THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS - Chapter 4 - Verse 13

Verse 13. Being defamed. Greek, Blasphemed, i.e., spoken of and to, in a harsh, abusive, and reproachful manner. The original and proper meaning of the word is, to speak in a reproachful manner of any one, whether of God or man. It is usually applied to God, but it may also be used of men.

We entreat. Either God in their behalf, praying him to forgive them, or we entreat them to turn from their sins, and become converted to God. Probably the latter is the sense. They besought them to examine more candidly their claims, instead of reviling them; and to save their souls by embracing the gospel, instead of destroying them by rejecting it with contempt and scorn.

We are made. We became; we are so regarded or esteemed. The word here does not imply that there was any positive agency in making them such, but simply that they were in fact so regarded.

As the filth of the earth. It would not be possible to employ stronger expressions to denote the contempt and scorn with which they were everywhere regarded. The word filth perikayarmata occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly denotes filth, or that which is collected by sweeping a house; or that which is collected and cast away by purifying or cleansing anything: hence any vile, worthless, and contemptible object. Among the Greeks, the word was used to denote the victims which were offered to expiate crimes; and particularly men of ignoble rank, and of a worthless and wicked character, who were kept to be offered to the gods in a time of pestilence, to appease their anger, and to purify the nation. (Bretschneider and Schleusner.) Hence it was applied by them to men of the most vile, abject, and worthless character. But it is not certain that Paul had any reference to that sense of the word. The whole force of the expression may be met by the supposition that he uses it in the sense of that filth or dirt which is collected by the process of cleansing or scouring anything, as being vile, contemptible, worthless. So the apostles were regarded. And by the use of the word world here, he meant to say that they were regarded as the most vile and worthless men which the whole world could furnish; not only the refuse of Judea, but of all the nations of the earth. As if he had said, "More vile and worthless men could not be found on the face of the earth."

And are the off-scouring of all things. This word periqhma occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It does not differ materially from the word rendered filth. It denotes that which is rubbed off by scouring or cleaning anything; and hence anything vile or worthless; or a vile and worthless man. This term was also applied to vile and worthless men who were sacrificed or thrown into the sea as an expiatory offering, as it were, to purify the people. Suidas remarks, that they said to such a man, "Be then our periqhma," our redemption, and then flung him into the sea as a sacrifice to Neptune. See Whitby, Calvin, Doddridge.

Unto this day. Continually. We have been constantly so regarded. See 1 Co 4:11.

{++} "entreat" "exhort" {&} "earth" "As the vilest of the world" {d} "off-scouring" La 3:45