Justified Fools For Christ-4 Series

JUSTIFIED FOOLS For CHRIST-IV—1Corinthians 4:1-21

Attention:

On Call—

A husband & wife are on the 9th green when suddenly she collapses from a heart attack.

"Help me dear," she groans to her husband.

The husband calls 911 on his cell phone, talks for a few minutes, picks up his putter, & lines up his putt.

His wife raises her head off the green & stares at him.

"I'm dying here & you're putting."

"Don't worry dear," says the husband calmly, "they found a doctor on the second hole & he's coming to help you."

"Well, how long will it take for him to get here?" she asks feebly.

"No time at all," says her husband. "Everybody's already agreed to let him play through."

*That husband was a ‘fool for golf’!

‘Fools for Christ’ are such because they know from experience with certainty, that there really is nothing worthwhile outside of Christ!

Paul admonished the Corinthian Church regarding his apostolic ministry.

The church must regard apostolic authority rightly...as those who are fools for Christ!

How/When are Fools for Christ Justified?

11 justifiers regarding Fools for Christ.

We discovered last time that

Fools for Christ are justified thru their...

1. STEWARDSHIP(:1)

2. FAITHFULNESS(:2)

3. DISCERNMENT(:3-5)

4. GROUNDING(:6)

5—Fools for Christ are justified thru their...

RECEPTION(:7-8) “Without us”

Explanation:(:7-8)

:7—“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

It is possible to view ourselves(our church(es)) as superior but in reality no one should.

One group(local church) should not look at themselves as if they were appreciably “different” from any other church. It cannot be assumed or rightly defended that a particular church’s actively choosing one true apostle’s teaching above that of another, makes the choosing church different(more godly/holy/fit, etc.) than any other.

True Christians possess(have) nothing that they do not “receive” thru others(shared faith), plus & more importantly, they possess(have) nothing that they do not “receive” from the Lord Himself(thru Christ & His apostolic ministry)! Every church receives everything they are from the Lord.

Therefore, logic dictates that there should be no “boasting” on the part of any group(church) above another.

Boasting exposes an underlying belief that we have a giftedness & marketability which others do not have. But rather than share it to the advantage of the church(universal), it is instead closed off to others & bragged about. It may also imply that we have provided for ourselves apart from God’s provision & other’s faith.

“All self-conceit rests on the notion of superiority of gifts & graces as if they were self-bestowed or self-acquired.”.....“Pride of intellect, of blood, of race, of country, of religion, is thus shut out.”—RWP

“Makes...Differ/Regards...Superior”—diakrinw—1) To separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer; 2) To learn by discrimination, to try, decide—2a) To determine, give judgment, decide a dispute; 3) to withdraw from one, desert; 4) To separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend; 5) To be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt. Strong—to separate thoroughly, i.e. (literally & reflexively) to withdraw from, or by implication--Oppose; figuratively--To discriminate(by implication--Decide), or reflexively--Hesitate.

“Have”3X(See :15)—ecw—1) To have, i.e. To hold; 2) To have i.e. own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition[ 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—including an alternate form scew; (used in certain tenses only); a primary verb; To hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).

“Now if you did Indeed/Now if/But if Also”—ei de kai——ei—Conjunction—1) If, whether. Strong—a primary particle of conditionality; If, whether, that, etc..—&—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, &, etc. Strong—a primary particle (adversative or continuative); But, &, etc.—&—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.

“Receive”3X—lambanw—1) To take; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).

“Boast”—kaucaomai—1) To glory (whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing. Strong—To vaunt(in a good or a bad sense).

:8—“You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us--& indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!”