SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
Ya estis saciados, ya estis ricos, sin nosotros reinis ya ; y bien que reinis, para que nosotros reinemos tambin juntamente con vosotros.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:8
Verse 8. Now ye] Corinthians are full of secular wisdom; now ye are rich, both in wealth and spiritual gifts; (chap. xiv. xxvi. ) ye have reigned as kings, flourishing in the enjoyment of these things, in all tranquillity and honour; without any want of us: and I would to God ye did reign, in deed, and not in conceit only, that we also, poor, persecuted, and despised apostles, might reign with you. - Whitby. Though this paraphrase appears natural, yet I am of opinion that the apostle here intends a strong irony; and one which, when taken in conjunction with what he had said before, must have stung them to the heart. It is not an unusual thing for many people to forget, if not despise, the men by whom they were brought to the knowledge of the truth; and take up with others to whom, in the things of God, they owe nothing.
Reader, is this thy case?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. Now ye are full , etc.] That is, in their own opinion: these words, and some following expressions, are an ironical concession. They were not full of God, and divine things; nor of Christ, and of grace out of his fulness; nor of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, as Stephen and Barnabas are said to be; nor of joy and peace in believing; nor of goodness and spiritual knowledge; but they were full of themselves, and were pulled up in their fleshly minds with an opinion of their abilities, learning, oratory, and eloquence, of their ministers, and of their own great improvements in knowledge under their ministrations. They fancied they had got to a perfection in knowledge and were brimful of it; and as the full stomach, from which the metaphor is taken, loathes the honeycomb, so these persons loathed the apostles ministry, and the pure preaching of the Gospel; imagining that they had attained to something above it, and stood in no need of it; when, alas! they were but babes, children in understanding, and needed milk instead of strong meat; so far were they from being what they thought themselves to be. Now ye are rich ; not in faith; nor in good works; nor in spiritual gifts and knowledge, though some among them were; but that is not here intended: the meaning is, they were rich, and abounded in knowledge in their own account. Like the Laodiceans, they conceited themselves to be rich, and increased with goods, when they were poor, and wretched, and miserable. Ye have reigned as kings without us . The saints, in the best sense, are kings, made so by Christ; and have not only the name, and the ensigns of royalty, as crowns and thrones prepared for them, but kingdoms also: they have a kingdom of grace, which they enjoy now, and shall never be removed; in which they reign as kings under the influence of the Spirit of God, over the corruptions of their own hearts, which are laid under the restraints of mighty grace; and over the world, which they have under the feet; and over Satan, who is dethroned and cast out of them; and they shall inherit the kingdom of glory hereafter; but nothing of this kind is here intended. The sense of the words is, that these persons imagined that they had arrived to such a pitch of knowledge, as to be independent of the apostles; needed no instructions and directions from them, and were in great tranquillity and ease of mind, and attended with outward prosperity, so that they lived, as kings, the most happy life that could be desired; upon which the apostle expresses his hearty wish for them: and I would to God ye did reign ; not in carnal security, and in affluence of worldly enjoyments, which the apostle was not desirous of for himself, and other his fellow ministers; nor in a spiritual sense, merely as believers in common, and as he then did; but with Christ in his kingdom state here on earth: that we also might reign with you ; for all the saints will be together when Christ takes to himself his great power, and reigns; they will all reign with him on earth a thousand years; this is a faithful saying, nothing more true, or to be depended on, that those that suffer with him shall also reign with him; and not a part of his people only, but the whole body: hence the apostle wishes, that this reigning time for the church of Christ was come, then he and the rest of the apostles would reign also: but, alas! it was a plain case, from the condition they were in, of which the following words give a narrative, that this time was not yet.
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
ηδη 2235 ADV κεκορεσμενοι 2880 5772 V-RPP-NPM εστε 2075 5748 V-PXI-2P ηδη 2235 ADV επλουτησατε 4147 5656 V-AAI-2P χωρις 5565 ADV ημων 2257 P-1GP εβασιλευσατε 936 5656 V-AAI-2P και 2532 CONJ οφελον 3785 INJ γε 1065 PRT εβασιλευσατε 936 5656 V-AAI-2P ινα 2443 CONJ και 2532 CONJ ημεις 2249 P-1NP υμιν 5213 P-2DP συμβασιλευσωμεν 4821 5661 V-AAS-1P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Now ye are full (hdh kekoresmenoi este). Rev., better, filled. Ironical contrast between their attitude and that of the apostle in vers. 3, 4. We are hungering for further revelations; ye are already filled without waiting for the Lord's coming.Ye have reigned (ebasileusate). American Rev., better, ye have come to reign; attained to dominion, that kingship which will be bestowed on Christians only at Christ's coming.
Without us. Though it is through us that you are Christians at all.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:8 {Already are ye filled?} (ede kekoresmenoi este?). Perfect passive indicative, state of completion, of korennumi, old Greek verb to satiate, to satisfy. The only other example in N.T. is #Ac 27:38 which see. Paul may refer to #De 31:20; 32:15. But it is keen irony, even sarcasm. Westcott and Hort make it a question and the rest of the sentence also. {Already ye are become rich} (ede eploutesate). Note change to ingressive aorist indicative of ploutew, old verb to be rich (cf. #2Co 8:9). "The aorists, used instead of perfects, imply indecent haste" (Lightfoot). "They have got a private millennium of their own" (Robertson & Plummer) with all the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom (#Lu 22:29f.; 1Th 2:12; 2Ti 2:12). {Ye have reigned without us} (cwris hemwn ebasileusate). Withering sarcasm. Ye became kings without our company. Some think that Paul as in #3:21 is purposely employing Stoic phraseology though with his own meanings. If so, it is hardly consciously done. Paul was certainly familiar with much of the literature of his time, but it did not shape his ideas. {I would that ye did reign} (kai ofelon ge ebasileusate). More exactly, "And would at least that ye had come to reign (or become kings)." It is an unfulfilled wish about the past expressed by ofelon and the aorist indicative instead of ei gar and the aorist indicative (the ancient idiom). See Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1003, for the construction with particle ofelon (an unaugmented second aorist form). {That we also might reign with you} (hina kai hemeis humin sunbasileuswmen). Ironical contrast to cwris hemwn ebasileusate, just before. Associative instrumental case of humin after sun-.
