1 Corinthians 3:22
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;
Original Language Analysis
Παῦλος
Paul
G3972
Παῦλος
Paul
Strong's:
G3972
Word #:
2 of 19
(little; but remotely from a derivative of g3973, meaning the same); paulus, the name of a roman and of an apostle
κόσμος
the world
G2889
κόσμος
the world
Strong's:
G2889
Word #:
8 of 19
orderly arrangement, i.e., decoration; by implication, the world (including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally))
θάνατος
death
G2288
θάνατος
death
Strong's:
G2288
Word #:
12 of 19
(properly, an adjective used as a noun) death (literally or figuratively)
ἐνεστῶτα
things present
G1764
ἐνεστῶτα
things present
Strong's:
G1764
Word #:
14 of 19
to place on hand, i.e., (reflexively) impend, (participle) be instant
Historical Context
Ancient philosophy distinguished between those possessing wisdom (who 'owned' reality through understanding) and the ignorant masses. Stoics spoke of the wise man possessing everything through rational alignment with nature. Paul radically democratizes and Christianizes this: all believers, through union with Christ, possess literally everything—not through philosophical achievement but through grace.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the truth that 'all things are yours'—including difficult circumstances, past failures, and future uncertainties—transform your perspective on present trials?
- What does it mean practically that 'death' is yours—how can you live unafraid of mortality and even see death as gain?
- How should possessing 'Paul, Apollos, and Cephas' as your servants change how you relate to teachers, pastors, and Christian leaders?
Analysis & Commentary
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's (πάντα ὑμῶν, panta hymōn)—Paul catalogs seven possessions spanning human, cosmic, temporal, and eternal realms. First, the disputed leaders (Paul, Apollos, Cephas) belong to believers as servants, not vice versa. Second, the world (ὁ κόσμος)—not as domain of sin but as creation, redeemed and inherited (Romans 4:13, 'the promise... that he should be the heir of the world').
Third, life (ζωή) and death (θάνατος)—both serve believers' good. Life provides opportunity for service; death is gain (Philippians 1:21), the doorway to glory. Death has lost its sting (1 Corinthians 15:55); even in dying, believers conquer. Fourth, things present and things to come—temporal and eternal blessings. Nothing lies outside believers' possession in Christ. This breathtaking comprehensiveness echoes Romans 8:28 ('all things work together for good') and 8:38-39 (nothing can separate us from God's love). The Corinthians' partisan bickering appears infinitely petty against this cosmic inheritance.