should be judged of you, or of man's judgment : yea, I judge not mine own self.
Fidelity to duty supposes responsibility to some one. As ministers are required to be faithful, who is to judge of their fidelity ? Paul says, so far as he was concerned, it was not the Corinthians, not the world, not himself — but, as he adds in the next verse, the Lord.
But with me, (c/aoi Se) ; to me^ i. e. in my estimation. It is a very small thing (cts ika^Lo-rov ^<ttl)^ it amounts to nothing, " That I should be judged of you." This does not refer to the judicial judgment of the church, but simply to the opin- ions which the Corinthians entertained of Paul. It mattered little to him whether they thought him faithful or unfaithful. His responsibihty was not to them. They had not sent him ; they had not told him what doctrines to preach. He was not their steward, but the steward of God. Or of m.arCs judg- m,ent (vtto av^pwTrtVr;? r]fx€pa<s) hterally, by human day. As ' the day of the Lord' means the day of God's judgment, so ' the day of men' means the day of man's judgment. The sense is obvious, though the expression no where else occurs. The apostle, although denying his responsibility to the Corinthians, or to any human tribunal for his fidehty as a minister of Christ, does not mean to assert that he was his own judge. He therefore adds, " I judge not my own self" Many men think themselves faithful, who are most unfaithful. It is not enough that our own conscience does not condemn us. Con- science is a partial, and often an unenlightened judge. We may justify ourselves, and be at last condemned by God. But, if our heart condemn us, how can we stand before him who knows all things ?
4. Tor I know nothing by myself ; yet am I not hereby justified : but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
For I know nothing by m,yself^ {ovhlv yap ijxavrw crvvoiSa) J am conscious of nothing. That is, my conscience does not accuse me of any thing. Paul is speaking of his fidelity as a steward. He says, he was not his own judge, for though his conscience did not accuse him of want of ministerial fidelity, that did not justify him. I am not thereby justified. That is, I am not thereby acquitted. My judgment of myself is not final. The only impartial, competent, and final judge is the