1 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:18

Are puffed up; rather, were puffed up; at the time that they made these disparaging comparisons of me with others. As though I would not come to you; rather, as though I were not coming to you. St. Paul was on the eve of starting for Macedonia on his way to visit them ( 1 Corinthians 16:5 ), but, owing to the grievous state of the Church, he subsequently changed his purpose ( 2 Corinthians 1:15 , 2 Corinthians 1:23 ). When he left them he had promised to return, "if God wilt" ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:18-20

Speech and power. These are by no means always associated together in the same man. Oftentimes they seem quite unable to dwell together. Speech is in inverse ratio to power. The free talker is seldom a vigorous thinker; and the boaster can never gain any real power by his extravagances. It seems that, at Corinth, there were some loud talkers, who depreciated St. Paul's authority, and endeavoured to destroy his influence. They made out that his "bodily presence was weak, and his speech... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 4:18

Now some are puffed up - They are puffed up with a vain confidence; they say that I would not dare to come; that I would be afraid to appear among them, to administer discipline, to rebuke them, or to supersede their authority. Probably he had been detained by the demand on his services in other places, and by various providential hinderances from going there, until they supposed that he stayed away from fear. And possibly he might apprehend that they would think he had sent Timothy because he... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 4:18-21

1 Corinthians 4:18-21. Now some are puffed up Are grown insolent; as though I would not come To censure them for their misconduct, and to reform abuses; fancying that, because I have sent Timothy, I am not coming myself, being afraid to appear in a place where I have so many opposers. The apostle saw, by a divine light, the thoughts which would arise in their hearts. But I will come to you shortly So he purposed in spirit, (Acts 19:21,) intending to take Macedonia in his way; if the... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Attitudes towards God’s servants (4:1-21)What the Corinthians think about the servants of God is not important. God is the one who gives his servants their work and they are responsible to him, not to anyone else (4:1-2). Paul is not concerned about the Corinthians’ assessment of him. Even Paul himself cannot properly assess how true his service has been. He may not know of any failure in his service, but that does not mean he is faultless. The only judgment that matters is the one that will... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 4:18

some . App-124 . would not come = were not coming. to = unto. App-104 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 4:18

Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.Some considerable time had elapsed following Paul's dispatch of Timothy to Corinth; and, when the word came of Timothy's intended arrival, some of the factionists said, "Ah, Paul is afraid to show his face here and is sending Timothy instead of coming himself" However, Paul would explode that misconception with the stern warning written a moment later. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 4:18

18. some . . . as though I would not come—He guards against some misconstruing (as by the Spirit he foresees they will, when his letter shall have arrived) his sending Timothy, "as though" he "would not come" (or, "were not coming") himself. A puffed-up spirit was the besetting sin of the Corinthians (compare 1 Corinthians 1:11; 1 Corinthians 5:2). read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 4:10-21

A. Divisions in the church 1:10-4:21The first major problem that Paul addressed was the divisions that were fragmenting this church.". . . this opening issue is the most crucial in the letter, not because their ’quarrels’ were the most significant error in the church, but because the nature of this particular strife had as its root cause their false theology, which had exchanged the theology of the cross for a false triumphalism that went beyond, or excluded, the cross." [Note: Idem, The First... read more