Faithful Stewards in a World of Judgment

Paul’s warning against personality-centered schisms leads into a proper understanding of the role of spiritual leaders:

1 Corinthians 3:21–23 NASB95

So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

1. We are Stewards, Not Celebrities, vs. 1-5.

v. 1 -This is how Paul says that he and others, like Apollos, are to be regarded:

a. Servants — the Greek word conveys the idea of one who freely acts under the orders of another; they willingly submit to one who has greater authority

b. Stewards — here the Greek word is used of one who is put in charge of a household or estate, for which his work is accountable to the owner.

Paul illustrates the role of a spiritual leader. He is to be in submission to the absolute authority of Christ, and his authority stems from his position as a hand-picked manager of the gospel, accountable to the Lord.

v. 2 - Each one of these servant/steward leaders must be found trustworthy. This is as true for the local leaders as well as Paul, Apollos, and others like them. The local leaders are to be regarded in the same way.

v. 3 - Apparently, some of the Corinthians have turned up their noses at Paul’s manner of ministry. They have passed judgment on his teaching and, therefore, have rejected his apostolic authority as a chosen steward of the gospel.

However, Paul’s ministry was not subject to any human judgment whether it was the church, the world, or even himself. The phrase “human court” is literally “human day”; it is Paul’s intentional contrast with the coming day of the Lord, 1 Cor 3:13

1 Corinthians 3:13 NASB95

each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

v. 4 - Paul is not accountable to men but he is directly accountable to the Lord. So, when Paul says here in verse 4 that, because there is nothing on his conscience, he is not thereby justified, he is actually pointing to the only grounds of justification and the only source of a clear conscience — Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

v. 5 - On this basis then, the church in Corinth is commanded to withhold your own judgment of others’ ministry and to wait until the Lord comes. The Lord “will both bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts.”

What Paul is referring to is the future judgment (bema) seat of Christ, 2 Cor. 5:10

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

After this, then “each man’s praise will come to him from the Lord” — not man!

Therefore, none of us is qualified to sit on the judgment seat. We must forego judging people on what we think we see or hear.

The Lord, however, is more than qualified. He is able because 1) He alone knows the complete story, whereas we can only know bits and pieces, and 2) He has the ability to disclose the motives of the heart — not only what someone says or does, but why they say or do it.

Paul is a servant of Christ, yet still holds a position of authority in relationship to the church in Corinth. Paul will exhort them, as their father in the faith, to imitate him.

Paul has established his right and responsibility to discipline the church as their spiritual father.

2. Sacrificially Serve Following Christ, vs. 6-13.

v. 6 - Paul is figuratively applying the roles of servant and steward to Apollos and himself as an example.

The phrase “to exceed what is written” meaning is difficult to pin down. The context points to those who are exceeding their proper bounds as Christians through arrogance, perhaps boasting in their favorite teachers or bragging about spiritual or physical accomplishment against others.

v. 7 - Paul will respond to their excessive, unbalanced attitudes with three rhetorical questions:

Who regards you as superior? Answer: No one! The church in Corinth is on an equal footing with other churches.

What do you have that you did not receive? Answer: Nothing! Paul brought the gospel to them; Jesus Christ made salvation possible for them; Paul, Apollos and other teachers trained them in Christianity. All they have came from someone else.

Why do you boast as if you had not received it? Answer: You have no basis for boasting or bragging, only for thanking and praising God, James 1:17

James 1:17 NASB95

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.

What foolishness of boasting among people who owe everything to the grace of God!

The Message of 1 Corinthians 6. Kings and Paupers (4:8–13)

At the heart of the boasting at Corinth was the conviction that they were really a very successful, lively, mature and effective church. The Christians were satisfied with their spirituality, their leadership, and the general quality of their life together. They had settled down into the illusion that they had become the best they could be. They thought they had ‘arrived’

v. 8 - With piercing scorn, Paul speaks of the church in Corinth’s supposed superiority. Their attitudes do not reveal them to be servants faithfully carrying out God’s work, but of lavish, fulfilled kings; “already filled,” “already rich,” “you have become kings without us.”

Paul’s statement at the end of verse 8 is speaking of the Christian hope in glory — not now, for first must come suffering for Christ’s sake, the message of the cross, for their is no crown without the cross; there is no ecstasy without agony; no exaltation without humiliation.

v. 9 - Note the difference in those who serve the Lord and the lowly position they are in.

Paul calls himself and other church leaders “men condemned to death” and “a spectacle to the world” before both angels and men.

v. 10 - The world sees Paul and other church leaders as fools, weak, and dishonored. In contrast, the church in Corinth saw themselves as astute, mighty, and illustrious. This is Paul using sarcasm to drive home his point: to follow in the footsteps of Jesus means enduring sufferings.

v. 11-13 - Check out the list of humiliating, debilitating, and potentially crushing sufferings Paul endured as he sought to follow in the footsteps of Jesus:

hunger

thirst

poor clothing

rough treatment

homelessness

toil

revilement

persecution

slander

How were the apostles treated? Like the scum of the earth and the dregs of society.

Paul’s point: Living for Jesus often puts one at odds with society.

Implication: Boastful and selfish attitudes, driven by arrogance and pride have no place in a life that imitates Christ.

3. Spiritual Siblings in The Gospel, vs. 14-17.

v. 14 - Paul then reaffirms his affection for these believers he considers as his spiritual children.

Paul said he did not write these things to shame them. The Greek word translated as “shame” conveys the idea of turning against oneself.

Paul did write to admonish them as his beloved children. The word translated “admonish” conveys the idea of impressing something on the mind.

Paul wrote not to turn the Corinthians against themselves, but to encourage a change of heart. He did not desire them to have a guilt trip, but a call to repentance to straighten out their twisted thinking and to correct their erroneous behavior.

v. 15 - They have enjoyed the blessings of many gifted teachers visiting and ministering to them, but only Paul had a special relationship with them and, therefore, a responsibility for them as the one who first brought the message of the cross to them.

v. 16 - The command to “be imitators of me” is a call to be of the same character as Paul, who is reflecting the character of Christ - humility, self-sacrifice, and an earnestness to fulfill one’s calling in spite of difficulties.

v. 17 - Timothy is coming to them shortly, who will be an authentic, in-the-flesh, hands-on example of a serious disciple of Christ, described as “a faithful child” in the Lord (in ct. to the Corinthians?)

Timothy as a serious disciple is an example, not only of belief but also of lifestyles. He will be an observable example of Paul’s ways in Christ, which Paul consistently teaches in every church.

4. Stewardship in Christ’s Strength, vs. 18-21.

v. 18 - Paul warns that not all, but some hard cases, have become arrogant regarding his coming to them again.

V. 19-20 - Soon Paul will come to them and he will discover the substance behind the superficiality of these arrogant few.

Do these arrogant boasters have any real authority from God? No. But Paul, when he comes, will arrive with apostolic authority and power.

V.21 — Here is their choice:

Will Paul come as a stern, strict father with rod in hand to reprimand his wayward children?

All they have to do is to just continue in their headstrong ways.

Or

Will Paul be welcomed as a gentle, loving father ready to impart some spiritual blessing on his arrival?

The they must repent, turning from their selfish ways, and restore unity in the church through practicing humility.

What will they choose?