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As stewards we must be faithful
1 Let a man consider us like this: as Christ's subordinates and stewards of God's mysteries.* What does a steward of God's mysteries do? He explains them to others. The function of a teacher is similar. 2 Moreover, what is required of stewards is that each be found faithful.† By the owner; see the last clause of verse 4, below. 3 So to me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court; in fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, although I am not justified by this; it is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and expose the motives of the hearts.‡ Part of judging correctly is knowing why the accused did it. Since ‘knowing the motives of the hearts’ is generally beyond us [even our own at times], we had better leave the judging up to the Judge. At that time the praise that comes to each will be from God.§ I was brought up on the AV that says: “then shall every man have praise of God”, which led me to believe that everyone would get some praise. However, I believe the Text says something different, as indicated in my rendering. Paul is not affirming that all will get praise (of what use is ‘praise’ to someone in the Lake of fire?), but that the Judge will distribute whatever praise is merited.
No room for boasting
6 I have illustrated these things using myself and Apollos, brothers, for your sakes, so that you may learn from us not to think beyond what is written,* Written where? By whom? I suppose the reference is to principles in the Scriptures. that no one of you be puffed up in favor of the one against the other. 7 Now who is distinguishing you? Or what do you have that you did not receive?† Here is the fundamental recipe against boasting. None of us chose who our parents would be, where we would be born, what language would be our native tongue. But these circumstances dictate the opportunities that a person will have, quite apart from talents and abilities. Things that were given to us do not form a proper basis for boasting. So if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 8 You are already stuffed! You are already rich! You have become ‘kings’ without us! I could wish that you really did reign, so that we might be kings with you too!‡ Presumably a bit of sarcasm.
The cost of being an apostle
9 For I keep thinking that God has displayed us, the apostles, at the end of the line, like men sentenced to death;§ The reference seems to be to a returning Roman commander's victory march, where some of the conquered enemy soldiers would be displayed at the end of the line, and be executed later. because we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ while you are wise! We are weak but you are strong! You are esteemed, we are despised! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty; we are poorly dressed, brutally treated, and wander homeless; 12 yes, we labor, working with our own hands. Upon being reviled, we bless; upon being persecuted, we endure it; 13 upon being slandered, we exhort. We have been made as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of whatever, to this moment.* Wow, what a ‘job description’! Any applicants? How many of the plague of self-styled ‘apostles’ in our day meet these qualifications? We need to understand what Paul is saying here. To be looked down on and criticized by believers among whom one has labored is one thing. Local people with personal ambition know how to do that. For God to make us “as the refuse of the world” is something very different. How should we understand this? If we insist on proclaiming a ‘gospel’ that the world considers to be stupid, abject foolishness, we will certainly be ridiculed. But if we insist on biblical values that the world has declared to be ‘hate crimes’, we will certainly be hated and persecuted, treated as refuse. The choice of Hebrews 13:13 is upon us: “So then, let us go out to Him, outside the camp, bearing His disgrace.”
Children imitate fathers
14 I am not writing these things to shame you; I am admonishing you as my dear children. 15 Because even if you were to have thousands of tutors in Christ, you would not have many fathers, because I am the one who begot you in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel. 16 Therefore I am urging you, become my imitators.† Our spiritual children will naturally look to us for example. If people imitate us, how badly will they be damaged? 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in Sovereign, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every congregation.
Not in word but in power
18 Now some have been puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who have been puffed up, but the power. 20 Because the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power.‡ Here is a plain statement. On this basis, how many churches and ministries that you know of are part of God's Kingdom? Notice that I did not capitalize ‘word’; the reference is presumably to human speech, not the Sword. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a gentle spirit?

*4:1 What does a steward of God's mysteries do? He explains them to others. The function of a teacher is similar.

†4:2 By the owner; see the last clause of verse 4, below.

‡4:5 Part of judging correctly is knowing why the accused did it. Since ‘knowing the motives of the hearts’ is generally beyond us [even our own at times], we had better leave the judging up to the Judge.

§4:5 I was brought up on the AV that says: “then shall every man have praise of God”, which led me to believe that everyone would get some praise. However, I believe the Text says something different, as indicated in my rendering. Paul is not affirming that all will get praise (of what use is ‘praise’ to someone in the Lake of fire?), but that the Judge will distribute whatever praise is merited.

*4:6 Written where? By whom? I suppose the reference is to principles in the Scriptures.

†4:7 Here is the fundamental recipe against boasting. None of us chose who our parents would be, where we would be born, what language would be our native tongue. But these circumstances dictate the opportunities that a person will have, quite apart from talents and abilities. Things that were given to us do not form a proper basis for boasting.

‡4:8 Presumably a bit of sarcasm.

§4:9 The reference seems to be to a returning Roman commander's victory march, where some of the conquered enemy soldiers would be displayed at the end of the line, and be executed later.

*4:13 Wow, what a ‘job description’! Any applicants? How many of the plague of self-styled ‘apostles’ in our day meet these qualifications? We need to understand what Paul is saying here. To be looked down on and criticized by believers among whom one has labored is one thing. Local people with personal ambition know how to do that. For God to make us “as the refuse of the world” is something very different. How should we understand this? If we insist on proclaiming a ‘gospel’ that the world considers to be stupid, abject foolishness, we will certainly be ridiculed. But if we insist on biblical values that the world has declared to be ‘hate crimes’, we will certainly be hated and persecuted, treated as refuse. The choice of Hebrews 13:13 is upon us: “So then, let us go out to Him, outside the camp, bearing His disgrace.”

†4:16 Our spiritual children will naturally look to us for example. If people imitate us, how badly will they be damaged?

‡4:20 Here is a plain statement. On this basis, how many churches and ministries that you know of are part of God's Kingdom? Notice that I did not capitalize ‘word’; the reference is presumably to human speech, not the Sword.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD