1 Corinthians 4:13 Meaning: When Slander Meets Gentleness
Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
being spoken evil of, we entreat; as filth of the world we did become--of all things an offscouring--till now.
insulted, we entreat: we are become as [the] offscouring of the world, [the] refuse of all, until now.
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'filth of the world' mean? Paul describes being treated as refuse, and how he answered with gentle entreaty instead of revenge.
Context
Paul has been holding up a mirror to the Corinthians. They think they have already arrived, rich, reigning, wise. He, on the other hand, is giving them a raw look at what apostolic life actually looks like: hunger, thirst, beatings, homelessness, hard labor. And now, in verse 13, he names the deepest cut. He is spoken of as the worst thing you could call a person, the filth of the world, the dirt that gets wiped off and thrown away. This is not exaggeration. This is how he is treated by the very world he is trying to reach.
Key Words
Two Greek words at the end of this verse carry a weight most modern readers miss.
The first is dusphēmoumenoi, translated “being defamed.” It means to speak evil of someone, to slander. But Paul does not return the insult. He answers with parakaloumen, “we entreat.” That same verb can mean comfort, urge, or plead. He keeps reaching out, even when people are throwing dirt at him.
The two nouns at the end, perikatharmata (filth) and peripsēma (offscouring), were not just ordinary insults. In the ancient world, when a city was struck by plague or famine, they would pick a wretched person to be a human scapegoat. They would feed him, curse him, lead him through the streets, and then burn him alive, throwing his ashes into the sea while shouting, “Be our offscouring.” They believed he carried away their contamination.
Paul borrows that language. He is saying: the world treats me like its garbage, like a man who exists only to be thrown away. But notice, he does not curse back. He entreats. That is the power of the gospel in the face of contempt.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most commentators agree that Paul is deliberately echoing the pagan scapegoat ceremony. Adam Clarke, Wesley, and Barnes all describe the custom in detail. Calvin and the Cambridge Bible go further, they note that Paul’s language hints at a vicarious dimension, as though his suffering carries away something of the world’s guilt. Paul never says he is a sacrifice for sin the way Christ is, but he does speak elsewhere of filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions (Colossians 1:24). Christians across traditions read this passage as a call to embrace the lowly path of the cross. The point is not to seek suffering but to trust God’s worth when the world assigns you none.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
Someone says something false about you this week. Your first impulse will be to defend yourself, correct the record, or strike back. Paul shows another way. He entreats, he pleads with God on behalf of the ones who slander him, or he gently appeals to them to reconsider. This is not weakness; it is the very strength of Christ, who while being reviled did not revile in return.
Here is another question the verse presses: have you ever treated another person as offscouring? As beneath your notice, more trouble than they are worth? Paul calls us to look at the people the world discards and see someone for whom Christ died.
Main takeaway: When slandered, Paul answered with gentleness, accepting even the lowest label, because the gospel shapes how we receive contempt, not just how we receive praise.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes people say mean things about you. When they did that to Paul, he didn't say mean things back. He asked God to help them. That is what Jesus did too.
For ages 9, 12
Paul uses two very strong words here: “filth” and “offscouring.” An offscouring was like the dirt you scrape off your shoes, garbage. In the old days, people even picked one person to carry all the city’s curses and then threw him away. Paul says that is how the world treated him. But he did not get angry or quit. He kept gently asking people to turn to Jesus. That takes real courage, and it is only possible because Jesus first took our place as the one who was thrown away for us.
Questions People Ask
What does 'filth of the world' mean in 1 Corinthians 4:13?
The Greek word is perikatharma, which referred to rubbish swept out of a house. It was also used for a scapegoat sacrificed to cleanse a city from plague. Paul uses it to show how utterly despised the apostles were by the world.
What does 'offscouring' mean in the Bible?
The Greek word peripsēma means something rubbed or scraped off. In pagan ceremonies, a person was chosen as the 'offscouring', led through the city, cursed, and sacrificed while the people said, 'Be our offscouring.' Paul is saying the world treats him like that.
Was Paul actually being insulted by the Corinthians here?
Paul is contrasting his own hardships with the Corinthians' pride. They were not necessarily insulting him directly, but he is exposing the gap between their comfortable self-image and the apostles' actual condition. He wants them to learn humility.
Why does Paul list all these hardships in 1 Corinthians 4?
He is building a case against the Corinthians' arrogance. They think they have already arrived spiritually, while the apostles suffer like condemned prisoners. Paul's suffering authenticates his message and models Christ's humility.
How should a Christian respond when slandered, according to this verse?
Paul's response is 'we entreat', he prays for them or gently appeals to them. This follows Jesus' command to bless those who curse you. It does not mean staying in an unsafe situation, but it does mean leaving revenge to God and seeking the good of the one who slanders.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study