Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 4:1-6

An Error in Judgement

 

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court.

In fact, I do not even judge myself.

I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted.

It is the Lord who judges me.

Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favour of one against another.[1]

One of the most popular games played among contemporary Christians is the game of “comparisons.”

In this game, we compare ourselves to one another, almost always winning, because we inevitably view ourselves in a favourable light (except when complaining about the unfairness of life).

One reason we are so avid in playing this game is that we always we win.

No one is as good as I am, at least when I do the judging.

Of course, when you do the judging, no one is quite as good as you are.

For that reason, I consider my judging to be better than your judging.

However, you are probably biased toward your own judging.

Because we write our own rules, we enjoy playing the game; and since we are both the referee and the umpire, we always win.

Among the people of God, a dreadful confusion exists concerning the issue of judging one another.

Many Christians have imbibed deeply at the well of contemporary political philosophy, though many are ignorant of the Word of God.

Modern Christians are adamant that no one can judge their actions, despite repeated instruction in the Word to hold one another accountable.

Consequently, benighted saints become belligerent whenever they suspect that someone questions their actions.

Often, these same saints do not hesitate to pronounce judgement on the service of others, questioning not only their actions but also their motives for service.

The proscription against judging one another does not imply flabby indifference to the moral condition of others nor blind renunciation of a true and serious appraisal of those with whom we share life and worship.

What is unconditionally demanded is that such evaluations must be subject to God’s judgment, which falls on those who are judgemental, so that haughtiness, hardness and blindness to one’s own faults are confessed, and a readiness to forgive and to intercede for the welfare of others is safeguarded.

The emphatic way in which Jesus extended the law of love in this direction has far-reaching consequences.

It means that the Church cannot practice discipline with merciless severity.

It means that Christians cannot take up a hard, contemptuous and supercilious attitude towards those whom it regards as sinners.

It means that Church discipline must make predominant, if not exclusive, use of means that promote edification and pastoral care.

In the text, Paul specifically writes about being judged in a quasi-judicial manner, and perhaps even in a quasi-judicial setting, by members of the Corinthian congregation.

He uses a term that suggests a judicial investigation.

The actions of the people who were intent on investigating Paul betrayed an imperiousness that sought with all its powers to enforce its own experience as a norm on others.

Paul cautions that we must avoid judging motives in service to Christ.

It is one thing to evaluate doctrine, weighing it against the written Word of God.

However, it is another thing when we judge the motives of fellow worshippers as they seek to serve the Lord.

If we attempt to hale them before the court of our own justice, we will discover that we are simply wrong, wrong, wrong.

We are incapable of rendering accurate judgement of motives, or even of judging attitudes.

Caution Against Pronouncing Judgement — I do not even judge myself.

I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted.

Paul was forced to defend his ministry among the Corinthians.

This sad situation arose despite his long service to them.

He was God’s instrument who had brought them to the new birth; he brought the message of life to them.

Soon after the words of our text, the Apostle will refer to himself as their father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel [*1 Corinthians 4:15*].

In this letter, Paul accepts the sorrowful burden of confronting the wickedness of the Corinthian Christians.

He laments that he is unable to address them as spiritual people [*1 Corinthians 3:1*].

Though the Apostle does not question whether they were saved (they were indeed Christians).

They were scrupulous in their religious devotions, but they were nevertheless unspiritual.

Their worship was factitious, they were exclusive in their service to one another, and they were increasingly arrogant.

They were unashamedly sectarian in their worship, and in order to ensure that a church would continue to exist in the city of Corinth, Paul found it necessary to point out their error.

In their exaggerated view of their own self-importance, some Corinthian leaders tried to exalt themselves through demeaning the Apostle.

They depicted him as an embarrassment because he was unpolished and unspectacular in his speech.

They derided his theology as being out of date and lacking in depth; they saw themselves as progressive.

Paul responded with deep humility, both for himself and for his fellow servants of Christ who were being appropriated by those who were dividing the church.

The Corinthians were choosing sides—some claiming to follow Peter, some avowing allegiance to Apollos, and some claiming to adhere to Paul’s teaching.

Instead of dividing one another over preachers, the Corinthians needed to recognise that the servant of Christ is but an “under-rower” and a “household manager.”

Focus briefly on the first verse of the text where Paul speaks of ministers in general, and of Apollos, Peter and himself in particular, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

When Paul refers to servants of Christ, he uses a Greek term that is only rarely translated into English by the word servant or minister.

The word is different from the word that is commonly translated servant or minister.

In *1 Corinthians 3:5*, Paul states that he and Apollos are servants— */diákonoi/*, or transliterating into English, deacons.

However, the word used in our text is the word */huperétas/*, which is often translated officer.

This word originally was used of an “under-rower,” referring to a slave rowing on the lowest level of a trireme, a Roman galley.

At the time of this letter, the word referred to anyone under authority—from a menial household servant to a junior officer in the military.

Throughout the four Gospels, the word refers to the officers of the various guards [e.g.

*Matthew 5:25*; *Mark 14:54, 65*; *John 7:45, 46*].

In another instance, it is used of the attendant who handed the scroll to those reading in the synagogue services [*Luke 4:20*].

John Mark was the assistant to Paul and Silas [*Acts 3:5*].

The word here indicates Paul’s subordinate position to Christ.

Paul does not set policy, but he announces policy as Christ dictates.

Paul does not create doctrine, but he declares truth that Christ reveals.

Quite literally, the word servant, in this text, refers to one who acts under direction of another, asking no questions.

The servant, or minister, does what he is appointed to do without hesitation, reporting to the One who appointed him and who is also over him.

Christians sometimes refer to the pastor as their “minister.”

The pastor is not */your/* “minister”; the pastor is the “servant of Christ.”

Pastors are servants of Christ; they are not servants of the church.

Though they are servants */of/* Christ, they are servants */to/* the churches.

Paul later identifies himself, Peter and Apollos as your servants for Jesus sake [*2 Corinthians 4:5*]; nevertheless, he is careful to distinguish that the preacher is Christ’s minister, appointed by God and answerable to Him for service within the church.

The issue is important precisely because we tend to imagine that we “hire” the pastor.

Consequently, if we “hire” someone, we can fire that one.

This is reflected in the language of evangelicals whenever they seek pastoral leadership.

We often speak of “calling” a pastor, leaving the unfortunate impression that responsibility for securing pastoral leadership rests on us.

I remind you, however, that Christ appoints whom He wills to lead His churches.

The congregations receive those whom Christ appoints.

The Apostle also refers to the preachers as stewards of the mysteries of God.

Steward is a term that is not always understood today.

People might think of a purser on a ship, but the steward was a household manager; or, we might say that the steward is a housekeeper.

Though the steward was a slave, he was appointed over the other slaves to administer the household.

The steward was in charge of administration for the household or the estate.

He controlled the staff and he issued the supplies.

Nevertheless, however extensive his control over the household staff, he was still a slave to the Master of the house or estate.

Perhaps the Holman Christian Standard Bible captures the meaning more accurately by translating the phrase as managers of God’s mysteries.

The church is the household of faith [*Galatians 6:10*] and the servants of Christ are to be the stewards responsible for sharing God’s wealth with the family [*Matthew 13:52*].

According to our text, the servants of Christ are responsible to oversee the mysteries of God.

The servants of Christ—pastors—are not supernatural in their knowledge, but they are responsible to teach the people of God the great truths concerning the Gospel of Christ.

God’s mysteries point to Christ crucified and raised to life [*Colossians 2:2*].

Paul meticulously details his understanding of this mystery in *Colossians 1:24-26*.

I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Though crucified because of our sin, Christ was raised from the dead and he now lives.

He is indeed alive, risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, but He also lives among His holy people.