Introduction
It has been three weeks since we have been in 1 Corinthians. You will recall that Paul has been admonishing the Corinth saints for division in the church and for their being enamored with worldly wisdom. The underlying issue, we noted, was the tension between the church and Paul, which came out in the open in our previous text, 4:1-5, when Paul makes clear what he thinks of their judgment about him. He becomes even more direct in today’s passage where he allows sarcasm to slip in and seems to get testy with his readers. This is just the kind of stuff that is popular today with our talk and “reality” shows. Jerry Springer would have loved getting Paul on stage with the Corinth Church as the audience after reading this passage.
Text
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
Paul is referring to the illustrations in chapter 3. He and Apollos are servants of the Lord; comparing the church to a field, Paul is the planter and Apollos the waterer. Moving to the image of the church being a building, Paul lays the foundation and Apollos builds on it. In either case, they are servants of the Lord for the benefit of the church. They both must answer to the Lord for the specific work and gifts he has given them.
“Learn from our example,” Paul is saying so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. Even though we are apostles, and even though our work could cause us to be competitive, we have not fallen prey to petty competition and jealousy for the reasons already explained.”
That cannot be said of the Corinthians who evidently are getting “puffed up.” What are they becoming prideful and arrogant about? It is not quite clear from the phrase in favor of one against another. It could be that the Corinthians are taking sides with different leaders such as Paul, Apollos, and Peter (and perhaps others). Paul has admonished them for this very thing. In 1:11-12 he says, For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
On the other hand, the phrase could refer to members of the church favoring themselves over one another based on their “spiritual gifts.” Paul alluded to their high self-esteem in 1:5 when he noted that in every way you were enriched in [Christ] in all speech and all knowledge. Their love of wisdom that he so opposes is a symptom of their pride. I think this is the more likely interpretation because of what he admonishes them for in the next sentence.
By the way, it is also unclear what the phrase, not to go beyond what is written, means. Perhaps Paul simply means don’t go beyond the boundary of God’s written Word, which, considering that the Corinthians prided themselves in possessing special revelation, may very well be Paul’s point.
Let’s continue: 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? Tough questions. Probably more than one reader was relieved that Paul was not asking them in person.
For who sees anything different in you? What makes you so special? What do you have that you did not receive? Do you think that you can credit yourself for your gifts apart from God? Are you ready to disavow God as being the giver? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? Then what are you boasting about as though God ought to be pleased that he got someone as naturally gifted as you in his church? Anybody dare to give a reply?
Paul is on the offensive and goes right after them. 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!
You have arrived! You are so gifted, there is nothing more to give you. You are spiritually rich. You are already reigning in God’s kingdom. So much for servanthood! I wish you were reigning because that would mean that God’s kingdom has come and our hard service would be over as well.
Paul is addressing a theological issue here. He is not merely spouting off at the Corinthians, although he does seem to be getting heated. Their peculiar theology will become more evident later in the letter, especially in the fifteenth chapter when the subject of the resurrection is addressed. The issue had to do with how to understand the new age that had been ushered in by Christ, and particularly by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Considering that Christ had ushered in a new age by his redemption, and considering that the Holy Spirit had fallen on the church with power, is it not evident that the kingdom of God promised had arrived in its fullness? Are not they, the Corinthians believers, evidence of this?
First, they are Gentiles who have believed in Christ. That in itself is a notable sign of the new age. Secondly, they have been empowered with the Holy Spirit. Indeed, so great is that empowerment that they have become rich in receiving spiritual knowledge and wisdom, and in performing signs of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing. So, yes, as a matter of fact, they do think they have arrived.
Paul’s retort will be, “If you have arrived, what happened to me and the other apostles? We are still having a tough time.” Here is his scenario of a difficult life:
9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
Paul has in mind the imagery of captives condemned to death. Far from reigning as kings, the apostles are like captives who bring up the rear of a parade in which the conquering king marches into his city with a trail of captives. They are spectacles to everyone. The imagery may also be that of being in an arena where they await death from gladiators or beasts. They are spectacles to the whole cosmos – to angels and to humans. This puts their work into the greater perspective of God’s purpose, and it also heightens the sense of humility they are experiencing. Their suffering is for all to see.
Now comes the sarcastic and harsh contrast. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. We are stuck with the foolish gospel, while you have moved on to wise knowledge. We are weak in the way we present ourselves; you come across as being strong. Indeed, others (along with yourselves) hold you in honor, while we are held in disrepute because of our teaching and way of life.
Here is Paul’s life: 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. Unlike the other apostles, Paul mostly supported himself by making tents. As to the other trials, here is a more exact list of what he went through:
Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).
In the midst of these humiliating trials, he and the other apostles yet acted in the character of their Lord Jesus: When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. Even so, We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
My, my, are we becoming bitter, Paul? Scum of the world, refuse of all things? These are strong words – depressing, even sounding resentful. Has the success of the Corinthian believers gotten to you? Are you angry that God is blessing these immature Christians and making your life so hard?
Possibly the Corinthians took it that way, but such is neither Paul’s nor the other apostles’ attitude about their sufferings. Unlike most Christians, particularly Christians today, they did not equate suffering with God’s neglect or disfavor. Certainly one may suffer due to disobedience and not walking in the Spirit, but to them, suffering in the form of persecution was a given for any who would be faithful in the cause of Christ. Consider the following examples:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you (1 John 3:13).
Persecution is a given to the apostles, not only because of their experience but because of what their master taught them.
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me (John 15:18-21).
But the apostles were not mere stoics about persecution. It was not merely something to endure as a fact of life. An example in Acts demonstrates their peculiar attitude. They had been arrested, cross-examined, and before being released because there was nothing to punish them for, they nevertheless were physically beaten. Here is their response: Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [of Jesus Christ] (Acts 5:42).
Paul was not one of the apostles then. Indeed, at that time he was one of the persecutors. But consider his example another time in Philippi. There he and his companion, Silas, were attacked by a mob with the assistance of the authorities who had them beaten with rods and thrown into prison with their feet fastened in stocks. Then we are told: About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25).
I don’t want to give the impression that the apostles equated suffering with having a party, but you will not find in their writings nor their example a spirit of bitterness and anguish because of suffering. Why? Soldiers know the reason. To engage in warfare is by definition to take on resistance; the more active the battle, the greater the resistance, and the closer a soldier is to the front of the battle, the greater the resistance for that particular soldier.
The apostles were the frontline soldiers of the early church. They understood that, and they counted it as an honor because of whom they served and the cause for which they served. They also understood, and this is the difference between Paul and the Corinthians, that the war was not over until the visible return of their commander, Jesus Christ.
“It’s not over” is the point that Paul is trying to make with the Corinth church, using himself and the other apostles as evidence. If they, the apostles called by Christ to be his ambassadors, are still facing persecution, then the young Corinthian believers ought not to presume that the time for reigning victoriously has come. They certainly ought not to be presuming that they have become greater in the God’s kingdom than the apostles. Just use reason.
Paul is not bitter with God, but he is aggravated by the arrogant and self-serving attitude of the Corinth church. They have become prideful with their spiritual gifts, which they use to promote themselves before each other, the church-at-large and even – perhaps, especially – before the world. Thus he makes clear that their priorities must be wrong, considering that God’s elite team is considered nothing more than scum to the world.
Lessons
Here is what Paul wants the Corinthians to understand and what the Holy Spirit would have us understand. What matters is to follow Jesus Christ wherever that may lead us. For the apostles, such a calling meant deprivation and harsh persecution. Many Christians over the centuries have experienced the same; many living and serving in hostile countries are facing the same type of persecution as did the apostles. Are you called to experience the same? Perhaps. If you take the gospel into hostile and dangerous territory, and you are faithful to your calling, you can expect persecution and hardship. If you stay in Gainesville, most likely you will not endure beatings and imprisonment. If you obey God’s commandments not to lie or steal or harm others, you may lose a promotion or a job, because of not following orders; if you are open about your faith, you may face ostracism and be the butt of jokes and the target for anger. I want to be careful here. As often as not, Christians perceive persecution for their faith, when in reality they are merely receiving response for their own arrogance and belligerence. Even so, to confess belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and to sincerely try to conform to what the Scripture teaches about belief and behavior, will invite scorn. Some will consider your faith to be simplistic; some will regard you as prudish; most will regard you as narrow-minded. You may be confronted or merely neglected.
What matters is that you never become ashamed of your Lord. Actually, what really matters is that your Lord does not become ashamed of you. What is it to you that you be regarded as scum of the world, if your Lord regards you as good and faithful servant? What is it to you that you be treated as the refuse of all things, if the Lord treats you as brother or sister, as child of the King?
Lord’s Supper
The truth of the matter is that you are rich in the gospel. You have an inheritance stored up for you in heaven that cannot be destroyed or stolen. Nor can you be disqualified or denied your inheritance when it comes time to receive it. You are rich. You have the love of God in Christ Jesus; the Holy Spirit dwells within you; the revelation of God in his Word is at your disposal. And you have the means of grace: the Word preached and the Word signified in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Here at the Table are indeed great riches – the body and blood of Jesus Christ spiritually present for his people to be received by faith…
