ACC ~ 1 Corinthians 4 v16

BE HUMBLE. ORIGEN: Paul is saying to the Corinthians: “Be humble as I am humble, suffer as I suffer. It is by your sufferings, not by your gifts, that you will be rated.” COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 2.21.12-14.

IMITATE PAUL. AMBROSIASTER: Paul wants them to be imitators of him in these things, so that just as he has endured many hardships from unbelievers for their salvation and is still doing so as long as he preaches the free gift of God’s grace day and night, so they too ought to remain in his faith and doctrine and not accept the evil teachings of false apostles. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

IMITATE CHRIST. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul’s real aim was that the Corinthians should imitate Christ. But because of their weakness, he presents himself as an intermediate model to follow. It is only because he imitates Christ that he exhorts the people to imitate him. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 13.5.

BE PREPARED TO SUFFER. THEODORET OF CYR: By this Paul meant that if he was humble, they should also be humble. What he was prepared to suffer, they should be prepared to suffer. They were to glory in their hardships, not in their blessings. COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 190.

1 Cor