‘Let a man so account of us as of assistants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Here moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.' All Christian teachers are to be seen as ‘assistants' of Christ in the household of God. The word for ‘assistants' originally referred... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAITHFULNESS REQUIRED OF CHRIST'S ASSISTANTS AND STEWARDS (4:1-5). Having summed up all in Christ and in God Paul now comes back to the fact that all men are therefore accountable to God. He speaks openly of himself as an example. But he stresses that he is but an example. All he has said about... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by man's day.' Indeed so essential is this relationship between master and steward that anyone else's opinion becomes unimportant. It is to Him alone that the steward is accountable. The Corinthians may make judgments about him... [ Continue Reading ]
He does not, however, want them to think that he is disparaging their judgment. So he points out that he will not even judge himself, because he is quite frankly not adequate to do so. He may be totally satisfied with what he teaches and how he behaves as an Apostle. He may feel he has done well. He... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Wherefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make openly clear the counsels of the heart. And then shall each man have his praise from God.' ‘Until the Lord comes.' Not the change in terminology. Jesus is ‘the Lord'. H... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things that are written, that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other. For who makes you to differ? And what do you have that you did not... [ Continue Reading ]
THOSE WHO ARE TRUE TO THE WORD OF THE CROSS ENDURE SUFFERING FOR CHRIST. THE CORINTHIANS NEED TO RE-EXAMINE THEIR FOUNDATIONS (4:6-13). Paul now stresses that all that he has said has been with them in mind. He has done it gently as though he were speaking of himself and Apollos. (We can see what c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Already you are filled, already you are become rich, you have reigned without us. Yes and I would that you did reign, that we also might reign with you.' But that is what they have been doing, and such ideas have given them ideas above their station. Paul here speaks with deep irony and contrasts... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For, I think, God has set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have glory but we have dishonour.' These Corinthi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are knocked about, and have no certain dwelling place. And we toil, working with our hands. Being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we endure, being defamed we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I write these things not to shame you but to admonish you, as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I brought you to birth through the Gospel. I beg you therefore, you be imitators of me.' Paul now assures... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THEM THEN REMEMBER THAT HE FATHERED THEM AND THAT THROUGH HIM GOD'S POWER WAS AND IS REVEALED (4:14-21)... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This is the reason why I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church.' It is because of his love for them and because he is their spiritual father that he is now sending T... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the Kingly Rule of God is not in word, but in power.' Now he turned his attention to those who seemed to think (and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and in a spirit of meekness?' So he closes this section by leaving them a choice. Do they prefer severity, or love and gentleness. As a concerned father he is prepared to use the rod of chastening (Hebrews 12:5 compare Proverbs 13:24; Pro... [ Continue Reading ]