3. Do you not realize that we
are to judge angels—not to mention affairs of everyday life? Lit. “everyday
life-matters,” i.e., matters of life in the present world. This rhetorical
question shifts to the 1st pers. plur., as Paul repeats his question of v. 2 in
a new form. The angeloi have to be
understood comprehensively of good and bad angels, because Paul means not only
human beings, but any higher order of God’s creatures (EDNT, 1:14). So august is his sense of the calling of God’s
dedicated people. See 1 Cor 4:9; 11:10; 13:1 for other references to angels;
also 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6 (sinful angels); in 2 Cor 12:7 Paul knows of an angel of
Satan. It is not easy to say where Paul has derived this idea of Christians
judging angels. The closest one comes to it is found in 1 Enoch 13–16, where Enoch is sent to judge the Watchers and other
evil spirits (4QEnochc 1 vi 14–15); or 91.15, where the judgment of
the Watchers is mentioned (4QEnochg 1 iv 22–23). Whatever the
meaning may be, Paul is using the judgment of angels only as an illustrative
example to contrast the eschatological destiny of Christians with their
preoccupation with petty legal matters, such as biōtika, “things needed for ordinary human life.” (Joseph A.
Fitzmyer, First Corinthians: A New Translation with Introduction and
Commentary [AYB 32; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008], 252)
