Know-It-Alls, Holier-Than-Thous, and Silk-Stockings

Introduction

Know-it-alls make it their job to judge others’ motives …

I. Humble Servants Focus on Serving and Leave All Judgment to the Lord (vv. 1-5)

After describing the ministry Paul and Apollos have been entrusted with as planting and building, Paul now brings in a third analogy of household management.

A. Genuine Leadership

Paul outlines the two qualities that Christian leaders must possess:

Servant

This word was used to describe slaves who rowed on the lowest part of a ship.

This word denotes someone who served a superior without any say as to the direction or course they were on.

Paul is saying, “I’m the lowest of the low for the sake of Christ and I’m totally cool with it.”

Steward

A steward is someone who has been entrusted with a responsibility and will be held accountable as to how they tend to their responsibility.

In the Bible we see many examples of stewardship:

Joseph - a steward of a large estate

Naboth - a steward of a vineyard

Matthew - a steward of money

All throughout Scripture there are good and bad examples of stewardship, but what they all share is a common theme in that each person is held accountable for the responsibility they have been given.

So what is the responsibility Paul has been given?

The mysteries of God

We have already discussed that “mystery” here has a different connotation than how we use it today.

Mystery simple means that which had not been revealed has now been made known.

The mysteries of God was that God had a plan for salvation that was obscured throughout the ages until it was clearly realized in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In short, it’s the Gospel message.

Paul says, I am a slave to Jesus and I am held accountable in how I proclaim His message.

What is the message of the Gospel?

The message of the Gospel is simple:

Every single person has sinned and severed their relationship with God.

Every single person has the ability to redeem their broken relationship with God.

But a restored relationship with God is found through One Person only, and that is Jesus Christ.

No matter what sins you have sinned, Jesus has already forgiven them on the cross, and you just need to accept the truth of what He has done.

This is why Paul will say later in this letter, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!”

Paul has no say in the responsibility that has been given to him.

Paul only has a say in how he carries out that responsibility.

The one characteristic stewards must possess is trustworthiness or faithfulness.

When you put money in the bank, you are expecting they handle your money in a trustworthy way.

When you cast your vote for a politician who will represent you, you are expecting they govern in a trustworthy way.

When you hire a babysitter, you are expecting they tend to your children in a trustworthy way.

Every one of these is an example of a steward, and the expectation is that they be trustworthy.

B. Accountable to Who?

Paul identifies himself as a slave to Christ and a steward of the Gospel, so the question becomes, who is he accountable to?

The text tells us the Corinthians were examining Paul

The word examine means “to scrutinize” even to the point of “desiring to find fault in.”

Paul says, “Because I am a slave to Christ and a steward of the Gospel, it means very little to me what you think about me.

There is always a danger with putting too much stock in what other people say. It will:

Either lead to personal exaltation

Or lead to personal discouragement

The voices of others can bring encouragement or discouragement, but the voice we listen to above all should be the Holy Spirit.

This is why Paul continues in verse 4 saying, “I’m not even concerned with what I think about myself. I don’t know of any sin in my life, but that doesn’t justify me. The One alone who can examine and justify me is Jesus Christ.”

C. Quit Being a Know-It-All

There are two different kinds of judgment:

Judgment of behavior

Judgment of motives

It is okay to judge other people’s behaviors.

This is what Scripture would call “examining the fruit” in others’ lives. That’s why Jesus says in Matthew 7:16

Matthew 7:16 (NASB95)

16 “You will know them by their fruits.

If I have an affair, I don’t have the ability to say, “Don’t judge me.” That’s a behavior that is clearly wrong and deserves to be judged.

The entire book of 1 Corinthians is an example of Paul rightly judging the behaviors of the Corinthian Christians and pointing out to them that they are acting in un-Christlike ways.

It is not okay to judge other people’s motives.

I will never know what your motives are. You will never know what my motives are.

That’s why Paul continues in verse 5 saying, “So we’ll just wait until Jesus Christ returns and sheds light on the motives of each man’s heart.”

The only One who knows the thoughts and intentions of your heart is Jesus Christ.

Mature Christians don’t walk around acting like know-it-alls thinking they know the motives of every pastor, or worship leader, or small group leader.

Mature Christians don’t walk around acting like know-it-alls thinking they know the motives of their spouse or their children.

Mature Christians don’t walk around acting like know-it-alls thinking they know the motives of their boss or co-workers.

And when we pass judgment on someone else’s motives, how often is it for something that were not even doing?

Mature Christians focus on what it means to be a humble servant:

They focus on how they can better follow the course Jesus Christ has set them on.

They focus on how they can handle the responsibilities they have been given in a trustworthy manner.

They focus on how they can better grow to work in those areas more faithfully.

You don’t know the motives of other people. You don’t know the motives of other Christians. So trust in the fact that one day Jesus Christ will reveal the genuine motives of every person, including you, and strive to better follow Him in every area of your life.

Holier-than-thous consider themselves more spiritual than others …

II. Humble Servants Recognize Everything They Possess is a Gift From God (vv. 6-7)

A. The Key to Avoiding Arrogance

Let God’s Word be your guide.

What Paul is about to say he says he has figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes

In other words, there were some people in the congregation in Corinth that Paul could have called out by name, but he doesn’t so that it may be received as a teaching opportunity from the Holy Spirit.

Why?

So that you may learn to not exceed what is written.

What does that mean?

That’s the Scriptures.

In other words, let the Word of God be your guide.

Don’t add extra standards that the truth of God’s Word does not uphold, and don’t take away standards that the truth of God’s Word articulates.

Paul tells us why this is necessary at the end of verse 6.

Because when we go outside of God’s Word in examining the lives of other’s we become arrogant.

Arrogant people are always making comparisons against someone else.

If you compare yourself to certain people, you might consider yourself better. That’s called pride.

If you compare yourself to other people, you might consider yourself worse. That’s called insecurity.

I heard another pastor say:

Pride and insecurity are just opposite sides of a coin called arrogance.

B. Why Do You Consider Yourself Holier-Than-Thou?

Who do you think you are?

The only Person Christians should be comparing themselves to is Jesus Christ, and when you set yourself against Him, you will find you’re not really anything at all.

Now let me be clear about something.

As Christians, you are something, you are someone, in Christ.

The Bible tells us we are holy. You already are.

The Bible tells us we are righteous. You already are.

The Bible tells us we are adopted as sons and daughters. You already are.

The Bible tells us we coheirs in the victory. You already are.

But we are none of those things without the blood of Jesus Christ.

This point in Paul’s letter is dripping with sarcasm because bad ideas often deserve to be ridiculed.

In a loving way Paul is telling the Corinthian Christians how foolish this way of thinking is.

Notice what he says in verse 7:

What do you have that you have not received?

Everything they have received is a gift!

James 1:17 NASB95

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Well, when it comes to salvation, but when it comes to my job, or my finances, or my house, or my car, etc., I earned it.

This is why I love God’s Word, because how does this book start?

“In the beginning God …”

Everything you have, whether things seen or unseen, you only have because God has given it to you.

So why are you comparing yourself to others?

When we begin to see that everything we have is gift from God, we begin to live out a life of contentment and gratitude, not comparison and arrogance.

Comparison kills Christ’s church. Why? Because comparison is arrogance in the form of pride or insecurity that results from taking our eyes of Jesus and placing them on ourselves.

Silk-stockings avoid pain and scorn those who suffer …

III. Humble Servants Willingly Suffer for the Sake of Others and Patiently Endure for the Sake of Christ (vv. 8-13)

A. High and Mighty

In period dramas, there is often a distinct class system on display for viewers to see.

The worth of an individual was determined by how luxurious and comfortable someone’s lifestyle was.

This is where the phrase “silk-stockings” comes from, a wealthy person, a person from the aristocracy.

People in this class didn’t have much to worry about.

Paul, once again sarcastically, tells the Corinthian Christians, “Hey, you’re acting like Jesus has already returned to begin His reign and you’re reigning along with Him! Did I miss the memo?”

B. How Paul Views Himself

As a slave to Christ:

I’m last, like a man condemned to die in the arena.

When an emperor would conquer a nation, they would return with great fanfare and a parade. They would have all of their generals, and legions, and military equipment up front and at the back would be the captives, shackled and dragged along to be throne into the colosseum to die at the hands of gladiators or beasts.

Paul says, “That’s what I feel like.”

I feel like a spectacle put on display for the whole world to watch.

We are fools vs. You are prudent

We are weak vs. You are strong

You are distinguished vs. We are without honor

We are hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless, and we work hard.

And in response to this life:

When we are reviled, we bless

When we are persecuted, we endure

When we are slandered, we try to conciliate

In conclusion, we are the scum, the refuse of the world.

What’s the problem here?

C. Believing the Lie that Christianity is Meant to Be Comfortable

In America, we struggle with all of these, but we might struggle with this one the most.

In America we are often so comfortable in our walk with Christ that any time there’s a problem, any time there’s suffering, any time there is pain or discomfort, we immediately assume there’s a problem.

If we see someone else going through a tough time, we do our best to avoid it.

We view suffering as this terrible disease that should be avoided, and if it can’t be avoided, maybe we did something wrong or someone else did something wrong.

Now, I just want to be very clear. As we discussed last week, God can and will use suffering to speak into your life when necessary.

But does the existence of suffering automatically mean there’s a problem in your walk with the Lord?

If so, there’s some people in Scripture who would like to have a word:

The prophet Jeremiah

The apostle Paul, the one writing this letter

The disciples

How about Jesus?

John 15:20 NASB95

20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

The problem with thinking that we have everything figured out in our lives is that we stop depending on God.

In the book of Revelation, probably the most well known church of the seven churches is Laodicea.

Jesus says this:

Revelation 3:15–16 NASB95

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

The water in Laodicea was fed by aquaduct. By the time hot water for bathing got to the city, it was lukewarm. By the time cool water for drinking got to the city, it was lukewarm. It wasn’t good for anything and Jesus says, “That’s kinda how I see you.”

Why? He gives us the reason in verse 17.

Revelation 3:17 NASB95

17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

When you go through trials in your life as a Christian, you begin to realize you will suffer for the sake of others and patiently endure for the sake of Christ.

But if you haven’t gone through anything, or you buy into the lie that Christianity is meant to be comfortable, you will do everything you can to avoid pain and look down on those who are experiencing it.

Does this mean we should desire suffering?

Absolutely not!

But when it happens we shouldn’t be surprised or discouraged. Oftentimes the suffering we experience as Christians isn’t because we are doing things wrong but because we are doing everything right.

Isn’t it true that some of the most difficult times in our lives God uses as some of the most formative?

Every person in here can probably think of some or many circumstances and say, “I would have never chosen that.” But when you patiently endured and God brought you out on the other side, you look back with a thankfulness that you can’t explain for how He held you through it all.

I’m sure there are many in here who could tell me myriads of stories of incredible pain that you have endured, pain I couldn’t even begin to understand, and I just want to encourage you, well done, keep going, cling to Jesus.

I’m sure there are many in here who would say they have lived a largely comfortable life. That doesn’t make you any less. My encouragement to you would be don’t ever think you can make it on your own and cling to Jesus.

Conclusion

Here’s the final question: who is on the throne in your life? Are you on the throne, or is Jesus Christ is on the throne? Someone’s on the throne. Is it us as know-it-all, holier-than-thou, silk-stockings?

Or is it Jesus Christ on the throne and we are simply humbly servants who trust Him to bring all things to light, who gratefully recognize everything we have is a gift from Him, and who recognize that walking with Jesus is never easy, but it is always worth it?