seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Corinthians 4:1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
This is from enduringworld.com.
Paul uses two words to describe how the Christians at Corinth ought to think about him and his friends. The words are ‘servants’ and ‘stewards’.
1. The word in this verse for ‘servants’ meant slaves who had to work very hard in a Roman ship. Paul was like a slave. He wanted to work hard to please his owner.
2. A steward was responsible to the owner of a big house. He was responsible for his affairs. He ordered supplies. And he told the slaves what to do. But he himself was responsible to the owner of the house. So whatever position of authority a Christian may have in the church, he is still Christ’s steward.
The master must be able to depend on his steward. Paul speaks about three judgements:
1. Other people may judge whether someone has worked well. Some of the Christians at Corinth did not like what Paul said. Some people had refused to believe that he was an apostle (2 Corinthians 10:7-10). But Paul says that he does not worry about their opinion about him.
2. A person may judge himself. However, he may feel satisfied with his own behaviour even when he has made a mistake.
3. God is the only true judge. God knows what circumstances have affected someone’s actions. God also knows the intentions that caused a person to act. Someone may do a good action but have a selfish desire. They may want someone to praise them. Or they may want some other benefit.
Paul makes fun of the opinion that the Christians at Corinth have about themselves. They think that they have no need to learn any more spiritual truths. He says ‘You have all that you want.’ He means that they are like people who have eaten more than enough food. They think that they have all the spiritual gifts that they need. They think that they have already begun to rule in God’s kingdom. Paul knew that the kingdom is in the future as well as in the present.
Paul used the picture of a procession. The Romans had a procession after they had defeated an enemy. The prisoners were at the end of the procession. The Romans used them for public entertainment before they died. The prisoners would have to fight wild animals. Crowds of people would come to watch them. Paul and the other apostles were like those prisoners. They were ready to die for Christ. The people in the world and the angels were like the crowd who watched.
Paul is now still talking about the split in the church in Corinth. Some like the way one preacher is telling it.... and some like the way another preacher is telling it.... pick your poison..... so to speak.
The goody two shoes and the temple prostitutes must have had a good time at Sunday School..... I can just see those good rich women sitting in on a Gospel meeting next to a hooker. What in the world do they have in common?
So.... here's the question on my heart this morning. Is that person with the funky perfume smell [hooker] the wounded person on the pew this morning??? Or is it the goody two shoes who is sliding away from the smell of dark places without compassion for those who are hurting???
I was told it's easier to get up and get going once a human hits bottom. The hookers who no doubt wore cheap perfume to cover the stench of the acts performed as part of the job were closer to what we call the bottom.... but they had been surviving by keeping themselves from hitting bottom. While the goody two shoes should hit bottom rather quickly because they are not conditioned to avoid it. Both are left as exhausted and wounded. Both have to put in the work to climb back up.
Now.... just who do I think is putting out a hand to help both of them out? I should be.... any Christian brother or sister should be there to help them up once they have hit bottom. I should be.... to remind them of the good in them......
Look.... the biggest baddest hooker on the block may be a kind, compassionate, sweet woman full of spirit.... if she's allowed to show it.
Look.... the richest baddest woman on the hill may be a kind, compassionate, sweet woman full of grace.... if she's allowed to show it.
Paul says the church should help them get off the bottom and show their light.....
The "Haves" and the "Hookers"..... all have a bottom.....
