John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 4:10

"We are fools for Christ`s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor." — 1 Corinthians 4:10 (ASV)

We are fools for Christ’s sake. This contrast is ironical throughout and extremely pointed, as it was unseemly and absurd that the Corinthians should be happy and honorable in every respect, according to the flesh, while they meanwhile saw their master and father afflicted with the lowest ignominy and with miseries of every kind.

For those who believe that Paul humbles himself in this manner, so that he might earnestly ascribe to the Corinthians those things which he acknowledges he lacks, can easily be refuted by the short phrase he adds later. Therefore, in speaking of the Corinthians as wise in Christ, and strong, and honorable, he makes an ironic concession, as if he had said— “You desire, along with the gospel, to retain commendation for wisdom, whereas I have not been able to preach Christ otherwise than by becoming a fool in this world.”

“Now when I have willingly, for your sake, submitted to be a fool, or to be considered as such, consider whether it is reasonable that you should wish to be esteemed wise. How do these things agree—that I, who have been your master, am a fool for Christ’s sake, and you, on the other hand, remain wise!” In this way, being wise in Christ is not taken here in a good sense, for he derides the Corinthians for wishing to mix Christ and the wisdom of the flesh, as this would be to try to unite things that are directly contrary.

The same applies to the subsequent clauses— “You are strong,” he says, “and honorable; that is, you glory in the riches and resources of the world; you cannot endure the ignominy of the cross. Meanwhile, is it reasonable that I should be, for your sake, lowly and contemptible, and exposed to many weaknesses?” Now the complaint carries with it all the more reproach because, even among them, he was weak and contemptible (2 Corinthians 10:10). In short, he derides their vanity in this respect: that, reversing the order of things, those who were sons and followers desired to be esteemed honorable and noble, while their father was in obscurity and was also exposed to all the reproaches of the world.