[Photo of 'garbage' or rubbish at side of street by Jon Tyson on Unsplash].
Paul uses very strong language to describe the way apostles such as he were treated in the first century. As I read these verses, I contrast this with the comfortable, materialistic lifestyle of many 21st Century Christians. We have tried to make Christianity respectable. We have sought to play down the stigma associated with being a Christian. I think we need to challenge ourselves as we look within our hearts and see our hypocrisy - are we really identifying with the crucified Lord and Saviour. There are many parts of the world where Christians are still treated as socially unacceptable.
Look at some of the language Paul uses.
For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. [1 Corinthians 4:9 NIV]
This is a powerful metaphor where Paul is comparing his treatment by his fellow citizens to the dreadful way the Romans used human beings as a macabre form of entertainment. The Romans used slaves and later Christians as a spectacle - a public display of contempt and hatred towards them. These unfortunate victims were treated with no compassion, dignity or decency. I am providing some quotations from a writer called Seneca who provides a graphic illustration of this shocking public displays of Roman power.
"In the morning men are exposed to lions and bears; at midday to their spectators; those that kill are exposed to one another; the victor is detained for another slaughter; the conclusion of the fight is death. The former fighting compared to this was mercy; now it is mere butchery: they have nothing to cover them; their whole body is exposed to every blow, and every stroke produces a wound. " [Seneca - Epistles vii]
Here are some headlines regarding this picture of Roman brutality.
Victims are naked, unarmed and unprotected.
There is no hope - if they survive one ordeal, they are then subjected to a worse ordeal.
They face wild beasts such as lions and bears
They face gladiators who have swords and spears but the victims have no protection.
Many Christians were later subjected to this form of death. It is ironic that Paul is using this as an analogy. He is comparing the treatment of Christian leaders (apostles) to the way the Romans treat their prisoners. In a few years the Romans would target Christians in this way.
Paul also uses another two words to describe the treatment of apostles in the first century.
when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment. [1 Corinthians 4:13 NIV]
Notice the two words scum and garbage (other translations have 'offscouring' or 'refuse'). The word translated 'scum' literally means 'something cleaned off all around.' There is no doubt that Paul is using strong language to describe the way he and the other apostles are treated in the Roman world. These words are only used once in the New Testament but some commentators have looked deeper into the use of these Greek words in Greek literature. They link both these words to the heathen custom of offering someone as a sacrifice to Neptune or other gods. This was when there was some sort of disaster or public calamity and it was necessary to offer someone as a sacrifice to stop the gods from being angry. The poor victim was kept alive for as much as a year before being taken out to be sacrificed publicly by being whipped 7 times before being burned alive. All the curses of the community were given to this individual in the hope of removing them.
There are still places in our 21st century world where Christians are blamed for all the bad things that have happened. For example, they were said to have caused the Covid pandemic and they have been vilified and persecuted as a scapegoat for the rest of their community. In 20th century Germany, the Jews were treated like that. Hitler blamed the Jews for losing the First World War and for the economic chaos of the Weimar Republic.
Paul is pulling no punches. He is describing graphically the prejudices and hatred encountered by himself and the other apostles. But the important point is that at the same time the Corinthians were living like kings apart from them. They were not sharing the reproach of the name of Christ. For them Christianity was a middle class comfortable lifestyle. They wanted luxury and indulgence. This is a real challenge for us in 2021 - when so many Christians are suffering persecution and hatred.
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