Let's start today, by rereading 1 Corinthians 3:18-23:
(18) No one must deceive himself: if anyone thinks wise to be among you this age, a fool he must become,
in order he may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world, foolishness with God it is.
For it is written,
"The One catching the wise in their trickery,"
and again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are futile,"
with the result that no one must boast in humans.
For all things yours they are,
whether Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the things present or the things
coming.
Everything [is] yours.
Now, you are Christ's.
Now, Christ is God's.
Paul says, you are the big deal. Everything is yours-- everyone you want to call a leader, is your servant. The world is yours; life is yours; death is yours; the things present and the things coming are yours; everything is yours.
But then he finishes by adding this: "Now, you are Christ's. Now, Christ is God's.
You don't belong to yourself. You belong to Jesus. And even Christ doesn't belong to himself. Everything, ultimately, is for God and his glory. Including you.
So at the end of chapter 3, you Corinthians should have a pretty good idea of how you should think about yourselves, and how you should think about the people serving you like Apollos and Paul.
How does chapter 4 relate to this? Paul has been very carefully working his way toward chapter 4. What we will find this week isn't simply that some Corinthians prefer Apollos to Paul, and pit them against each other. What's happened, actually, is that the Corinthian church has rejected Paul. This, by itself, Paul could live with. Paul is happy to sacrifice himself for them. But this rejection is a symptom of a bigger problem in the church-- they have become proud. They boast in themselves. And that, is not okay. That, Paul can't live with.
So Paul continues his argument this week by saying this, in 1 Cor. 4:1:
(1) Everyone must consider us in this way : as Christ's assistants
and stewards/administrators of God's mysteries.
The Corinthians are making a really big deal about their servants. But Paul says, consider us like this: as Christ's assistants, and as stewards of God's mysteries.
In NT times, stewards were usually slaves-- but they were no ordinary slaves. Stewards worked for wealthy, powerful human masters. They basically ran the show-- they were put in charge of the master's entire household and estate. They managed the other slaves; they were given a great deal of responsibility in financial matters.
Paul and Apollos are Christ's stewards. That's how you should think of them.
Now, if you were a master, what kind of a person would you want running the show, when you find yourself busy with other tasks? You can't do everything by yourself; you are too powerful, with too many responsibilities. And so you delegate. But who do you pick?
Verse 2 tells us:
(2) In this connection, furthermore, it is desired in the stewards,
that faithful, they may be found.
If you are a rich, powerful master, what you are looking for, above all else, is stewards who are faithful. You need someone who is trustworthy, and loyal.
And this, basically, is the issue at Corinth. The Corinthians think Paul hasn't been faithful. They've found out through Apollos that there is far more to Christianity than what they were taught. Paul neglected to tell them about how the Spirit things work-- things like speaking in tongues, healings, prophecies, and words of insight.
There was so much they needed to know about Spirit things, and Paul taught them none of those things.
(Smirking) Maybe the best way to think about this, is that when Paul left Corinth, what he left behind, basically, was a church that was Baptist or Evangelical Free. And through Apollos, they've become charismatic-- they've become Pentecostal. And they are really peeved about this. Not because they miss being Baptists. They are peeved because they finally understand that Christianity is a religion of power. The Holy Spirit is now powerfully at work among them in big, obvious ways, in a way that He wasn't when Paul was the one teaching them. In a way that they didn't even know was possible, when Paul was teaching them.
In verses 3-4, Paul finally addresses this basic problem directly, after alluding to the issue in earlier chapters:
(3) Now, to me a trivial matter it is,
that by you I may be appraised,
or by a human court,
but I don't myself appraise.
For nothing against myself I am aware of,
but not by this I am made right.
If you're following along in English Bibles, you'll notice that where I have "appraised," English Bibles have "judged."
The verb doesn't mean judge-- it's related to the word, and we will find that word in just a couple of verses. But it means something more like "examine" or "appraise" or "evaluate." The Corinthians are inspecting Paul's ministry, and appraising it as being flawed. It's not what it should be.
And Paul says, "I doesn't really care. If you don't like my teaching or my ministry, that's fine. Appraise me, go ahead. I don't care if you appraise me, or if any human court appraises me."
In fact, Paul says, I don't even appraise myself. Western evangelicals are used to the idea that we should endlessly navel gaze. We try to peer deep inside ourselves, and examine ourselves to make sure we are okay.
In most evangelical churches, every time we say we "celebrate" the Lord's supper, we are first told that we need to examine ourselves. And so we hang our heads, and beat on ourselves, and remind ourselves that we are total failures. We try to dig around inside our heads, and our lives, and root out imperfections. And we can't actually take the bread and wine until we feel incredibly guilty and inadequate.
The most depressing thing churches ever do, is "celebrate" the Lord's supper. I'll come back to this later in 1 Corinthians. But notice here, what Paul thinks about examining himself:
Paul thinks this is a total waste of time.
Paul doesn't even bother examining himself. For one thing, he's not aware of anything against himself. Paul, to the best of his knowledge, served faithfully. For another thing, it doesn't matter how he appraises himself. Even if he thinks he's okay, it doesn't matter.
Why is that?
Paul continues:
Now, the one appraising me, the Lord/Master he is,
The reason it doesn't matter how Paul appraises himself, is that it's the Master, Jesus, who is appraising him. It's what Paul's Master-- Jesus-- thinks of him that's important.
When we serve, we do so as Jesus' stewards. He is our Lord. He is our Master. Our responsibility is to him. It's what he thinks of us that's important. So when I teach, it doesn't really matter how you appraise me. It doesn't matter whether you criticize me on the way home from church, or talk about me over Sunday lunch. That's a trivial thing to me, because my Master is Jesus. And it's how Jesus evaluates me, and my faithfulness, that matters. Having Jesus as my Master frees me from worrying about you. All I have to do, is do my best to faithfully serve my Master. And this works the same way for you. In whatever area you serve the church, your focus just needs to be on faithfully serve your Master. It's what he thinks about you that's important. So if people want to pick you apart over something you said or did, or how you did something... so be it. That really doesn't matter. Someone will always find a reason to criticize you for something. But let that be a trivial thing for you. Just worry about your Master.
So Paul says, the one appraising me is the Lord. It's Jesus. So what difference should that make to you Corinthians?
Verse 5:
Now, the one appraising me, the Lord/Master he is,
(5) so then don't before the time anything judge,
until the Lord comes,
who both enlightens the hidden things of darkness
and will reveal the desires of the hearts,
and then praise will come to each one from God.
If you find yourself wanting to pick apart the Master's servants, understand that you are rushing things. You will judge the world. And it's your responsibility to judge inside the church.
But what is the issue here? Let me address you as if you are the Corinthians, to make this easier for myself. Your problem with Paul isn't that he's an idolater, or sexually immoral, or greedy (1 Corinthians 6:8-9). He's not. We aren't talking about big, obvious sins. We are talking about questions of motive. You are trying to peer inside his head, and evaluate his motives. Why didn't Paul tell you about Spirit things? Paul has already told you, in this letter, why. You weren't ready. You were Spiritual babies. And if you aren't Spiritually mature, Spiritual things like prophecy, and speaking in tongues, will make you proud.
So Paul has already told you, why he served Jesus like he did among you. And if you still have a huge problem with that, or you don't trust him on that, well... you are going to have to wait for the day of judgment, when everyone's desires will be revealed.
You can't try to evaluate hidden things until Jesus comes. When you move from examining someone's outward speech and action, to questioning motives, you've made a move you shouldn't. We aren't equipped, yet, to make decisions about why someone did something. And for now, the "why" doesn't matter.
So Paul knows that Jesus is coming, and Jesus will reveal the desires of his heart. But Paul is confident that when that day comes, God will praise him. The words Paul will hear, are "Well done, good and faithful servant."
And with this, we come to verse 6. This verse is really important-- it marks an important transition-- but it's horribly confusing. Let's just read it first, and then stare blankly at it for a minute:
(6) Now, these things, brothers, I have disguised about myself and Apollos, for your benefit,
in order that by us, you may learn not [to go] beyond what has been written,
in order that no one may be puffed up against the other.
(7) For who judges that you surpass/are better than others?
Let's start trying to figure this out, by talking about the verb in the first line in verse 6. "Now, these things, brothers, I have disguised about myself and Apollos."
Most English Bibles are going to say, "I have applied." But if you read the KJV here, it has this:
6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
That's really different, right?
So what does the verb mean? The KJV is very close here. I'm just going to read from Richard Hays's commentary, in his explanation of this verb. "The verb translated as 'applied' is a technical term used in rhetoric to describe the device of making covert allusion through the use of figurative language to disguise the writer's meaning. (Note the use of this same verb, meaning 'to disguise,' in 2 Cor. 11:13-15). In other words, by speaking about himself and Apollos, Paul has been speaking metaphorically; in truth, he is driving at something else entirely" (Hays, 1 Corinthians, 68).
Let's read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15:
(13) For such people are false apostles-- deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ,
(14) and no wonder,
for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.
(15) So then, it is not a great (unexpected?) thing, if also his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness."
So throughout chapter 3, Paul has been speaking on two different levels. On one level, he's been trying to teach you how to view the people you want to call "leaders." But Paul was also disguising his true intention. He's been trying to teach you a more basic truth about boasting. What Paul has been doing, in truth, is modeling how you should think about talk about yourself.
How has Paul been talking about himself and Apollos?
Paul doesn't make a big deal about himself. He says, "We are nothing. You are everything. " He says, "The one who boasts, must boast in the Lord." Paul doesn't boast about founding the church. He doesn't boast about how he lived among them. At no point, does he make this about himself. At every point, Paul has pointed only to Jesus, and to God. God is the one who gets all the honor and glory.
So let's reread verse 6, and try to push forward a little:
(6) Now, these things, brothers, I have disguised about myself and Apollos, for your benefit,
in order that by us, you may learn not [to go] beyond what has been written,
in order that no one may be puffed up against the other.
(7) For who judges that you surpass/are better than others?
What does Paul mean, when he says he did all of this so that they'd learn to not go beyond what has been written?
This expression, "what has been written," is what Paul uses when he is about to quote the OT scripture. I haven't made a big enough deal about his quotations so far in this book, but there have been 6 (1:19, 31; 2:9, 16; 3:19, 20). Let's reread the first and last two:
For it has been written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will confound" (1:19).
Just as it has been written, "The one boasting, in the Lord must boast" (1:31).
For the wisdom of this world, foolishness with God it is. For it has been written,
"The One Catching the Wise in their craftiness,"
and again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." (3:19, 20).
What does the OT teach about human wisdom, and boasting? God does not tolerate boasting. He doesn't tolerate people who rely on human wisdom, and think they are something special. If you're going to boast, boast in the Lord.
So if the Corinthians ignore the OT (and Paul), what are they doing? They are going "beyond what is written." And Paul is warning them, that this is a huge mistake.
So let's try verses 6-7 one more time, from the top:
(6) Now, these things, brothers, I have disguised about myself and Apollos, for your benefit,
in order that by us, you may learn not [to go] beyond what has been written,
in order that no one may be puffed up against the other.
(7) For who judges that you surpass/are better than others?
What Paul wants, very badly, is for them to learn from his own humility, and to hear the warning the OT gives about pride. The Corinthians have become proud, and puffed up against each other. They compare themselves, and each one of them thinks they are better than other Christians.
And why is that? Paul doesn't say yet, but let me cheat ahead.
A lot of it has to do with the Spiritual things Apollos taught them. Some Christians in the church have been given the ministries of healing, or prophecy, or speaking in tongues, and they've decided they are better than the Christians who haven't. There's something about speaking in tongues, in particular, that makes it easy for Christians to boast. I've never done it, so I don't know what I'm talking about. But speaking in tongues is so amazing, people find themselves dividing Christians into two categories, higher and lower-- those who have, and those who haven't.
I think if you are still with me, that the rest of the chapter is straightforward. So I'm just going to read, all the way to the end, so you catch the force of his argument:
Now, what do you have that you didn't receive? (NOTHING)
Now, if indeed you received, why are you boasting as if you didn't receive it?
Already having been filled you are,
already you were made rich,
apart from us you reign as kings,
and O that indeed you reigned as kings,
in order also we with you might reign as kings.
(9) For I think, God has displayed/exhibited us the apostles [as?] least of all, as condemned to death,
because a spectacle we have become to the world and to angels and to people.
(10) We are fools for the sake of Christ.
Now, you are sensible in Christ.
We are weak.
Now, you are strong.
You are honored.
Now, we are dishonored.
Up to the present hour, we are hungry, and we are thirsty, and we are poorly clothed, and we are roughly treated, and we are homeless, and we toil,
working with our own hands.
Being insulted, we bless.
Being persecuted, we endure.
(13) Being slandered, we encourage.
Like the offscouring/dirt of the world we have become,
of all things the offscouring up until now.
(14) Not shaming you, I write these things,
but as my beloved children advising/warning you.
For if countless guardians you have in Christ,
but not many fathers.
For in Christ Jesus through the gospel I fathered you.
(16) Therefore , I exhort you, my imitators become.
--Learn from the example Paul has given. And copy it. Consider yourselves as nothing. Consider everyone else the big deal. View yourselves as Jesus' servants--
(17) For this reason I sent to you Timothy,
who is my beloved child and faithful in the Lord,
who will remind you of my ways-- the ones in Christ Jesus--
just as everywhere in every church I teach.
---What the Corinthians need is someone who will serve as a role model for them. They need to see what faithfulness should look like, to be reminded of how they should view themselves and others. And Timothy is like Paul-- not just in what he teaches, but in how he lives--
(18) Now, some have become puffed up/arrogant, as if I am not coming to you.
Now, I will come quickly to you,
if the Lord desires,
and I will know not the speech of the puffed up ones
but the power.
For not with speech the kingdom of God is,
but with power.
(21) What do you desire?
With a rod shall I come to you,
or with love, Spirit (?), and gentleness/humility?
Let me leave you with two thoughts. The first has to do with boasting. If you've been taught about Spiritual things, and if you are experiencing Spiritual things, you are going to be tempted to become proud. You are going to look at the "greater ministries" you have been given (1 Corinthians 12:31), and you're maybe going to think you are something pretty special. You're maybe going to think you're a cut above other Christians. The Holy Spirit has given you these ministries for the church. And He gave you these ministries to build the church up. He didn't give them to you so that you can boast, and tear the church apart.
The other thing I'd like to leave you with, is that there's no reason to spend so much time examining yourself. What the Western church has done is borrow from psychology, in assuming that the secret to a happy, successful life is spending a lot of time navel gazing.
You are not going to be aware of all of the ways in which you sin. The human heart is deceitful. And there are maybe sins in your life, that you will justify to yourself for years, without really being aware of what you're doing. But later, you will realize they are sin.
What's the solution to this?
Part of how Jesus taught us to pray, in the Lord's prayer, is this:
"Father in heaven, forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven our debtors."
We have an obligation to act a certain way toward God and others, and we will fall short of that. We won't give God or people what they are owed. We will have a debt toward them. And you aren't necessarily going to know what that debt is. But when you pray the Lord's prayer every day, you are asking God to forgive all of your debts-- regardless of whether or not you are aware of them. You are doing your best to live for God, in faithfulness to Him.
You will never understand exactly what that means. And you will fail. You will have debts. But you ask Him to forgive you. You repent, if you are aware of your debts, and then what? Then you move on in life. You keep your attention upward, toward God, and outward, toward people. You don't examine yourselves. Leave that to Jesus.
