By: Gen. Jim – 4/22/25
“For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men CONDEMNED to DEATH; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels & to men.” – 1 Cor. 4:9, NKJV;
“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men CONDEMNED to DIE! in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.” – 1 Cor. 4:9, NIV;
“For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men SENTENCED to DEATH; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels & to men.” – 1 Cor. 4:9, RSV;
“For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles at the end of the line, like men SENTENCED to DEATH & paraded as prisoners in a procession, because we have become a spectacle to the world, a show in the world’s amphitheater, both to angels & to men.” – 1 Cor. 4:9, Amp. Bible.
What Does Paul Mean?
In order to get the (word) picture here, we have to see how other translations (besides the KJV/NKJV) read.
Apostles: Paul’s topic, Greek, apostolos, ἀπόστολος = “an ambassador of the Gospel; a commissioner of Christ, messenger, he that is sent,” from apostellō, = “sent out on a mission” (literally or figuratively).
Why?
In Eph. 4:11 the apostle makes a list: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, & teachers. Paul puts apostles “last as men condemned to death.” Some scholars explain this: “Here the apostle seems to allude to the Roman spectacles, that of the Bestialrii & the gladiators, where in the morning men were brought into the theatres to fight with wild beasts, & to them was allowed armor to defend themselves & smite the beasts that assailed them; but in the meridian or noon-day spectacles the gladiators were brought forth naked, & without anything to defend themselves from the sword of the assailant; & he that then escaped was only kept for slaughter to another day, so that these same men might well be called ἐπιθανάτιος, ‘men appointed for death’; & this being the last appearance on the theatre for that day, they are said here to be sent forth ἔσχατος, ‘the last’.” (Dr. Whiby, vol.11., (14).
Seneca (4 B.C. – A.D. 65; Roman philosopher, dramatist & statesman) speaks of these 2 spectacles: “In the morning men are exposed to lions & bears; at mid-day 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, & every stroke produces a wound!” (Epist. VII).
So, Paul states that apostles of Christ are made a spectacle, exhibited on the theatre to the world; we are lawful victims to all humankind. We here KNOW exactly how this works – persecution, prosecution, prison… even severe character assassination.
Paul
The apostle Paul is thinking either of the captives who bring up the rear of a triumphal procession & will be put to death, or of condemned criminals from the lowest class of society. The word for “theater” (θέατρον) is used by metonymy for the spectacle given there. Paul being a Roman citizen, he would not have been literally thrown into the arena. I believe, as many do, he is thinking rather of the fury of mobs which he had had to face in the arena of the pagan world. One scholar writes: “Instead of three groups of observers of the struggle (KJV), it is preferable to find only two (RSV); the ‘world’ is composed both of angels (1 Pet. 1:12) & of men (Heb. 10:33). Paul now reverts to the terms he had used in 1:26-29. He has taken his own injunction of 3:18 to ‘become a fool.’ The reference to the ‘weak’ looks ahead to 9:22, where he will take his stand beside them.” The scholar goes on to write, “vs.11 probably refers primarily to the hardships of travel.” Been there, done that! He continues: “Supporting himself by his trade (tentmaker), viewed here, not as in 9:15 but in a very different light.” (see Acts 18:3; 20:34; 1 Thes. 2:9 & 2 Thes. 3:8). (see The Inter. Bible on 1 Cor., exegesis/exposition by profs. C.T. Craig & Prof. J. Short).
Prof. G.D. Fee writes that Paul uses the figure of those condemned to die in the arena (as we’ve seen others write). He states: “The metaphor reads (lit.): ‘For it seems to me that God has appointed us the apostles to be LAST, as those condemned to die.’” Most interpreters understand the words “to be last” to suggest the last events of the spectacles, whose participants were those condemned to die, via by gladiators of beast.
“Condemned to die”, Gk. ἐπιθανάτιος; similar usage in the O.T. Gk./LXX of Bel 31, referring to those who were condemned to be thrown to the lions/bears, two at a time, daily, & in Dionysius Halicarnassus 7:35 to the condemned who were thrown from a high rock overlooking the Forum. This, my dear Christian believers, was mere entertainment!
The NIV understands them in terms of the Roman triumph, in which a conquering general staged a splendid parade that included not only his armies but war booty as well. This is a widely attested fact, e.g., Dio Cassius, Roman History, VI; JOS. War 7:132-57. If interested, see a full discussion by H.S. Versnel, Triumphus: An Inquiry into the Origin, Development, & meaning of the Roman Triumph (Leiden, 1970).
So, at the end of the procession were those captives who had been “condemned to die in the arena.” In that way the captives become the spectacle, Gk., θέατρον; literally “what one sees at a theater”. It is common to note, says Fee, to note the Stoic use of this term, as found, e.g., in Seneca (prov. 2:9,11; ep. 64:4-6); but Seneca thought of the Stoic as a “spectacle” of courage/strength before the gods, & hence, for him it was a matter of pride.
(note: Stoic: a member of a Gk. school of philosophy founded by Zeno 308 B.C.).
2 Cor. 2:14
Again, Paul uses or utilizes this imagery in connection with his apostleship: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in Triumph in Christ…” Here Christ Jesus is the conquering King/General. Christians are considered to be servants, prisoners of Christ, slaves etc. Paul opens the Book of Romans with, “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle…” Rom. 1:1; “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ” in 1 Cor. 1:1; “an apostle of Jesus Christ” in 2 Cor. 1:1; “an apostle” in Gal. 1:1; “an apostle” in Eph. 1:1; “Paul & Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ” in Phil. 1:1;“an apostle” in Col. 1:1; “an apostle” in 1 Tim. 1:1; “an apostle” in 2 Tim. 1:1; “a bondservant of God” in Titus 1:1; “a prisoner of Christ” in Philemon;
James: “a bondservant of God,” 1:1; “an apostle of Jesus Christ,” 1 Pet. 1:1; “a bondservant & apostle,” 2 Pet. 1:1; “a bondservant & apostle,” 2 Pet. 1:1;
Jude: “a bondservant of Jesus Christ,” 1:1.
Beast of 1 Cor. 15:32
“If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus…” (see Paul’s remark in 2 Cor. 1:8,9 where he “had the sentence of death in ourselves”).
Paul wrote, “why indeed do we ourselves face danger every hour? I die every day,” 1 Cor. 15:31, NIV. The KJV has “I die daily.”
Dr. Fee says of the above scriptures (vss.30-32) “that by reason of their personal nature, ad hominem arguments are usually ad hoc to a very high degree. The result is that Paul mentions activities in both cases that are especially difficult to decipher in terms of specifics.”
“The beasts” were not real animals but figurative. The Journal of Biblical Literature (JBL) has demonstrated convincingly that the whole paragraph has features of the diatribe, the moralistic preaching of the Roman Empire. Some scholars say that Paul’s Corinthian opponents were also familiar with the style & would have recognized themselves as the antagonists.
Paul’s statement – “we have been made a spectacle to the world… to angels… to men” – meaning he is on display before the whole universe, as it were. G. Kittel & G. Friedrich (Gk. scholars) suggests reminiscences to Job, whose sufferings were a spectacle to Satan; this would therfore imply fallen angels (which seems doubtful some believe). (see their TDNT/Theological Dict. of the N.T., III, 43).
“I Die Daily!”
Those words do not appear exaggerated, seeing how Paul’s service as an apostle was one of TROUBLES, (see Acts 19:29-41 for one example).
We wonder why some Christians never seem to have any troubles (I mean being persecuted/prosecuted/prison). They glide along, sail on calm waters: others are on rough seas, hated & hunted for their faith. While Paul uses metaphorical language (as in 1 Cor. 15:32 et al.), his sufferings were actual & real. (see also Acts 20:19 et al.).
There were opponents who fought against him with bestial ferocity. We too have fought with such BEASTS (see our PX2 & PX3 Files for proof).
Q. Were literal gladiatorial contests actually held at Ephesus? A. NO! Paul, in one sense, did “die daily”, a form of speech for being continually exposed to death. Philo, Flaccus, p.990 was in continual fear of death: “Every day, rather ever hour, I anticipate death; enduring many deaths before that last one comes.”
Libanius, speaking of his own trials and those of the people of Antioch, wrote: “Though living, we are dead!” (epistle 1320, pg.615). Livy has a similar form of expression to signify continual danger, XXIX.17: “Daily is our city taken, daily is it pillaged.” (one can dig out more quotes on this matter).
The Bible speaks to us both literally & metaphorically. One anti-ACMTC newspaper said that I (we) take the Bible “literally”. This is false – I (we) take it both literally & metaphorically. There are modes of speech, which are employed metaphorically, not literally. Both Tertullian & Chrysostom deny the literal interpretation. Ephesus, a city in insurrection by Demetrius & his fellow craftsmen, gave Paul a hard time. Paul endured much sufferings at Lystra & Philippi. He was stoned to death but miraculously raised to life (see Acts 14:19,20).
Fin
I think you get my point. Being a true believer one will face PPP, maybe even death as a martyr. (see Martyrdom of Polycarp & Stephen, Christians to die for their faith). We’ve all read about crazy Nero’s persecution of the Christians. It is well said, one does not give over one’s body to martyrdom; rather, such is taken from one.
Whatever you believe, however you interpret Scripture, one thing is for sure: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION!” – 2 Tim. 3:12. Before there was any N.T. Christian Church, David penned:
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous…” – Ps. 34:19.
The razor-sharp tongues of the wicked will never be silenced against the godly. We have to “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3). ENDURE!
WOS – ALIVE TO JESUS, DEAD TO SIN!
I speak unto you this day and I say, why not be Alive to Jesus and dead to the sin which formerly had control over you? If you are in the company of the Redeemed, how much better it is than to be in the company of the damned. However, the enemies will try to entice you out of the place you have as brothers and sisters to JESUS, the first-born of many children. Yet, when you are alive to JESUS and desirous of pleasing Me as your Father, you will have nothing for the devil and his demons to grab hold of to lure you away from Me. If you stop and consider the mercy and the miracles you live in each day, you are indeed fortunate to be Redeemed and able to live in the abundance of My Kingdom Way.
The Love, the Life, and the Light which have been provided for you since you came into JESUS are ever present in My Divine Love Family to those who are adopted into the Family of Love. Stop and ponder there is no cessation of the flow of My Love to those who will walk in the righteousness which entails being Alive to Jesus and dead to sin. I do not want My children to return to the death of their old lives, yet there are those who do because they listen to the liar and his lies.
It is indeed My desire that those who are born again of incorruptible seed would die daily to the temptations, the invitations, the enticements, enchantments, and seductions of demons to return to sin. It is only fools who will listen to demons and all of their lies. Those who are wise and want to please Me will walk uprightly in the Way of Righteousness revealed by My Holy Spirit.
Consider the same Spirit which led Jesus, will lead and guide you and although you die daily to the old sinful nature, you gain more and more Life in and through Jesus which is great treasure. While people are constantly watching the financial ups and downs of the nations and the world, they are living in dread and fear because of numbers. However true Treasures are those given to the ones who will stay constant in their adherence to the commands of The Spirit and follow hard after the pattern of JESUS.
If you consider the trade, it appears that I lose, you give Me your old corrupt nature full of sinful inclinations, and I give you New Life, Unending Love, and Shining Light. With these very valuable treasures you make great gain and your treasures are kept in Heaven where there is no sin to corrode and corrupt such treasures. Likewise the finances of the world do not affect the treasures you have stored up in heavenly dimensions. Therefore do not trouble yourselves about the so-called treasures of this world and be deviated by doctrines of devils which advocate the accumulation of earthly treasures you cannot take with you. Instead, let your concentrations be upon those things I want of you and willingly give the same unto Me. It is more blessed to give than to receive and as you are giving over and over unto Me, then you will be made extremely rich in Me. For I do not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly giving Me thanks and adhering continually to what I have purposed and intended for them to do.
Stay Alive to JESUS because as you do, you will become dead to sin for it is ugly and vile and the more you abide in His spotless purity, the more you will perceive and receive the joy of being Alive in Him. When I send My Spirit to you in order to ferret out hidden sin that lurks within you, do not resist or refuse My Spirit, rather give up those things which the devil wants you to hold to to keep you in bondage and constrained by the claws of sin. You are meant to soar above the earthly plain and see exactly the devastation, ruination, and damnation which are the result of sin in the lives of people. When you get a good view from the elevated position I want you to be in, you can easily resist, rebuke, and refute the lying demons which come along.
Let your expectations soar in Me for I desire you as My children to know of and experience the benefits of the Better Way which is provided by Me. Those who are one with My Son, are one with Me for in Him I have given the presence of the Godhead bodily and for this reason keep your bodies, your souls, and your spirits clean. Inasmuch as He is purity, strive for the same state of being whereby, those without can feel and be affected by the presence of JESUS in you.
Those who have gained he pearl of great price are meant to share what they have been given so others can see the beauty, the radiance, and the glory which are given by Me. Did not I establish the principle of giving when I gave My Son Jesus for the lost? Yes, it is Me who has set forth the pattern for others to be able to partake of forgiveness of their sins by giving to the world of lost and dying, JESUS CHRIST.
Be thankful this day to serve Me in the attitude of gratitude because you are so enlightened by the True Light which has dawned in your souls. With gladness abandon yourselves to giving Me thanks and praise for the privilege to be Alive in Jesus and dead to sin. It is glorious to be given the chance to Live Again with a New Beginning and a Blessed Ending. Be glad even now for My Light, My Life, and My Love given to you.