JUSTIFIED FOOLS For CHRIST-III—1Corinthians 4:1-21
Attention:
‘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—Fools for Christ are justified thru their...
GROUNDING(:6)
Explanation:(:6)
:6—“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself & Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.”
These things=Paul’s examples of his...
...Preaching the Gospel(1:17), Lack of wisdom(2:1), Lack of Superiority of speech(2:1), Planting(3:6), Watering(3:6), Building(3:10), Serving(4:1), Stewardship(4:1), etc.
Paul had “figuratively” applied these things/pictures to himself & Apollos.
He did this for the “sake” of the Corinthian Christians.
He had intended for them to “learn” thru Paul(& Sosthenes?) & Apollos’(et al) examples. The church’s being “in” their apostles, was an occasion for their “learning.”
HCSB—“...so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.”
To “learn” that they should not exceed that which is written.
They were to learn in/thru/by Paul & Apollos & Cephas, etc.
If we do not exceed “what is written,” then we will avoid arrogant attitudes which hold particular individuals above & in opposition to “others.”
**“Figuratively Transferred/In a figure transferred/Figuratively Applied/Applied”—metaschmatizw—1) To change the figure of, to transform. Refers to the transient condition from which a change happens. Strong—To transfigure or disguise; figuratively--To apply(by accommodation). Used 5X. See also 2Cor. 11:13-15, where it is used 3X.
2Cor. 11:13-15“...false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.”.....“...For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”.....“Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness...”
Php. 3:20, 21—“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
From—meta—a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; “Amid”(local or causal); occupying an intermediate position between apo[Off] or ek[From] & eiv[Into] or prov[Toward]; less intimate than en[In] & less close than sun[With])—&—schma—A figure (as a mode or circumstance), i.e. by implication--External condition.
“For...Sakes/Benefit/On account of”(See :10; 15—“Through”)—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).
“Learn”—manyanw—1) To learn, be appraised. Strong—To learn(in any way).
“Think”—fronew—1) To have understanding, be wise; 2) To feel, to think; 3) To direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for. Strong—To exercise the mind, i.e. Entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication--To be (mentally)disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intensively--To interest oneself in(with concern or obedience).
“Beyond/Exceed”(See “On behalf” below)—uper—Prep.—1) In behalf of, for the sake of; 2) Over, beyond, more than; 3) More, beyond, over. Strong—a primary preposition; “Over”, i.e. (with the genitive case) of place--Above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case--Superior to, more than.
**“Puffed up/Arrogant/Take pride in/Inflated”(See :18, 19)—fusiow—1) To make natural, to cause a thing to pass into nature; 2) To inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up—2a) To puff up, make proud, 2b) To be puffed up, to bear one's self loftily, be proud. Strong—in the primary sense of blowing; To inflate, i.e. figuratively--Make proud(haughty). Used 7X.
“On behalf”(See “Beyond/Exceed” above)—uper—
“Against”—kata—Prep.—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along. Strong—a primary particle; prepositionally--Down(in place or time), in varied relations(according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined).
“Other”—eterov—Adj.—1) The other, another, other. Eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences. eterov distinguishes('one of two'); every eterov is an allov but not every allov is a eterov; allov generally denotes simple distinction of individuals, eterov involves the secondary idea of difference of kind. Strong—of uncertain affinity; (an-, the)Other or different.
Argumentation:
**Mat. 13:3-9, 18-23—“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds came & devoured them. “Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; & they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, & because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them. But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”.....“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
**Eph. 3:13-19—“Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
**Col. 1:21-23—“And you, who once were alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, & blameless, & above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast, & are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
**Rom. 1:9-12—“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you & me.”
2Cor.1:21-22—“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ & has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us & given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
**Col. 2:6-10—“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted & built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy & empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, & not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power.”
**1Thess. 3:12-13—“And may the Lord make you increase & abound in love to one another & to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God & Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
1Pet. 5:10-11—“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, & settle you. To Him be the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen.”
Illustration:
We have a plant that we planted last spring which did very well & grew to about 3 ft. X 2 Ft.—A great attractor of hummingbirds!/We recently(Apr. 2015) planted a second Mexican Sage(Salvia Leucantha)/But previous to this new one we had bought & planted another one late, near the onset of winter(Dec.?)/We amended the sandy soil with potting soil & mulched it with pine straw, fertilized it, watered it/But with the onset of even our mild winter, the upper part of the plant died but later produced some viable shoots!/Interestingly enough, our original Mexican Sage which had done so well, died back completely at the first cold-snap...But it also started producing new shoots from the root as we got a warming trend for about a week or two...Then when the next cold snap occurred these died back too!/However when spring finally sprang this month we discovered that the original Salvia started coming back & bloomed!/BUT the one we planted late, died completely!/The original had become grounded because we planted it in the spring & it had all spring summer & fall to spread its roots & increase its strength/The 2nd one had no time to grow & strengthen before succumbing to inclement weather...so it perished!/GROUNDING
Those who trust in political clenchings, thinking they are biblical because they are supported politically corporately, popularized, societal, culturally accepted/Only given lip-service(political favor) because our country was founded on Christian principle/But anything that goes against the grain of either or all of the former is relegated to fable-myth-superstition-mindless antiquated religion/No GROUNDING or GROUNDING in worldliness rather than godliness!
Application:
?Are You a Justified Fool for Christ thru your GROUNDING?...
...OR...Are You just a Fool?
?Are You a Fool for Christ?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Fools for Christ are justified thru their...
4. GROUNDING(:6)
1. STEWARDSHIP(:1)
2. FAITHFULNESS(:2)
3. DISCERNMENT(:3-5)
Pt. 4 only! Presented 05/17/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
209 A Ave SE(Storrs Ave)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
