The Epistle of I CORINTHIANS
(Chapter Four)
1. Let a man
so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries
of God.
Literal: We must be regarded as
Christ's subordinates and as stewards of the mystery of God.
The word 'steward' is
oikonomis which means to take care by using. We must put the mystery of God,
Christ in us, to use in our lives. That is how we take care of it.
2. Moreover
it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Literal: Well then, stewards
are expected to show themselves trustworthy or faithful to God and the
ministry.
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.
Literal: But to me, it is the
smallest matter that I should be judged or examined by you. Why, I do not even
pass judgement on myself.
The word 'judgement' is
the word 'day'. It is now "man's day" which is during the age of the
Church of the Body which is when men do the judging. The Lord's day of
judgement is still future, which is called the "day of the Lord" or
the "Lord's Day." We, the members of the church of the body let the
Word of God do the judging. The "day of Christ" comes in the book of
revelation. That is our hope. That is what keeps us motivated. Remember, if it
were not man's day, a man would not be able to curse God, use His name in vain,
nor live like the devil himself. In this Age of Grace, man is free, but there
is another judgement coming as Revelation indicates.
Revelation 1: 10
-- I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as
of a trumpet,
This is the day in which
the Lord does the judging. No one is going to nail him to a cross, curse him or
mock him for his return will usher in the age of vengeance of our God spoken of
in Isaiah 61.
4. For I know
nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the
Lord.
Literal: Interlinear -- For I
am conscious of nothing in myself; but not by this have I been justified, but he
who examines/judges me is the Lord.
New English Translation --
"...for I have nothing on my conscience; but that
does not mean I stand acquitted. My judge 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.
Literal: Therefore judge
nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts,
and then praise shall be to each from God.
New English Translation --
So pass no premature judgement; wait until the Lord
comes. For He will bring to light what darkness hides, and disclose men's
inward motives; then will be the time for each to receive from God such praise
as he deserves.
You are not to judge
anything but that doesn't mean you should not stay sharp. Christ is coming back
and all your enemies will face God and their darkness will be brought out in
the open. This is the day of vengeance of God and for you.
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.
Literal: Now these things,
brethren, I transferred to myself and to Apollos on account of you that in us
you may learn not to think above what has been written, that no one of you be
inflated with pride as you patronize one and show contempt for another.
Apparently the Corinthians
were starting to respect persons and therefore judge one another. In the
previous verses, Paul is talking about the mystery and how to take care of it,
faithfulness, and not to judge others. Paul is saying that they should learn
from their mistakes. The Corinthians can clearly see, by the example of Paul
and Apollos, the transformation of what is wrong (what they are doing) and
compare it to right doctrine (what Paul and Apollos are doing).
You should be able to
understand the phrase "I have in a figure
transferred . . . . ." which means "to transfer the thought as
to one object to another which is an image of it." Paul and Apollos
were the 'image' of what's right. They were working to transfer the image that
was in their mind from what is wrong doctrine as to what was right doctrine
according to the Word. Paul and Apollos are exhorting the Corinthians not to
think more highly than they ought to think, but to think what the Word says.
That way there is no favoritism, pride, or contempt. By taking sides, they were
respecting persons and looking at personalities instead of focusing on the
Christ in each other.
7. 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?
Literal: New English Translation -- Who makes you, my friend, so important? What do you possess
that was not given you? If then you really received it all as a gift, why take
the credit to yourself?
No believer is more
important than another believer because everything we have is given to us from
God. If it is a gift, how can you take credit for yourself? This verse can help
us to stay humble if understood.
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.
Literal: Interlinear -- Already
satiated (full) you are; already you were enriched; apart from us you reigned;
and I would surely you did reign, that we might reign with you also.
New English Translation --
All of you, no doubt, have everything you desire. You have
come into your fortune already. You have come into your kingdom and left us
out. How I wish you had indeed won your kingdom; then you might share it with
us!
This verse contains the
following four (4) Figures of Speech:
The first figure is Asyndeton
(no ands) where the conclusion of the verse is stressed. Note that there are no
"ands" in the verse but each thought is separated by a comma instead,
leading up to the conclusion.
The second figure is Gradual
Ascent where the discourse ascends up step by step, each with an increase
of emphasis or sense. -- ''Now ye are full, Now
ye are rich, Ye have reigned as kings without us: . . . . .
"
The third figure is Irony
which helps to understand the full meaning of this verse, without which it is
difficult to understand. Irony is "the expression of thought in
a form that naturally conveys its opposite." This is when the speaker
intends to convey a sense contrary to the strict signification of the
words employed not with the intention of concealing the real meaning, BUT FOR
THE PURPOSE OF ADDING GREATER FORCE TO IT. Paul is telling the Corinthians in
the previous verses that they must be faithful and stop judging one another and
having respect of persons. Then all of a sudden, he is telling them they are
rich and are living like kings! To better understand this figure of speech,
here is a modern day example:
Someone you know is
constantly making the same mistake over and over again and they still think
they are doing the right thing. In an attempt to help them, you say: "Boy,
you are great, aren't you? You really know what you are doing, don't you?"
You are expressing your point in this sarcastic manner for the purpose of
adding greater force to it. The truth of the matter is they are not great at
all and don't know what they are doing.
The fourth figure is Concession
(or Admission) which is "making a concession of one point to gain
another." In this verse, Paul concedes the point as to their desire to
reign, but ironically adds, "I would to God ye did reign, that we also
might reign with you." He concedes one point to gain another.
This verse eight (8),
which you may never have given much emphasis to, contains FOUR FIGURES OF
SPEECH which is the markings of the Holy Spirit as to the great importance of
the verse.
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.
Literal: For it seems to me
that God has made us apostles the most abject of mankind. We are like men
condemned to death in the arena, a spectacle to the whole universe -- angels as
well as men.
The center references
states 'spectacle' as being like a 'theatre'.
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.
Literal: We are fools on
account of Christ, but ye are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are
strong; you are honored and glorious but we are without honor.
11. Even unto
this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted,
and have no certain dwellingplace;
Literal: To the present hour we
both hunger and thirst and are scantily clad, and are buffeted (to be struck
with a fist), and wander from place to place without a home.
In this verse, there are
two figures of speech: 1) SYNECDOCHE OR TRANSFER AND 2) RESUMPTION. The first
figure, SYNECDOCHE is "the exchange of one idea for another associated
idea." In the verse 'naked' is being used for being 'scantily clad'.
The second figure,
RESUMPTION, is "the repetition of the same word after a break, or
parenthesis." This is where the words "unto this present
hour" are taken up again at the end of verse 13, "unto this
day."
12. And
labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted,
we suffer it:
Literal: And labor with our own
hands to the point of being weary; railed at and being reviled, we bless (speak
well of, praise); being persecuted, we suffer it.
This is how you defeat your
personal adversary -- by overcoming evil with good. If Satan knows he is
getting under your skin, he will not let up. You must start applying this
principle in your renewed mind if you are ever to be victorious. Thinking good
thoughts or no thoughts at all of people who think evil of you is like putting
water on a fire. I cannot stress enough the importance of this Biblical
principle.
Romans 12: 21 --
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
You can waste years of
your life fighting the enemy by letting him aggravate and agitate you. Develop
of the art of ignoring him by resisting him with God's Word and he will
eventually flee.
James 4: 7 --
Submit [addict] yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you.
Try to think the best of
everything and everyone no matter how people act towards you. And whatever you
do, NEVER SEEK REVENGE!!! It's a trick that will come back to
haunt you for a long time. Revenge is a tool of the devil.
Romans 12: 19 --
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Remember, don't let the
enemy upset you. Think AND DO what the Word says. If your thinking bothers you,
stop thinking about that situation or subject -- control your thinking. Think
about one thing at a time -- that's all your mind can think on. Don't get
sidetracked by trying to learn too many things at one time.
Regarding the phrase,
"being persecuted, we suffer it". The word 'suffer' here means
"to hold one's self upright, bear up, hold out, endure, bear patiently,
have patience with, put up with." THIS IS WHAT GOD EXPECTS YOU TO DO WHEN
YOU ARE PERSECUTED. We must listen to God and having patience, endure, and put
up with it. You must hold yourself upright and hold out knowing that the
blessings will surely follow. You must learn to put up with persecution and
still keep your peace. You MUST avoid all activities and people that tend to
make you negative. While the world says we must force ourselves to do things
that we hate to do, the Word of God teaches the opposite.
13. Been
defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Literal: Even though we are
spoken evil of, we try to help, comfort and exhort: we are treated as the
refuse of the world, and we are treated as the scum or filth of all things
until now (unto this day).
[Remember, this last
phrase "unto this day" is the RESUMPTION of what was said in verse
11 - "unto this present hour."]
When you get the right
opportunity, you must put this principle into operation and try to help,
comfort, and exhort. Aren't we treated like we are worthless at times by
others? If I tell people I teach God's Word, it hardly registers. Most people
couldn't care less about God, but only about themselves. The Word says that all
other previous prophets and disciples suffered the same afflictions so we
should rejoice to be in such company. You stand right there with the apostles
who suffered and endured the same things.
14. I write
not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
Literal: Interlinear -- Not
shaming you do I write these things, but as my beloved children, I admonish
you.
New English Translation --
I am not writing thus to shame you, but to bring you
to reason; for you are my dear children.
'Warn', from the King
James Version, means to put in mind or to admonish which means to counsel
against something; caution; warn. This is an epistle of reproof and Paul
is saying that he is not trying to put anyone down, but he is warning them
about how they will be treated and how to react to that unjust persecution [see
the previous five verses]. So often, words you say are taken as criticism when
they are meant only to admonish, caution and warn. Remember, this epistle is a
reproof epistle and corrects practical error.
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.
Literal: For if you should have
10,000 tutors in Christ, but you have only one father; for in Christ Jesus you
are my offspring, and mine alone, through the preaching of the gospel.
Until we can walk on our
own, we are to imitate leaders who walk with God. We are not to imitate their
faults or shortcomings or take on our leader's idiosyncrasies. We imitate men
and women of God as we see them practicing the truth. We are to imitate
the lives of those whom God has set in His household as leaders and overseers.
They are imitating Christ by walking faithfully on God's Word and therefore we
are all imitating God. In these next three verses, Paul is setting this pattern
of imitation very clearly to the Corinthians.
Paul had fathered them
through the preaching of the Word. If you witness to someone and get them
involved in God's Word then it can be said that you 'fathered' them in the
Word. You are then responsible to God for these people's lives. Although you
can't believe and act for them, you can still set an example for them by your
own walk with God.
16. Wherefore
I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Literal: Therefore, I call you
to my aid, be imitators [mimetes] of me.
Here, we can see that Paul
comes right out and tells us to clearly be an imitator of his walk with God.
Remember from verse 15, that we are to imitate a leader's spiritual walk
with God. At times, a leader can make mistakes and we must be there to help
that leader with reproof and correction from God's Word. I was fortunate to
once have this experience with a leader from my area. This person did not
realize that he was coming to fellowship a few minutes late each week. I sat
down with this great leader and from the Word of God I showed him where he was
making a mistake. I did this with as much love and gentleness as I possibly
could and the results were simply tremendous. The person was a brother in
Christ and he sat there and did not say a word, but listened intently. He then
thanked me for telling him his mistake and he changed his behavior as a result
of what I had spoken to him from God's Word. This was quite a rewarding
experience for both of us and one that I seem to never forget.
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.
Literal: Because I have asked
you to follow my example, I have sent to you Timothy who is faithful in the
Lord and a most trustworthy Christian, who will remind you of my ways in Christ
of which you are to imitate -- ways which I teach in every church.
This is a great example of
how the leadership of believers operated in the first century church. Even
though Paul was a tremendous man of God, at times, he needed someone to help
him. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all need someone to help us
every once in awhile. That help could sometimes simply be a prayer for another
believer, but we all need one another. Timothy was a great leader and Paul
trusted him with the Church at Corinth.
At one time, I was
extremely independent. I would never even ask someone to pray for me. This was
something I had to learn to get over and to change. I do not hesitate to ask
another trustworthy believer to pray for me in certain situations. God
has designed the Body of Christ to function at its highest point when we all
work together. When you find someone who studies God's Word that you can trust
with your whole heart, you should treasure and protect that relationship and be
very thankful for that person. For me, that type of person comes along only
once in a great while.
Many times, a person who
is called by God to teach His Word and to serve fellow-believers spends much of
his or her time alone with God. As the adversary tries his very best to disrupt
this person's ministry, he almost always will work through other people to do
this. This is why many leaders or teachers of God's Word seem to be loners and
keep mainly to themselves. Oftentimes, this is not completely by choice, but it
seems to be the only way that a leader can stay peaceful and concentrate on his
or her work for God. A believer, whether he is a leader or not, must stay
peaceful. Many teachers or ministers of God's Word are under what seems to be
constant attack from the enemy. And as I said before, this enemy almost always
uses people as his tool to be a thorn in the flesh to God's most faithful
ministers of His Word. I spend much time minding my own business and keeping to
myself so that I can continue to be peaceful and to concentrate on teaching the
rightly divided Word of God. That is the most important thing that matters to
me and that should be only thing that matters the most to you. What is this
life to all eternity? Keeping God first is the best life anyway.
18. Now some
are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
Literal: Now there are some
believers whose minds are inflated with pride and self importance and for some
reason, they think that I am not coming to Corinth.
Sometimes, we all think
believers are perfect, but many of us are not. Every Christian usually has some
area in which they can improve and needs to renew their mind to the Word of God
in that area. We need to do our very best to see only the best in our brothers
and sisters and not to look at the shortcomings that we all have. It is very
important to confess what the Word says about our situation and not what the
world or our five senses are trying to tell us. This is such an important point
that I can stress it for a month. Confess what the Word of God says about
your situation, believe it, and God must bring it to pass.
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.
Literal: New English Translation -- I shall come very soon, if the Lord will; and then I shall
take the measure of these self-important people, not by what they say, but by
what power is in them.
20. For the
kingdom of God is not in word,
but in power.
Literal: God's kingdom is not
made manifest only by words, but by inherent power which is capable of
anything.
21. What will
ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit [pneuma] of meekness?
Literal: Then, what is your
choice? Shall I come to you with a rod in my hand or with the love of God in
the renewed mind in manifestation -- with a heart of gentleness?
You may remember from
previous teachings that there are many different usages for the word 'spirit
[pneuma]. In this final verse, the word 'spirit' is referring to the individual
entity or self -- the innermost part of the mind called the heart.
--------------------------------
If you remember anything
about the book of Corinthians, you should understand that this epistle is an
epistle of REPROOF. It is designed to correct the practical error that crept
into the Church at Corinth as a result of not adhering to the basic doctrine
that is taught in the book of Romans. Paul was sent to the Corinthians to make
sure that the believers there got back on track and were practicing right
doctrine instead of error.
----------------------------
At least
for the time being, this will conclude our work in the Epistle of I
Corinthians. We have taken about one
year of research from typed notes using the above pattern of study to
cover the Epistle of James, Colossians, Romans, and the first four Chapters in
I Corinthians.