whether Paul or Apol′los or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours;

εἴτε Παῦλος εἴτε Ἀπολλῶς εἴτε Κηφᾶς, εἴτε κόσμος εἴτε ζωὴ εἴτε θάνατος, εἴτε ἐνεστῶτα εἴτε μέλλοντα· πάντα ὑμῶν,

Early Fathers

John Chrysostom (349-407)

Homilies on First Corinthians

Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; and you are Christ's and Christ is God's. For because he had handled them sharply, he refreshes them again. And as above he had said, 1 Corinthians 3:9 We are fellow-workers with God; and by many other expressions had soothed them: so here too he says, All things are yours; taking down the pride of the teachers, and signifying that so far from bestowing any favor on them, they themselves ought to be grateful to the others. Since for their sake they were made such as they were, yea, moreover, had received grace. But seeing that these also were sure to boast, on this account he cuts out beforehand this disease too, saying, As God gave to every man, Supr. vi. 5. 6 and, God gave the increase: to the end that neither the one party might be puffed up as bestowers of good; nor the others, on their hearing a second time, All things are yours, be again elated. For, indeed, though it were for your sakes, yet the whole was God's doing. And I wish you to observe how he has kept on throughout, making suppositions in his own name and that of Peter.

But what is, or death? That even though they die, for your sakes they die, encountering dangers for your salvation. Do you mark how he again takes down the high spirit of the disciples, and raises the spirit of the teachers? In fact, he talks with them as with children of high birth, who have preceptors, and who are to be heirs of all.

We may say also, in another sense, that both the death of Adam was for our sakes, that we might be corrected; and the death of Christ, that we might be saved.

And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's. In one sense we are Christ's, and in another sense Christ is God's, and in a third sense is the world ours. For we indeed are Christ's, as his work: Christ is God's, as a genuine Offspring, not as a work: in which sense neither is the world ours. So that though the saying is the same, yet the meaning is different. For the world is ours, as being a thing made for our sakes: but Christ is God's, as having Him the Author of his being, in that He is Father. And we are Christ's, as having been formed by Him. Now if they are yours, says he, why have you done what is just contrary to this, in calling yourselves after their name, and not after Christ, and God?

Later Commentaries

George Leo Haydock (1774-1849)

Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians

All things are yours. Are ordained for your good. For this end, I, Apollo, and Cephas have been sent to promote your salvation. The world and all things in it are allowed you, are yours, that by making good use of them, you may save your souls: that death may be to you a passage to a happy eternity, that the things to come may be your eternal reward. — You are Christ's, you belong to him who hath redeemed you, and sanctified you by his grace: and Christ is God's, Christ as man, who being the Son of God, was made also man, and sent to make known the glory of God, his divine perfections of mercy, justice, &c.