The Church and Its Leaders. Mature Leaders Bring Unity. 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

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1 1 The Church and Its Leaders Mature Leaders Bring Unity 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

2 2 The Church and Its Leaders Mature Leaders Bring Unity Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21, 1. So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 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 till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 6. Now, brothers, 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 take pride in one man over against another. 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 become kings- and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! 9. For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.

3 3 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. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 14. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. 17. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. 18. Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. 19. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. 20. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 21. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? Introduction: I. The New Testament, during the ministry of Christ and during the years following the establishing of the church, continually told of disciples who wanted to be top dogs. A. Mark 9:33-37, They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, What were you arguing about on the road? But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the

4 4 twelve and said, If anyone want to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me. B. Mark 10:35-41, Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. Teacher, they said, we want you to do for us whatever we ask. What do you want me to do for you? he asked. They replied, Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. You don t know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? We can, they answered. Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared. When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. II. God has chosen less than perfect people to be leaders; for example, A. Moses, the murderer. B. Rahab, the harlot. C. Peter, who denied the Lord. D. Paul, the persecutor. III. Christ chose the Apostle Paul to lead his people. A. God led Paul in his successful dealing with those who wanted to be top dogs in the church of Corinth.

5 5 Commentary: 1 Corinthians 4:1, So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. I. Paul here stated that the Corinthian Christians should not regard Apollos and himself as august founders of Christian sectarian groups, but as: A. ministers of Christ. B. stewards of the mysteries of God. C. Christians should highly esteem faithful teachers/preachers of the word, but we are not to form divisive parties around them or their teachings. 1 Corinthians 4:2, Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I. The prime responsibilities of stewards were faithfulness, honesty, loyalty, dependability and proficiency/competence in the performance of their duties. II. Faithfulness was the quality Paul here emphasized. III. All Christians are stewards. A. 1 Peter 4:10, Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace in its various forms. B. Titus 1:7, Since an overseer is entrusted with God s work, he must be blameless not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

6 6 1 Corinthians 4:3, 4, 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. I. Three courts/tribunals mentioned here are : A. Conscience: 1. Titus 1:15, To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted Timothy 1:13, Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 3. Hebrews 9:14, How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 4. Proverbs 28:6, Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse John 3:19, 20, And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 6. Acts 23:1, Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.

7 7 7. Acts 24:16, So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. 8. Hebrews 10:22, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water Timothy 4:2, such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron Corinthians 4:4, My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. B. Public opinion, the judgment of peers. 1. Acts 14:11, When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, The gods have come down to us in human form! 2. 1 Corinthians 14:23, So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 3. 1 Timothy 3:7, He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil s trap. 4. Luke 2:52, And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

8 8 5. Acts 2:47, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 6. John 9:18-23, The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man s parents. Is this your son? they asked. Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see? We know he is our son, the parents answered, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, He is of age; ask him. a. Did these parents evidence cowardice? 7. Acts 7:40, They told Aaron, Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we don t know what has happened to him! a. How fickle humans are! C. The Lord, the court of last resort, the one court that really matters Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

9 9 2. Acts 10:42, He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 3. Romans 2:16, This will take place on the day when God will judge men s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. II. Paraphrase: I myself am not competent to assess the quality of my apostolic service and pronounce a verdict on it. Only one can do that. I shall submit myself to his decision. It is the Lord who judges me. 1 Corinthians 4:5, Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. I. Stop judging, Paul enjoined. A. The only judgment that matters is the Lord s. B. Men do not have the knowledge nor the competence to judge one another. II. Everyone shall have his praise, reward from God. A. 2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. B. In this verse Paul was referring to the denunciations by the various Corinthian sects of each other.

10 10 C. We should lay aside our judgments and wait for Christ s righteous judgment at the last day! He will do the job well, once and for all. 1 Corinthians 4:6, Now, brothers, 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 take pride in one man over against another. I. The faction leaders were divisive. Paul and Apollos were united brethren. A. Factions had been formed at Corinth without the permission or approval of the men they purported to be following. B. Arrogance and bigotry are forbidden: Puffed up one against another. II. We must not go beyond what is written in the Scriptures. A. Factions were beyond that which was written. 1 Corinthians 4:7, 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? I. God has given us everything we have ever received. II. We have not obtained the blessings of life by our own merits. 1 Corinthians 4:8, Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings- and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!

11 11 I. The first three clauses were directed toward the errant claims of the false teachers: A. You are filled. B. You are rich. C. You have come to reign without us. II. Paul wished that these false teachers were true to God so that they could: A. reign in fact. B. enjoy a joint reign with the apostle. 1 Corinthians 4:9, For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. I. Paul here rebuked the false teachers for all their vain glory, divisiveness and opposition to the truth. II. The imagery here is that of the Roman Coliseum in which the condemned were brought in to meet death to the jeering ridicule of the spectators. A. The false teachers, opponents of Paul, jeered at the plight in which the apostle found himself and were actually responsible for Paul s distress and the church s troubles. B. Paul here pictures himself as the most worthless of the condemned.

12 12 1 Corinthians 4:10, 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! I. Paul s ridicule of his enemies is cutting and penetrating. A. We (Paul, Apollos, Cephas) are fools (in the eyes of the world) in Christ s service, but you are wise. B. We are spiritually weak, but you are strong. C. We have dishonor, but you have respect. II. Paul who founded the church in Corinth had led, converted these people who were previously sinners of the vilest type to Christ. A. These very people were now opposing Paul and dividing the church. B. These divisive leaders at Corinth sought prominence and honor in the church in all the wrong ways. 1 Corinthians 4:11, To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. I. Paul, at the time he wrote this book, spoke of his continuing hardships caused by his devotion to Christ, his love for lost souls and his love for the church. II. The trouble makers at Corinth suffered none of these hardships. 1 Corinthians 4:12, We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; I. Paul said:

13 13 A. We toil, do manual labor, make tents, a thing despised by the Greeks who esteemed mental, intellectual labors. B. We are reviled, but we bless in response to the reviling. C. We are persecuted, but we endure. II. Paul returned good for evil even in the present situation involving these disturbers of the peace at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 4:13, when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. I. Paul further said: A. We who are defamed entreat the defamers to change their attitudes and conduct. B. We are regarded as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things (even at the time Paul was then writing.). C. This likens Paul to the remnants left on the coliseum floor after the slaughter of those who were executed. II. At this point the enemies of Paul were riding high. 1 Corinthians 4:14, I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. I. Paul did not write these things to shame the Corinthians. A. Paul evidenced no bitterness nor acts of recrimination toward the Corinthians.

14 14 B. Paul saw the Corinthians as beloved children who had become confused in regard to the matters which divided them. II. Paul wrote to admonish the Corinthians as his dear children. A. Paul pictured himself as a spiritual father to the wayward Corinthians whom he regarded as his dearly loved spiritual children. B. Ephesians 4:4, There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 1 Corinthians 4:15, For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. I. Even though you may have ten thousand tutors, guides in Christ,... A. Regardless of how many teachers the Corinthians may have had... B. Obviously ten thousand was an exaggeration making clear that no one could occupy Paul s position in relation to the Corinthians. C. Guides were slaves who escorted his master s children to school, but they could never replace the father. II. You have not many fathers... III. In Christ Jesus I (Paul) begat you through the gospel. A. Paul was the instrument for bringing the gospel to the Corinthians by which they became God s children.

15 15 B. James 1:18, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 1 Corinthians 4:16, Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. I. Paul begged the Corinthians to imitate his Christian life. A. Can we say this with sincerity? 1. By following us would sinners and weak Christians be on the right road? B. Scriptures: 1. 1 Corinthians 11:1, Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2. Ephesians 5:1, Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 3. Philippians 3:17, Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample Thessalonians 3:9, Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us Thessalonians 1:6, And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 1 Corinthians 4:17, For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you

16 16 into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. I. Paul sent Timothy to the Corinthians for the purpose of... A. Timothy was Paul s beloved and faithful child in the Lord. B. 1 Corinthians 16:10, Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. C. Acts 19:22, So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. II. Who would remind the Corinthians of Paul s Christian ways. A. Paul preached these ways everywhere he went, in every church. B. Paul did not preach one doctrine here and another there. C. The gospel cannot be changed nor modified! Truth is truth. III. Once the Corinthians were well informed of Paul s ways, the Corinthians could better imitate him. 1 Corinthians 4:18, Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. I. Some agitators at Corinth were puffed up, had gotten their backs up, II. Acting as if Paul were not willing to face the Corinthians and sent Timothy instead of going himself.

17 17 1 Corinthians 4:19-21, But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? I. I (Paul) will come to Corinth soon,... A. If the Lord will. 1. I will make the trip to Corinth unless I am providentially hindered. 2. All we plan and promise must be with the provision, If the Lord will. 3. Nothing is sure but death and taxes. II. When I (Paul) get there I will confront those who are puffed up and will determine if: A. They have any power or... B. are all bluster. III. The kingdom of God is: A. not in word, B. but in power. IV. What is your choice? A. Do you want me to come to you with a rod or...

18 18 1. Paul had apostolic power. 2. Acts 13:11, And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. B. in love and a spirit of gentleness? 1. If the divisive Corinthians repented, Paul would arrive with a spirit of loving gentleness. C. The ball was in the Corinthians court. Conclusion: I. It is our solemn duty and obligation to Christ our Savior to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. A. Psalm 133:1, How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! B. Isaiah 52:8,... they shall see eye to eye. C. Acts 4:32, All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. D. Romans 12:16, Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. E. Romans 14:19, Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

19 19 F. Romans 15:5, 6, May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. G. 1 Corinthians 1:10, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. H. Ephesians 4:3, Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. II. May all of us be contributors to peace and harmony within the family of God, the church!

20 20 Questions 1 Corinthians 4: What does the Bible say about those who want to be top dogs among Christ s disciples? 2. Name several humble leaders God chose to be leaders. 3. The Corinthian Christians were not to regard and as of, but as of and of the of. are required to be. What trust has God given you? 4. What three courts/tribunals are mentioned in verses 3, 4? Which one matters?

21 21 5. Explain the meaning of Paul s statement, My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. How can this be? 6. I myself am not to assess the of my and pronounce a on it. Only one can do that. I shall to his. 7. The at his will bring to what is in and will the of s. 8. How does that make you feel? How does it cause you to change your behavior? 9. What does, Do not go beyond what is written mean? 10. Give examples of going beyond what is written.

22 Give examples of Paul s speaking sarcastically to the Corinthians. 12. Recite the illustration of the procession and explain its meaning. 13. How could Paul refer to the sinful divisive Corinthians as wise, strong and honored? 14. What suffering did Paul experience? (see verses 13, 14.) 15. When we are slandered, do we answer kindly? How hard is this to do? 16. It is our and to our

23 23 to maintain the of the in the of! 17. Why, according to verse 18, did and did not Paul write the Corinthians? 18. Would it have been wrong for the Corinthians to have spoken of father Paul? Why or why not? 19. How was Paul a father to the Corinthians? 20. Can we with sincerity and confidence advise people, Imitate me? Why or why not? 21. Was there a limit to the Corinthians following Paul? If so, what was it?

24 Why did Paul send timothy to Corinth? 23. Why did some at Corinth get their backs up? 24. What choice did Paul give the Corinthians?