Lexical Summary perikatharma: Filth, refuse, scum Original Word: περικάθαρμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance filth. From a compound of peri and kathairo; something cleaned off all around, i.e. Refuse (figuratively) -- filth. see GREEK peri see GREEK kathairo HELPS Word-studies 4027 perikátharma – properly, off-scouring (refuse); "left-overs," rejected after a thorough cleansing; (figuratively) an outcast, viewed as scummy residue (used only in 1 Cor 4:13). 4027 /perikátharma ("rubbish") describes someone as "the filth of the world, representing 'the most abject and despicable men' (Grimm-Thayer) – the scum or rubbish of humanity" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 237). [4027 (perikátharma) literally refers to the rubbish left-over after "cleansing all around." The Greeks used 4027 (perikátharma) "of criminals kept at the public expense, to be thrown into the sea, or otherwise killed, at the outbreak of a pestilence, etc. It is used in 1 Cor 4:13 much in this sense" (ibid).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a comp. of peri and kathairó Definition that which is cleaned off, refuse NASB Translation scum (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4027: περικάθαρμαπερικάθαρμα, περικαθαρματος, τό (περικαθαίρω, to cleanse on all sides (περί, III. 1)), off-scouring, refuse: plural, τά περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου (A. V., the filth of the world), metaphorically, the most abject and despicable men, 1 Corinthians 4:13. (Epictetus diss. 3, 22, 78;purgamenta urbis, Curt. 8, 5, 8; 10, 2, 7; (see Wetstein on 1 Corinthians, the passage cited); the Sept. once for כֹּפֶר, the price of expiation or redemption, Proverbs 21:18, because the Greeks used to apply the term καθαρματα to victims sacrificed to make expiation for the people, and even to criminals who were maintained at the public expense, that on the outbreak of a pestilence or other calamity they might be offered as sacrifices to make expiation for the state.) STRONGS NT 4027a: περικαθίζωπερικαθίζω: 1 aorist participle περικαθισας; 1. in classical Greek transitive, to bid or make to sit around, to invest, besiege, a city, a fortress. 2. intransitive, to sit around, be seated around ; so in Luke 22:55 Lachmann text Paul writes, “we have become like the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world, even until now” (1 Corinthians 4:13). By choosing the rare word περικάθαρμα, he depicts himself and his fellow ministers as that final scrap swept away after cleansing—a pointed image of utter contempt. It climaxes a series of antitheses in 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 that contrast worldly esteem with apostolic hardship, exposing Corinthian pride and calling believers to true, cross-shaped discipleship. Cultural and Religious Background In the Greco-Roman world “refuse” could refer to prisoners or social outcasts periodically sacrificed or banished as ritual scapegoats. The thought of one life discarded for the presumed cleansing of many lay deep in pagan consciousness. Paul redeploys the term polemically, not to legitimize superstition but to underline how gospel servants embrace positions the culture scorns. His usage subverts prevailing honor-shame values and reorients believers to Christ’s kingdom ethic (Matthew 20:26-28). Old Testament Foundations Leviticus 16 presents the live goat that “carries all their iniquities into a solitary land” (verse 22). Though different vocabulary is used in Greek Septuagint, the conceptual overlap is striking: the innocent bears away the sins of the community. Isaiah 53:3-4 foretells a Servant “despised and rejected by men,” whose affliction brings many to righteousness (verse 11). Paul’s description of apostolic contempt thus resonates with prophetic patterns in which God chooses what is lowly to accomplish redemptive purposes. Apostolic Self-Portrait and Instruction 1. Suffering as authentication. Far from discrediting ministry, contempt validates it (2 Corinthians 6:4-10). Christological Significance Jesus Christ embodies the ultimate “offscouring.” Mocked, scourged, and crucified, He “bore our shame” (Hebrews 12:2). Paul’s choice of language draws a straight line from his own dishonor to the ignominy of Calvary, reinforcing that the gospel advances through weakness so that “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Theology of Persecution and Witness Scripture consistently links discipleship with social rejection: The imagery of περικάθαρμα heightens this expectation; the servant of Christ recognizes public scorn as normal, not exceptional. Practical Ministry Implications • Humility: Christian workers resist platform-seeking ambitions, remembering they are expendable vessels (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Related Biblical Themes Humiliation and Exaltation – Philippians 2:5-11 Living Sacrifice – Romans 12:1 Weakness and Power – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Reversal of Status – Luke 16:15 Conclusion Strong’s Greek 4027 surfaces only once, yet its theological weight is substantial. By adopting the language of ritual refuse, Paul reframes ministry as self-giving service patterned after the rejected but risen Christ. Believers who grasp this calling will neither pursue worldly acclaim nor be unsettled by disdain; they will instead rejoice that they “share in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13) and look forward to the glory to be revealed. |
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