For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. (1 Corinthians 4:9)
The figure is that of the amphitheater, in which participants who were brought out at the conclusion of the program were doomed to fight with each other until they were killed, or to be torn to pieces by wild animals. There was no hope of escape for them. These inhuman games were carried on in many places in the Roman Empire, and an allusion to them would be readily understood. Paul frequently drew illustrations from the games (see 1 Cor. 9:24-26; 15:32; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8). The apostles are presented as though they were reserved to provide the greatest entertainment for a cruel audience.
Gr. theatron, “a show,”“a spectacle.” Our English word “theater” is derived from theatron. The word refers either to the place of amusement or to the thing exhibited.
God’s servants who witness faithfully for Him become centers of interest for inhabitants of this little world and of heaven (see Heb. 10:32, 33; 12:1; 4T 34-36). This whole world of ours is a stage on which the conflict between sin and righteousness, truth and error, is being carried on before an intensely interested audience composed of the inhabitants of the universe (see 5T 526). It is the duty of every believer to let the light of truth be seen by all with whom he comes in contact. If Christians realized that the eyes of the universe are focused upon them, there would be a revival of the faithful witnessing that characterized the lives of the apostles (see 7T 296).