Paul reminded the Corinthians of their initial sanctification and responsibility to be ‘blameless’, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. Such a state puts the Christian in an intimate relationship with the Lord, 1 Corinthians 3:16.
The apostle has also reminded the Corinthians of their responsibilities to be of the same mind rather than being divided, 1 Corinthians 1:10, and to place their hope and glory in God rather than man, 1 Corinthians 3:21.
Five years had passed since Paul had preached the gospel in Corinth, which resulted in the Corinthians’ belief and obedience. During this time, they had permitted the wisdom of the world around them to affect their approach to serving God.
Many had put their interest and energies in debating who it was better to have been baptised by, 1 Corinthians 1:12-17. Paul reminds them that when he first preached to them, it was not with any awe-inspiring oratory abilities, nor did he wow them with wisdom from this world, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
The words spoken by Paul were, ‘not of this world’, 1 Corinthians 2:6. Paul’s words originated from the mind of God, 1 Corinthians 2:7-13. Those who put their trust in men and the wisdom of this world could not possibly know these high and spiritual thoughts, 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Those who were willing to search, investigate, and give their time to knowing the mind of God would certainly find and know it, 1 Corinthians 2:15. Unfortunately, the Corinthians were more like the natural man who had no hope of knowing truth, rather than the spiritual man who could know the truth, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.
Those Corinthians who had put their faith in preachers and teachers who had baptised them needed to understand the proper work and place of these men in relation to their spiritual welfare. These men were mere planters and those who watered, but it is God who gives the increase, 1 Corinthians 3:6-15.
Paul closes the chapter by saying, ‘no more boasting about human leaders,’ 1 Corinthians 3:21. A great lesson that we can see in the study of 1 Corinthians is the fact that Paul was willing to systematically deal with all the Corinthian errors.
Today, many give up on a church in a given city, stating that there is no way to untangle their mess. Through a spirit of great love for men’s souls, the Apostle Paul approaches the Corinthians’ problems one at a time.
While the Corinthians were being tempted to elevate one man over another, Paul tells them to consider them as ‘ministers and stewards,’ 1 Corinthians 4:1. The minister, servant of God, is a ‘steward of the mysteries of God.’ The word ‘steward’ in Greek is ‘oikonomos’, and it means ‘one who manages a household, generally, a manager, administrator’.
The word ‘us’ must refer to ministers in general and not only to the apostles. Consider the context, 1 Corinthians 1:12-23 / 1 Corinthians 2:7 / 1 Corinthians 3:4-6 / 1 Corinthians 3:10 / 1 Corinthians 3:15 / 1 Corinthians 4:1 / 1 Corinthians 4:6.
That which the preacher, minister, is managing as an administrator and steward, one who manages another’s property, finances, or other affairs, is the ‘mysteries of God,’ 1 Corinthians 4:1. The mystery of God is none other than the Gospel message itself, Romans 16:25-26.
How does the minister manage or act as an administrator of truth? Obviously, the minister does so by guarding the purity of truth from human wisdom, opinions, and personal conviction, 1 Corinthians 4:2 / 1 Timothy 6:20.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The most important quality in a steward is that he manages his master’s affairs so the desires of his lord materialise, Matthew 25:14-30 / Luke 16:1-13 / Luke 19:11-27 / 1 Peter 4:10. He must be faithful to his master’s trust. For Paul, this meant remaining faithful to the gospel as he had received it and preached it, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.’
An interesting side point is the relationship between the preacher and the elders of a local church. The elders are to shepherd, manage and feed the brethren, and the preacher is to manage only the word of God. When the elders have found a preacher who manages the word of God properly, 1 Corinthians 4:6, they have found a tool to feed the brethren.
A person of great means may hire a steward to manage his money. Such a case would demand that the steward be trustworthy and have the owner’s best interests in mind.
Likewise, God expects this in his preachers of the gospel. The word ‘faithful’, in Greek, is ‘pistos’ and it means to be trusted or believed, of persons, faithful, trusty, true, trustworthy, worthy of credit.
When hearing a man preach, the listener has the responsibility to determine whether the preacher is trustworthy, i.e., do his words equate to the word of God?
Secondly, the eldership of a local church would be wise to investigate and scrutinise the man who would serve as a minister, preacher, or steward of the gospel among the flock they shepherd. The preacher is to manage the gospel message.
This man will not try to add gimmicks or alluring tactics, but one who simply preaches the whole counsel of God, 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 / Acts 20:27. Neither will this man try to assume the authority of the elders and manage the flock, other than what his responsibility toward all Christians is.
The word ‘judge’, in Greek, is ‘anakrino’, and it means to examine closely, to question, interrogate, to inquire into a fact, used at Athens in a technical sense.
1. To examine magistrates as to their qualifications.
2. Of the magistrates, to examine persons concerned in a suit, to prepare the matter for trial. Interestingly, Paul ‘judged’ a man in the next chapter, 1 Corinthians 5:3. One must take note of the Greek words.
The word ‘judged’ in 1 Corinthians 5:3 is ‘kekrika’, and is defined as to determine, resolve, or decree. Apparently, in the context of this verse, Paul is saying that his actions are on trial by the standard of God’s word and not man’s.
Let any and all say what they want, i.e., you are foolish, weak and despised among men; however, the true examination of each man comes from God! Therefore, Paul says I cannot even examine my own self apart from the word of God, 1 Corinthians 4:3.
This is an important point of reason when making a judgment about who a false teacher is. Many men may have various opinions regarding a particular teacher; however, it is the Word of God that makes the true judgment upon the man.
Paul’s point is that if man judges or examines him apart from the word of God, their conclusions are faulty. Likewise, as a preacher, I may examine myself and find that I think I’m a pretty good guy; however, my sincerity and consciousness matter nothing in light of God’s true judgments. Paul says I am not acquitted from sins by my own human reasoning.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If Paul’s references to his judgment by God in his epistles are any measure of how he regarded that event, he took it very seriously and thought about it often, 2 Corinthians 1:14 / 2 Corinthians 5:10 / Philippians 2:16 / 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 / 2 Timothy 1:12 / 2 Timothy 1:18 / 2 Timothy 4:8.’
a. Paul understood that a clear conscience did not justify a man in the eyes of God.
b. Before Paul became a Christian, he did many things with a clear conscience, thinking that it was good, Acts 26:9 / 1 Timothy 1:13.
c. One’s conscience does not, therefore, determine the state of the soul. Truth alone justifies, Romans 5:1-2.
The real truth is that the Lord Jesus is examining, that is ‘judging’ Paul and all of us and therefore it matters not what others think of you or me. What matters is what the Lord’s examination of us produces.
Paul makes clear the distinction between judging men’s hearts and making righteous judgments. Human estimation, examination and judgments are worthless when God’s standards are not applied, John 7:24.
Paul is not saying that we are not to judge anyone at any time. Such an interpretation would prove Paul and Jesus’ teaching to be inconsistent, 1 Corinthians 5:3 / Matthew 7:15-20.
Apparently, the judgments made here are the examinations of various preachers and are concluded by human reasoning that one is better than the other, and whoever is not ‘of’ that preacher is lesser than a Christian than I.
Such is not spiritual thinking. Sometimes our righteous judgments are faulty due to our inability to ‘make manifest the counsels of the hearts’, but not so with God, 1 Corinthians 4:5-6. God sees into the heart of man and will one day make the right judgments of all humanity.
In 1 Corinthians 4:6-13, Paul uses sarcasm to deflate the ego of the Corinthians and cause them to repent of their divisive ways. The ‘these things’, 1 Corinthians 4:6, are obviously the ‘mystery of God’ that Paul and other preachers had been entrusted with as ministers and stewards.
The entire phrase, ‘I have applied these things’ is one word in Greek, ‘meteschematisa’ meaning, to change the form of a person or thing; to transfer as in a figure.
Clearly, Paul says he has spoken these words regarding the nature of the gospel in order to change the Corinthians’ view of Apollos and himself. Let all glory in God and not in any man, 1 Corinthians 4:6.
What the Corinthians and any others need to know is that the preacher teaches the student from one foundation. The student, therefore, learns not to pedestal the teacher but rather to ‘not go beyond the things which are written,’ 1 Corinthians 4:6.
In other words, let us focus on divine revelation rather than our own reasoning. Dependence on human reasoning caused the Corinthians to be ‘puffed up for the one against the other’, 1 Corinthians 4:6. Paul will speak about this again and again, 1 Corinthians 4:18-19 / 1 Corinthians 5:2 / 1 Corinthians 8:1 / 1 Corinthians 13:4.
The issues of division, jealousy, and strife are occurring because they have left the doctrine of Christ for human reasoning. The Corinthians had been given many gifts of the Spirit and, therefore, had areas of spirituality that differentiated them from each other. Paul asks a question, ‘Where did you get these gifts?’ 1 Corinthians 4:7.
Paul basically asks them, Have you so soon forgotten that it was Paul’s preaching of the gospel message upon his first visit in 51 AD that gave you the faith and gifts you now have? This verse reveals a deeper problem in Corinth. The brethren looked at the preacher with eyes of pride and then turned to themselves in pride.
Everyone wants to be the hero, the one with abilities that exceed all other peers, that once in a lifetime figure that has risen above the human suffering and quagmire of earthly living. To be looked upon as great feeds the ego of one who looks to the things of this life alone.
Paul uses sarcasm in three forms. What we must see at this point is that the Corinthians’ error in judgment regarding elevating one preacher over another and looking to spiritual gifts with pride was a serious issue that worked Paul up.
1. The Corinthians had considered themselves to be ‘full,’ 1 Corinthians 4:8.
The idea is that they felt they were spiritually self-sufficient and in need of nothing, seeing that they were baptised by a certain preacher and had been endowed with a gift.
2. Secondly, Paul sarcastically says the Corinthians are ‘rich,’ 1 Corinthians 4:8.
a. Monetarily? No!
b. The Corinthians considered themselves to be rich spiritually, seeing they were baptised by a certain well-known preacher and had a gift, when in reality they were very poor, 1 Corinthians 3:1-4.
3. Thirdly, he says they had reigned as kings, as they considered themselves completely self-sufficient and in need of nothing, 1 Corinthians 4:8.
They acted as though they no longer needed the man who laid the foundation and built upon the foundation of Christ’s church in the city of Corinth. Paul says in reality, you are not all of this, but it would be great if you were.
An evolution or metamorphosis has occurred in the minds of these divisive brethren, and Paul exposes it. The vain glory of life had left the preachers and inflated the minds of the Corinthians with delusions of greatness.
While the apostles suffered at the hands of lawless men who opposed their inspired message, the Corinthians lavished praise on their self-perceived success.
Many today suffer nothing and go about gloating that they are great Christians with marvellous knowledge, while preaching brethren are thrown under the bus, so to say, 2 Timothy 3:12.
The apostles were ‘doomed to death’, in Greek, ‘epithanatios’, sick to death, at death’s door, 1 Corinthians 4:9. The cause, ‘for’, which is ‘hoti’ in Greek, describes their doomed state: ‘we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men,’ 1 Corinthians 4:9.
The word ‘spectacle’, in Greek, is ‘theatron’, a place for seeing, especially a theatre. The apostles were on stage for the world and angels to see their fate of death, 1 Corinthians 4:9 / 2 Corinthians 2:14.
While the Corinthians lavished on their gifts and their perceived greatness, the whole of creation watched the apostles be executed one by one for the cause of Jesus Christ.
The apostles shared in no glory; on the contrary, they were viewed as ‘fools, weak and those of dishonour,’ 1 Corinthians 4:10. These terms remind us of those Paul described as the true converts of 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
The Corinthians had moved from viewing others as important to seeing themselves as individuals who demanded respect and honour due to who baptised them and the gifts they possessed.
They had overlooked the content of the message that brought them into a relationship with God, identified as a farm, building, or temple, 1 Corinthians 3:9 / 1 Corinthians 3:16.
The apostles were individuals who truly sought the welfare of others through the gospel message. So, the sarcasm continues, we are the perceived weak among the carnally minded; however, God knows those who are truly His, 1 Corinthians 4:10.
The Corinthians had glorified the state of being a Christian as a status symbol, saying, ‘I am of …’ ‘I have such and such gifts.’ While the Corinthians were playing Christian, the apostles were living the Christian life of suffering and hard labour for the sake of souls, 1 Corinthians 4:11.
Morris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Greeks despised people who did manual labour, as Paul had done in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 9:4-18 / Acts 18:3 / Acts 18:5 / 2 Corinthians 11:9 / 2 Corinthians 12:13-17, they regarded it as the work of slaves.’
The ministers and stewards of truth were suffering while the Corinthians basked in glory. While the Corinthians basked in the radiant glory of each other’s teacher and spiritual gifts, the apostles were ‘reviled, persecuted and defamed’, being viewed as the ‘filth of the world, the offscouring of all things,’ 1 Corinthians 4:12-13.
Though viewed as such, they attempted not to repair their reputation for the sake of saving face but continued in faith, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ that souls may be saved. They worked hard yet were viewed as filth, 1 Corinthians 4:12-13.
The Corinthians had lost sight of the message of the cross. While they glorified themselves, the ministers and stewards of God’s word continued to preach the gospel message. Was Paul’s work in Corinth being ‘burned’? 1 Corinthians 3:15. Paul was not going to let this happen!
Paul’s intention of using sarcasm and such harsh language was not to shame but to get the Corinthians to think the right thoughts regarding the gospel, teachers of the gospel, and their own salvation.
The word ‘shame’, 1 Corinthians 4:14, is the Greek word ‘entrepo’, and it means to turn toward, give heed to, pay regard to, to respect or reverence. Never would Paul make one feel comfortable in his or her sin, and neither should any preacher.
With a spirit of tenderness, forbearance, patience, and longsuffering, the apostle deals with his beloved brethren’s error, 1 Corinthians 4:15. Rather, Paul sought to ‘admonish’, that is ‘noutheteo’ in Greek, which means to admonish is to ‘warn or advise’.
Any parent would do the same when their child is in harm’s way. We would not comfort them in their folly but warn them of the danger. The brethren at Corinth were Paul’s ‘beloved children’ 1 Corinthians 4:14. He was not going to let his work among them burn up or be identified as vain. People’s souls were at stake, and Paul was a lover of men’s souls.
Paul did not desire the Corinthians to call him their father; however, their faulty view of teachers demanded this statement, 1 Corinthians 4:15. Catholics today call the priest ‘father’, which is a contradiction of the command Jesus gave in Matthew 23:9.
By father, Paul meant he ‘begot them through the gospel,’ 1 Corinthians 4:15. Paul had planted and watered the seed of the gospel, and the Corinthians had obeyed; it is in this fashion that Paul was their father in faith, 1 Corinthians 4:17 / 1 Timothy 1:2.
As the spiritual father of the Corinthians, through preaching the gospel message, Paul admonishes them to ‘imitate’ or mimic those things which he does and says, 1 Corinthians 4:16 / 1 Corinthians 11:1. The Corinthians were being misled by the mindset of the world around them.
Paul is bringing them back to the original foundation of truth that they heard and obeyed. Here is the authority of God in writing. The apostles spoke the mind of God, the commandments of God, 1 Corinthians 14:37, and therefore man is to follow what they do and say, Philippians 4:9.
Seeing that the Corinthians had fallen from the truth that was initially delivered to them, Paul writes this letter and intends to send Timothy to them. He loved Timothy and described him as faithful in the Lord, 1 Corinthians 4:17. Evidently, Paul expected this letter to reach Corinth before Timothy arrived, Acts 19:22 / 1 Corinthians 16:10.
Paul was in Ephesus, intending to visit the brethren in Corinth. It is very likely that when Timothy came, he delivered the second epistle to the Corinthians and edified the brethren as Paul mentions here, 1 Corinthians 4:17. The truths of the gospel were preached universally to all churches, 1 Corinthians 4:17.
One church did not have a monopoly on truth. Church autonomy is not violated, therefore, when a preacher of one area preaches truth in another area. Every local church is to be united by the truth of God’s word, 1 Corinthians 1:2 / 1 Corinthians 7:17 / 1 Corinthians 11:16 / 1 Corinthians 14:33 / 1 Corinthians 14:36.
Possibly some of those who said they were ‘of Apollos’ or ‘of Cephas’, 1 Corinthians 3:5, were saying that Paul was too fearful to come back to Corinth, 1 Corinthians 4:18. Paul’s coming, however, would not be in persuasive words of human reasoning but in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 4:19.
Whether the kingdom of God referred to 1 Corinthians 4:20, is the church, Colossians 1:13-14, or the future abode of the saints, 2 Peter 1:11, is not designated. However, the church and heaven are established in and by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to save men’s souls, Romans 1:16.
Recall that Paul was their ‘father in the faith’, 1 Corinthians 4:15. As the one who initially preached the gospel to them and came to be, in a sense, their father, he now asks how he should come to them as a parent. The unruly child is due to the rod of correction.
The word ‘rod,’ 1 Corinthians 4:21, is the Greek word ‘rhabdos’, which is a stick as a means of punishment. As children in faith who are unruly, only the rod would bring them back to the right mode of thinking, Proverbs 23:13-14.
The Corinthian’s manner of life shall determine the nature of Paul’s visit, whether he comes with a rod or a spirit of love and gentleness, 1 Corinthians 4:21 / Matthew 11:29.
Would they continue to elevate one man over another? Would they continue to permit the reasoning of this world to govern their spiritual service to God? Would they continue to be divided?
Would they continue to look to themselves as someone great due to having a particular man baptise them and having various gifts? The results of this teaching letter would determine how Paul’s next visit would be.
Paul would not physically beat them, but he would beat them with his words of truth, 2 Timothy 4:1-5. Any preacher worth his salt must beat with the word of God as a rod of correction at times if brethren are to change.
Sometimes the preacher needs to be beaten! Truth must prevail in the hearts of all. The obedience of the Corinthians would find Paul’s visit in gentleness, 1 Corinthians 4:21 / Matthew 11:29.
The brethren in Corinth had divided themselves based on who initially baptised and preached to them. They also had received spiritual gifts, which they permitted to induce an air of self-importance.
1 Corinthians 4 illustrates the progression of carnal thinking. The Corinthians’ association with certain ministers and their gifts brought them to self-aggrandisement rather than humility and mutual service to other lost men.
1 Corinthians 4:1-6, sets out to ‘transfer’ the interest of the Corinthians from the preacher and self, back to the Lord and his word. The significance of preachers cannot, however, be altogether diminished.
To have the Corinthian mind be transferred from carnality to spirituality, Paul had to deflate their overinflated estimation of themselves, 1 Corinthians 4:6. They had begun to think too highly of themselves due to who baptised them and their own personal spiritual gifts. Paul uses sarcasm to puncture the view of self-aggrandisement.
The Brethren had begun to view themselves as spiritually sufficient when, in reality, they were in deep poverty in relation to spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and direction.
Paul closes the chapter with tender words of care and concern, 1 Corinthians 4:14. There had to be a change in their spiritual growth, the existing divisions and their view of gospel preachers.
Paul aimed to uproot human reasoning and get their minds back on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are admonished, as we, to look, listen and emulate the life and teachings of the apostles, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17.
Paul did not want to have to return to the Corinthian brethren with the ‘rod’ of correction, 1 Corinthians 4:21. The book, to this point, illustrates the importance of ministers and stewards of truth to continue working with brethren in truth.