Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 48:2 (NA 1997)
Article: ‘Appoint The Despised As Judges!’ (1 Corinthians 6:4)
Author: Brent Rogers Kinman

TynBul 48:2 (1997) p. 345

‘Appoint The Despised As Judges!’
(1 Corinthians 6:4)

Brent Kinman

Summary

The most recent critical editions of the New Testament along with a majority of modern commentators do no believe the apostle Paul calls for the appointment of Christian arbiters in 1 Corinthians 6:4. Drawing attention to the cultural and legal situation of Corinth, and to certain features of Greek grammar, this essay argues that Paul indeed calls for the ‘despised’ Christians in Corinth to be made arbiters should lawsuits arise.

I. Introduction

The verb καθίζω (‘to appoint’) in 1 Corinthians 6:4b can be understood in three ways. First, it could be an indicative mood verb in a question. If so, Paul is asking, ‘Are you appointing as judges those despised in the church?’ (so RSV, NASB, NKJV, New Living Translation). Second, it could be an indicative mood verb in a statement. If so, Paul is observing that the Corinthians ‘are appointing as judges those despised in the church’ (so JB, Die Bibel, NJB). Three, if it is an imperative mood verb, Paul is commanding, ‘Appoint as judges those despised in the church!’ (so KJV, NIV). Most modern commentators and translations take the verb to be in the indicative mood1 ; most of the ancient commentators and translations along with

TynBul 48:2 (1997) p. 346

many older commentators understood it as imperative.2 With scholars throughout the centuries so evenly divided on the issue, perhaps we are to agree with Archibald Robertson who as long ago as 1911 concluded, ‘We must be content to leave the question open’.3

Given that most of the Greek New Testaments (along with the majority of modern translations and commentators that do not take the verb as imperative) consider it to be part of a question, the present study will examine these two predominant options: is the verb καθίζετε in 1 Corinthians 6:4b an indicative mood verb in a question or an imperative mood verb in a command?

In revisiting the issue here, two features of the text not normally discussed will be given special consideration. One of these is Paul’s use of the particle ἐὰν + subjunctive mood verb construction. An understanding of this construction will shed light on Paul’s use of καθ...