Paul’s spectacle is presented not only to Romans but also to the world and to angels and humans, with God as the editor, the benefactor who supports the event financially.306 Both heaven and earth, then, witness the apostles suffering, which has the effect of prompting Corinthian pathos due to the magnitude of ignominy endured by Paul in conformity to his calling that recalls the cruciform Christ. Paul’s audience is indirectly prompted to choose between its desire for elitist wisdom, power, and eminence, or the apostolic plight viewed by the world as foolish, weak, and disreputable scum whose lives do not matter. A reality check for the Corinthians might remind them that they, too, resemble the apostle (cf. 1:26–27).307 But in Paul’s ironic scene they are imagined instead as royal, rich, and satisfied elitists. They are the ones who take the best seats in this arena as they watch the bloody spectacle. Paul’s call for them to be his imitators, then, might compel them to get out of their privileged seats as spectators and jump into the arena with the apostle.308
The catalogue of hardships Paul experiences is composed of triadic sets (4:11–13). Although “we” is used, Paul thinks foremost of his own experiences and secondarily of any colleagues who happen to be with him to share them.309 The first set is hunger, thirst, poorly clothed (cf. 2 Cor 11:27; Phil 4:12). These are bodily setbacks the apostle experiences during his missionary travels, which may indirectly apply to the conditions of captives of war. The next set depicts more missionary experiences, including violent opposition by being brutally treated, perpetual travelling and thus being homeless, and Paul toiling as a tentmaker by laboring with his own hands to support himself (cf. 2 Cor 4:9; 6:4–5; 11:23–25; Acts 18:3). The next triad reflects apostolic responses to experiencing injustices. When Paul and his team are verbally abused, they bless the revilers in return; when they are persecuted, they endure whatever affliction takes place as a result; and when they are slandered, they attempt to conciliate in a friendly manner (cf. 2 Cor 6:6–8). These responses resemble the voice of Jesus who urges his followers to do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them (cf. Luke 6:27–28).310
The list ends in hyperbolic language with the apostles having become the refuse of the world and off-scouring of all things. These words might describe the waste and filth that is scrapped away from whatever is cleansed from a utensil. But given that 4:9 forms an inclusio with 4:13 with the parallel phrase, “we have become . . . to/of the world,” the grisly remains of the earlier captives of war, this time after the spectacle is over, may be foremost in view. Paul’s audience might envision the remains of the apostle’s dead body after being mauled by beasts, burned, crucified, slaughtered, or otherwise mutilated.311 These remains are thrown out as refuse to be left exposed on the street or at the dumpsite where they rot away and are eaten by vermin instead of given proper burial. Paul’s words nonetheless may reflect a double entendre—the nearly synonymous “refuse” (περικάθαρμα) and “off-scouring” (περίψημα) sometimes have cultic meaning in which they become the means of purification by virtue of their removal (e.g., Prov 21:8; Tob 5:19).312 Paul’s bodily remains may be thus perceived both as a dead and mangled stench of flesh and, similar to Christ, as a sacrificial offering that purifies those who come to faith. His imagery alternates from utter defeat through the world’s eyes to ultimate victory through heaven’s eyes. Among the many afflicted sages in Hellenistic tradition and righteous and prophetic sufferers in Jewish tradition, Paul patterns his own suffering most pointedly after Jesus Christ. As Christ sacrificed his life by suffering on the cross so that others might be cleansed from sin, Paul daily sacrifices his life, suffering as a missionary in order to proclaim the message of the cross.
Although our apostle expresses these things not wanting to shame the Corinthians (4:14), this is what his language nevertheless does. His primary goal at any rate is to admonish and correct them as his beloved children, and so his exhibition of apostolic hardships is for an exhortational purpose that combines familial and pedagogical discourse. An exaggerated ten thousand tutors (παιδαγωγούς) mark the congregation’s teachers and visiting ministers who guide, protect, and provide them with moral education.313 Paul on the other hand claims to be their father—it was through the gospel he proclaimed that they came to faith in Christ (Acts 18).314 As their spiritual parent he should be honored by them; parental honor may be assumed second only to honoring God and perhaps country (Cicero Off. 1.160; Ps.-Phoc. 8; cf. Sir 3:8–11; Eph 6:1–2).315 A father like Paul is to be respected, imitated, and should receive affection in reciprocity.316 This assertion prompts discordant Corinthians to submit and be unified under the one household in Christ in which Paul functions as their father.317 Moreover, fathers are considered teachers of their children (Aristotle N.E. 8.12.5; Philostratus Vit. soph. 1.490),318 as Benjamin Fiore affirms, “The teaching in the school is considered an extension of, or at least analogous to, the parent in the home.”319 Part of that teaching role was for children to imitate their parents by way of example, which is how Paul exhorts the Corinthians: Be imitators of me. They are to follow the apostle’s servant-like and cruciform conduct in 3:5—4:13.
Rhetorical and philosophical training encouraged students by way of imitation as well (Philostratus Vit. soph. 2.586–88; Theon, Prog. 2.70–71; Isocrates Soph. 13.17–18; Xenophon Mem. 1.2.3).320 The example our apostle promotes is subversive to the status-seeking ideology wed with imitating sophist rhetoricians. Ben Witherington rightly notes that “Paul distinguishes himself both from the sort of father figure the emperor might be and from the sort other teachers, especially Sophists, might be, especially by means of his hardship catalog.”321 To imitate Paul is to imitate what is contrary to the standards of the present age and its rulers—it embraces humility, suffering, and strength in weakness in Christ (4:10–13, 17). Paul, however, has the problem of being an absent father, and so he must send Timothy to Corinth for proxy parental duties (cf. 16:10–11).322 Timothy, one of Paul’s converts, reflects a prime example of this sort of parent-child imitation; he will help reinforce Corinthian imitation of Paul’s moral standards and patterns of conduct in Christ.323 Such values are taught by Paul in every church, and the Corinthians should not think themselves an exception.
Paul concludes this section by promising his own follow-up visit to Corinth (4:18–21; cf. 16:3–7). That some members have become arrogant as though I were not coming to you recalls Corinthian attitudes in 4:6–7. They are like children who are left alone and suppose that they will get away with their misbehavior because the parent is not present. Those who are critical of Paul, presumably those who do not regard him as their spiritual parent, may not have thought he was coming back at all.324 Paul mentions his coming as a way to deflate their arrogance—he will set things right, that is, if the Lord permits him to visit. These inflated individuals will encounter the Spirit’s power that works mightily through the apostle (2:4–5), and a similar power had better work through them because their bombastic talking will get them nowhere on that day! The aphorism in 4:20 is not exhaustive in definition but expresses an important feature relevant to this context:325 the kingdom of God that is being revealed to them is not characterized by clever words but the Spirit’s power that works miracles and transforms lives.
In prospect of Paul’s return, the Corinthians must now decide how to behave; the result of their choice will determine Paul’s actions when he arrives. If they follow his exhortations, he will visit them with the parental affections of love and an attitude of gentleness. If they persist in arrogance, he will discipline them with a metaphoric rod of correction. Fathers in patriarchal homes were expected to physically discipline their children, even with a stick (Prov 22:15; 2 Sam 7:14; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2.231–32). In wisdom discourse this was not considered abusive but reflected instead God’s love as a disciplining Father (Prov 3:11–12; Sir 30:1–2).326 In like manner, teachers and tutors punished students in order to improve their learning.327 Both father and teacher roles enable Paul’s metaphor of the disciplining rod, but the former has more authority here. What type of punishment might Paul be referring to with this rod? Richard Hays relates this to the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs 18:20–40), and Roy Harrisville, with Moses and Pharaoh’s magicians (Exod 7–9).328 Perhaps a more relevant parallel describes Paul being filled with the Spirit’s power and temporarily blinding a false prophet who attempts to obstruct his ministry (Acts 13:6–11). Similar discipline might be enforced when Paul warns the Corinthians that he will not