Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The Fate of Paul, and of Course, You!


1 Cor. 4:6-13 "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.  (7)  For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?  (8)  Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!  (9)  For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.  (10)  We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.  (11)  To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,  (12)  and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;  (13)  when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things."




Paul and the Apostles were put here for a reason, and that reason was to glorify God and spread the Gospel. The reason they were here is the same reason we are here. Paul challenges the Corinthians in their thinking and their division in regard to the purpose of the Apostles and, ultimately, of the Corinthians. Paul also gives us a view of what he and the Apostles were going through for the sake of Christ. 

1 Cor. 4:6 "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another."

Paul just finished giving a bunch of analogies of the Apostles. It starts with framing as an analogy, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” He then says that the apostles are “fellow workers” with God, but without God, there would be no growth. Then, he uses a building analogy: “like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation and someone else is building upon it” and only Christ can be the foundation. It doesn’t matter if they follow Paul or Cephas or Apollos because, in the end, they are all builders who, by God’s grace, were given skills that allowed them to build. His third analogy, is that of a steward. They are God’s stewards in regard to the Gospel. The Apostles all shared each of those. Each of them planted, each of them watered, each of them built, and each of them are stewards of the mysteries of God. Therefore, you can’t say one is better than the other. It means that all are important and all are servants of God, called by Him with an equal importance within His kingdom. The same can be true of today. Each one called by God is important, and it doesn’t matter what preacher you listen to as long as they are of God. There are heretics and those that speak nothing but lies, and of course, they should not be listened to and should be shunned. However, if you have two people who are preaching the truth, it doesn’t matter which you follow. We can’t let denomination or teacher segregate us, as long as the truth is being taught and God is being glorified. Because we all belong to Christ, and therefore to each other. We need to be unified for the cause of Christ so that those around us might see the common ground of Christ as our Savior.


1 Cor. 4:7  "For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"


The Corinthians were given all of the Apostles, and many other things. But instead of being grateful for all the things God gave them, they boasted as if they were superior Christians, as if it was their own actions that caused them to receive it. There isn’t anything inherently different in them than in other Christ follower, for all of them have been given everything good by God.  It really goes back to chapter one where Paul says 1 Cor. 1:26-31  "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  (27)  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  (28)  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  (29)  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  (30)  And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,  (31)  so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." It is clear that Paul is reminding them that there is absolutely nothing to be proud of unless it is God and His amazing works. Not many Christians were wise, not many were powerful or rich. The fact is, not many people that are true believers are “smart,” “rich,” or “powerful” because with all of those things comes a glaring sin that leads to death, and that is pride. A prideful person cannot enter heaven. (I’m not saying that those that are saved won’t ever “have pride” or “be prideful,” but rather that the person who lives on of his pride rather than Christ cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.)


1 Cor. 4:8  "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!"


Paul is clearly being sarcastic and even being mocking towards them by saying that they already have all that they want and that they have become rich. I believe this is in a spiritual sense as much as a physical sense. That they are already rich in the Spirit, and they have all of the Spirit that they could ever want. This goes back to them being prideful about who they follow, and to Paul’s point that there is nothing that they have that they didn’t receive. It goes back to their boasting spirit. When it says “without use you have become kings” it is saying “you think you’ve reached the absolute climax of the spiritual journey;" there is nothing else to rise to, and nowhere else to go.
Paul goes on to say that he wishes that they did reign so that he might share the rule with them. There are a couple interpretations of this, one is that this is still sarcastic and he is saying “hey, if you were kings, I would finally be able to have protection and I would be able to rule with you.” The other is that he dropped being sarcastic and truly wishes that they ruled either in the millennial kingdom, or that they were really as spiritual and blessed as they think they are. I tend to believe that he is saying that he wishes that they were in the millennial kingdom. The fact is, we as believers will reign in that 1000 year kingdom. Rev. 20:4a "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed." It says here in 1 Cor. 6:2  “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?” (in that chapter it talks about disputes between believers, and Paul tells them not to go to the civil authorities, but go to the church for mediation and judgment within the church). And it says in 2 Tim. 2:12 “if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, he also will deny us.” This indicates that we will rule with Christ during the 1000 year reign. Which is why I believe that Paul is truly wishing that it were the beginning of the millennial kingdom so that all of the saints could rule together.


1 Cor. 4:9  "For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men."


There is some debate as to if Paul was still being ironic in this passage, some say that yes, he was still being sarcastic and using irony to prove a point. Yet, others believe he is being serious in this part of the passage. At first reading, it might seem that he is being sarcastic, but at a deeper reading, I don’t think he is being sarcastic. This is because if you read the fate of the Apostles, especially Paul, he was hated everywhere, he was sentenced to death several times, he was whipped, and put on show for his punishment almost everywhere he went.  All of the Apostles were martyred except for John, who was exiled.


1 Cor. 4:10  "We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute."


This is clearly the Apostle Paul using clear sarcasm and irony. It may be that some saw the Apostles as fools, but in Christ’s eyes, they were the wise, and the Corinthians were definitely not the wisest on earth. The Apostles were very strong, they endured many things, while the Corinthians lived in relative ease. The Apostles were regarded in disrepute in a lot of places they went, but not before the church of God, they were seen as wise, and the building blocks on which God will build His church.


1 Cor. 4:11-13  "To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,  (12)  and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;  (13)  when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things."



Paul switches yet again in his tone. Here, he isn’t being sarcastic anymore. The Apostles were hungry and thirsty, poorly dressed, homeless; they had to labor for their own food. Moreover, Paul explains how they react to things. When they were cursed, they blessed, when they were persecuted, they kept going, when slandered, they still plead with their attackers. They were like Christ; they acted as He did. Moreover, in social standing, and in the eyes of the authorities, and the culture, they were scum,  people were either indifferent, or they hated them. Neither would be pleasant, yet the Apostles still did what Christ had commissioned them to do. They endured all things for Christ’s name. James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,” James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” It is clear that we need to stand trials because we are believers and we are to stand with Christ, not just in His blessings but in His sufferings. As it says here: 2 Cor. 1:5-6  "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  (6)  If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer."  We have been put here on earth, we have the chance of salvation, but if we sign up for salvation, we are also truly signing up for suffering. The word “suffer” is used 32 times in the New Testament. None of the uses have a negative connotation except in first Peter. 1 Peter 4:15  "But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler." But Peter goes on to say: 1 Peter 4:16  "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." The Bible is clear that we should expect to suffer for Christ, and we should expect to be ridiculed for our faith. If we aren’t suffering, then we should be worried. If we aren’t being tested, we should be concerned, and if we have an easy life, we should beware. 


In conclusion, we as Christians should be prepared to suffer, we should be prepared for trials and we should be prepared to endure all things for the sake of Christ and His love. We need to rejoice in our suffering and our trials: James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”  We do so because in the end we will receive the crown of life, and we will receive commendation from Christ for our service. Moreover, if you are  undergoing a trial or suffering for the name of Christ, keep going, stay faithful and in the end, Christ will be glorified. This is what we signed up for when we decided to follow Christ. We need to remember that, and we need to lean on Christ to make it though. 

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