Justified Fools For Christ-5 Series

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

Attention:

I was in the barber shop one Friday & Christine showed me a you tube video of an unusual scene in Rockaway, NJ. A black bear family—a mother & 5 cubs!—decided to enjoy themselves in an above-ground pool! They were splashing in the pool & swimming & looking as if they were having a grand ole time! At one point the mother was even leaning over the edge(like she was conversing with her kids!)!

Now suppose the owners were to see the ‘cute little bears’ & let their kids have fun in the pool with them!

Such would be JUSTIFIED FOOLS would they not!!

‘Fools for Christ’ are such because they know from experience with certainty, that they must join with 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. RECEPTION(:7-8) “Without us”

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

FOOLISHNESS(:9-13)

Explanation:(:9-13)Narrow-minded

:9—“For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels & to men.”

Paul feels that God exhibited/openly displayed(with an intent of exposure to others)/ His apostles.

For Roman entertainment the grand finale consisted of the most egregious, hated criminals who were brought into the arena to be slaughtered by wild animals(lions). Their death was certain.

God’s apostles are intended as a spectacle(yeatron). Their exposure was to the world(all creation/universe). Apostles are paraded before both angels & men.

“Think”—dokew—1) To be of opinion, think, suppose; 2) To seem, to be accounted, reputed; 3) It seems to me—3a) I think, judge: thus in question, 3b) It seems good to, pleased me, I determined. Dokew refers to the subjective judgment, which may or may not conform to the fact. Strong—To think; by implication--To seem (truthfully or uncertainly).

“Displayed/Exhibited”—apodeiknumi—1) To point away from one's self, to point out, show forth, to expose to view, exhibit; 2) To declare, to show, to prove what kind of person anyone is, to prove by arguments, demonstrate. Strong—from apo[Off/Away from] & deiknuw[To show(literally or figuratively)]; To show off, i.e. Exhibit; figuratively--To demonstrate, i.e. Accredit Used 4X.

“Apostles”—apostolov—1) A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders. Strong—A delegate; specially--An ambassador of the Gospel; officially--A commissioner of Christ[“apostle”](with miraculous powers).

“Last”—escatov—Adj.—1) Extreme—1a) Last in time or in place, 1b) Last in a series of places, 1c) Last in a temporal succession; 2) The last—2a) Last, referring to time, 2b) of space--The uttermost part, the end, of the earth, 2c) of rank--Grade of worth, last i.e. Lowest. Strong—a superlative probably from ecw[To hold](in the sense of contiguity); Farthest, final(of place or time). “Condemned to Death/Appointed to Death”—epiyanatiov—Adj.—1) Doomed to death. Used 1X.

From—epi—a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution [with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.—&—yanatov—from ynhskw[To die(literally or figuratively)] (properly, an adjective used as a noun)--Death(literally or figuratively).

“Been made/Become”(See :16; :5—“Come from”; :13—“Made”)—ginomai—1) To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. to come to pass, happen; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage; 4) To be made, finished; 5) To become, be made. Strong—To cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).

“Spectacle”—yeatron—1) A theatre, a place in which games & dramatic spectacles are exhibited, & public assemblies held(for the Greeks used the theatre also as a forum); 2) A public show—2a) metaph.--A man who is exhibited to be gazed at & made sport of. Strong—A place for public show (“theatre”), i.e. General audience-room; by implication--A show itself(figuratively). Used 3X.

“World”(See :13)—kosmov—1) An apt & harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government; 2) Ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. The arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1Pet. 3:3; 3) The world, the universe; .....Strong—Orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication--The world(in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]).

“Angels”—aggelov—1) A messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.

“Men”—anyrwpov—1) A human being, whether male or female; Strong—from anhr[A man(properly as an individual male] & wq(the countenance; from optanomai); Man-faced, i.e. A human being.

:10—“We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!”

The apostles are unyielding “fools” for the sake of Christ. willing to give all for Christ uncompromisingly. Christ is the center of their lives regardless of the outcome of such devotion.