Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 4].
to die} (\h•s epithanatious\). Late word, here alone in N.T. The
LXX (Bel and the Dragon 31) has it for those thrown daily to the
lions. Dionysius of Halicarnassus (_A.R_. vii. 35) uses it of
those thrown from the Tarpeian Rock. The gladiators would say
_morituri salutamus_. All this in violent contrast to the kingly
Messianic pretensions of the Corinthians. {A spectacle}
(\theatron\). Cf. Heb 11:33-40. The word, like our theatre,
means the place of the show (Ac 19:29,31). Then, it means the
spectacle shown there (\theama\ or \thea\), and, as here, the man
exhibited as the show like the verb \theatrizomenoi\, made a
spectacle (Heb 10:33). Sometimes it refers to the spectators
(\theatai\) like our "house" for the audience. Here the
spectators include "the world, both to angels and men" (\t•i
kosm•i kai aggelois kai anthr•pois\), dative case of personal
interest.
4:10 {We--you} (\h•meis--humeis\). Triple contrast in keenest
ironical emphasis. "The three antitheses refer respectively to
teaching, demeanour, and worldly position" (Robertson and
Plummer). The apostles were fools for Christ's sake (2Co 4:11;
Php 3:7). They made "union with Christ the basis of worldly
wisdom" (Vincent). There is change of order (chiasm) in the third
ironical contrast. They are over strong in pretension. \Endoxos\,
illustrious, is one of the 103 words found only in Luke and Paul
in the N.T. Notion of display and splendour.
4:11 {Even unto this present hour} (\achri t•s arti h•ras\).
\Arti\ (just now, this very minute) accents the continuity of the
contrast as applied to Paul. Ten verbs and four participles from
11-13 give a graphic picture of Paul's condition in Ephesus
when he is writing this epistle. {We hunger} (\pein•men\), {we
thirst} (\dips•men\), {are naked} (\gumniteuomen\), late verb for
scant clothing from \gumn•t•s\, {are buffeted}
(\kolaphizometha\), to strike a blow with the fist from
\kolaphos\ and one of the few N.T. and ecclesiastical words and
see on ¯Mt 26:67, {have no certain dwelling place}
(\astatoumen\) from \astatos\, strolling about and only here save
Anthol. Pal. and Aquila in Isa 58:7. Field in _Notes_, p. 170
renders 1Co 4:11 "and are vagabonds" or spiritual hobos.
4:12 {We toil} (\kopi•men\). Common late verb for weariness in
toil (Lu 5:5), {working with our own hands} (\ergazomenoi tais
idiais chersin\) instrumental case \chersin\ and not simply for
himself but also for Aquila and Priscilla as he explains in Ac
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