1st Corinthians Chapter
Four
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1.
"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards
of the mysteries of God."
The tendency is to think of
ministers as professional men, largely because of their education. Not
so long ago, in this culture, there were only three professions:
Medicine, law, and the ministry. The definition of professionalism was
different, though --- a young person would sacrifice his youth to become
educated, so he might sacrifice the rest of his life in service to
others. What a change. Now a "professional" is someone who is in it
for the money.
In actuality, a minister is a
SERVANT sent by God to serve others. Don’t ever forget, though, that
the minister truly is the servant of Christ, and only your servant
indirectly. He is also a "steward" entrusted with the "Bread" of God to
a hungry world. "Minister" or "steward" here is "huperetas" in the
Greek, which means "under-rower." This is a description of a very lowly
person working as a "hand" on a ship of the time. Those who minister
are servants as well as stewards of God. We are a kingdom of servants,
indebted to our Lord, and to one another. Jesus Himself became the
Servant of all, that we might live and begin to serve.
In Christ, the truth (which is a
great trust) is given to us. Paul had a great tenacity for the truth,
just like Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Walter Scott, who both referred to
the difficulty they had in getting a topic out of their minds, once it
had occurred to them. Paul also was our great ambassador for Christ.
An ambassador might be of lowly birth and even limited mental powers,
but if he is an ambassador, his relationship to the Leader of his
country means he should be LISTENED to. You and I are ambassadors to
one another.
"Mysteries" refers to "truths
once hidden but now revealed" as in Luke 8:10, "Unto
you is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God." Paul
(and the other writers) revealed to us the "mysteries" of God, not as
some kind of infallible critic or even as a supernatural teacher, but as
an ambassador from Christ, faithfully showing us what we could not
otherwise know.
Verse 2.
"In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found
trustworthy."
A "steward" of that time was a
man who held all of the goods of his master in trust, and that is what
we are in Christ. We are entrusted with the very Person of God inside
of our bodies, and part of what it means to be "trustworthy" is to be
FAITHFUL in our service to God, trusting in Him and sharing Him with
others.
What is needed of us as stewards
is not that we are brilliant or eloquent; nor must we have deep
knowledge or even be particularly successful --- but that we are
FAITHFUL to God. The job of a minister (if we are in Christ, we are all
ministers of God) is to be faithful to the One who gave us the
ministry. He calls anybody He chooses, and the person chosen is
supposed to FOLLOW. Why are people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan and
Richard Nixon so DRIVEN to succeed? --- Because that is the way they
were created by God. Their drive and charisma and leadership can be
used for good or evil, but it is from Him.
Included in "faith" is
faithfulness to duty because it is faithfulness to Him. True faith does not care about office,
popularity, or honor, but carries out the work just precisely the right
thing to do. Serving our Lord in spirit and in truth. As He has been
to us, so must we be for Him.
Our faithfulness must be
independent of what seems important to us. The world thinks prayer is
trivial but God values it highly, so let us be faithful --- "He
that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much"
(Luke 16:10). Let’s do what He wills, no matter how small it may seem.
Verse 3.
"But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by
any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself."
The word "examined"
here ("anakrisis") is "an
examination prior to trial." Paul did not need to be on trial by these
men, for their "court" was not high enough to judge him. Indeed, he did
not even judge his own right to minister, for it was given to him to do
these things by Almighty God. He did judge himself PERSONALLY (2
Corinthians 13:5) but not his OFFICE, for it was God’s office and not of
any man.
Note that Paul is not arrogantly
proclaiming himself superior to opinions of the Corinthians, but is
pointing out the inadequacy of ALL humans to judge the works of God.
It is not really Paul they are judging here, but God who sent Paul was
being judged by these people. When we turn on our neighbor, we turn on
the God who gave our neighbor to us.
Who is the judge of the minister
of God? You and I, the congregation, the minister himself -- all of us
are too short-sighted to effectively judge. The LORD is His judge (and
ours). Christ will judge His own servants. If things seem wrong to you
about the Pastor, it is time to really pray, for we need a LOT of
discernment to EVER come against God’s man.
Verse 4.
"For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this
acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord."
If we are in Christ, our
behavior will change and our conscience will become clear. Our
conscience becomes clear because of what God in Christ has done in us
and through us. We cannot even judge ourselves in this regard, for God
alone is my Judge and yours. It is GOD who Judges you and me.
What a difference between a
human court (whether ecclesiastical or not, it does not matter, for we
are merely people) and God’s Court. Note, however, the comparison
between men and God --- God is INFALLIBLE and because of that, His
Judgment shall stand. Let us wait for His Judgment and be slow to
judge, lest we find ourselves against the works of the Holy Spirit of
our Lord.
Verse 5.
"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until
the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the
darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's
praise will come to him from God."
The reason we do not "judge"
about the ministry of another person is because we lack the capacity for
forming adequate judgments. There is a spiritual gift called
"discernment of spirits" (1 Corinthians 12:10) given by God that we
might under certain circumstances - judge. We will see more of this in
1 Corinthians Chapter 6.
What Paul is concerned about in
the 3rd chapter is not judgment of the works of men, but
judgment directed against the Holy Spirit who sent the men. That’s
serious and Paul was right to stop them.
Verse 6.
"Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and
Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what
is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one
against the other."
"Not to exceed what is written"
is perhaps one of the most important statements of all. We are born
full of curiosity, questioning everything. Few babies are content to
remain in the crib --- they want to be out the door and down the
street! F. W. Robertson said "Let us strive, as much as possible to be
tranquil."
How do we accomplish tranquility
(peace) and not become "arrogant" in relation to others? --- By giving
ourselves to the Word of God. The written Word, revealed by the Holy
Spirit, has changed my life (and will also change yours). Other
pursuits just lead to pride.
Verse 7.
"For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not
receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not
received it?"
How come people think they are
superior? Why should I think I am somehow different from you? Or you
from me? We’re just people, in need of one another, and in need of
God. Whatever we think we have that’s so special --- it’s from God.
God uses people, by the way, and for that reason, it’s time to start
LISTENING to one another.
Glorifying certain teachers
(sent by God) and deprecating others (also sent by God) springs from
arrogance. Who are we to judge God’s man? If we are able to easily
make such distinctions, we take a position of superiority and claim the
right to sit in judgment over them who are being judged.
Since we have RECEIVED
everything, we are indebted to the One who gave all things to us. Our
food, clothing, shelter, prosperity; all is LENT to us by God.
Somebody says to me, "Nice shirt" and I say "Thank you" as though I made
the thing on some kind of loom. There is a pride in relation to just
about everything. God gave me the shirt and the money to buy it. God
gives understanding of Scripture and the ability to speak about
it. It’s time to give all the glory to Him who made us, and to love
others, for they were also created by God.
Verse 8.
"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."
Here are three metaphors, the
first taken from persons filled with food, the second as to persons so
rich they need nothing more, and the third for those who have become
elevated above others --- kings on earth! Paul is saying (with heavy
sarcasm) "Hey guys, you’re so great, so spiritually advanced that you
are greater than the apostles and don’t need me anymore!" Sarcasm is a
powerful weapon (to be used with restraint) and Paul uses it here to
great effect.
The Corinthians were
comfortable, well-fed and self-satisfied they were "better" than the
apostles who were not so well off financially. Paul is using SATIRE on
them, that they might be knocked out of complacency and see their
carnality. Satire or irony is very common in Scripture. God called the
fighting men of Israel "cows" (Amos 4:1) and Elijah certainly used
insulting words to the prophets of Baal about their "god" (1 Kings
18:27). God asked Job "Can you speak to the clouds, that it might
rain?"
God will be pleased with us if
we do "reign" (as in this verse) with Him. We are His ambassadors
right now, given His authority to act for Him on earth. We really have
nothing of value to offer one another, but acting in Christ, we have
EVERYTHING to give to one another.
Verse 9.
"For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men
condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world,
both to angels and to men."
The language Paul uses is
reminiscent of the spectacle made of those forced into Roman arenas,
where they had to fight or die. These people were putting Paul into
sort of an "arena" of words, where they made a spectacle of him. They
were judging Paul.
When we judge our pastors as
somehow better or worse than they really are (both the "good" ones and
the less "good" ones are God-sent men); we judge ourselves. Note in
this verse that we are being observed by those around us, not only by
other people but also by angels. Who is watching you (and your
thoughts) right now?
The word "condemned" as to the
apostles, meant that, by human standards, they were not doing so well,
and the early Christian leaders did indeed have a very rough time.
They went hungry, were beaten, lost loved ones to murder and neglect ---
These Corinthians should not have been condemning and judging; they
should have been praying for and comforting those who served them.
Verse 10.
"We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are
weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without
honor."
Paul was called just about
everything by people such as these. He was called a "seed pecker" (spermologos)
or "idle babbler" by the Epicureans and Stoics at Athens, and Festus, in
open court, called him "mad." The word for "without honor" meant
"disenfranchised" as in a prisoner who loses liberties.
To attack Paul, to belittle him
--- What madness! Yet even today, there are those who somehow feel
superior to this wonderful little man who gives us so much. It is like
standing up to Billy Graham with a shopping list of suggestions about
how to win souls! I wonder if we would receive Paul if he walked into
our churches today? Some of us would --- others might not.
If we decide our pastor is
annoying or short-sighted, it is NOT time to gossip about him or slander
his name. It IS time to pray for him, and to assume (until proven
otherwise) that God sent him to us.
Verse 11.
"To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly
clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;"
Paul was roughly treated
(beaten), was essentially a homeless man, and went hungry – often (see 2
Corinthians 11:23 & forward). If you’ve never been outside at night
with no heat and inadequate clothing, you really don’t understand what
this man went through.
I’ve heard it intimated that
Paul’s revealing of his sufferings was a kind of "bragging" which is
false. We need to remember WHY he was revealing these things --- to
change these people, to win them to Christ. He would give any
information necessary to bring them to the place they should be, for he
loved them, and in his love he revealed his life to them.
Note that affliction or trouble
in our lives does not always indicate God’s displeasure. The apostles
were very much in God’s will, in His pleasure, and yet they suffered
like few in history. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 is an excellent chapter
that reveals REASONS why good people suffer. When trouble comes, it
does not necessarily mean we should change our direction --- In Him, we
can even "glory in tribulations" (Romans 5:3) when we know we are in the
will of God.
Verse 12.
"and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless;
when we are persecuted, we endure;"
Paul was a tent maker, which was
a dreary, monotonous job, and he didn’t earn a lot of money, like most who
were in the trade. The tents of his day were made out of dead animal
skins and the Jews didn’t like people who touched dead bodies of any
kind. The Greeks wouldn’t like him for his job either, for as a
culture, they looked down on workers in all mechanical trades.
Jesus said "bless
those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you"
(Luke 6:28) --- Paul certainly modeled the Christian life for you and
for me. "Toil" or "work" by the way, is a gift of God to us & we are to
do our best, no matter what --- Peter said (1 Peter 2:18) that we are to
be responsive to our bosses, even when they treat us badly.
Verse 13.
"when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum
of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now."
Paul consoled (conciliate) the
very people who slandered him. "Slandered" is to say false, harmful
things about another person, and they surely did that to Paul. He was
what we would call a "jailbird," and his body was likely distorted from
many beatings. People avoided him and also said all sorts of negative
things about him.
One of the men at work recently
tried to avoid a homeless man on the street, but was unsuccessful. As
they talked, the homeless person pulled out a Bible and turned out to be
our brother in Christ. Many of us live in very fortunate circumstances,
and it makes us wonder, who is better, the one who has just about
everything, or someone like Paul, who really had nothing? The correct
answer is, we really don’t know. We do know this, however --- the
Corinthians were judging Paulon externals only.
Verse 14.
"I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my
beloved children."
Paul knew his words would cause
shame in the minds of these people, but that was not his purpose. They
would be ashamed because they had acted shamefully. His actual intent
was to warn them. When we come against the man God sends to us (as they
came against Paul), we come against God.
That was the concern of Martin
Luther when he pounded his 95 theses onto the door at Wittenburg,
Germany, when
he came against the leaders of the Church. What each man (Paul and
Luther) wanted was a CHANGE for the better in the people they addressed. That should
be our attitude as well --- We are not against people or even against
their beliefs. What we want is for them to trust in Christ.
Verse 15.
"For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not
have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the
gospel."
The phrase "countless tutors" or
"ten thousand" as in some translations, is a Greek idiomatic
expression
which means "a whole bunch." "Instructor" or "tutor" has no exact
equivalent in modern English, for it is "paidagogos," which was the slave who
led boys to school, and is the same phrase that is found in Galatians
3:24-25 ("the law was our tutor to bring us to
Christ").
They had such an abundance of
good teachers in Corinth that it was (in education) very much like
modern America. But when you think about it, how could these Christian
people reject the one who led them to Christ?
The relationship between you and
the one who leads you to Christ should be very close. Because that
person had the courage to speak a few words (or perhaps a lot of words)
to you; you may have come to Christ. The job of the parent is to bring
LIFE to the child and Paul certainly was faithful in bringing life to
those around him. You can say with accuracy that it was Paul who was
the father of Luther, for it was the words of Paul that gave LIFE to
him, hundreds of years in the future.
Verse 16.
"Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me."
The son should be like the
deserving father, and Paul was deserving of imitation because he was 100% given over to Christ. When he
encouraged them to be like him, he was telling them to be like his Lord.
My grandfather, after the flesh,
generated my father, who in turn gave life to me. The life I have in
them is fading and ultimately will be gone from this world, just as they
are gone. The life that Paul gave to Luther (and to you and me) is
still going on and will last forever, for that life is in Christ. It is
THAT kind of life, as expressed in His Holy Word, that we are to share
with one another.
Verse 17.
"For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and
faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are
in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church."
Timothy was sent before this
letter was mailed (Acts 19:22) but he did not reach Corinth until after
its arrival --- he had to go by land and traveled around by Macedonia,
on his way to the Corinthians.
Paul sent his very best to them,
for Timothy was a comfort to him. God sends His very best also. Jesus
Christ is His Best and the Father sent Him, out of love for you. God
sends the ministers who speak to us in church to remind us of what
Christ did for you and for me. If your Pastor is telling you of Christ,
and sharing His Word, he is doing what is best for you.
Verse 18.
"Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you."
There are a lot of "puffed up"
(some translations) or "arrogant" people in this world. One of the
reasons I always have liked Billy Graham, is because he is filled with
humility. He KNOWS it is GOD Who really is doing the work of Rev.
Graham’s ministry --- It is GOD Who brings many to Christ. This gentle,
kind pastor, is really a great man, and yet he is kindly and filled with
love. Jesus is gentle also, but He is the One coming to judge the
world. It’s definitely time to stop being puffed up and turn to the
gentle Lamb of God, Who alone is the Savior of the whole world.
Verse 19.
"But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out,
not the words of those who are arrogant but their power."
"I will." Paul believed,
sincerely believed that God had a will for him, for his life. Paul
also had a strong will of his own, and he was not afraid to exercise it,
either. But note that his "I will" is subordinated to "if the Lord
wills." And when Paul would come to them, he would bring the Power of God
with him.
Those who are "arrogant"
may seem to have "power," but what they
have is not coming from the Lord. The power of the Spirit in us,
will bring humility, because we will see that the work we do is not of
ourselves, but of Him.
Verse 20.
"For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power."
In theology class, while in
college, we sat around in a circle for an hour, responding to the
question asked by the instructor, "What is the kingdom of God?" There
were a lot of interesting answers, but none of them were so good as the
most simple: a kingdom consists of the king and his people. It is not
so much a place as it is a person. Jesus Christ is our King and those who look to Him are His kingdom.
In Ezekiel 1:3, we read, "The
hand of the Lord was there upon him." There is POWER in the kingdom of
God, but it does not rest in our many words or the deeds we perform --- the power of the kingdom
of God is found in HIM; reflected in the words and actions of those who
receive Him.
And His power is expressed in
love (1 John 3:23). Why would we refuse His love?
Verse 21.
"What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a
spirit of gentleness?"
In some ways, our lives really
are in our own hands. For years I rejected God. When I came back to
Him in tears, it was really because of His rod of correction. The
funny thing about it (not so funny at the time) was that the rod should
not have been necessary at all. I needed it though, for I had become an unruly man
in the sight of God. It was a rod of correction in the hand of the One
who loves us and understands how desperately we need to be changed. In
my life it has been first the rod, and after, when I finally was ready
to receive Him, He became the "spirit of gentleness" to me. For He
really is "gentle and humble in heart"
(Matthew 11:29) and He truly does "give rest to (our)
souls."
He loves us. He really does love
you and me.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
www.FridayStudy.org
Write to:
Letters@FridayStudy.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8)
__________________________________________________
To receive our weekly studies and sermons by
email, contact:
Ron@FridayStudy.org or sign-up in our
Weekly Bulletin.
To join our Prayer Team, contact
Ron@FridayStudy.org or go to
Prayer Team.
