Princes and Paupers 1 Cor 4:7-13
Introduction
We are journeying through the continuing saga of Paul's Apostolic Rebuke of worldly wisdom, which, like leaven, needed to be cleared from the cupboards of the House of God in Corinth. In the 1st 4 chapters of this 1st letter to them Paul hammers home how incompatible human wisdom is with God's Revelation, a Revelation which finds its pinnacle in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has just reminded them that the great variety of leaders they are dividing over and exalting in, are, in reality, galley slaves, bond servants of Christ, & stewards of the mysteries of God, and so he applies the metaphors of farmers, and builders, and servants, and stewards to Apollos and himself in order to show them that none of them should be puffed up in their favor of one against another. And Paul will use this specific word, 'puffed up' 5 more x in this letter, and in fact, 3 more x in the 10 verses that follow this section. Puffed up is a great word for Paul to use to describe this problem. Yet Good leaders are actually an evidence of God's Amazing ability to bring gifts to unite His People. But these believers saw this as an opportunity for pride. So, as we move through this portion we see Paul getting more forceful in his rebuke. He sets up a contrast between the Haughtiness of these Followers in vs. 7-8 with the Humility of their Founders in vs. 9-13. So, we begin in vs.7-8 with...
I. The Proud Princes ...v.7-8
Paul begins his diatribe with a Spiritual Slap, composed of 3 rhetorical questions in v.7, followed by some Sanctified Sarcasm in v.8 He begins by reminding them that; since their leaders never acted superior to one another, they have no reason to act superior, in reference to their leaders, either.“For who sees anything different in you?”. Why do you discriminate and separate as if you are the new judges presiding over which leaders you will keep, and which you will discard? What right do you have to decide what you deserve? After all, What do you have that you did not receive?” Each of these leaders are a gift from God to you. You don't deserve any of them, let alone all of them! In fact, everything that you have, provision, promises, & prophecy, you have, only because you opened your hand & received it, “If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
What principle is at work in these questions? The principle of grace. It states that everything you have was given to you. You did not earn it. You did not deserve it. Its Grace! God's Riches At Christ's Expense! This truth is designed to bring forth an attitude of humility. A true understanding of grace always results in humility. Can we be Proud to be Humble? What's the Foundation of our understanding of, what Reformers would title: The Doctrines of Grace? The Foundation is laid in man's total inability to help himself. That inability is Physical ...It's Mental ...It's Emotional ...and It's Spiritual! It involves the Totality of our makeup, which is why we call it Total Depravity! It leads us to the dire need of Salvation as a Gift of God's Amazing Grace! There is no room for boasting in the life of a Christian! Everything you have and everything you are was given to you by God. Paul said, “I am what I am by the Grace of God.” 1 Cor 15:10 If you are going to boast, then you can only boast about how great God is. I keep asking myself, "Is there any limit to what you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit."
The truth is that you can take no credit, because you owe everything to the Lord Jesus Christ! The only thing you contribute is your need, because the only thing that is native to you is ...sin. The Early Church Father, Cyprian, said, “We must glory in nothing, because there is nothing that is our own.” This is why Paul asks these rhetorical questions! Think about the 2nd question! What do you have that you did not receive? All of you who are Christians have saving faith, right? Did you always have that faith? Most, if not all of you, would say, “No, I didn't always have it!”. Well, since you didn't always have it then, that means that it came to you at a certain point in time, even if you don't remember the time that it came. Well, where did it come from? When you exercised faith in Christ, did that originate with you? No, because the Bible says that Faith is a gift of God's Grace! Eph 2:8 Even if you would say that you always had it, it is still a gift, because Paul asked “What do you have that you did not receive?” Would you answer that question, as if Paul was looking for an answer? Would you say, “My faith is something I have that I did not receive!” ? Would you really say that? If not, then you can't help but admit that your faith comes from God! He gets the credit; even for your faith! That is your humble beginning and, that is what keeps you humble, as you grow from what you already have towards what you do not yet have! But, in the Corinthian Church, Paul is not dealing with people who recognize their need. Yet, after 5 years of good Gospel teaching they should recognize how they fall short of the Glory of God. So, he has to write to them with...
Sanctified Sarcasm in v.8 and the emphasis in the Greek is on the 1st word, “Already, ...Already you have all you want! Already, ...you have become rich!” They were living in the 'already', but were failing to recognize the 'not yet'! Many of them felt like they had surpassed their founder. They no longer needed him or his counsel! “Without us, ...you have become kings! Royalty! Puffed up Princes! And I could wish that you really did reign, ...so that we might share the rule with you!” Because our lives certainly don't look like we are reigning with you! Instead, we are...
II. The Persecuted Paupers ...vs.9-13
In vs.9-10 Paul says they are a Sentenced Spectacle, & in ...vs.11-13 they are Slandered Sewage.
A. Sentenced Spectacle ...vs.9-10
Now, even though he is rebuking these Corinthians for their sin, notice, who He gives the credit to for these results.“For I think that God has exhibited us, apostles, as last of all, like men sentenced to death”. This phrase, 'exhibited us as last of all', or 'set us out ...last' is another vivid metaphor, a a rich illustration! [In the Roman world, when a conquering general returned victorious from a war, he enjoyed the honor of a triumph. He would be led in a procession, which would make its way through the main thoroughfare, and the general would ride in a fancy chariot pulled by white horses. Behind him would come his soldiers, carrying the riches & wealth of the conquered kingdom. Last of all, at the end of the procession would come the chained captives, and those who would be condemned to death. These would be paraded in chains before the entire city. So, these war captives would become a spectacle to the world, openly suffering the shame of humiliation and condemnation.] Paul says, “That's us! We are at the end of the Procession, the scapegoats!”
This why he says,“we have become a spectacle to the world, ...to angels, and to men.” The word "spectacle" is translated from the Greek word 'theatron', from which we get our English word "theater." We are like condemned gladiators on stage, condemned to death, after being mocked beaten, tortured, we will be torn apart and disposed of! Paul and the other apostles are suffering for the cause of Christ. Their sufferings are open and plain for everyone to see, even the principalities & powers, angels, both good and evil ones, along with all men, believers and unbelievers, Jew & Gentile. Its a Testimony! Its a Witness. Its a Martyrdom! It is a Historical Spiritual Dramatic Testimony. To God & men, its almost like a kind of Sacrament ...a visual illustration of a Spiritual reality! Its a picture of what Servants of God have given to the Lord, in order to, establish a precedent for all believers. As Paul will write in his 2nd letter, “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” 2 Cor 6:4-10
Beautiful in the eyes of God and the Holy Angels. Yet, looked upon by the world in mockery and abuse. That contrast is made very evident in v.10 “We are fools for Christ's sake” then he turns back to them, in contrast, with his sanctified sarcasm,“but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.” Notice, he's back to the same adjectives as he brought up in the 1st chapter, wisdom & foolishness, weak & strong! “You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.” And his language gets stronger as he proceeds. He virtually describes the apostles & himself as...
B. Slandered Sewage ...vs.11-13
“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless.” What would the Modern Prosperity Teachers say to Paul here? “Paul, “We'll have none of this shame it & defame it! You've got to Name it & Claim it? Look at us! We are comfortable in our designer clothes, in our Bentley Continental sports cars, our private jets and our multimillion dollar homes! We are healthy, wealthy, & prosperous, Paul!” No, you are like the Corinthians & the Laodiceans! “Because you say, 'I am rich, and I am made rich, and I have need of nothing, and do not know ...that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Rev 3:17 Do you see just how relevant the Corinthian problem is? It is often taught that, if you are a child of God and are faithful, then God will give you lots of money and will meet every need and everything will go well for you. They teach that, if you are going through hardship, it is because there must be some hidden sin in your life. So, what's Paul's problem? TBN preachers have to ask,'Why is Paul is killing himself, making leather goods and tents for a meager wage? Paul must have been suffering because of some secret sin!' Gag me with the remote, folks, and change the channel!
Look at v.12“we labor, working with our own hands.” Manual labor was seen as sub Corinthian! It was only fit for slaves and lower class people, which is probably why Paul uses the designation, 'galley slaves, under rowers, servants of Christ' 'stewards of God's mysteries'. This is the lot for the servant of Christ. And yet, what should be the response to such treatment? Do not return evil for evil! What does he say? “When reviled ...we bless; when persecuted ...we endure; when slandered ...we entreat!” We cannot react the way the world would. WWJD & WWJS? “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you. For great is your reward in heaven!” Matt 5:11-12,44 “Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Joh 15:20
This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ. He pictures a servant of Christ as one who is all too familiar with such hardships. It is not the throne of nobility. It is the bench of a nobody! It is not the position of a Prince. It is the place of a Pauper. Paul closes this section with the most vivid illustration of all!“We have become, and are still, like the [peri-katharma] the scum of the world”, [Literally, the rinsings around, the cleanings around, the ring around the toilet, like an expiatory offering, like a victim thrown out to sea! We are like “the [peri-psoma] the refuse ...the off-scouring of all things.” The rubbings around. The waste from a clean up job! [Have you ever removed paint from an old table? Well, you put this jelly-like paint/varnish remover on and a few minutes later it absorbs into this jell, and you scrape [the paint, together with the jell] off with a putty knife. Its disgusting and messy, and the remains are wiped off into the garbage. This is the picture I imagine with the word, 'off scouring' or the 'refuse' ...of all things! Now, the Corinthians had no intention of being treated like the scum of the world or the off scouring of all things. And they wouldn't want a leader like that to represent them!”Well, Paul this is why we're not too happy about having you as our leader, because who wants to be led by the scum of the world!”
Do you see what Paul has done? By presenting himself and the other servants of Christ in such a lowly manner, he has exposed the conceit & the boasting and the high-mindedness of the Corinthians. Paul recognized that the root problem of the Corinthians was their pride. This is the root of most spiritual problems. It was seen in man’s fall in the Garden of Eden. It was seen in Cain’s murder of Abel. It was seen in Joseph's brothers selling him into Egyptian slavery. It was seen in Saul’s persecution of David. It was seen in the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus, and it is still seen today. When there is a problem between a husband and a wife, the root problem is usually that of conceit & self-will. When a conflict arises between a parent and a child, the cause of that conflict is almost always because of the high-mindedness of one or both parties. When two Christians come into conflict, it is because one has begun to think himself as more important than the other. Are you in the midst of a conflict with another Christian? Here is the root of your problem. It is a problem of self-will. It is a problem of conceit. It is a problem caused by a lack of servant-hood. You & I have been called to a high calling. It is to be a servant of God. And one of the ways we can know that we are a true servant is how we act when we are treated like one.
Think of what Paul has said up to this point in his letter; “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.1:23 Paul is saying, “My dear Corinthians, Jesus was despised and rejected and crucified, and I ask you, which of us is more like Jesus, you or I?” And “...God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in His presence.” 1Co 1:27-29 “Again I ask, which of us is more like the people God chose? ” “Since the Gospel of Salvation is utter foolishness to the world, which group has a lifestyle which fits in better with that gospel, you & your wealth and security and comfort ...or us, in our rejection and poverty and suffering? You Corinthians boast about being rich & popular and successful and gifted. And you despise us because we're poor and suffering and disregarded. So, which of us is the more authentic Christian?
Closing
In the light of what Paul has been teaching them, what did God think? Were they in a position to pass judgment on Paul? No! In their empty boasting and shallow criticism, were they justified? No! should they have been ashamed? Yes! Who were the ones who were not looking like Christ? The Corinthians. Who were the ones who are not living genuine Christian lives? The Corinthians! Who were the ones who didn't fit in with the foolishness of the gospel? The Corinthians!
I'll Close with these 2 questions for our application:
1. What is Our Problem?- Pride gets in the way! vs.9-10 There is a story of a preacher who was away on a preaching appointment, and his wife and little daughter stayed at the home of a friend. On the bedroom wall, just over the head of the bed in which they slept, there was a picture of the Lord Jesus, which was reflected in the large mirror of the dressing table standing in the bay of the bedroom window. When his little daughter woke on her first morning there, she saw the picture reflected in the mirror while she still lay in bed, and exclaimed, 'Oh, Mummy, I can see Jesus through the mirror!' Then she quickly kneeled up to take a better look, but in so doing brought her own body between the picture and the mirror, so that instead of seeing the picture of Jesus reflected, she now saw herself. So she lay down again, and again she saw the picture of Jesus. She was up and down several times after that, with her eyes fixed on the mirror, Then she said, `Mummy, when I can't see myself, I can see Jesus; but every time I see myself, I don't see Him.' How true it is that when self fills the vision we do not see Jesus!
One scholar said this, “I believe that the 1st test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean, by humility, doubt of his own power, hesitation of speaking his opinions, but a right understanding of the relation of what he can do and say to the rest of the world's doings and sayings. All great men not only know their business, but, usually, know that they know it; they are not only right in their main opinions, but they usually know that they are right in them; only they do not think much of themselves on that account... They have a curious sense of powerlessness, feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them- that they could not do or be anything else than God made them; and they see something Divine and God-made in every man they meet, and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.' which leads me to the 2nd question...
2. What Makes the Difference?- The Gift of God! v.7 Last week I read the parable of the Talents from Mat 25:14-15 in our Call to Worship, and that parable starts off with Christ describing stewardship in the Kingdom of God, and a key point that is often overlooked is found in the phrase, He gave. “To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two.” We don't think about the fact that all that we have, including our faith, is a gift from God! Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”Jas 1:17-18 “What do you have that has not been given to you?”.
How is it that I have not, gone back to my old life, like a dog returning to his own vomit, or a pig who was washed to her wallowing in the mud? Why are there many here in church leadership who have not turned aside and reverted to crooked ways, and denied the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints? Many of you have been walking by faith in Christ for more years than I've been alive. Why do you continue walking with God? Paul would say, “I am what I am by the Grace of God, by the Gift of God! I believe we are a continual miracle of Divine Grace. If the Lord leaves me for a moment, I am undone. Charles Wesley said it well,
“Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.”
Each of us must embrace the admonition, “Take heed lest you fall”, because we are all capable without the Spirit, to fall headlong into the dung hill. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Be as confident as you can in your God, but be distrustful of yourself. You may yet become all that is vile and vicious, unless Sovereign Grace prevents and keeps you to the end.” But remember, if you have been preserved, the crown of your keeping belongs to the Shepherd of Israel, who said of His vineyard “I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone harm it, I keep it night and day” Isa 27:3 Praise God that Jesus Christ “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” When He does you will give all glory to “the King Immortal, Invisible, the only wise God, your Savior”, Who has kept you from the folly of your own way. Won't you give Him that praise & honor & glory now? "Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace."
If the Apostles were paraded as those condemned by the world, why do we think we are better than they? Are we toiling for the Gospel? Are we prepared to suffer for the Gospel? We must repent of our pride, of our thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We must repent of fault finding, divisive attitudes, worldly thinking, worldly behavior. We are Paupers in this world, even though we are Princes in the Kingdom!
Now, I'm a child of the 60's, and its true, that the 60's haven't been good to me. But I remember the show Mission Impossible. In the Intro, every week, Jim Phelps would have his Mission stated, “This mission is real. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, Your mission Jim, should you decide to accept it is...” and the tape would give the mission and the the message would self destruct. Well, each week the Message is real and the Message is the same. If you hear a different message, get concerned. Only the text has been changed, and in this case, not to 'protect the innocent', but to convict the decadent! What's the Message? The Prince became a Pauper, so that we, Paupers, might reign with Him as Princes, when He returns. Live like a Pauper! Crucify your pride! Its an Impossible Mission, but now that you've accepted it, the Prince will help you accomplish the Mission without self destructing! Lets Pray!
Lets pray!
Introduction
We are journeying through the continuing saga of Paul's Apostolic Rebuke of worldly wisdom, which, like leaven, needed to be cleared from the cupboards of the House of God in Corinth. In the 1st 4 chapters of this 1st letter to them Paul hammers home how incompatible human wisdom is with God's Revelation, a Revelation which finds its pinnacle in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has just reminded them that the great variety of leaders they are dividing over and exalting in, are, in reality, galley slaves, bond servants of Christ, & stewards of the mysteries of God, and so he applies the metaphors of farmers, and builders, and servants, and stewards to Apollos and himself in order to show them that none of them should be puffed up in their favor of one against another. And Paul will use this specific word, 'puffed up' 5 more x in this letter, and in fact, 3 more x in the 10 verses that follow this section. Puffed up is a great word for Paul to use to describe this problem. Yet Good leaders are actually an evidence of God's Amazing ability to bring gifts to unite His People. But these believers saw this as an opportunity for pride. So, as we move through this portion we see Paul getting more forceful in his rebuke. He sets up a contrast between the Haughtiness of these Followers in vs. 7-8 with the Humility of their Founders in vs. 9-13. So, we begin in vs.7-8 with...
I. The Proud Princes ...v.7-8
Paul begins his diatribe with a Spiritual Slap, composed of 3 rhetorical questions in v.7, followed by some Sanctified Sarcasm in v.8 He begins by reminding them that; since their leaders never acted superior to one another, they have no reason to act superior, in reference to their leaders, either.“For who sees anything different in you?”. Why do you discriminate and separate as if you are the new judges presiding over which leaders you will keep, and which you will discard? What right do you have to decide what you deserve? After all, What do you have that you did not receive?” Each of these leaders are a gift from God to you. You don't deserve any of them, let alone all of them! In fact, everything that you have, provision, promises, & prophecy, you have, only because you opened your hand & received it, “If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
What principle is at work in these questions? The principle of grace. It states that everything you have was given to you. You did not earn it. You did not deserve it. Its Grace! God's Riches At Christ's Expense! This truth is designed to bring forth an attitude of humility. A true understanding of grace always results in humility. Can we be Proud to be Humble? What's the Foundation of our understanding of, what Reformers would title: The Doctrines of Grace? The Foundation is laid in man's total inability to help himself. That inability is Physical ...It's Mental ...It's Emotional ...and It's Spiritual! It involves the Totality of our makeup, which is why we call it Total Depravity! It leads us to the dire need of Salvation as a Gift of God's Amazing Grace! There is no room for boasting in the life of a Christian! Everything you have and everything you are was given to you by God. Paul said, “I am what I am by the Grace of God.” 1 Cor 15:10 If you are going to boast, then you can only boast about how great God is. I keep asking myself, "Is there any limit to what you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit."
The truth is that you can take no credit, because you owe everything to the Lord Jesus Christ! The only thing you contribute is your need, because the only thing that is native to you is ...sin. The Early Church Father, Cyprian, said, “We must glory in nothing, because there is nothing that is our own.” This is why Paul asks these rhetorical questions! Think about the 2nd question! What do you have that you did not receive? All of you who are Christians have saving faith, right? Did you always have that faith? Most, if not all of you, would say, “No, I didn't always have it!”. Well, since you didn't always have it then, that means that it came to you at a certain point in time, even if you don't remember the time that it came. Well, where did it come from? When you exercised faith in Christ, did that originate with you? No, because the Bible says that Faith is a gift of God's Grace! Eph 2:8 Even if you would say that you always had it, it is still a gift, because Paul asked “What do you have that you did not receive?” Would you answer that question, as if Paul was looking for an answer? Would you say, “My faith is something I have that I did not receive!” ? Would you really say that? If not, then you can't help but admit that your faith comes from God! He gets the credit; even for your faith! That is your humble beginning and, that is what keeps you humble, as you grow from what you already have towards what you do not yet have! But, in the Corinthian Church, Paul is not dealing with people who recognize their need. Yet, after 5 years of good Gospel teaching they should recognize how they fall short of the Glory of God. So, he has to write to them with...
Sanctified Sarcasm in v.8 and the emphasis in the Greek is on the 1st word, “Already, ...Already you have all you want! Already, ...you have become rich!” They were living in the 'already', but were failing to recognize the 'not yet'! Many of them felt like they had surpassed their founder. They no longer needed him or his counsel! “Without us, ...you have become kings! Royalty! Puffed up Princes! And I could wish that you really did reign, ...so that we might share the rule with you!” Because our lives certainly don't look like we are reigning with you! Instead, we are...
II. The Persecuted Paupers ...vs.9-13
In vs.9-10 Paul says they are a Sentenced Spectacle, & in ...vs.11-13 they are Slandered Sewage.
A. Sentenced Spectacle ...vs.9-10
Now, even though he is rebuking these Corinthians for their sin, notice, who He gives the credit to for these results.“For I think that God has exhibited us, apostles, as last of all, like men sentenced to death”. This phrase, 'exhibited us as last of all', or 'set us out ...last' is another vivid metaphor, a a rich illustration! [In the Roman world, when a conquering general returned victorious from a war, he enjoyed the honor of a triumph. He would be led in a procession, which would make its way through the main thoroughfare, and the general would ride in a fancy chariot pulled by white horses. Behind him would come his soldiers, carrying the riches & wealth of the conquered kingdom. Last of all, at the end of the procession would come the chained captives, and those who would be condemned to death. These would be paraded in chains before the entire city. So, these war captives would become a spectacle to the world, openly suffering the shame of humiliation and condemnation.] Paul says, “That's us! We are at the end of the Procession, the scapegoats!”
This why he says,“we have become a spectacle to the world, ...to angels, and to men.” The word "spectacle" is translated from the Greek word 'theatron', from which we get our English word "theater." We are like condemned gladiators on stage, condemned to death, after being mocked beaten, tortured, we will be torn apart and disposed of! Paul and the other apostles are suffering for the cause of Christ. Their sufferings are open and plain for everyone to see, even the principalities & powers, angels, both good and evil ones, along with all men, believers and unbelievers, Jew & Gentile. Its a Testimony! Its a Witness. Its a Martyrdom! It is a Historical Spiritual Dramatic Testimony. To God & men, its almost like a kind of Sacrament ...a visual illustration of a Spiritual reality! Its a picture of what Servants of God have given to the Lord, in order to, establish a precedent for all believers. As Paul will write in his 2nd letter, “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” 2 Cor 6:4-10
Beautiful in the eyes of God and the Holy Angels. Yet, looked upon by the world in mockery and abuse. That contrast is made very evident in v.10 “We are fools for Christ's sake” then he turns back to them, in contrast, with his sanctified sarcasm,“but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.” Notice, he's back to the same adjectives as he brought up in the 1st chapter, wisdom & foolishness, weak & strong! “You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.” And his language gets stronger as he proceeds. He virtually describes the apostles & himself as...
B. Slandered Sewage ...vs.11-13
“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless.” What would the Modern Prosperity Teachers say to Paul here? “Paul, “We'll have none of this shame it & defame it! You've got to Name it & Claim it? Look at us! We are comfortable in our designer clothes, in our Bentley Continental sports cars, our private jets and our multimillion dollar homes! We are healthy, wealthy, & prosperous, Paul!” No, you are like the Corinthians & the Laodiceans! “Because you say, 'I am rich, and I am made rich, and I have need of nothing, and do not know ...that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Rev 3:17 Do you see just how relevant the Corinthian problem is? It is often taught that, if you are a child of God and are faithful, then God will give you lots of money and will meet every need and everything will go well for you. They teach that, if you are going through hardship, it is because there must be some hidden sin in your life. So, what's Paul's problem? TBN preachers have to ask,'Why is Paul is killing himself, making leather goods and tents for a meager wage? Paul must have been suffering because of some secret sin!' Gag me with the remote, folks, and change the channel!
Look at v.12“we labor, working with our own hands.” Manual labor was seen as sub Corinthian! It was only fit for slaves and lower class people, which is probably why Paul uses the designation, 'galley slaves, under rowers, servants of Christ' 'stewards of God's mysteries'. This is the lot for the servant of Christ. And yet, what should be the response to such treatment? Do not return evil for evil! What does he say? “When reviled ...we bless; when persecuted ...we endure; when slandered ...we entreat!” We cannot react the way the world would. WWJD & WWJS? “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you. For great is your reward in heaven!” Matt 5:11-12,44 “Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Joh 15:20
This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ. He pictures a servant of Christ as one who is all too familiar with such hardships. It is not the throne of nobility. It is the bench of a nobody! It is not the position of a Prince. It is the place of a Pauper. Paul closes this section with the most vivid illustration of all!“We have become, and are still, like the [peri-katharma] the scum of the world”, [Literally, the rinsings around, the cleanings around, the ring around the toilet, like an expiatory offering, like a victim thrown out to sea! We are like “the [peri-psoma] the refuse ...the off-scouring of all things.” The rubbings around. The waste from a clean up job! [Have you ever removed paint from an old table? Well, you put this jelly-like paint/varnish remover on and a few minutes later it absorbs into this jell, and you scrape [the paint, together with the jell] off with a putty knife. Its disgusting and messy, and the remains are wiped off into the garbage. This is the picture I imagine with the word, 'off scouring' or the 'refuse' ...of all things! Now, the Corinthians had no intention of being treated like the scum of the world or the off scouring of all things. And they wouldn't want a leader like that to represent them!”Well, Paul this is why we're not too happy about having you as our leader, because who wants to be led by the scum of the world!”
Do you see what Paul has done? By presenting himself and the other servants of Christ in such a lowly manner, he has exposed the conceit & the boasting and the high-mindedness of the Corinthians. Paul recognized that the root problem of the Corinthians was their pride. This is the root of most spiritual problems. It was seen in man’s fall in the Garden of Eden. It was seen in Cain’s murder of Abel. It was seen in Joseph's brothers selling him into Egyptian slavery. It was seen in Saul’s persecution of David. It was seen in the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus, and it is still seen today. When there is a problem between a husband and a wife, the root problem is usually that of conceit & self-will. When a conflict arises between a parent and a child, the cause of that conflict is almost always because of the high-mindedness of one or both parties. When two Christians come into conflict, it is because one has begun to think himself as more important than the other. Are you in the midst of a conflict with another Christian? Here is the root of your problem. It is a problem of self-will. It is a problem of conceit. It is a problem caused by a lack of servant-hood. You & I have been called to a high calling. It is to be a servant of God. And one of the ways we can know that we are a true servant is how we act when we are treated like one.
Think of what Paul has said up to this point in his letter; “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.1:23 Paul is saying, “My dear Corinthians, Jesus was despised and rejected and crucified, and I ask you, which of us is more like Jesus, you or I?” And “...God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in His presence.” 1Co 1:27-29 “Again I ask, which of us is more like the people God chose? ” “Since the Gospel of Salvation is utter foolishness to the world, which group has a lifestyle which fits in better with that gospel, you & your wealth and security and comfort ...or us, in our rejection and poverty and suffering? You Corinthians boast about being rich & popular and successful and gifted. And you despise us because we're poor and suffering and disregarded. So, which of us is the more authentic Christian?
Closing
In the light of what Paul has been teaching them, what did God think? Were they in a position to pass judgment on Paul? No! In their empty boasting and shallow criticism, were they justified? No! should they have been ashamed? Yes! Who were the ones who were not looking like Christ? The Corinthians. Who were the ones who are not living genuine Christian lives? The Corinthians! Who were the ones who didn't fit in with the foolishness of the gospel? The Corinthians!
I'll Close with these 2 questions for our application:
1. What is Our Problem?- Pride gets in the way! vs.9-10 There is a story of a preacher who was away on a preaching appointment, and his wife and little daughter stayed at the home of a friend. On the bedroom wall, just over the head of the bed in which they slept, there was a picture of the Lord Jesus, which was reflected in the large mirror of the dressing table standing in the bay of the bedroom window. When his little daughter woke on her first morning there, she saw the picture reflected in the mirror while she still lay in bed, and exclaimed, 'Oh, Mummy, I can see Jesus through the mirror!' Then she quickly kneeled up to take a better look, but in so doing brought her own body between the picture and the mirror, so that instead of seeing the picture of Jesus reflected, she now saw herself. So she lay down again, and again she saw the picture of Jesus. She was up and down several times after that, with her eyes fixed on the mirror, Then she said, `Mummy, when I can't see myself, I can see Jesus; but every time I see myself, I don't see Him.' How true it is that when self fills the vision we do not see Jesus!
One scholar said this, “I believe that the 1st test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean, by humility, doubt of his own power, hesitation of speaking his opinions, but a right understanding of the relation of what he can do and say to the rest of the world's doings and sayings. All great men not only know their business, but, usually, know that they know it; they are not only right in their main opinions, but they usually know that they are right in them; only they do not think much of themselves on that account... They have a curious sense of powerlessness, feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them- that they could not do or be anything else than God made them; and they see something Divine and God-made in every man they meet, and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.' which leads me to the 2nd question...
2. What Makes the Difference?- The Gift of God! v.7 Last week I read the parable of the Talents from Mat 25:14-15 in our Call to Worship, and that parable starts off with Christ describing stewardship in the Kingdom of God, and a key point that is often overlooked is found in the phrase, He gave. “To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two.” We don't think about the fact that all that we have, including our faith, is a gift from God! Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”Jas 1:17-18 “What do you have that has not been given to you?”.
How is it that I have not, gone back to my old life, like a dog returning to his own vomit, or a pig who was washed to her wallowing in the mud? Why are there many here in church leadership who have not turned aside and reverted to crooked ways, and denied the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints? Many of you have been walking by faith in Christ for more years than I've been alive. Why do you continue walking with God? Paul would say, “I am what I am by the Grace of God, by the Gift of God! I believe we are a continual miracle of Divine Grace. If the Lord leaves me for a moment, I am undone. Charles Wesley said it well,
“Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.”
Each of us must embrace the admonition, “Take heed lest you fall”, because we are all capable without the Spirit, to fall headlong into the dung hill. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Be as confident as you can in your God, but be distrustful of yourself. You may yet become all that is vile and vicious, unless Sovereign Grace prevents and keeps you to the end.” But remember, if you have been preserved, the crown of your keeping belongs to the Shepherd of Israel, who said of His vineyard “I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone harm it, I keep it night and day” Isa 27:3 Praise God that Jesus Christ “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” When He does you will give all glory to “the King Immortal, Invisible, the only wise God, your Savior”, Who has kept you from the folly of your own way. Won't you give Him that praise & honor & glory now? "Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace."
If the Apostles were paraded as those condemned by the world, why do we think we are better than they? Are we toiling for the Gospel? Are we prepared to suffer for the Gospel? We must repent of our pride, of our thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We must repent of fault finding, divisive attitudes, worldly thinking, worldly behavior. We are Paupers in this world, even though we are Princes in the Kingdom!
Now, I'm a child of the 60's, and its true, that the 60's haven't been good to me. But I remember the show Mission Impossible. In the Intro, every week, Jim Phelps would have his Mission stated, “This mission is real. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, Your mission Jim, should you decide to accept it is...” and the tape would give the mission and the the message would self destruct. Well, each week the Message is real and the Message is the same. If you hear a different message, get concerned. Only the text has been changed, and in this case, not to 'protect the innocent', but to convict the decadent! What's the Message? The Prince became a Pauper, so that we, Paupers, might reign with Him as Princes, when He returns. Live like a Pauper! Crucify your pride! Its an Impossible Mission, but now that you've accepted it, the Prince will help you accomplish the Mission without self destructing! Lets Pray!
Lets pray!