Notes on 1 Corinthians 4

by Gary W Cavendish, Jesus Is the Bridge

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

The first verse refers back to the last part of Chapter 3, of being Christ's, and having his mind.  To a degree, all of us, as Christians, are ministers of Christ, his representatives and ambassadors wherever we go.  To the extent that we share the Good News of the Gospel with others, we are also stewards, or caretakers, of the mysteries of God.  The greatest mystery of all the ages, God's plan for man's redemption, was revealed in Christ.  In the ancient world, the mysteries of many pagan cults were reserved for initiates, and not shared with the outside world.  God's mysteries, by contrast, are available to all who will receive them, though they remain mysteries to those who refuse to accept Christ.

Faithfulness, Paul says, is a requirement for all stewards put in trust of someone else's property and resources, so much the more for us as stewards of Christ.  Unlike other stewards, though, who insure that the master's property is kept safe for his return, our job is to give away what our Master has entrusted to us.  Our service is all about giving, not keeping.  The increase of God's Kingdom is not measured in material wealth, though that is the figure presented in the parable of the talents, but in the harvest of souls.  If we simply hold our salvation tightly to us, never sharing it with others, we are not worthy of praise, but rebuke.

A preacher or other leader of the church should never make decisions based on popularity, to win the approval of factions like those in the Corinthian church.  The first and only goal should be to please God, and if this ends up displeasing many or all of those in the local congregation, that's a price any leader must be willing to pay as long as his conscience is clear with God.  Even though we may disagree with stands made by our pastor or deacons, so long as those stands are not contrary to God's Word, we must reserve judgment.  They are accountable to God, and he himself will judge them when the time comes, to praise or dishonor.  We should not lift up other Christians to the status of gods, nor should we tear them down.

7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

This passage speaks to the issue of spiritual pride, one of the worst attitudes exhibited by the Corinthian church.  Those with spiritual gifts, or special abilities and talents, thought themselves better than others who were not so blessed.  In their minds, they were the spiritual rulers of the church, and worthy of praise.  The same dangers still lurk for gifted and talented Christians, including those with very successful ministries.  During the last twenty years, especially, the news of fallen Christian superstars with worldwide ministries has abounded in the news.  It has always troubled me when someone gives their own name to a ministry, implying not only ownership but credit.  Any Christian ministry, no matter how large or small, is Christ's, or it is nothing but empty boasting.  No one remembers the names of the leaders of the great church of Corinth, but the name of Paul, who gave his very life in the service of Christ, resounds through all the centuries since he lived and died.  Just as Christ was the suffering servant described in Isaiah, who was faithful in the face of ridicule, cursing, torture and death, so we must be willing to suffer whatever loss or pain, as Paul did, in his service.  In our comfortable existence in this country, that idea seems foreign, a nice topic for discussion but hardly a part of our reality.  Yet, if we can't examine ourselves honestly, and know whether or not we're willing to pay the cost of discipleship, we may well fall short when and if a time of testing does come.  I wonder at myself, when I whine and complain at the small discomforts and inconveniences of my own daily life.

14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

We don't like to listen to warnings, especially those that include criticism.  When we do get them, though, we are likely to give more credence to them if they come from someone we respect, such as a spiritual mentor or counselor.  That's why Paul reminds the Corinthians of his status as the founder of their church, his claim to spiritual authority over them.  We may not have our local church's founder with us often, but our pastor should serve that same role.  One of his offices is to admonish or warn when we fall into spiritual error, whether as individuals or as a body.   Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.  The unsaved have no corner on the market for fools; some Christians would rather leave their local church than receive wise advice from their pastor.  Some in my own church, who had been members there for years, left because they didn't want to hear the truths proclaimed from the pulpit; they left looking for a preacher who would tickle their ears, telling them what they wanted to hear.

A good pastor should be like Timothy was for Paul, to keep us in remembrance of the truths of Christ, which are the same no matter when or where they are taught.  As Paul mentioned earlier in the letter, and reiterates later, mere words, no matter how elegant, do not invoke or promote the Kingdom of God, but the power of the Holy Spirit.  That power can be expressed in love and meekness, but also in divine judgment and rebuke.