The Offscouring Of The Earth

THE OFFSCOURING OF THE EARTH

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 4:9-13

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 KJV For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. [11] Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; [12] And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: [13] Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 Moffatt NT For it seems to me that God means us apostles to come in at the very end, like the doomed gladiators in the arena! We are made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men! [10] We, for Christ's sake, are 'fools'; you in Christ are sensible. We are weak, you are strong; you are honoured, we are in disrepute. [11] To this very hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and knocked about, we are waifs, [12] we work hard for our living; when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we put up with it; [13] when defamed, we try to conciliate. To this hour we are treated as the scum of the earth, the very refuse of the world!

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 J B Phillips I sometimes think that God means us, the messengers, to appear last in the procession of mankind, like the men who are to die in the arena. For indeed we are made a public spectacle before the angels of Heaven and the eyes of men. [10] We are looked upon as fools, for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in the Christian faith. We are considered weak, but you have become strong: you have found honour, we little but contempt. [11] Up to this very hour we are hungry, ill-clad, knocked about and practically homeless. [12] We still have to work for our living by manual labor. Men curse us, be we return a blessing: they make our lives miserable but we take it patiently. [13] They ruin our reputations but we go on trying to win them for God. We are the world’s rubbish, the scum of the earth, yes, up to this very day.

I. INTRODUCTION—A GREAT HERITAGE

-The passage that we have read is one that Paul is being very direct and straightforward with the Corinthian church. He does not pull any punches and certainly does not fall into the category of being religiously correct.

-He uses words that describes the real church in terms that aren’t too flowery or glowing:

• A spectacle of the world

• Fool’s for Christ’s sake

• Filth of the world

• Offscouring of all things

-He is describing what can be understood as the mark of a true servant of the Lord. That mark comes when one is willing to suffer shame for the cause of Jesus Christ. That is increasingly becoming a very foreign concept for anyone who is a Christian to want to appear different from the world.

-Jesus described the hirelings who fled when the wolves came and attacked but he said that the good shepherd was one who stayed and was willing to fulfill his responsibilities . . . his calling. . . It is hard for a hireling to suffer shame and persecution in this world.

• Romans 8:17—If we suffer with him, we will be glorified with Him.

• Galatians 5:11—Suffering is attached to the offense of the Cross.

• Philippians 1:29—We not only believe in the Lord but we suffer for His sake.

• 1 Thessalonians 3:4—We will suffer tribulation.

• 1 Timothy 4:10—We suffer reproach because we trust a living God.

• 2 Timothy 2:12—If we suffer with him, we will reign with him.

-Throughout biblical history and church history, men of God have suffered the shame of the world that ultimately led to their persecution and in some cases their death.

• Isaiah—Cut in two in a hollow log.

• Jeremiah—Tossed in the sewer, imprisoned, beaten, and then exiled to Egypt.

• Daniel—Put into a lions’ den.

• John the Baptist—He was beheaded at a drunken party.

• Jesus Christ—A man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. Crucified in the prime of His life.

• Ignatius—Fed to the lions.

• Polycarp—Burned at the stake.

• Justin Martyr—Literally was named because of his death at the hands of persecutors and revilers.

• John Huss—Burnt at the stake.

• William Tyndale—Hung and then burnt.