The Camouflage of Sarcasm

1Co 4:8-13
8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
http://olivetree.com/b3/1Co.4.8.NASBStr

Sarcasm is one of the many skills I'd rather not have.  It can be skillfully used to make a point, as Paul does here.  But I am more inclined to use it in more hurtful, spiteful, and malicious ways than for teaching the Truths of God to His human creatures.

In this verse Paul uses it really well to contrast their views of him and themselves with God's view of both him and them. It's humorous, dramatic, pointed, and clear.  It's truth wrapped in humor used to do surgery on your heart.

Paul uses a perfect tense (action complete in the past and still effective in the present) in verse 8, making the statements sound straight forward, but his 'wish' at the end reveals his literary 'trick' for what it is.  Of course they haven't been filled, made rich, or become king; such people would not act as they act, nor need the correction of Paul. 

By switching to referring to apostles, Paul continues his humorous poke by contrasting now their view of him versus their view of themselves. Yet the transition is itself free from sarcasm.  He truly sees himself and those like him as last among believers, or perhaps last in the timeline of the faithful ones used by God.  Either way, they are used to declare to angels and men that death holds no power over such people.

Then, again he switches to truth in verse 11, illustrating the foolishness of their views of themselves, and how they are to respond to insults and rough treatment.  His point is in providing them a model of behavior and perspective not just to make them ashamed of how they have been.  Sure, he uses sarcasm, but he is sparingly sprinkling his teaching with it, not making it his primary method or tool.

The truth of Paul's teaching is that we should all respond to difficulty this way.  I don't.   I whine, moan, get angry, pout, treat others mean, am vengeful, and generally immature and childish.  That may overstate my case, but at various times, in response to various difficulties, I will respond in one or more of these poor childish ways.

Perhaps we all do, but I know I do.  Maybe Paul wrote 2,000 years ago, but I find this is necessary for me today.  Perhaps his sarcasm resonates with me  or maybe it's the obvious behavior pattern I see so clearly in myself.  Whatever it is, this passage for believers in the Roman world 2,000 ago still hammers me with the same humorous scalpel.  Of course, like then, there's not much in the way of anesthesia is ever used.