1 Corinthians 4:11

Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

Even {G891} unto this present {G737} hour {G5610} we {G3983} both {G2532} hunger {G3983}, and {G2532} thirst {G1372}, and {G2532} are naked {G1130}, and {G2532} are buffeted {G2852}, and {G2532} have no certain dwellingplace {G790};

Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place,

To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;

Commentary

In 1 Corinthians 4:11, the Apostle Paul provides a stark and powerful description of the ongoing hardships faced by himself and other apostles in their ministry. This verse is part of a broader passage where Paul contrasts the perceived spiritual arrogance and comfort of the Corinthian believers with the humble, suffering reality of those who served as true ministers of Christ. It highlights the profound commitment and self-sacrifice required for the spread of the Gospel.

Context

This verse is situated within Paul's defense of his apostolic authority and his gentle rebuke of the Corinthian church. The Corinthians, influenced by worldly wisdom and a focus on status, were boasting in certain leaders and looking down on others, including Paul. Paul reminds them that true spiritual leadership, unlike worldly leadership, often involves profound self-denial and suffering. He paints a vivid picture of the apostles as "spectacles unto the world" (1 Corinthians 4:9), enduring extreme privation while the Corinthians enjoyed their spiritual blessings and material comforts. This serves as a humbling contrast designed to correct their pride and misplaced values.

Key Themes

  • Apostolic Suffering and Humility: The verse vividly portrays the physical and social hardships endured by Paul and his fellow laborers. They lacked basic necessities—food, water, clothing—and faced physical abuse and homelessness. This stands in stark contrast to the worldly notions of success and comfort, emphasizing that true spiritual power often manifests through weakness and humility.
  • The Cost of Ministry: Paul illustrates that serving Christ, especially in pioneering missionary work, can demand immense personal sacrifice. The apostles were willing to forego comfort, stability, and even personal safety for the sake of the Gospel and the spiritual well-being of the churches they served. This theme resonates with the broader biblical principle of taking up one's cross and following Christ.
  • Endurance and Perseverance: Despite constant adversity, the apostles continued their work. Their suffering was not a sign of God's disfavor but a testament to their unwavering commitment and the resilience granted by the Holy Spirit. This highlights the importance of enduring hardship for the sake of faith.

Linguistic Insights

The term "buffeted" comes from the Greek word kolaphizomai (κολᾰφίζομαι), which literally means "to strike with the fist" or "to beat." It implies not just casual insults but physical abuse and humiliation. This word choice underscores the violent and demeaning treatment Paul and others often received, highlighting the intense suffering they faced for their proclamation of the Christian message.

Practical Application

For believers today, 1 Corinthians 4:11 serves as a powerful reminder of several truths:

  • Redefining Success: It challenges worldly definitions of success, particularly within the church. True spiritual impact is not always accompanied by wealth, comfort, or popularity, but often by sacrifice and humble service.
  • Empathy for Ministers: It fosters empathy and prayer for those in full-time ministry, especially missionaries and church planters, who may face similar, though perhaps less extreme, forms of hardship and instability.
  • Call to Endurance: It encourages believers to endure personal difficulties and opposition with faith, knowing that suffering for Christ is a shared experience among His followers and can lead to spiritual growth and a deeper reliance on God, as seen in passages like Romans 5:3-5.
Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.

Cross-References

  • Romans 8:35

    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

  • Philippians 4:12

    I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:23

    Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:27

    In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

  • Matthew 8:20

    And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.

  • 2 Timothy 3:11

    Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of [them] all the Lord delivered me.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:4

    But in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
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