Note 1 at 1 Cor. 4:9: The apostles were not really last in any sense of the word. In this same epistle Paul says that God set the apostles in the church first in authority (1 Cor. 12:28).

Paul is using sarcasm and irony to convict the Corinthians. In the preceding verse, Paul said they had exalted themselves and their opinion as if they were somebody special (see note 5 at v. 8, this page). Now, he is sarcastically following their line of thinking and speaking of the apostles as if they were nothing.

It is hard for us to get the full impact of what is being said without a little knowledge of the Roman barbarisms of the day. In the mornings, gladiators were summoned to fight to the death, but they wore armor to protect themselves. However, at noon, the vilest of people were put forth to fight to the death completely naked without any protection. Even the one who won was condemned to fight again so that death was certain. These individuals were spoken of as "doomed to death" which is the literal meaning of the Greek word "epithanatios" that was translated "appointed to death" here.

Paul is saying that they had treated him as that doomed man in the Roman theatre. They had made a spectacle of him. They were professing themselves to be wiser than Paul, making him a fool in comparison. They perceived themselves to be stronger and more honourable than Paul (2 Cor. 10:10).

He sarcastically uses his present circumstances (vv. 11-13) of being hungry, thirsty, without adequate clothing, etc. to help make their point that they are better than him.

Of course, this would have brought conviction to the Corinthians to hear the one who brought them the gospel speak of himself in these terms, so Paul says in verse 14 that this was not done to shame them but to bring them to their senses.

The Translator's Handbook interprets Paul's statements this way. "Paul's language is . . . ironical. He means, 'If you look at the way we live, you would not think that we apostles are the most important among the church's leaders.'"