SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:2
¿O no sabis que los santos han de juzgar al mundo? Y si el mundo ha de ser juzgado por vosotros, ¿sois indignos de juzgar cosas muy pequeas?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 6:2
Verse 2. The saints shall judge the world?] Nothing can be more evident than that the writers of the New Testament often use o kosmov, the world, to signify the Jewish people; and sometimes the Roman empire, and the Jewish state; and in the former sense it is often used by our Lord. When, says he, the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, then shall ye sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Matt. xix. 28. It is supposed that he refers to the same subject as that mentioned here-the saints judging the world; and that St. Paul has his words in view in what he says here to the Corinthians. By judging the twelve tribes of Israel, some have imagined that having authority in the Church is merely intended; but Dr. Lightfoot contends that the words referred to the coming of our Lord to execute judgment on the Jews, and to destroy their state; and that the doctrine of the apostles, not themselves, was to judge and condemn that most disobedient people. The place before us is generally understood to imply, that the redeemed of the Lord shall be, on the great day, assessors with him in judgment; and shall give their award in the determinations of his justice. On reviewing this subject, I am fully of opinion that this cannot be the meaning of the words, and that no such assessorship as is contended for ever will take place; and that the interpretation is clogged with a multitude of absurdities.
1. The saints themselves are to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and shall be judged by him, after which they shall reign with him; but it is never said in Scripture that they shall judge with him.
2. It would be absurd to suppose that thrones should be erected for the purpose of saints sitting on them to give their approbation in the condemnation of the wicked; of what use can such an approbation be? is it necessary to the validity of Christ's decision? and will not even the damned themselves, without this, acknowledge the justice of their doom? I therefore think with Dr. Lightfoot, that these words of the apostle refer to the prediction of Daniel, Dan. vii. 18, 27, and such like prophecies, where the kingdoms of the earth are promised to the saints of the Most High; that is, that a time shall come when Christianity shall so far prevail that the civil government of the world shall be administered by Christians, which, at that time, was administered by heathens. And this is even now true of all those parts of the earth which may be considered of the greatest political consequence. They profess Christianity, and the kings and other governors are Christians in this general sense of the term.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world , etc.] The apostle appeals to them concerning this matter, as a thing well known unto them, or might easily be known by them; for this was either a traditional notion among the Jews, many of whom were in this church, that good men should judge the world; as is said of the righteous in the apocryphal book: They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. (Wisdom 3:8) and so the Jews say f73 , that the first day of the month is the beginning of judgment in the whole world, and Isaac sat on a throne, aml[ dyml , to judge the world: or this might be collected, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, out of ( Daniel 7:18,27), but the difficulty is, in what sense the apostle means the saints shall judge the world; not merely in a comparative sense, for so even will the Heathens, the men of Nineveh, and the queen of Sheba, judge and condemn the Jews; nor as assessors on the throne with Christ, for though they shall sit on the same throne with him as reigning, yet not as judging with him, all judgment is solely committed to him: nor merely as approving that judiciary sentence, that will be pronounced by him on the world; for even wicked men themselves, and devils, will be obliged to own the justice of it; but his meaning is, that in a little time the saints, Christian men, men under a profession of Christianity at least, should be governors in the world, and bear the office of civil magistracy in it; which came to pass in a few centuries after the writing of this, and has been more or less the case ever since; and will be more so in the latter day, when kings shall be nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers to the church; and when the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High: upon which the apostle strongly argues, and if the world shall be judged by you ; if such men as you shall bear sway in it, fill up all civil offices in it, even the highest; shall sit upon the benches of judges, and on the thrones of kings, and at last have the government of the whole world; since such honour the saints shall have, and be abundantly capable of it, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ? is it too high a post, and can you be thought to be unqualified for, and unfit to have such trivial things, of little or no moment and importance, things relating to the common affairs of life, brought before you, and be tried, and judged by you?
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Christians should not contend with one another, for they are brethren This, if duly attended to, would prevent many law-suits, and end man quarrels and disputes. In matters of great damage to ourselves of families, we may use lawful means to right ourselves, but Christian should be of a forgiving temper. Refer the matters in dispute, rathe than go to law about them. They are trifles, and may easily be settled if you first conquer your own spirits. Bear and forbear, and the men of least skill among you may end your quarrels. It is a shame that littl quarrels should grow to such a head among Christians, that they cannot be determined by the brethren. The peace of a man's own mind, and the calm of his neighbourhood, are worth more than victory. Lawsuits coul not take place among brethren, unless there were faults among them.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουκ 3756 PRT-N οιδατε 1492 5758 V-RAI-2P οτι 3754 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM αγιοι 40 A-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM κοσμον 2889 N-ASM κρινουσιν 2919 5692 V-FAI-3P και 2532 CONJ ει 1487 COND εν 1722 PREP υμιν 5213 P-2DP κρινεται 2919 5743 V-PPI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM κοσμος 2889 N-NSM αναξιοι 370 A-NPM εστε 2075 5748 V-PXI-2P κριτηριων 2922 N-GPN ελαχιστων 1646 A-GPN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Matters (krithriwn). The word means, 1, The instrument or rule of judging; 2, the tribunal of a judge. It occurs only here, ver. 4, and James ii. 6, where it means judgment-seats. This latter gives a good sense here without having recourse to the meaning suit or case, which lacks warrant. So Rev., in margin, "are ye unworthy of the smallest tribunals?" That is, are ye unworthy of holding or passing judgment in such inferior courts?
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:2 {Shall judge the world} (ton kosmon krinousin). Future active indicative. At the last day with the Lord Jesus (#Mt 19:28; Lu 22:30). {Are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?} (anaxioi este kriteriwn elacistwn;). anaxios is an old word (an and axios), though only here in the N.T. There is dispute as to the meaning of kriteria here and in verse #4, old word, but nowhere else in N.T. save in #Jas 2:6. Naturally, like other words in -terion (akroaterion, auditorium, #Ac 25:23), this word means the place where judgment is rendered, or court. It is common in the papyri in the sense of tribunal. In the _Apost. Const_. ii. 45 we have me ercesqw epi kriterion eqnikon (Let him not come before a heathen tribunal). Hence here it would mean, "Are ye unworthy of the smallest tribunals?" That is, of sitting on the smallest tribunals, of forming courts yourselves to settle such things?
