Verses 1-4 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.
The Apostle Paul continues dealing with the situation in which different ministers of the Gospel are being compared and judged good or not good and then followed by the people in the Corinthian church, and with the criticism he was receiving from these Christians. The Greek word translated as “account” is “logizomai” and it means to reckon, count, compute, calculate, or to determine. The Apostle Paul just wants the people to think of him and of Apollos and Peter as ministers of Jesus Christ and as overseers of the Gospel and of the hidden things of God that are not obvious to the understanding but which are communicated to God’s ministers by the Holy Ghost/Spirit. The believers in Corinth should not be putting him or the other apostles on a pedestal as greatly admired and neither should they be critical of their ministry as it is through their ministry that they have the hope of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus. The only thing the Corinthians should be noticing is whether the apostles have been and are being faithful to the LORD and to his Church, and therefore they should not be judging them for any other reason. And he reminds them that the only One he, Apollos and Peter have to answer to is the LORD and that it is the LORD who will ultimately judge them. The Apostle Paul clearly states that he is not concerned about the Corinthian believers judging him, that he does not have to defend himself because he answers to God and will be judged by God alone. Man’s judgement meant nothing, only God’s judgement was important.
Application: The mysteries of God are those things that are revealed by God to His people. They are not hidden secrets that God is keeping His people from knowing about. How does one learn of these mysteries? Through spending time with the LORD in prayer, Bible study, and contemplation. Keeping one’s thoughts focused on Jesus and reading the Word will allow the Holy Ghost/Spirit to communicate the mysteries of God. One of the mysteries is why would the God of Creation come to Earth and inhabit a body of flesh and die for ungrateful mankind? The unsaved think this fact is mere fiction and that it never happened because it doesn’t make sense to them. Another mystery is the Holy Ghost/Spirit and His purpose and function. The list is endless, but the LORD reveals to His people things that the unsaved are not allowed to understand.
Verse 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.
Believers and church leaders may be seen by others as failing or lacking in some aspect of their lives and/or ministry, but the Apostle Paul reminds the readers of this epistle that the LORD is not done with His people yet. They are all in a process of growth, some more advanced than others, but that at the right time, the LORD will judge His people and their works and that nothing will be hidden. At that time, the righteous will receive praise from God.
Application: There are many verses in Scripture that command believers to not judge. But they have to be taken in context with the verses before and after. Judging can be for good as well as for bad. It is perfectly acceptable to judge the good works of fellow believers so that proper appreciation and thankfulness can be communicated. It is also perfectly acceptable to judge fellow believers’ fruits for being either good or rotten. Why? Because ignoring fellow believers’ rotten fruits does not lead to restoring them to a right relationship with the LORD. Ignoring believers’ rotten fruits helps no one and can cast disparagement on both the LORD and on the Church. Bad fruits are a result of sin and believers need to be gently and properly confronted of their sins so that, hopefully, they will repent and get right with God. When cannot Christian believers judge? When judging is done in a manner of condemnation. Judging and condemning a fellow believer will not help the situation and will not lead to a positive outcome. The one judging will not be in possession of all the facts involved with the situation and cannot know the heart of the believer being judged. Only the LORD Jesus Christ knows all things and has the right and authority to judge people for eternity in Heaven or in Hell. He made all people and therefore He has ownership of all people and can judge them according to His righteousness. At the Judgement at the end of time the people of God will be on hand to see the court hearings that will be held and to see the judgement of the LORD Jesus Christ. Until then, His people are to live righteously and are to work with fellow believers to help them remain faithful to the LORD. There is no place for judgement with condemnation in the Church.
Verse 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.
Application: Mankind tends to elevate specific people above other people. An example is the attitude of supporters towards the royal family in the UK. The “royals” are elevated to a position that they are not worthy of as they sin just like everyone else that does not know and follow Jesus Christ. Movie and rock star worship elevates men and women to positions of idol worship regardless of their drug use, illicit sex, extravagant lifestyles, and blasphemy against the LORD. The Apostle Paul states that thinking or placing men or women above other people is wrong and that no one should be prideful and think of themselves as better than others.
Verses 7-8 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.
Pride has no place in the converted Christian believer’s life. Why? Because everything a believer has is from the LORD and not because of the believer’s intelligence or ability. Life itself is from the LORD. As the Prophet Daniel stated in Daniel 5:23, “. . . and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.” To have pride and consider oneself better than others is to fail to give God glory. The Apostle Paul clearly states that it is God who makes one individual different from all others, it is God who gives material blessings to people, it is God who elevates His children to kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, and it is God who has promised His children will reign with Him in eternity in His Kingdom.
Application: Remember the old saying, “Pride goes before a fall”? Where did it come from? Scripture. The Prophet Isaiah records in Isaiah 14:13-14, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” These words are from Satan who wanted to be God. He was cast out of Heaven because of His pride. Jesus stated, “. . . I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18 Pride will keep a believer from entering into Heaven. This sinful pride is not being pleased with one’s work or performance. This is pride that is composed of the attitude of supremacy over other Christian believers and non-believers alike. Sinful pride will cause the Christian believer to fall from God’s grace.
Verses 9-13 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 dwelling place; 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.
Corinth was a rich city and the people in it were not living in poverty. Therefore it is reasonable to think that the people in the Corinthian church were comfortable in worldly possessions. Here the Apostle Paul points out that he and his follow workers in the ministry do not live in comfort. In fact they are scorned and made fun of, they are considered to be fools doing what they do, they are despised or without honor among most people they encounter, they are without the normal comforts of life, they have no permanent home, they have to work and support themselves as well as work in the ministry, they are abused both physically and verbally, and they are threatened with physical death. Yet they tolerate all of this because of the sake of the Gospel, because of the burden of unsaved souls, and because of their love for the LORD Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul refers to himself and his co-workers as “the offscouring” which is the black stuff that is scrubbed off of a cast iron pan or some other cooking vessel. In other words or in the vernacular of today, he and the other apostles are treated like dirt.
Verses 14-15 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.
The Apostle Paul had every right to make the statements he had made, but his love for the people in the Corinthian church caused him to soften his words by assuring them he was not trying to make them feel bad or ashamed, but he was trying to warn them. They needed to stop listening to others and to just listen to the one who had brought them to the LORD Jesus Christ, which was the Apostle Paul.
Verses 16-17 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.
The Apostle Paul’s life was living proof that he was like Jesus Christ and telling them the truth. Therefore, they needed to follow him and not follow anyone who came along and appealed to their idea of a church leader. No, the Apostle Paul was not handsome, was not tall, was not wealthy, was not necessarily charismatic, but he was the genuine servant of Jesus Christ, called and chosen to take the Gospel to the Gentiles everywhere the Holy Ghost/Spirit took him. To try and enforce his words in this epistle and to try and correct the confusion and wrong thinking in this church, the Apostle Paul was going to send Timothy to reinforce what they had already been taught by him.
Verses 18-21 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? (1 Corinthians 4)
In the meantime, he would plan on coming to them if the LORD allowed him to, and he would demonstrate the power of God so that those people who were prideful and undermining the teaching of the Apostle Paul would be silenced. They had a choice. Correct the sin which was in the church and look forward to the coming of Paul, or fail to correct the sin and see the church discipline he would exercise when he did come to them.