The Faithful Steward 1 Cor 4:1-7
We have been in Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians for the last 2 months, and we have seen that Paul is attempting to deal with the problem of division caused by human pride. The Corinthians were falling into the worldly trap of thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to, and of elevating some of their church leaders over others. If the Devil can't get Christians to follow false teachers he will try to get them to worship good ones. Last week, we looked at the last 6 verses of ch. 3, in what I titled The Petition to the Sophomores and The Possession of the Saved. This morning, in ch. 4:1-5, we examine The Position of the Steward and we will wrap up in v.6, with The Promotion of the Scriptures.
In this long 4 chapter introduction to the letter, Paul is rebuking them for their worldly wisdom, and divisive direction. He has utilized different metaphors to paint the picture of what the church is. The church is God's Field, God's Garden, the planting of the Lord. The leaders are merely fellow workers, but God causes the growth! The church is God's Building, built on the apostles & prophets, with Christ as its Chief Cornerstone. The leaders and the congregation are not to build on the worldly wisdom of elevating men because of their abilities, knowledge, eloquence or apparent success, because it is simply foolishness to God! But, they are to build on Christ Crucified! Now, in ch. 4, Paul directs them to God's Household, where he, once again, explains to them what the proper perspective should be concerning Church Leadership. He uses 2 more metaphors, in this short section, in order to address the issue of their elevating some leaders over others. And he tells them that leaders are there to serve God. So, beginning in v.1, Paul describes...
I. The Position of a Steward ...4:1-5 Chapter 4 begins with Paul explaining,
A. How a Leader is to be regarded by Men ...v.1
“This is how one should regard us or account us.” Paul is saying you should [...take us into account], as ...servants of Christ” This word for servants is not the usual word, 'diakonos' or 'deacon'. Instead, it is the word, huper-a tase, used 20x in the N.T., but only this one time by Paul, here, and it literally means "an under-rower” a 3rd level galley slave! So, we see here, that Paul applies another of his metaphors to make his point. The Roman warships used large, square sails, but they depended primarily upon a large number of slaves whose task it was to wield the oars below deck. They were to work in unison under the shipmaster's direction and command. On the larger ships, there would be two levels of oars; a higher and a lower level. The slaves who sat in the lower level were called the "under-rowers." The bottom deck was unsanitary, and was the most menial of positions to be on a ship.
Now, by the time of Paul's day, the title of under-rower came to be used of certain Roman officials who had been appointed to their position by a higher authority. We have a similar term when we speak of a "civil servant." Do you see what Paul is saying? He says that he has no authority of his own. He is merely acting upon the authority of another, as a galley slave, or household servant would. Jesus Christ is his authority! He is a servant for Christ. Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say that he is ...a servant of the church or ...a servant of the board of elders or ...a servant of the people. He is the servant of Christ. This means that his primary responsibility is not to please people. A man who strives to please only people is not being a faithful servant to Christ.
Paul also describes God's Leaders as 'stewards of the mysteries of God. The word "steward" is a compound word made up of the word for "house" and the word for "law". It describes one whose job it is to see that the house rules are carried out. So, they are to be seen as house managers. Now, why does Paul use this analogy? What is his point in describing them as stewards or house managers?
The wealthier homes within the ancient world had a steward, who was a chief slave, and the head of all of the other slaves. His job was to see that the entire household ran smoothly. He was the manager of the household. Joseph held such a position over the house of Potiphar. He was made the steward over Potiphar’s house and given command over all that Potiphar owned. This does not mean that the house now belonged to Joseph or that he was equal with Potiphar. He was still a slave! He did not make the laws, but he was given the authority to enforce them. He was still a slave, but now he was a slave with a special task, make sure all the other slaves do what they are supposed to, so the house would be in order. Potiphar would lay down the laws of his house and Joseph would see to it that those wishes were carried out.
Similarly, Paul was a steward of the mysteries of God. We have already seen Paul refer to the mysteries of God in 1 Cor 2:7, where it pointed to the fact that the wisdom of God was hidden from the world, but revealed to God’s people. Here, Paul shows how that mystery of God was revealed. It was revealed through God’s stewards. Paul, Apollos, Peter, etc... were stewards of the mysteries of God. It was their job to reveal those mysteries to God’s people. What is the mystery of God? It is Christ Crucified! It is Christ to the nations! It is Christ bringing down the wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile! It is Christ in you, the hope of glory! It is the message that God became flesh and died for sins to save men. This is the message that has so confounded the world. It is the message over which the Jew stumbled and which the Greek found to be foolishness. Paul was a steward of the Message of the Cross! It is was his job to preach that message to others. That is the job of a pastor. His primary focus is to communicate the WORD OF GOD -- to teach it to others and to apply its truths to their lives. There are a great many other things that a pastor may be called upon to do, but at the center of his ministry ought to be the Clarion Call, clear teaching of the Scriptures. They are not his own ideas. He has been entrusted with a message that did not originate with him. As Calvin said, “They hand over to men from hand to hand, as we say, not what suits their own tastes, but what the Lord has committed to their charge.” Every teacher of the Word of God is simply a steward, and the responsibility by which he will be judged, is stated in v.2. What does God require?...
What is required by God? ...v.2
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be ...found faithful.” Faithfulness to God & His Word is what God requires. As one commentator said,”What is required of ministers is neither brilliancy, nor eloquence, nor profound knowledge, nor success, but only fidelity.” God doesn't care about a huge following, or a TV show or that he author many books, or that he is well loved by everybody. In fact, the Word implies that if all the world looks on him with favor that can be a sign that he is not being faithful. James writes, in Jas_4:4 “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” God wants a faithful man to teach Christians, Christians who will pass on the Truth! Paul told Timothy, “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2Ti 2:2 Paul was a great example of a man who feared God rather than men. He doesn't seem to be phased by...
A. The World's Assessment ...v.3a
“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human 'court' [literally human day]. He's saying this in contrast to the Lord’s Day which he referred to in 1Co 3:13 that each laborer's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” So, what man can judge another man's conscience or his labor in the Lord or the secret motives of the heart? When referring to the gray areas that Christians often disagree on, such as when discussing food and feasts, or diet and days Paul rebuked the church in Rome, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” Rom 14:4 The faithful steward has no reason to be concerned by the opinions of others if his master is satisfied. There are many people who are criticized by other Christians, but if they are faithful to the stewardship committed to them, then their master’s approval is what towers over all else and of little or no consequence is the blame or the praise, for that matter, of others.
Now, the Corinthians were comparing Paul with other leaders. They were comparing him with Apollos, and they were comparing him with Peter. We know that Paul in 2 Cor. acknowledges the fact that he had the reputation of not being much of a public speaker. They said, his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." So people did say lots of things about the Apostle Paul. But, of what significance is that in the light of the fact that one day he would stand before the Lord God in judgment. And that is Paul's ultimate point with his ultimate Master on that ultimate day. Its not that Paul doesn't recognize; any sort of human tribunal, in this Corinthian Church. But, he knows that ultimately, he will not answer to them as his final arbiters or judges. The Lord will be His judge, as to whether or not he was faithful to His Call. His greatest desire is to hear Christ say on that day, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of Your Lord!” Matt 25:21
B. The Apostle's assessment ...vs.3b-4a
“ In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted.” Paul was careful not to spend too much time focusing on a self evaluation of his ministry. He was aware that it is all too easy to fall into the trap of spiritual introspection. How many times have I fallen into this trap? Before I know it, I am trying to rank myself, & compare myself to other Christians or Pastors. Instead of focusing on myself, I need to focus my attention on the Lord. This doesn't mean that I ignore the presence of sin in my life. Paul makes this clear when he says, "I am conscious of nothing against myself "v.4. He had looked for sin in his life, and was not aware of any serious deficiency. He had removed the plank out of his own eyes before looking for specks in the eyes of others. He had checked out his own life and could see no major problems. And yet, he knows that this is not necessarily a flawless evaluation. In his 2nd letter to this church, he reminded them of the futility of self assessment, and in particular, self approval,“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved” writes Paul in 2Co 10:18,”but the one whom the Lord commends.” Paul, knowing his limitations, cannot rest in his own evaluation of his conscience & ministry. There is only one way that his work can be accurately evaluated. It is by...
C. The Lord's Assessment ...v.4b-5
“It is the Lord who judges me” he says, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time...before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” The apostle did, as his Lord and Savior had done before him, who, “when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten”, and conscious of his own innocence and integrity,“continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” 1Pe 2:23 God’s assessment is the only one that really matters. He is the only one that sees everything necessary to make a proper judgment. Your perspective concerning your own life is very limited. What effect your life has had on others is often impossible to evaluate. And you cannot see where your life is headed. But God sees your life in a single glance. He can see the entire scope of who you are. “There is nothing that is hidden from His sight. Everything is laid bare to Him whom we must give account.” Heb 4:13 Even your most secret thoughts and motives are an open book to Him. So, since God, who sees the end from the beginning, is Paul's final judge, then no finite human tribunal could properly assess Paul's ministry, which was still in process.
The reason he tells them not to go on passing judgment is evidently because they WERE passing judgment, and especially on him! If you read through these 2 letters you will get a strong sense that many of these immature believers, especially those of the Apollos and Peter parties, were, in fact, scorning Paul, thumbing their Greek noses at him. The Corinthians were trying to hold their own judgment seat ...their own Bema seat. But it was not yet time to do so. There will be a judgment, but it has not yet come. Paul warns against jumping the gun.
There is a serious message for us here. We ought not to try to pass judgment upon the motives of our Christian leaders. There are websites, set up by people who specialize in being so called, watchmen on the wall. They look for a demon under every rock! Now, don't get me wrong. I believe it is important to keep the wolves from devouring the sheep. But, just because some of the more effective teachers have associated with some of the more questionable ones, and have not called them out on the carpet, because they are not dotting every ideological 'i', or crossing every theological 't', doesn't mean that their many years of God Glorifying Ministry have been worthless!
“Therefore, judge nothing before the time.” Can that include what I say about any of my brothers or sisters in Christ? Yes. Can it include things that I have said in the past about other Christians or can it include those things that I might say in the future about my fellow Christians? Yes, Yes, & yes, it includes all these judgments. Why should I not judge before the time? Well, for the simple reason that my present ability to judge is partial, it’s premature, it’s powerless, its poor, and frankly, its pitiful! Paul's point is that, we have no basis upon which to judge Spirit Led Pastors or any Christians, for that matter. We cannot see the whole picture. We have not been appointed as their judge. Does this mean that we ought to ignore their sin or their false doctrine? No, God forbid, I don't think so! Rather, I think that it means I must realize that I do not have the full picture and that my judgment is going to be limited. It means that I cannot judge those things that are hidden. It means I cannot judge someone’s motives. Only the Lord can do that. And He will do just that, when He returns in a flame of fire to judge the Living & the Dead.
There is coming a day when all will be brought to light. The judgment of God will be a complete judgment. Nothing will be left out. Nothing will remain hidden. Are you ready to meet that judgment? You might be able to fool me about your spiritual condition. You might learn all of the right things to say so that you sound very spiritual. You can fool me, and perhaps, fool the rest of the church, & you might even manage to fool yourself. But you will never fool God. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." Jer 17:9-10
So, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Gal 6:7-9.
Yet, look at Paul's final words in v.5, after describing how no one should render judgment before the time “Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” The Greek text says more emphatically,” And at that time ...praise shall come to each ...from the Lord. Praise shall come to each from the Lord!” So, in spite of all the purposes of my heart that are contrary to his will, in spite of all the hidden things that are revealed, the Lord’s going to show forth praise to you who are desiring to please your Head ...to you who have been given a trust it is said ...to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled. Be encouraged that God will dance and rejoice over you if you are faithful to Him!
Paul has been trying to show them that they should not rely of their natural human abilities, all of which adds to God's Revelation. It is unwise to add to what God has already revealed. Pro 30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” So, in v.6 Paul focuses them on...
The Promotion of the Scriptures ...v.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, so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.” In the first 3 chapters, Paul quoted the O.T. No less than 6 times, and in each instance it had to do with the foolishness of man vs. the wisdom of God.
Listen to them:
1Co 1:19-20 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1Co 1:31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
1Co 2:9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"--
1Co 2:16 "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?"
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
1Co 3:20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
So, Paul is telling them, don't rely on human judgment or wisdom, and don't elevate your opinion above God's revelation.
Closing
I must constantly remind myself of the fact, that if I please Him it doesn't matter who I displease. And if I displease Him, then, it doesn't matter who, on earth, I please. In some respect, that is also true of you. Your life must be lived so as to primarily please God & not people. Man will not be your final judge. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2Co 5:10 So, all I can tell you is that the way you use your resources may serve as a trail to show you what you’re worshiping. If your resources in life are, fundamentally, being spent on you, then it is very likely that you are worshiping you. But if basic bent of your life, and the use of your resources is for the service of the glory of God, then that may be an indicator that Christ has the preeminence.
Examine your motives. Are they contrary to the Word of God? Examine your conversation. Does it have anything remotely to do with the Kingdom of God? Right now counts forever. Choose well how you spend the time for the days are still evil. Paul was a Faithful Steward. So, was Apollos. So was Peter! Yet, who is the Ultimate Faithful Steward? Jesus Christ! And despite the fact that it has been nearly 2000 years since these promises of His Return were made, He will be faithful to return, to judge this world & His Church. “ And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.” Rev 2:23
Will you be ready when He returns. You will be if you are a faithful steward. Lets pray!
We have been in Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians for the last 2 months, and we have seen that Paul is attempting to deal with the problem of division caused by human pride. The Corinthians were falling into the worldly trap of thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to, and of elevating some of their church leaders over others. If the Devil can't get Christians to follow false teachers he will try to get them to worship good ones. Last week, we looked at the last 6 verses of ch. 3, in what I titled The Petition to the Sophomores and The Possession of the Saved. This morning, in ch. 4:1-5, we examine The Position of the Steward and we will wrap up in v.6, with The Promotion of the Scriptures.
In this long 4 chapter introduction to the letter, Paul is rebuking them for their worldly wisdom, and divisive direction. He has utilized different metaphors to paint the picture of what the church is. The church is God's Field, God's Garden, the planting of the Lord. The leaders are merely fellow workers, but God causes the growth! The church is God's Building, built on the apostles & prophets, with Christ as its Chief Cornerstone. The leaders and the congregation are not to build on the worldly wisdom of elevating men because of their abilities, knowledge, eloquence or apparent success, because it is simply foolishness to God! But, they are to build on Christ Crucified! Now, in ch. 4, Paul directs them to God's Household, where he, once again, explains to them what the proper perspective should be concerning Church Leadership. He uses 2 more metaphors, in this short section, in order to address the issue of their elevating some leaders over others. And he tells them that leaders are there to serve God. So, beginning in v.1, Paul describes...
I. The Position of a Steward ...4:1-5 Chapter 4 begins with Paul explaining,
A. How a Leader is to be regarded by Men ...v.1
“This is how one should regard us or account us.” Paul is saying you should [...take us into account], as ...servants of Christ” This word for servants is not the usual word, 'diakonos' or 'deacon'. Instead, it is the word, huper-a tase, used 20x in the N.T., but only this one time by Paul, here, and it literally means "an under-rower” a 3rd level galley slave! So, we see here, that Paul applies another of his metaphors to make his point. The Roman warships used large, square sails, but they depended primarily upon a large number of slaves whose task it was to wield the oars below deck. They were to work in unison under the shipmaster's direction and command. On the larger ships, there would be two levels of oars; a higher and a lower level. The slaves who sat in the lower level were called the "under-rowers." The bottom deck was unsanitary, and was the most menial of positions to be on a ship.
Now, by the time of Paul's day, the title of under-rower came to be used of certain Roman officials who had been appointed to their position by a higher authority. We have a similar term when we speak of a "civil servant." Do you see what Paul is saying? He says that he has no authority of his own. He is merely acting upon the authority of another, as a galley slave, or household servant would. Jesus Christ is his authority! He is a servant for Christ. Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say that he is ...a servant of the church or ...a servant of the board of elders or ...a servant of the people. He is the servant of Christ. This means that his primary responsibility is not to please people. A man who strives to please only people is not being a faithful servant to Christ.
Paul also describes God's Leaders as 'stewards of the mysteries of God. The word "steward" is a compound word made up of the word for "house" and the word for "law". It describes one whose job it is to see that the house rules are carried out. So, they are to be seen as house managers. Now, why does Paul use this analogy? What is his point in describing them as stewards or house managers?
The wealthier homes within the ancient world had a steward, who was a chief slave, and the head of all of the other slaves. His job was to see that the entire household ran smoothly. He was the manager of the household. Joseph held such a position over the house of Potiphar. He was made the steward over Potiphar’s house and given command over all that Potiphar owned. This does not mean that the house now belonged to Joseph or that he was equal with Potiphar. He was still a slave! He did not make the laws, but he was given the authority to enforce them. He was still a slave, but now he was a slave with a special task, make sure all the other slaves do what they are supposed to, so the house would be in order. Potiphar would lay down the laws of his house and Joseph would see to it that those wishes were carried out.
Similarly, Paul was a steward of the mysteries of God. We have already seen Paul refer to the mysteries of God in 1 Cor 2:7, where it pointed to the fact that the wisdom of God was hidden from the world, but revealed to God’s people. Here, Paul shows how that mystery of God was revealed. It was revealed through God’s stewards. Paul, Apollos, Peter, etc... were stewards of the mysteries of God. It was their job to reveal those mysteries to God’s people. What is the mystery of God? It is Christ Crucified! It is Christ to the nations! It is Christ bringing down the wall of partition that separated Jew from Gentile! It is Christ in you, the hope of glory! It is the message that God became flesh and died for sins to save men. This is the message that has so confounded the world. It is the message over which the Jew stumbled and which the Greek found to be foolishness. Paul was a steward of the Message of the Cross! It is was his job to preach that message to others. That is the job of a pastor. His primary focus is to communicate the WORD OF GOD -- to teach it to others and to apply its truths to their lives. There are a great many other things that a pastor may be called upon to do, but at the center of his ministry ought to be the Clarion Call, clear teaching of the Scriptures. They are not his own ideas. He has been entrusted with a message that did not originate with him. As Calvin said, “They hand over to men from hand to hand, as we say, not what suits their own tastes, but what the Lord has committed to their charge.” Every teacher of the Word of God is simply a steward, and the responsibility by which he will be judged, is stated in v.2. What does God require?...
What is required by God? ...v.2
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be ...found faithful.” Faithfulness to God & His Word is what God requires. As one commentator said,”What is required of ministers is neither brilliancy, nor eloquence, nor profound knowledge, nor success, but only fidelity.” God doesn't care about a huge following, or a TV show or that he author many books, or that he is well loved by everybody. In fact, the Word implies that if all the world looks on him with favor that can be a sign that he is not being faithful. James writes, in Jas_4:4 “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” God wants a faithful man to teach Christians, Christians who will pass on the Truth! Paul told Timothy, “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2Ti 2:2 Paul was a great example of a man who feared God rather than men. He doesn't seem to be phased by...
A. The World's Assessment ...v.3a
“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human 'court' [literally human day]. He's saying this in contrast to the Lord’s Day which he referred to in 1Co 3:13 that each laborer's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” So, what man can judge another man's conscience or his labor in the Lord or the secret motives of the heart? When referring to the gray areas that Christians often disagree on, such as when discussing food and feasts, or diet and days Paul rebuked the church in Rome, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” Rom 14:4 The faithful steward has no reason to be concerned by the opinions of others if his master is satisfied. There are many people who are criticized by other Christians, but if they are faithful to the stewardship committed to them, then their master’s approval is what towers over all else and of little or no consequence is the blame or the praise, for that matter, of others.
Now, the Corinthians were comparing Paul with other leaders. They were comparing him with Apollos, and they were comparing him with Peter. We know that Paul in 2 Cor. acknowledges the fact that he had the reputation of not being much of a public speaker. They said, his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." So people did say lots of things about the Apostle Paul. But, of what significance is that in the light of the fact that one day he would stand before the Lord God in judgment. And that is Paul's ultimate point with his ultimate Master on that ultimate day. Its not that Paul doesn't recognize; any sort of human tribunal, in this Corinthian Church. But, he knows that ultimately, he will not answer to them as his final arbiters or judges. The Lord will be His judge, as to whether or not he was faithful to His Call. His greatest desire is to hear Christ say on that day, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of Your Lord!” Matt 25:21
B. The Apostle's assessment ...vs.3b-4a
“ In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted.” Paul was careful not to spend too much time focusing on a self evaluation of his ministry. He was aware that it is all too easy to fall into the trap of spiritual introspection. How many times have I fallen into this trap? Before I know it, I am trying to rank myself, & compare myself to other Christians or Pastors. Instead of focusing on myself, I need to focus my attention on the Lord. This doesn't mean that I ignore the presence of sin in my life. Paul makes this clear when he says, "I am conscious of nothing against myself "v.4. He had looked for sin in his life, and was not aware of any serious deficiency. He had removed the plank out of his own eyes before looking for specks in the eyes of others. He had checked out his own life and could see no major problems. And yet, he knows that this is not necessarily a flawless evaluation. In his 2nd letter to this church, he reminded them of the futility of self assessment, and in particular, self approval,“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved” writes Paul in 2Co 10:18,”but the one whom the Lord commends.” Paul, knowing his limitations, cannot rest in his own evaluation of his conscience & ministry. There is only one way that his work can be accurately evaluated. It is by...
C. The Lord's Assessment ...v.4b-5
“It is the Lord who judges me” he says, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time...before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” The apostle did, as his Lord and Savior had done before him, who, “when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten”, and conscious of his own innocence and integrity,“continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” 1Pe 2:23 God’s assessment is the only one that really matters. He is the only one that sees everything necessary to make a proper judgment. Your perspective concerning your own life is very limited. What effect your life has had on others is often impossible to evaluate. And you cannot see where your life is headed. But God sees your life in a single glance. He can see the entire scope of who you are. “There is nothing that is hidden from His sight. Everything is laid bare to Him whom we must give account.” Heb 4:13 Even your most secret thoughts and motives are an open book to Him. So, since God, who sees the end from the beginning, is Paul's final judge, then no finite human tribunal could properly assess Paul's ministry, which was still in process.
The reason he tells them not to go on passing judgment is evidently because they WERE passing judgment, and especially on him! If you read through these 2 letters you will get a strong sense that many of these immature believers, especially those of the Apollos and Peter parties, were, in fact, scorning Paul, thumbing their Greek noses at him. The Corinthians were trying to hold their own judgment seat ...their own Bema seat. But it was not yet time to do so. There will be a judgment, but it has not yet come. Paul warns against jumping the gun.
There is a serious message for us here. We ought not to try to pass judgment upon the motives of our Christian leaders. There are websites, set up by people who specialize in being so called, watchmen on the wall. They look for a demon under every rock! Now, don't get me wrong. I believe it is important to keep the wolves from devouring the sheep. But, just because some of the more effective teachers have associated with some of the more questionable ones, and have not called them out on the carpet, because they are not dotting every ideological 'i', or crossing every theological 't', doesn't mean that their many years of God Glorifying Ministry have been worthless!
“Therefore, judge nothing before the time.” Can that include what I say about any of my brothers or sisters in Christ? Yes. Can it include things that I have said in the past about other Christians or can it include those things that I might say in the future about my fellow Christians? Yes, Yes, & yes, it includes all these judgments. Why should I not judge before the time? Well, for the simple reason that my present ability to judge is partial, it’s premature, it’s powerless, its poor, and frankly, its pitiful! Paul's point is that, we have no basis upon which to judge Spirit Led Pastors or any Christians, for that matter. We cannot see the whole picture. We have not been appointed as their judge. Does this mean that we ought to ignore their sin or their false doctrine? No, God forbid, I don't think so! Rather, I think that it means I must realize that I do not have the full picture and that my judgment is going to be limited. It means that I cannot judge those things that are hidden. It means I cannot judge someone’s motives. Only the Lord can do that. And He will do just that, when He returns in a flame of fire to judge the Living & the Dead.
There is coming a day when all will be brought to light. The judgment of God will be a complete judgment. Nothing will be left out. Nothing will remain hidden. Are you ready to meet that judgment? You might be able to fool me about your spiritual condition. You might learn all of the right things to say so that you sound very spiritual. You can fool me, and perhaps, fool the rest of the church, & you might even manage to fool yourself. But you will never fool God. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." Jer 17:9-10
So, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Gal 6:7-9.
Yet, look at Paul's final words in v.5, after describing how no one should render judgment before the time “Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” The Greek text says more emphatically,” And at that time ...praise shall come to each ...from the Lord. Praise shall come to each from the Lord!” So, in spite of all the purposes of my heart that are contrary to his will, in spite of all the hidden things that are revealed, the Lord’s going to show forth praise to you who are desiring to please your Head ...to you who have been given a trust it is said ...to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled. Be encouraged that God will dance and rejoice over you if you are faithful to Him!
Paul has been trying to show them that they should not rely of their natural human abilities, all of which adds to God's Revelation. It is unwise to add to what God has already revealed. Pro 30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” So, in v.6 Paul focuses them on...
The Promotion of the Scriptures ...v.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, so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.” In the first 3 chapters, Paul quoted the O.T. No less than 6 times, and in each instance it had to do with the foolishness of man vs. the wisdom of God.
Listen to them:
1Co 1:19-20 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1Co 1:31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
1Co 2:9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"--
1Co 2:16 "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?"
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
1Co 3:20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
So, Paul is telling them, don't rely on human judgment or wisdom, and don't elevate your opinion above God's revelation.
Closing
I must constantly remind myself of the fact, that if I please Him it doesn't matter who I displease. And if I displease Him, then, it doesn't matter who, on earth, I please. In some respect, that is also true of you. Your life must be lived so as to primarily please God & not people. Man will not be your final judge. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2Co 5:10 So, all I can tell you is that the way you use your resources may serve as a trail to show you what you’re worshiping. If your resources in life are, fundamentally, being spent on you, then it is very likely that you are worshiping you. But if basic bent of your life, and the use of your resources is for the service of the glory of God, then that may be an indicator that Christ has the preeminence.
Examine your motives. Are they contrary to the Word of God? Examine your conversation. Does it have anything remotely to do with the Kingdom of God? Right now counts forever. Choose well how you spend the time for the days are still evil. Paul was a Faithful Steward. So, was Apollos. So was Peter! Yet, who is the Ultimate Faithful Steward? Jesus Christ! And despite the fact that it has been nearly 2000 years since these promises of His Return were made, He will be faithful to return, to judge this world & His Church. “ And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.” Rev 2:23
Will you be ready when He returns. You will be if you are a faithful steward. Lets pray!