4:1-5 - We Are Servants
4:6-8 - Fools, or, Do not be Arrogant
4:9-13 - Working to build you up
4:14-21 - Admonishments
Introduction
Paul begins to wrap up the admonishment started in chapter 1:10 regarding who is the better believer based on who led them to faith in Christ. Who is more ‘Christian’? Were you saved through J. Vernon McGee, or D. L. Moody, or Billy Graham? Which one of those makes you more saved, a better disciple? What? None of the above? Are you sure you are saved, then? That is the type of argument that was consuming the Corinthian church. Paul did not want special adulation from the church members, did not want worship. He knows he answers to the Lord. In fact, he is not comfortable analyzing his own performance.
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 - Christ Evaluates Our Service
1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
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.
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.
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.
V. 1 - “Let a man regard us in this manner” - Let’s be realistic. We - Paul, Apollos, Peter - have a job to do for the Lord. That is how we want to be judged. Don’t raise Paul or Apollos up on a pedestal, to be revered.
“servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” - Judge the missionaries, ministers, pastors, or teachers on this: have they clearly taught the words of God - salvation in Jesus Christ, eternal life, forgiveness of sin, and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (See: Gal. 5:22-23).
+Generally, a servant works for someone. A servant is not usually an independent operator, i.e., they are not given lots of latitude, or free reign, but follow instructions, directions or commands. (See Note 1, below)
A steward is responsible manages the affairs of another, and seems to have the freedom to utilize methods and techniques to achieve a goal. An example would be a financial advisor or manager - you hand over your ‘nest egg’, the advisor manages it. You don’t ‘micro-manage’, because you probably don’t have the expertise. There are basic goals for your account, and how these are met may be a mystery to you, but not to the financial advisor (you hope).
God called Paul, et. al., to be missionaries, apostles. Their service was to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. (See: Acts 2:6; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14) They were also called to explain the miracle of Jesus - the mystery. (Note: a ‘mystery’ is something God does in and through Christ that was not clearly prophesied or predicted in the Old Testament scriptures.) The Jews were looking anxiously for the Messiah, but somehow could not see the Messiah in Jesus Christ. The were looking for a victorious savior, but didn’t foresee His victory over death and His resurrection. Not only did they not anticipate Jesus’ victory over death, they were blinded to the actual event, and opposed those who did believe and accept Jesus as Savior. Paul’s eyes, and others eyes, were opened by the Lord to be able to see how Jesus fulfilled all the prophesies, and he taught these ‘mysteries’ to the new Christians.
Even more so when addressing Gentiles. Most Jews were familiar (or at least, should have been) with the prophesied Messiah. Gentiles’ understanding of the Jewish faith is probably very limited - Sabbath, circumcision (maybe), yarmulke (men’s skull caps), Israel, Jerusalem, etc. Paul’s evangelistic message would be the same to Jews and Gentiles - “Jesus died for your sins, according to the scriptures, and He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures...” (See: 1 Cor. 15:3-9) For Gentiles, the prophecies about the Christ may indeed be “mysteries”, and will need clarification and explanation. Most other religions in that era were not about making you a better person, forgiving your sins - most were appeals to get stuff from the gods. Nothing was done to relieve guilt, take away sin, give you hope.)
V. 2 - “it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” - If your house manager is not trustworthy, you fire him. If your financial manager mismanages, you get someone else. The stakes here are even higher - eternal life or death. In reality, we all are required to be trustworthy with respect to our salvation and witness to the world.
V. 3 - “it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you” - Paul says, “You may think you judge me. I don’t even judge myself.” This does not mean Paul runs wild, doing anything he feels. He is well aware he must answer to the Lord, and it is only to the Lord. He knows the Lord misses nothing - good or bad. Paul knows what he is called to do. He is doing his best to follow God’s instructions to him. Paul is not thinking, “I am doing pretty well.” This kind of self congratulations usually involves comparing our own performance to some one else. God does not compare my actions to another’s. He judges my actions by His commands.
V. 4 - “The one who examines me is the Lord” - Paul emphasizes that it is not his own judgment that determines if he has met the Lord’s commands.
V. 5 - “Therefore do not go on passing judgment” - Mind you own business. Again, this is not carte blanche license to do anything (I mean anything). Committing sin is not acceptable in any circumstance. Forming factions based on who delivered the gospel message - Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, or Peter - is the issue here. How is “Christ died for your sin” correct if Paul says it, but not correct if Peter says it? We saw something similar when opponents of Jesus were going through the countryside preaching the gospel in order to cause trouble. When Jesus’ disciples objected, they were told the gospel is being preached even so. (See: Mark 9:36-40)
“Each man’s praise will come to him from God” - Wait for it. Let God sort it out. It is not your job to judge the work of another. Only the Lord can do this. Jesus deals with each of us on an individual level, and we do not have any authority to question that. See how Jesus dealt with this in John 21:20-23.
***Note 1: There is a variety of appellations ascribed to Christians in the NT. We are children of God (1 John 3:2); we are Jesus’s own people, He has purchased us by His blood (John 8:31); we are servants (Heb 4:1); we are slaves (Eph 6:6); we are the church (Mat 16:18, Acts 8:1), etc.
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