The American Heritage Dictionary defines sarcasm as: "A form of irony in which apparent praise conceals another, scornful meaning." An example might be to someone who is always late and you say to them: "Oh my, you're right on time!"
Now if I told you that the Bible has several excellent examples of sarcasm you might say "well, no, Pastor Tom—what place would sarcasm have in the Holy Scriptures!" In fact, this section of 1st Corinthians has one of the best uses of sarcasm around.
I picture the members of the Corinthian church as balloons that are blown up really big and are floating around the church, each trying to rise higher than the other. The stuff inside the balloons is the pride of the Corinthian Christians and the method Paul uses to bust those balloons is sarcasm.
Paul is basically finishing up dealing with the first issue of the letter: that the Corinthians were using worldly values to judge the relative value of one pastor over another, claiming that their pastor was better than the others due to man-centered things like rhetoric.
In the last section we learned that it was wrong to use the world's value system to judge leaders or ministries, that the Lord Himself would be the judge. Leaders are merely managers of the gospel message. We can use one very important tool, though, in determining how to view ministries and ministers: God's Word.
6
While the Greek in this verse is a little difficult the meaning is pretty apparent. Paul is probably quoting a local proverb and using it to refer to the Scriptures. He may have been referring to the Bible as a whole (what they had of it by that time) or to the Scripture verses he has already quoted.
Just looking at those here is how I would characterize Paul's message:
"I will destroy the world's type of wisdom" (1:19)
"If you have to boast, boast that you know the God of the universe" (1:31)
"You really have no idea how different it is in God's kingdom" (2:9)
"You really have no idea how different it is in God's mind" (2:16)
"If you think you are so smart, you are walking into a trap!" (3:19)
Whether it was the Bible or these verses, the idea is the same: we need to use God's mindset, not worldly values when it comes to ministry.
The purpose is to avoid what was the original sin: pride, and its author: Satan.
Isaiah 14:13-14 You said to yourself: "I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods' assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. 14 I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
Pride says "I don't need anyone or anything. I'm something special in my own right and I deserve everything and will not be accountable or serve anyone but myself."
In our default human condition we buy into that line of thinking hook line and sinker because it was inserted into our DNA by Lucifer in the Garden of Eden.
What's the purpose of all this?
7
Paul is in effect saying "So smarty pants, who died and made you king?" What did you get that you earned? Salvation? True wisdom? God's character? Jesus said "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 ) and He meant it! They were so arrogant that they were in danger of thinking they had accomplished these things themselves.
Paul next shows just how puffed up the Corinthians were by his biting sarcasm.
8 – 13
As Jesus told His men in Luke 22 that the way world does things is wrong and the opposite of the way God does things. A true King's kid of the Father would be seeking to serve and put the needs of others above their own and desire to take the lowly place of a servant, not the high place of "my teacher is better than yours ergo I am better than you."
He then reminds them that the marks of someone becoming like Christ are not the ways of this world:
Last place, condemned, a "spectacle" (like a condemned man in the arena). As the people and even angels watch, the end for those who served as Apostles was horrible torture and death—not the regal parades and palaces of worldly kings. Paul is describing such a different character—one willing to undergo persecution and even turn it around and bless those who are doing the persecuting! (Romans 12:14 , Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you")
So Paul now softens a little from the biting words of sarcasm to the tender words of a father.
14 – 17
The word "warn" is used of a parent giving instruction to a child. You know, sometimes when we know what's right we have a tendency to speak loudly and forcefully. But when we do that sometimes our way of communication stands out more than what we are trying to say or what we are trying to accomplish.
"A gentle word turns away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1 ) is really true.
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1 )
The goal here is to help, not punish. Paul is their father because he founded the church and first preached the gospel to them. So he has their best interests at heart. He wants them to imitate his behavior, not those that espouse worldly values. Later he says it this way:
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.
18 – 21
So I like that Paul is sending Timothy. They can't just ignore what he is saying because Timothy is going to see whether or not they listened. Why is this important? Because some in Corinth were playing the passive-aggressive game—saying yes but not doing anything.
Not only was Timothy coming and would report back to Paul, but the Apostle himself planned to come, which he probably did. Some in the church felt Paul was weak and unable to plan and so probably wasn't coming. He corrects that and says it is the power of God to change lives into God's image, not the big words of lofty rhetoricians that matters.
The Corinthians had a choice: remain in their arrogant pride and receive a strong rebuke from Paul or repent and receive the gentleness of a father who wants his children to do well.
In a way it's like a three year old presented with a choice—remain stubborn and be carried up to bed and deposited there, or take the parent's hand and walk willingly and receive a nice story and a hug before lights out. We are often presented with that choice as well.
Conclusions
Do you ever go beyond what is written?
2 Timothy 1:13-14 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Be careful to stay within the outlines of Scripture—that is, the revealed character of God. It's not that you find an answer to every specific question like "should I have Chinese or Burgerville for lunch?" but as you learn about the character of God you begin to think and then act like Jesus would.
How important is your pride?
You can know from your reaction if God challenges or bursts it. Pride has at its center the letter "I". Pride is the default position. It says "whatever I want" "whatever is best for me". Did you know that you are simply too important to God to let your pride remain? Jesus said in Mark 7:22 that pride is one of things that defiles us from within. It rots us. Pride is the condition that says I don't need God.
God bursts our pride when He reveals our true condition. It hurts, but it's a good hurt. So watch out for pride to creep in and don't worry too much when it gets pricked, it's just God freeing you up from something that rots the soul.
What is our response when God calls us on the carpet for our own pride?
Hebrews 12:5-11 My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives. Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
So don't be afraid to have your heart open to God speaking into it, even if it hurts. And don't be afraid to have God pour difficulty into your life, as He can use every bad situation to help prepare you or use you for His purposes.
So the two words from this section are:
1. Stay true to the Word (which tells you about God's character)
2. Watch out for pride (which pulls you away from His character)
