of them from the dead to everlasting life, placing them at Christs right hand, and their entrance into everlasting glory; when the distinction will be kept up, as in the above instances, throughout the endless ages of eternity; all which is owing, not to anything of mans, but to the free grace, sovereign will, and good pleasure of God. And what hast thou that thou didst not receive ? whatever mercies and blessings men enjoy, they have in a way of receiving, and from God the Father of all mercies: all natural and temporal mercies are received from him; even such as respect the body, the make, form, and shape of it, perfection of limbs, health, strength, food, raiment, preservation of life, continuance in being, with all the comforts of it: and such as relate to the soul, its formation, which is by the father of spirits, its powers and faculties, natural light, reason, and understanding, all its endowments, abilities, all natural parts, and sharpness of wit; so that no man ought to glory in his wisdom, as if it was owing to himself, when it is all of God. All supernatural and spiritual blessings are received from God; such as a justifying righteousness, sanctifying grace, remission of sin, the new name of adoption, strength to perform good works, to bear and suffer reproach and persecution for Christ, and to persevere to the end, with a right and title to eternal glory. Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it ? To glory in any mercy, favour, or blessing received from God, as if it was not received from him, but as owing to human power, care, and industry, betrays wretched vanity, stupid and more than brutish ignorance, horrid ingratitude, abominable pride and wickedness; and is contrary to the grace of God, which teaches men humility and thankfulness. To God alone should all the blessings of nature, providence, and grace be ascribed; he ought to have all the glory of them; and to him, and him only, praise is due for them. That proud Arminian, Grevinchovius f43 , in answer to this text, said, I make myself to differ; since I could resist God, and divine predetermination, but have not resisted, why may not I glory in it as of my own?
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-13 - We have no reason to be proud; all we have, or are, or do, that is good, is owing to the free and rich grace of God. A sinner snatche from destruction by sovereign grace alone, must be very absurd an inconsistent, if proud of the free gifts of God. St. Paul sets fort his own circumstances, ver. 9 Allusion is made to the cruel spectacle in the Roman games; where men were forced to cut one another to pieces to divert the people; and where the victor did not escape with his life, though he should destroy his adversary, but was only kept for another combat, and must be killed at last. The thought that many eye are upon believers, when struggling with difficulties or temptations should encourage constancy and patience. "We are weak, but ye ar strong." All Christians are not alike exposed. Some suffer greate hardships than others. The apostle enters into particulars of their sufferings. And how glorious the charity and devotion that carried the through all these hardships! They suffered in their persons an characters as the worst and vilest of men; as the very dirt of the world, that was to be swept away: nay, as the offscouring of all things, the dross of all things. And every one who would be faithful in Christ Jesus, must be prepared for poverty and contempt. Whatever the disciples of Christ suffer from men, they must follow the example, an fulfil the will and precepts of their Lord. They must be content, with him and for him, to be despised and abused. It is much better to be rejected, despised, and ill used, as St. Paul was, than to have the good opinion and favour of the world. Though cast off by the world a vile, yet we may be precious to God, gathered up with his own hand, an placed upon his throne.
Greek Textus Receptus
τις 5101 I-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ σε 4571 P-2AS διακρινει 1252 5719 V-PAI-3S τι 5101 I-ASN δε 1161 CONJ εχεις 2192 5719 V-PAI-2S ο 3739 R-ASN ουκ 3756 PRT-N ελαβες 2983 5627 V-2AAI-2S ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ ελαβες 2983 5627 V-2AAI-2S τι 5101 I-ASN καυχασαι 2744 5736 V-PNI-2S ως 5613 ADV μη 3361 PRT-N λαβων 2983 5631 V-2AAP-NSM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:7 {Maketh thee to differ} (se diakrinei). Distinguishes thee, separates thee. diakrinw means to sift or separate between (dia) as in #Ac 15:9 (which see) where metaxu is added to make it plainer. All self-conceit rests on the notion of superiority of gifts and graces as if they were self-bestowed or self-acquired. {Which thou didst not receive} (ho ouk elabes). "Another home-thrust" (Robertson and Plummer). Pride of intellect, of blood, of race, of country, of religion, is thus shut out. {Dost thou glory} (kaucasai). The original second person singular middle ending -sai is here preserved with variable vowel contraction, kaucaesai=kaucasai (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 341). Paul is fond of this old and bold verb for boasting. {As if thou hadst not received it} (hws me labwn). this neat participial clause (second aorist active of lambanw) with hws (assumption) and negative me punctures effectually the inflated bag of false pride. What pungent questions Paul has asked. Robertson and Plummer say of Augustine, "Ten years before the challenge of Pelagius, the study of St. Paul's writings, and especially of this verse and of #Ro 9:16, had crystallized in his mind the distinctively Augustinian doctrines of man's total depravity, of irresistible grace, and of absolute predestination." Human responsibility does exist beyond a doubt, but there is no foundation for pride and conceit.
