Ambrosiaster : Angels are to be judged by us in the same way as the world is to be judged. — COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES Cassiodorus : Who can conceive of such a miracle? Who can mentally grasp such great glory?… All participate with Christ in judgment who do not oppose his commands, for with the devoted they too will share in his decisions. — EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS John Chrysostom : "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things which pertain to this life?" Some say that here the priests are hinted at, but away with this. His speech is about demons. For had he been speaking about corrupt priests, he would have meant them above when he said, "the world is judged in you:" (for the Scripture is wont to call evil men also "The world:") and he would not have said the same thing twice, nor would he, as if he was saying something of greater consequence, have put it down afterwards. But he speaks concerning those angels about whom Christ saith, "Depart ye into the fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels." And Paul, "his angels fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness." For when the very incorporeal powers shall be found inferior to us who are clothed with flesh, they shall suffer heavier punishment. But if some should still contend that he speaks of priests, "What sort of priests?" let us ask. Those whose walk in life has been worldly, of course. In what sense then does he say, "We shall judge angels, much more things that relate to this life?" He mentions the angels, in contradistinction to "things relating to this life": likely enough; for they are removed from the need of these things, because of the superior excellence of their nature. — Homily on 1 Corinthians 16 Severian of Gabala : Paul is not talking here about real angels but about the priests and teachers of the people who will be judged by the saints because of their false teaching about Christ. — PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH Tertullian : But when the comparison is challenged with an angel, I am compelled to maintain that the head over all things is the stronger of the two, to whom the angels are ministers, who is destined to be the judge of angels, if he shall stand fast in the law of God-an obedience which he refused at first. — Against Marcion Book II Tertullian : Grieve and groan he must of necessity over the fact that, by the grant of pardon, so many works of death in man have been overthrown, so many marks of the condemnation which formerly was his own erased. He grieves that that sinner, (now) Christ's servant, is destined to judge him and his angels. And so he observes, assaults, besieges him, in the hope that he may be able in some way either to strike his eyes with carnal concupiscence, or else to entangle his mind with worldly enticements, or else to subvert his faith by fear of earthly power, or else to wrest him from the sure way by perverse traditions: he is never deficient in stumbling-blocks nor in temptations. — On Repentance Tertullian : Sure they were that all ostentation, and ambition, and love of pleasing by carnal means, was displeasing to God. And these are the angels whom we are destined to judge: these are the angels whom in baptism we renounce: these, of course, are the reasons why they have deserved to be judged by man. — On the Apparel of Women Book I Tertullian : " "Know ye not that we are to judge angels? " Again, of how open censure (does) the free expression (find utterance), how manifest the edge of the spiritual sword, (in words like these): "Ye are already enriched! ye are already satiated! ye are already reigning!" and, "If any thinks himself to know, he knoweth not yet how it behaves him to know I" Is he not even then "smiting some one's face," in saying, "For who maketh thee to differ? What, moreover, hast thou which thou hast not received? Why gloriest thou as if thou have not received? " Is he not withal "smiting them upon the mouth," (in saying): "But some, in (their) conscience, even until now eat (it) as if (it were) an idol-sacrifice. — On Modesty Theodoret of Cyrus : By "angels" here, Paul means demons who once were angels. — COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 195