1 Corinthians chapter 4

1 Corinthians Chapter 4.

           

Paul and his fellow-ministers were accountable to the Lord and not to men.         4:1-5.

The practical application of these principles to the Corinthians.                             4:6-7.

A glutted triumph distinguished the Corinthians from the

            apostles and their humiliation.                                                                4 :18-13.

Paul was their spiritual father, so had relationship to them that

            was not shared by other teachers.                                                          4:14-21.

           

A true account of the apostolic missionaries:

           

1/ Their responsibility to God.  Their true status as ministers of Christ.  They were stewards of the Mysteries of God.  Their central qualification, and the qualities demanded of stewards were not those that the Corinthians had associated with their party-leaders.  The Lord alone could determine the qualities he required of His servants.  Their final and competent judgement was in that each man that deserves praise shall receive it from God and not from man.  The Divine character of the judgment is underlined.

           

2/  Their Otherworldliness.  The Corinthians were mistaken as to the nature of the service of Christ.  They thought of Christianity in terms of self-sufficiency, ease, luxury and worldly respectability.  Paul underlines the many hardships the service of Christ meant for the apostles.  He is fully aware that the self-satisfaction of the Corinthians was an empty boast. 

           

3/  The Special relationship of Paul to the Corinthians.  Since he had evangelised them, he was their spiritual father and not a mere child-leader.  As their spiritual father, he had the right to admonish, to be imitated, and to discipline when he came to them.

           

Allusions to two features of pagan life.

The group of doomed men who brought up the rear of a Roman Triumph.  4:9.   The offering of human sacrifices to the gods in times of national calamity, when the despised of the land were offered.  4:13.

           

Summary:  The Corinthians (chapters 1-4) misunderstood three things: 

a/ The nature of the Gospel, it was not of human philosophy. 

b/ The nature of the apostolic ministry, the apostles were neither rival leaders nor teachers of worldly wisdom. 

c/ The nature of their own position, their claim to be wise was self-delusion, and they were in no way competent to criticize Paul.