1 Corinthians 4:18-21 - I am Coming to You

18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
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.
20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.
21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

The Kingdom of God Consists of Power

V. 18 - “Some have become arrogant” - These people have strayed from the truth, “fallen off the wagon”, and are teaching falsehoods. Because they believe Paul is not returning to Corinth, they see no reason to remain faithful. This is not just a problem with the Corinthian church - all humans tend to rebellion, especially if they are sure no one is looking, or will catch them. If you read the Isaiah or Jeremiah, you will see this as a recurring theme. Because God is “not paying attention”, anything goes. The Corinthian church is making the same egregious error as the Jews of ancient Israel and Judah.

V. 19 - “I shall find out” - If God allows Paul to return to Corinth he will determine for himself what is going on in that church.

“Not their words... but their power” - Are they living in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are they living by their own devices and power? The Holy Spirit is the source of the overflowing life (John 7:37-39). God has provided for us an abundant and fruitful Christian life. (John 10:10, 15:5; Gal. 5:22, 23; Acts 1:8). (See Note 1, below)

Carnal Christians cannot experience the abundant and fruitful life. The carnal man trusts his own efforts to life he Christian life. (Rom. 5:8-10, 7:5-24; Heb. 10:1-25, 1 John 1; 2:1-3; 2 Peter 1:9; Acts 1:8)

Jesus promised the abundant and fruitful life as the result of being filled (directed and empowered) by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is the Christ-directed life by which Christ lives His life in and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 15) - (see note 1 below).

V. 20 - “the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” - What you say can be a manifestation of who you are. But the Spirit-filled life is demonstrated by your behavior - your physical life if manifestation of your spiritual life. What is said may not always be the truth - we lie to ourselves as much as we lie to others. We cannot lie to God (we may try, but God knows and reveals all; He cannot be fooled). He will not lie to us.

When Paul comes, it will not be to just talk to them. He will come in the power of the Holy Spirit, and will offer reproof, correction, love and power in the Spirit.

V. 21 - “What do you desire?” - Paul is asking which do you prefer: chastisement, or gentle love and teaching? Paul is going to teach no matter where he goes. The question remains if they want to remain rebellious to receive stern correction and teaching, or if they want encouragement and instruction with love and tenderness? It is their choice.

This is our choice, also. We can follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, patterning our lives after the leading of Christ. We can follow our own guidance, rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit, knowing full well that our path with diverge from the path Christ would have us follow. Listen to the Lord, wherever you go: “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, ‘This is the correct way, walk in it,’ whether you are heading to the right or the left.” (Isa. 30:21). He will always be with you, to guide you, to help you, uphold you, comfort and teach.

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Note 1: For a more complete explanation and to discover how you can be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, please see and use the booklet “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life”, by William R. Bright, President, Campus Crusade International.
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End of Chapter

1 Corinthians 4:14-17 - This is Not to Shame You

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
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.
16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.
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.

Be Imitators of Me!

V. 14 - “I do not write these things to shame you” - He is not trying to make them feel bad.

“admonish you as my beloved children” - He is giving them instructions. He is telling them where they are off-track, and the steps they need to take. “This is where you have gone wrong. This is what you need to do to become right again.” Guiding them as a father would teach his children, helping them learn the correct way to behave.
Our modern society has become very “feelings” oriented. Many rules, laws and decisions are made so peoples’ feelings are not hurt. Sometimes it seems that it doesn’t matter what the facts or reality of the situation may be. We will make decisions so people can feel good about themselves. We don’t deal with the sin that is causing the problem, but we feel good about ourselves.

V. 15 - “for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” - Paul was there when they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Paul was the first to lead them to Christ. There may be many others that will come along to offer instruction and guidance. No matter how many teachers and preachers may come through their life, only one person was present at their new birth.

I committed my life to Christ in Dallas, TX during “Explo ‘72”. We had daily meetings in which the speaker, Howard Ball would teach us. Bill Bright would speak also, but it was Howard that had the deepest impact on me. His teaching and instruction helped me to see that I needed to turn my life over to Christ. I had grown up going to church with my parents. I had believed in Jesus and was baptized when I was a child. But it wasn’t until Explo ‘72 that it finally dawned on me what I needed to do. And, I will forever be grateful to Dave Nelson who mentored me and guided me in my spiritual growth, but it was Howard in Dallas who was there at my new birth.

V. 16 - “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me” - How confident Paul is in his faith! Am I brave enough to encourage others to copy me and my Christian lifestyle? People should know I am a Christian. People should not be turned off to Jesus Christ because of my behavior. Even though you may not be a teacher or preacher, you are a Christian and your life is scrutinized by all around you.

V. 17 - “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy” - Timothy began to work with Paul after he and Silas worked their way through the area of Cilicia (An area of southern Turkey - which is between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea), and met in the town of Lystra. Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and Greek father.
An interesting part of this account is that Paul asked Timothy to be circumcised, and he agreed. You may wonder at that, since Paul’s ministry was primarily to the Gentiles. Paul started almost every encounter in a town or city in a synagogue. The devout Jews would not speak or discuss with Timothy if he was not circumcised. Therefore his circumcision opened doors for Paul and Timothy to share the gospel.
Timothy’s circumcision was not a religious rite that made him acceptable to God. Think about that: he would do whatever it takes to be able to share Christ. It was pain and suffering endured so that he would not be hindered in sharing the gospel with anyone - Jew or Gentile. Silas and Timothy became such trusted co-workers that he had no qualms sending them to churches, or leaving them in cities to continue preaching. Paul could trust them to teach and preach.

“He will remind you of my ways which are in Christ” - Timothy was more than a co-worker. He is called “a beloved and faithful child in the Lord”. Being a solid and well-grounded believer, he could trusted to teach the principles of being a child of God. He will teach the same things Paul teaches, which Paul learned from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 Corinthians 4:9-13 - The Trials of Being an Apostle

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.
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.
11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;
12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
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.

You Are Strong, Distinguished!

V. 9 - “God has exhibited us apostles last of all” - God called the prophets in “the old days”. But the people did not listen or obey. “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zech. 7:11-12)

God send His Son to proclaim peace and salvation with God. But the people did not listen - they crucified Him. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36) Jew or Gentile - both rejected the gift from God. See: “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23) The end for those who rejected Him will not be pretty. “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (Rev. 11:8) They did not just turn their backs on Him, they killed Him.

God has called the apostles to spread the gospel of forgiveness and love through His Son, Jesus Christ. As Paul said earlier in this letter, “servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” The apostles and missionaries are not received any better than the prophets or the Messiah.

“Spectacle to the world” - Paul includes the fact they (Paul, and others) face opposition, including being jailed and executed (See: “condemned to death”). The apostles are not sneaking about in secret. They are proclaiming Christ publicly. Paul spoke to kings and religious leaders. He spoke to the learned scholars of the world in Athens. He spoke with the power leaders of Rome. He is out there, speaking for Christ in the spiritual and earthly realms.

V. 10 - “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ” - Paul speaks of the mercy of Jesus Christ in order to be true to his calling. In the face of intense opposition and hatred, Paul preaches Christ. It would seem foolish to put yourself out there in danger. You can almost hearing people saying to Paul, “Are you nuts!?”

Paul has praised their prudence in Christ. This does not mean they are hiding their faith, huddled in the basement. It means they have listened and responded. They have not rejected Christ as did the religious leaders. Their prudence and wisdom is demonstrated in their faith.

“We are weak, but you are strong” - Paul is encouraging them to be faithful. He may appear to be weak because he is constantly persecuted. They have strength beyond their understanding because they have the Lord. Our strength in the Lord is dependent upon the amount of trust we are willing to place in Him. There is no need to rely upon our own will power to succeed in our spiritual life. That is the paradox we live in - the life and power of the Lord is ours, but we bumble along, trying to tough it out.

“We are without honorr” - (you are distinguished) - Again, more encouragement. In this case, Paul is building them up, while claiming no honor for himself.

V. 11-13 - “Hungry... thirsty... poorly clothed... roughly treated... homeless” - A litany of the trials and tribulations of being an apostle! He is not complaining, but pointing out he is not traveling by corporate jet, being chauffeured in a stretch limo, making his missionary headquarters in a Hilton hotel suite.

“We toil... work, when we are reviled... blessed, when we are persecuted... endure” - In spite of those things arrayed against his ministry, his mission, Paul is still at work.

“Slandered... conciliate, scum of the world, dregs...” - He knows what the world, the non-believing world, thinks of him. What the world thinks is of little import, because it is what the Lord judges that matters. Paul is not thumbing his nose at the world, but is remaining faithful to the call given him.

He is not denigrating his call as an apostle or missionary, but is letting them know what he goes through to remain faithful to that call. We whine and complain about the disrespect and disdain the secular world around us shows to Christians. Paul did not face just a bad attitude towards him. He faced persecution and death. We need have an attitude more like Paul.

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