Riches and Kings? Maybe Not!

1 Corinthians 4:8 "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!" NIV

"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." NAS

      Dear Sweet Lord, I need the Spirit's teaching and discerning on this verse.  It seems to be a bit of a parenthesis.  Paul had been speaking to the Corinthians about not showing favoritism and here this verse is.  It seems that the first two verses might be speaking of their riches in You since their salvation, but in the context can't really be true.
      The last two sentences are the puzzle.  Does Paul mean that they are kings because they are joint heirs with You now, because God does the work in us, it happened "without" them?  If so, then Paul is saying that he, Apollos, and Ceaphas are not kings and joint heirs, but wish they were; so that cannot be true.
      I think Paul is using sarcasm.  He is chiding them not only for their arrogance and pride, but also for their ignorance.  They think they have "arrived" and have all they need or could ever want spiritually, but in fact are mere babes in their growth and almost destitute.
    Kings have authority given by God to rule and reign over others. They think they have become "Kings" in Your Kingdom, but in fact are not. The Corinthians  have taken on that role in the church without God's anointing.  God would never appoint several kings to rule over a small kingdom as anything with more than one head is a monster and the heads will fight each other destroying the kingdom.
      I think in this instance, the New Living Translation might be the best:
"You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God's kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you." NLT
      Lord, give me Your understanding and discernment and wisdom, please.