Sermon Tone Analysis

{TRANSITION}

The Corinthian Christians were measuring “spiritual success” by worldly standards.

They measured their LEADERS by worldly standards.

(vs.

1-7)

If you’ll remember from the last couple of weeks, one of the big issues that Paul is facing with the Corinthian Christians is their unhealthy appetite for “wisdom” - and not the godly kind.

Remember, they placed their favorite teachers on unhealthy pedestals and believed that the more eloquent speaking, rhetorical and philosophical the preacher, the more “spiritual” or “godly” he or she must be.

Many of them were judging Paul and Apollos by mere human standards.

“I don’t like the way Paul preaches.

I don’t like the way he dresses or the way he looks…or, He’s not as engaging as Apollos…Apollos hasn’t traveled as much as Paul or has been invited to speak at as many churches as Paul so he’s not as spiritual.”

They were showing up to church with their own scorecards - rating each aspect of Paul & Apollos.

One extra-biblical writing from a Christian who saw and heard Paul says this: “He was a bald-headed, bowlegged short man with a big nose, and an unbroken eyebrow that lay across his forehead like a dead caterpillar.”

Paul was pretty honest about his own flaws -

How do we do this today?

We judge the effectiveness or giftedness of pastors/preachers by worldly or human standards, don’t we? Be honest!

Size of Crowd

Scope of Audience

Style

Salary

Substance - is he funny, engaging, catchy?

**As opposed to a guy faithfully serving a church of 45 in the middle of nowhere.**

Paul wasn’t concerned with their judgments - he knew he only answered to God.

What SHOULD you expect?

Servant

Steward of the mysteries - trustworthy

Paul - “I don’t even judge myself!”

This is a struggle for many of us pastors!

(vs.

6-7) - don’t go beyond what is written - worldly standards

STORY OF DR.

DUDUIT

They judged THEMSELVES by worldly standards.

(vs.

8-13)

Paul is being a bit sarcastic with them, here.

Here’s what he’s addressing - These Christians - very pridefully - think they’ve “arrived.”

AGAIN - they placed a high and unhealthy value on “wisdom,” eloquence, rhetoric, philosophy, etc., right?

But, again, it’s misplaced wisdom…there was an ancient saying they lived by - “He who is wise is king.”

They had “teachers” within their local churches feeding them what we call in Greek, “Bull.”

“We’ve arrived!” They’re wealthy, they’re prestigious, they’re blessed…SURELY this means God is pleased and blessing them…SURELY this means we’ve arrived spiritually and all that we have is a result of our eloquent wisdom and high spirituality!

And, not to mention, those poor, pitiful, simple-minded apostles!

You know, the former fishermen that followed Jesus - didn’t have more than a 3rd grade education and now are, as Paul says, considered foolish, they’re homeless, they’re dirt poor, etc. Listen to Paul!

Don’t we do the same things, though?

We like to point our fingers in accusation at the prosperity gospel preachers - Osteen, Creflo, many of our pentecostal brethren.

KINGDOM POWER cannot be measured by worldly standards.

(vs.

14-21)

Paul now goes after the so-called “teachers” that the Corinthians were following who were feeding them this dangerous teaching and leading them astray.

“You have countless guides in Christ but not many fathers…I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Literally - 10,000 (exaggerating) guides - paidagogoi - these were trustworthy slaves charged by members of the upper class with the duty of supervising the life and morals of their boys.

The slave led the child to the schoolhouse and back home and were assigned to the duty of protecting him and keeping him out of trouble.

He was caricatured for his severity as a stern taskmaster.

In pictures on Greek vases, he frequently has a stick in his hand, and in Greek plays he was often portrayed as harsh and stupid.

He was a comic type recognizable by his rod.

One Greek historian says that the paedagogoi actually had little knowledge beyond the alphabet and had convinced themselves that they were knowledgeable.

They would not give those more qualified the opportunity to teach the children they were in charge of but would impose their own stupidity as if they had some kind of authority.

So, you can see here that Paul is taking a shot at these so-called “teachers” and contrasts them - the very ones the Corinthians were buying into - to himself as their spiritual father.

Because paedagogoi’s would come and go…they were only needed when the child was immature…a father is there for good.

Again…back to the wisdom - or foolishness - of the cross vs. the wisdom of man…back in chapter 1…

THIS IS IMPORTANT - DON’T MISS IT - The “foolishness” of the cross doesn’t make sense to the lost BUT UNFORTUNATELY, it doesn’t make sense to many Christians, either.

You see…for many, the cross is simply something Jesus died on so that we can be forgiven and go to heaven and be free…we take it for granted…we make it cheap grace (as Dietrich Bonhoeffer says) - it’s grace that keeps us safe from eternal hell but that we take and say, “thanks” and do what we want with our lives because we don’t have to fear hell anymore.

BUT…true Christianity, biblical Christianity - following Jesus - means taking up your cross daily, dying to self, being crucified daily with Christ, and daily making him the Lord & king of your life.

In this life, we are not called to wear crowns but to bear crosses.

Does this mean we need to go around seeking suffering or denying ourselves of anything material or whatever?

NO!

But the Corinthian Christians had it upside down - a cross for Jesus/a crown for US!

In every heart there is a cross & a throne.

They wanted the glory without the thorns.

They wanted the glory without the cross!

He's saying that they are wrong to think that Jesus died on the cross so that IN THIS AGE they might have fullness, wealth, kingly dignity, worldly wisdom and strength.

The cross is not a mere event in history; it's a way of life!

Take up your cross DAILY, Jesus said!

They weren't taking up their cross daily.

They were taking up their scepter daily.

They were sitting on their throne daily.

They were leaving in the past what belongs in the present, namely, the cross.

And they were trying to bring into the present what belongs in the future, namely, the power and dignity of glorified saints.

And the result was that the cross was being emptied of its power to humble, and the inheritance was being contaminated with pride.

This is so hard for us to grasp in an affluent culture.

PROSPERITY GOSPEL

(vs.

14-21)

Paul is able to say “imitate me” only because he - himself - is imitating Jesus.

Paul can be fully confident in their following him and the gospel he preached because it is only in the cross does Paul find power.

Only in the cross is there the power to save.

Only in the cross is there the power to live.

Paul says in

“You have countless guides in Christ but not many fathers…I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Literally - 10,000 (exaggerating) guides - paidagogoi - these were trustworthy slaves charged by members of the upper class with the duty of supervising the life and morals of their boys.

The slave led the child to the schoolhouse and back home and were assigned to the duty of protecting him and keeping him out of trouble.

He was caricatured for his severity as a stern taskmaster.

In pictures on Greek vases, he frequently has a stick in his hand, and in Greek plays he was often portrayed as harsh and stupid.

He was a comic type recognizable by his rod.

One Greek historian says that the paedagogoi actually had little knowledge beyond the alphabet and had convinced themselves that they were knowledgeable.

They would not give those more qualified the opportunity to teach the children they were in charge of but would impose their own stupidity as if they had some kind of authority.

Paul wanted, more than anything else, NOT to get in the way of the power of God.

When we are living in the flesh, living to self, not crucifying ourselves to the cross, taking up our crosses daily - we are getting in the way of the power of the cross in our lives!

The power of the gospel/cross to forgive, to love, to witness, to heal, to be Jesus to someone, the power of the cross to overcome sin and temptation in our lives, to love our neighbor as ourselves, to love the ones who hate us, who revile us, who oppose the gospel we live.

So, you can see here that Paul is taking a shot at these so-called “teachers” and contrasts them - the very ones the Corinthians were buying into - to himself as their spiritual father.

Because paedagogoi’s would come and go…they were only needed when the child was immature…a father is there for good.

It is natural for children to take after/imitate their fathers....Paul exhorts them to imitate him.

They are to give up their hankering for high status and accept the lowliness that Paul models.

They are to welcome being regarded as fools for Christ, and as weak and dishonored.

They are to return abuse with blessing, slander with conciliation, and to endure persecution.