Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Do ye not know - a truth universally recognized by Christians Notwithstanding all your glorying in your Do ye not know - a truth universally recognized by Christians. Notwithstanding all your glorying in your "knowledge," ye are acting contrary to it (1 Corinthians 1:5; 1 Corinthians 8:1). 'Aleph (') A B C Delta G, Vulgate, f g, have 'Or' before 'know ye not' - i:e., 'What! (expressing surprise) know ye not,' etc.
Saints shall judge - i:e., rule, including judgment: as assessors of Christ (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30; Isaiah 11:4: cf. Psalms 49:14; Daniel 7:22; Daniel 7:27; Revelation 2:26; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4). The distinction between the saints who rule and the world which is ruled is the same as between the elected (Matthew 20:23) twelve apostles, who sit on thrones judging, and Israel's twelve tribes, judged by them. To reign, and to be saved, are not necessarily synonymous. As Yahweh employed angels to ordain the law when on Sinai He established His throne in Israel, so at His coming the saints with transfigured bodies shall administer the kingdom for and under Him. The nations of the earth and Israel, the foremost in the flesh, shall be the subjects of the Lord and His saints. The mistake of the Chiliasts was, they restricted the kingdom to the terrestrial part. Besides this earthly glory, there shall be the heavenly glory of the saints reigning above, and holding such contact with mortals as Christ, Moses and Elias, in glory, had with Peter, James, and John, in the flesh, at the transfiguration (2 Timothy 2:12; 2 Peter 1:16; 2 Peter 1:18). Here the "world" includes both those to be condemned with the bad angels (1 Corinthians 11:32), and those to be brought into obedience to Christ ruling with His saints. Compare Matthew 25:32; Matthew 25:40, "all nations," "these my brethren," on the thrones with Him.
Judged by х en (G1722)] you - literally, 'IN' your persons as the judges. So the Greek 'in' means by means of, in the person of (English version, "by"; Acts 17:31, "He will judge the world BY that man whom He hath ordained."
Smallest matters - the weightiest earthly question is infinitely small compared with those to be decided on the judgment day.