Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 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.
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. 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?
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! 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. 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! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 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.
I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 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. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 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.
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 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. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 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?

• 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ‘Believer’s Motives’: “Paul continues his discussion about responsibility and accountability in these verses.  Knowing many in the Corinthian church were criticizing him, he reminds the congregation that he, and those ministering with him, are servants of Christ and ‘stewards of the mysteries of God’ (1 Corinthians 4:1). It is understood that servants must ‘be found trustworthy’ (verse 2); therefore, the critics have no right examining Paul. Rather, he must examine himself as to his servitude and faithfulness (verse 3). All believers must carry out an ongoing self-examination, though ultimately, ‘the one who examines’ us ‘is the Lord’ (verse 4). ‘As a moral agent, as a believer, and as a minister, Paul felt himself accountable to Christ. This inward allegiance of the conscience is the highest form of worship’ (Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, p. 67).
“Believers are nor to go around ‘passing judgment’ on one another ‘before the time’ (verse 5), meaning before the bema judgment comes. We must all wait ‘until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God’ (verse 5). This praise will come after the bema judgment of Christ for our works. Because of the praise that the Lord will give, this is not about the Great White Throne Judgment, which has to do with a person’s eternal destiny (Revelation 20:1-4). Rather, it is about a Christian’s accountability to God in this life. Since believers are urged to ‘wait until the Lord comes,’ this coming must certainly be the rapture of the church. The bema judgment will then rake place, in which ‘the motives of men’s hearts’ will be exposed (see also Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10-13).”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

1 Corinthians 4:2 ‘servants of Christ’: “This text primarily refers to those who labor in word and doctrine, those to whom it is a life’s vocation. Yet in another sense all believers are ‘servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God’ (v. 1). Consider the responsibilities of faithful managers, the dangers awaiting managers, and the reward for faithful managers.
“How are we, as managers, in danger of not being faithful? We can readily be unfaithful by acting as if we are masters. Next, a great deal of unfaithfulness is caused by endeavoring to please people. If the manager begins to try to please his fellow servants and to curry favor with them so they will speak well of him, he will soon be a traitor to his master. Also, we can injure our faithfulness by idling, or trifling, or growing careless, or leaving our hearts out of our work. Further, we can prove ourselves unfaithful managers by misusing our Master’s goods, employing what he entrusted to us for some other end than his glory, or by neglecting some of the household. We can also become unfaithful managers by complaining about whatever is wrong with our fellow servants. And we may prove unfaithful by forgetting that our Lord will come soon, and thus we neglect being about his business.
“Supposing we are good managers, what will the result be? A reward from our Master’s own lips. On the day of accounting he will say; ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ (Mt 25:23).”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Corinthians 4:2 ‘A Manager’s Extra Duties’: “Managers are appointed to look after other servants. Managers have not only their own work to complete, but it is part of their work to look after the work of other people. Also, a manager is under the master’s direct command. An ordinary servant may take orders from the manager, but the manager takes orders only from the master and must keep up daily fellowship with the master so he knows the master’s mind and is able to communicate it to fellow servants. The manager also is called on to give an account. Further, a manager is entrusted with the master’s goods. This is the main point of the manager’s stewardship­ nothing is his own-all is the master’s. The manager is entrusted with the master’s property to protect it. And the manager is entrusted with the master’s property to dispense it. The manager keeps the master’s supplies and sees that they are not wasted, but he also takes care to magnify the master’s liberality by seeing that none of the household has any need. Besides this, the manager is to use the master’s property for the master’s benefit. Finally, a manager is charged with the general care of the family. The manager is not merely to look after the master’s material possessions; he has to take care of all the family.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon illustrations

1 Corinthians 4:5 ‘a good and faithful servant’: “What an incredible sentence. God will praise each one of them. Not ‘the best of them’ nor ‘a few of them’ nor ‘the achievers among them,’ but ‘God will praise each one of them.’
“You won’t be left out. God will see to that. In fact, God himself will give the praise. When it comes to giving recognition, God does not delegate the job. Michael doesn’t hand out the crowns. Gabriel doesn’t speak on behalf of the throne. God himself does the honors. God himself will praise his children.
“And what’s more, the praise is personal! … Awards aren’t given a nation at a time, a church at a time, or a generation at a time. The crowns are given one at a time. God himself will look you in the eye and bless you with the words, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant’ (Matthew 25:23).“

• Max Lucado, When Christ Comes

1 Corinthians 4:6 ‘Patrons, Clients, and Puffed-Up Christians’: “In a patronage system, social power and status was not so much based on wealth, but on friendships. The greater the number and status of those friends who owed you honor, the more your influence increased in the society. Even a client’s own status depended on the status and influence of the patron being honored. Having friends in high places helped ‘broker’ situations into results that were desired.
“Of course, this led to great social competition between clients of different patrons and between the patrons themselves. Who a person ‘belonged to’ could determine how much access that person had to what the Greco-Roman world offered. This seems to be the background for the divisions in the church at Corinth. Rather than one church, the body of Christ, the Corinthians seemed to think of themselves as clients of specific Christian leaders, perhaps of those by whose ministry they had come to believe in Jesus Christ. Perhaps they even saw these leaders as special ‘brokers’ to God.
“Apparently, inner-church patronage systems led to competition, even jealousy and quarreling within the church. By allowing their conduct to mirror the surrounding social world, these puffed-up Corinthian Christians were in danger of fragmenting their fragile unity (1 Cor. 4:6). Paul saw these divisions as a sign of the spiritual immaturity of these believers. In his view, the patronage system belonged to the world, ‘this present evil age’ (Gal. 1:4). Ultimately, for Paul, not patronage, but cooperation mattered in the church, for it was neither the planter nor the waterer, but God who provided ‘the increase’ (1 Cor. 3:8).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

1 Corinthians 4:7 ‘Not need to boast, everything is from God’: “The Corinthians had been acting arrogantly. But Paul confronts their attitude: Who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? Mere human wisdom had led them to exalt themselves over one another. But they had blinded themselves to the truth that everything they had was from God. So why would they boast as if they had achieved anything on their own? God’s stewards and managers must never think or act like owners. Kingdom stewards faithfully manage the time, talents, and treasures that God has given them to oversee on his behalf.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 4:8 ‘live in humility’: “Believers in Jesus Christ are to be marked by humility; exaltation comes from the Lord when we humble ourselves (see Jas 4:10). But the Corinthians insisted on immediate exaltation-without humility, trials, or pain. They wanted to reign as kings who needed nothing, when actually they were behaving foolishly. Those who live in pride and self-sufficiency do not submit to the divine King who requires that we live in dependence on him to experience his blessing.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 4:9 ‘last’: “The imagery is of condemned prisoners brought into a Roman arena to fight and die; the last ones brought out for slaughter were the grand finale. In His sovereign wisdom and for His ultimate glory, God chose to display the apostles figuratively before men and angels during the present age as just such worthless and condemned spectacles (cf. Matt. 19:28). Like doomed gladiators, they were ridiculed, spit on, imprisoned, and beaten; yet, God glorified His name through them as He used them to build His kingdom.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 4:12 ‘our own hands’: “The apostles did manual labor which Greeks, including some in the church at Corinth, considered beneath their dignity and suitable only for slaves. But Paul was not resentful about any necessary labor needed to support gospel preaching (cf. Acts 18:3; 20:34; 2 Cor. 11:23–28; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 2 Tim. 3:12).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 4:16-17 ‘passing on a good example’: “Therefore, Paul urges them to imitate him (4:16). In him, they had a good model of what it looks like to submit to God’s kingdom agenda. It was for this reason that Paul had sent Timothy to the Corinthians (4:17). Like them, Timothy had Paul as a spiritual father (see commentary on Acts 16:1). So if anyone could serve as a visible reminder and validator of the humble life and ministry of Paul, it was Timothy.
“Are you able to encourage others to imitate your Christian life? Do you place faithfulness to God above your personal satisfaction so that in essence you can say to others (perhaps to your children), ‘Follow me and, inasmuch as I follow Christ, do what I do’?”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 ‘not backing up your words’: “Some Corinthians had become arrogant in their own wisdom. They claimed to be spiritual, but Paul reminded them that true religion does not consist in the professions of the mouth, but in the reality of the Spirit’s control of one’s life.”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

My Thoughts

What is an apostle, according to Paul?  A servant of the risen Lord, and a keeper of the mysteries that God has revealed.  Thus, a servant who explains the deep concepts of the Gospel.

From that definition, people can be apostles today.  On the other hand, no one can replace the original twelve apostles.  Saying that you have apostolic gifts from the Holy Spirit is not something we should say about ourselves, but if those gifts are bestowed, the “title” of apostle is a humbling one, nothing to brag about.

And through it all we should never go beyond what is written.

I think back to twice when I was called a heretic in Sunday school class.  I said things that were not written in the Bible, but I was honestly interpreting what was in the Scriptures and drawing a logical conclusion.  Neither of the two statements, and I can remember only one of the two, but neither were foundational statements.  The one that I can remember had to do with a blend of characters: one trapped within space and time who meets many people outside space and time.  It made sense to me, but sense the other person could not adequately grasp the concept, they shouted heresy rather than thinking the situation through.  I was not saying that I was right.  I was saying that I could be right based on what the Scriptures said and my interpretation of the situation.

What the Corinthians were hearing from false teachers was probably foundational.  Some of the heresies of the day was that Jesus was in no part God, in other words, a really good man.  Then being completely God and not in touch with the human side of things is equally heretical.  But if our foundation is on what is written in Holy Scriptures we cannot go wrong.

But the Corinthians and their blended concept of Christianity, part truth, part heresy, they were proud of what they created, but the apostles, forever the servants, looked like fools next to the pompous Corinthians that thought they knew better.

Their arrogance knew no boundaries.  Paul was their father, having planted the church there.  He was sending Timothy to keep them grounded in the Scriptures.  But Paul was again pleading with them to deflate their ego.  When he returns to the church, Paul could either discipline them for their shortcomings or praise them for how much they had grown in the faith.  It was their choice.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

1 Corinthians 4 1. Who do you admire for putting their faith on the line: Archbishop Desmond Tutu? Mother Teresa? Billy Graham? Some ‘lesser-known’ believer who is faithful in hard times? What in their life do you want to imitate?
“2. How would Paul respond to the idea, popular today, that ‘God wants you to be happy, rich, and successful’?
“3. If Paul were to come to your group, would he come ‘with a whip, in love, or with a gentle spirit’? Why?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

First Corinthians 4 has one set of questions.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.