The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 4:12 Explained

1 Corinthians 4:12

KJV: And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

YLT: and labour, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer;

Darby: and labour, working with our own hands. Railed at, we bless; persecuted, we suffer it;

ASV: and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  labour,  working  with our own  hands:  being reviled,  we bless;  being persecuted,  we suffer it: 

What does 1 Corinthians 4:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 4:1-13 - Stewards Responsible To Their Lord
At the most the ministers or teachers of God's Gospel are but stewards of the hidden things of God, according to Matthew 13:51-52. They ought not to attract attention to themselves or to the way they purvey their Master's goods. Their prime object is to be faithful to their trust; to make much of the Master and as little as possible of themselves. Paul was not aware that he had violated his Master's confidence, but he could not be content till he had heard the Master's verdict on his life-work. Notice the four courts of appeal-my own judgment, your judgment, man's judgment, and Christ's. The Master will reverse many human judgments, but all will bear witness to the absolute justice of His verdict.
In vivid words the Apostle shows how great was the difference between the ease and self-satisfaction of the Corinthian church and the sorry plight to which he and his fellow-workers were often reduced. Many regarded them as the captives in a conqueror's triumphal procession, who behind the triumphal car were being-marched to death. But it mattered little to them so long as Christ was adored, loved, glorified, and His Kingdom advanced. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 4

1  In what account the apostles ought to be regarded
7  We have nothing which we have not received
9  The apostles spectacles to the world, angels, and men;
13  the filth and offscouring of the world;
15  yet our fathers in Christ;
16  whom we ought to follow

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 4:12

We toil [κοπιωμεν]
Common late verb for weariness in toil (Luke 5:5), working with our own hands “Greeks despised manual labour; St. Paul glories in it” (Robertson and Plummer). Cf. Deissmann, Light, etc., p. 317. [source]
Being reviled we bless [λοιδορουμενοι ευλογουμεν]
Almost the language of Peter about Jesus (1 Peter 2:23) in harmony with the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27. Being persecuted we endure (διωκομενοι ανεχομετα — diōkomenoi anechometha). We hold back and do not retaliate. Turn to Paul‘s other picture of his experiences in the vivid contrasts in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10; 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 for an interpretation of his language here. [source]
Being persecuted we endure [διωκομενοι ανεχομετα]
We hold back and do not retaliate. Turn to Paul‘s other picture of his experiences in the vivid contrasts in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10; 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 for an interpretation of his language here. [source]
Labor [κοπιῶμεν]
Rev., toil. Unto weariness. See on Luke 5:5. [source]
Reviled [λοιδορούμενοι]
See on Acts 23:4. [source]
We bless [εὐλογοῦμεν]
See on blessed, John 12:13. [source]
We suffer [ἀνεχόμεθα]
Lit., we hold or bear up. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 4:12

John 9:28 Reviled [ἐλοιδόρησαν]
The verb means to reproach or scold in a loud and abusive manner. Calvin, on 1 Corinthians 4:12, “being reviled we bless,” remarks: “ Λοιδορία is a harsher railing, which not only rebukes a man, but also sharply bites him, and stamps him with open contumely. Hence λοιδορεῖν is to wound a man as with an accursed sting.” [source]
John 9:28 They reviled him [ελοιδορησαν αυτον]
First aorist active indicative of λοιδορεω — loidoreō old verb from λοιδορος — loidoros (reviler, 1 Corinthians 5:11), in N.T. only here, Acts 23:4; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Peter 2:23. Thou art his disciple Probably a fling in εκεινου — ekeinou (of that fellow). He had called him a prophet (John 9:17) and became a joyful follower later (John 9:36-38). But we are disciples of Moses This they said with proud scorn of the healed beggar. All orthodox rabbis so claimed. [source]
John 15:20 Remember [μνημονευετε]
Present active imperative of μνημονευω — mnēmoneuō old verb from μνημων — mnēmōn in John again in John 16:4, John 16:21. See John 13:16 for this word. If they persecuted me Condition of first class. They certainly did persecute (first aorist active of διωκω — diōkō to chase like a wild beast like the Latin persequor, our “persecute”) Jesus (John 5:16). They will persecute those like Jesus. Cf. John 16:33; Mark 10:30; Luke 21:12; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 4:9; Galatians 4:29; 2 Timothy 3:12 for proof that this prophecy came true. But the alternative is true and is stated by Jesus with a like condition of the first class, “if they kept my word” The world does praise the word of Jesus, but dreads to follow it. [source]
Acts 20:34 These hands [αι χειρες αυται]
Paul was not above manual labour. He pointed to his hands with pride as proof that he toiled at his trade of tent-making as at Thessalonica and Corinth for his own needs Ministered (υπηρετησαν — hupēretēsan). First aorist active of υπηρετεω — hupēreteō to act as under rower, old verb, but in the N.T. only in Acts 13:36; Acts 20:34; Acts 24:23. While in Ephesus Paul wrote to Corinth: “We toil, working with our own hands” (1 Corinthians 4:12). “As he held them up, they saw a tongue of truth in every seam that marked them” (Furneaux). [source]
Acts 20:34 Ministered [υπηρετησαν]
First aorist active of υπηρετεω — hupēreteō to act as under rower, old verb, but in the N.T. only in Acts 13:36; Acts 20:34; Acts 24:23. While in Ephesus Paul wrote to Corinth: “We toil, working with our own hands” (1 Corinthians 4:12). “As he held them up, they saw a tongue of truth in every seam that marked them” (Furneaux). [source]
1 Corinthians 5:11 If any man that is named a brother be [εαν τις αδελπος ονομαζομενος ηι]
Condition of the third class, a supposable case. Or a reviler or a drunkard (η λοιδορος η μετυσος — ē loidoros ē methusos). Λοιδορος — Loidoros occurs in Euripides as an adjective and in later writings. In N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 6:10. For the verb see note on 1 Corinthians 4:12. Μετυσος — Methusos is an old Greek word for women and even men (cf. παροινος — paroinos of men, 1 Timothy 3:3). In N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 6:10. Cf. Romans 13:13. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 316) gives a list of virtues and vices on counters for Roman games that correspond remarkably with Paul‘s list of vices here and in 1 Corinthians 6:10. Chrysostom noted that people in his day complained of the bad company given by Paul for revilers and drunkards as being men with more “respectable” vices! With such a one, no, not to eat Associative instrumental case of τοιουτωι — toioutōi after συνεστιειν — sunesthiein “not even to eat with such a one.” Social contacts with such “a brother” are forbidden [source]
1 Corinthians 5:11 Or a reviler or a drunkard [η λοιδορος η μετυσος]
Λοιδορος — Loidoros occurs in Euripides as an adjective and in later writings. In N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 6:10. For the verb see note on 1 Corinthians 4:12. Μετυσος — Methusos is an old Greek word for women and even men (cf. παροινος — paroinos of men, 1 Timothy 3:3). In N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 6:10. Cf. Romans 13:13. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 316) gives a list of virtues and vices on counters for Roman games that correspond remarkably with Paul‘s list of vices here and in 1 Corinthians 6:10. Chrysostom noted that people in his day complained of the bad company given by Paul for revilers and drunkards as being men with more “respectable” vices! [source]
1 Corinthians 9:6 Have we not a right to forbear working? [ουκ εχομεν εχουσιαν μη εργαζεσται]
By η — ē (or) Paul puts the other side about Barnabas (the only allusion since the dispute in Acts 15:39, but in good spirit) and himself. Perhaps (Hofmann) Paul has in mind the fact that in the first great mission tour (Acts 13; 14), Barnabas and Paul received no help from the church in Antioch, but were left to work their way along at their own charges. It was not till the Philippian Church took hold that Paul had financial aid (Philemon 4:15). Here both negatives have their full force. Literally, Do we not have (ουκ εχομεν — ouk echomen expecting the affirmative reply) the right not (μη — mē negative of the infinitive εργαζεσται — ergazesthai) to do manual labour (usual meaning of εργαζομαι — ergazomai as in 1 Corinthians 4:12)?” There was no more compulsion on Paul and Barnabas to support themselves than upon the other workers for Christ. They renounced no rights in being voluntarily independent. [source]
1 Timothy 5:14 To speak reproachfully [λοιδορίας χάριν]
Lit. in the interest of reviling. Const. with give on occasion. Λοιδορία revilingonly here and 1 Peter 3:9. For the verb λοιδορεῖν to revile see John 9:28; Acts 23:4; 1 Corinthians 4:12; and note on John 9:28. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 4:12 mean?

and we toil working with [our] own hands Being reviled we bless being persecuted we endure
καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα

κοπιῶμεν  we  toil 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: κοπιάω  
Sense: to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief).
ἐργαζόμενοι  working 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐργάζομαι  
Sense: to work, labour, do work.
ταῖς  with  [our] 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἰδίαις  own 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
χερσίν  hands 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
λοιδορούμενοι  Being  reviled 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λοιδορέω  
Sense: to reproach, rail at, revile, heap abuse upon.
εὐλογοῦμεν  we  bless 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: εὐλογέω 
Sense: to praise, celebrate with praises.
διωκόμενοι  being  persecuted 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: διώκω  
Sense: to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away.
ἀνεχόμεθα  we  endure 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀνέχομαι  
Sense: to hold up.