Judge Nothing before the Time

Parkdale Grace Fellowship

Sunday AM, June 1, 2008

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

In chapter four Paul again returns to the issue of the divisions that existed in the church at Corinth. Let’s refresh our memories. Remember what was said back in chapter 1:11-12: “For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” And again in chapter 3:4-7 “For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

But the problem was not simply that the people had their favorite ministries, but at the heart of much of what is being said here is the attitude of many toward Paul himself. These people are not simply for Apollos or Peter; they are outspokenly anti-Paul. They are rejecting both his teaching and his authority, as verses 14-21 among others indicate. (Fee. P. 156) This same problem in the churches today is most evident in denominational divisions or when believers become followers of a particular high profile ministry, buying all of their books and materials but choosing not to associate with others who are not tied in to the same ministry.

How does Paul respond to these divisions in the church and inappropriate loyalties to one ministry over all others? He doesn’t get defensive; he doesn’t cite his credentials and try raising his own status in the eyes of the church. Instead he draws the people’s attention to the fact that they have a distortedly high opinion of all the apostles, Paul included.

Vs. 1

“Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ.” The Greek word that has been translated as servants here is not the word diakonos which Paul usually uses. But on this occasion it is a different word, a more lowly word, a word specially used here to make a point. The Greek word for servant that Paul uses here is a word that described a slave in chains who sat in the lower galleys of a large ship and rowed the boat. It was a word that more generally described those slaves who had the lowest status and performed the most menial service. (Morris, p. 71)

This is in contrast to the puffed up self-exalting illusion many religious leaders have of themselves being somebody great. There are few people Jesus rebuked more harshly than religious leaders who thought highly of themselves and who sought special treatment: Mark 12:38-39 “Then [Jesus] said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts”. In contrast, being faithful to the attitude of Christ, Paul describes himself and the apostles as the lowliest of all menial servants.

Paul does not however have a low view of the work they are called to. Notice that he uses two servant words in verse one to describe the apostles. “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” A steward was also a servant and often a slave, but a steward had a very important responsibility to supervise and manage all the day to day affairs of his master’s entire estate. (Ibid, p. 72) The position of a steward was a position of great privilege and trust and it was a position of authority over all the other servants on the master’s estate.

So Paul is saying of himself and of the other apostles, “We are the lowliest of Christ’s servants but we have been given the most privileged responsibility that a servant could have, we, the least and most undeserving of all slaves, are stewards or managers of the mysteries of God.”

The mysteries of God, as we’ve seen earlier in chapter two, refer to God’s plan of salvation as it relates to the finished work of Jesus on the cross. It is also referred to as the hidden wisdom of God, those spiritual truths which cannot be understood by the natural mind. In short the mysteries of God are the Gospel of God’s grace.

So the apostles are not great men, on the contrary, according to the Spirit of God speaking through Paul, they are the lowliest and most undeserving of men, but they have been graciously given the highest of callings. (cf. 1 Cor. 15:9) This is true of all who are called to be ministers of the Gospel. According to 1 Peter 4:10-11 there is a sense in which all believers have a responsibility to be stewards of the grace of God. Not all are called to be apostles, but all have a calling. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Vs. 2

As stewards of the Gospel of God’s grace the thing that is required of all is that we be found faithful. Stewards of the Gospel are not required to be eloquent, they are not required to be popular or successful, they are not required to be cutting edge or to be creative or innovative, nor are they required to gather a large following. They are required to be faithful to the Gospel. This is illustrated by Paul in 1 Cor. 1:22 “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness”. And again in 2:1-5 1, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

The criterion that the Lord is looking for in His servants is faithfulness. We often misinterpret the word faithful to be a verb, an action word. The word faithful is an adjective modifying the word faith. It describes an attitude and a state of being. But it is a state of being that profoundly influences our actions. To be faithful is to be full of faith, faith in God, trusting in Him, relying on Him, staying close to Him, following Him. This is what God looks for. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) To be faithful is to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil . . .” (Proverbs 3:5-7)

I know of no more valuable principle for successful living than persistent faithfulness. Nothing is more important in ministry than faithfulness (and we are all called to ministry). 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” That’s a nice way of saying remain faithful! Be faithful when it comes naturally and when it’s really tough. Remain faithful when you’re up, and keep trusting when you’re down. Be faithful when you feel like it; be faithful when you don’t feel like it. Be faithful when you’re hot, be faithful when you’re cold. Remain faithful. Never deviate from the path of trustful obedience to the Lord with all of your heart.

Faithfulness involves trusting in and staying true and obedient to God’s word and God’s way, not your own ideas or the creative new and novel methods of the latest best-seller. It must be God’s work done God’s way in God’s strength, even when the other way seems to be better; like a pharmacist is required to administer whatever medicine is prescribed by the doctor, not to substitute supposed “improvements”. (Thiselton, p. 72) So we, as stewards of the Gospel are to be faithful to the Word trusting that the Spirit of God will work through the word of God. Let us not think for a moment that we can add anything to the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit that will make it more effective.

Churches and ministries in North America today place so much emphasis on leadership skill and technique, performance and training that produces tangible results, but very little emphasis is placed on humility, servant-hood and faithfulness. Because after all who wants to be a lowly servant when you can be a dynamic leader? Also, if you wish to be a leader you will be frustrated, for your eyes will be on the people and on their response to you; and very few people wish to be led. But if you aim to be a faithful servant you will rarely ever be frustrated for your eyes will be on your Master . . . unless you seek to receive praise and glory for your service.

Vs. 3-4

The word judge or judged in this passage does not refer to a verdict or final judgment but it refers to the process of examining a person in order to make a final judgment. (Fee, p. 161) The church’s attitude toward Paul had been one of investigating him, examining him with a critical eye, looking for fault; they were judging his every word and action and comparing him with others.

In verses three and four Paul is contrasting his own attitude to that of the Corinthian church. They placed a premium on the opinions and judgments of others but to Paul the judgment of others was a very small thing. It was true that Paul and the apostles were servants to the believers at Corinth, but the believers were not the masters, in verse four Paul makes it clear that God alone was his master and the only opinion and judgment that mattered to Paul was that of his Master. Romans 14:4 “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

When Paul says, “It is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court” he is not making a light or negative statement about our judicial systems. This is a general reference to any human judgment, especially human opinion polls, as opposed to the Lord’s judgment referred to in chapter 3:13, “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” He is saying that the only judgment that counts is the final one.

In fact he does not even judge himself, not because he is irresponsible, but because he knows that our own personal evaluations of our own performance are irrelevant; it is only what our Master thinks that counts. Self evaluation to see how well we are doing is such a common practice these days but the inspired word of God does not encourage such introspection. It is not the responsibility of the servant to make such judgment neither of himself nor of others. He who judges each one of us is the Lord. There is a time and a place for soul searching and examining our heart before the Lord but this is to be done prayerfully with the attitude of Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Most often our judgment of others, like the Corinthians were doing, is to compare one person with another person. But the Bible warns us against this, 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

Look at verse four, “For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this.” Paul had a clear conscience, but even that was irrelevant. It is not a clear conscience or our own passing grade that we may give ourselves that makes us righteous before God. Look at how many people in the world believe that they are good people and deserving of God’s acceptance. It is not what we think of ourselves that matters, but what God thinks of us, that alone is what counts.

And Paul knows that no one is justified by their own works, but that we are justified and made righteous in God’s sight by faith alone. (Cf. Romans 3:20-5:2) This is true of our salvation but it is also just as true of our Christian living. No one’s Christian life will be approved on the basis of their works but on the basis of their faithfulness alone. “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

It is such a liberating way to live when you are set free from performing for the acceptance of others. When you can stop being dictated by or paralyzed by the opinion polls of others you are free to be led by God; you are empowered to follow Christ against the popular stream of human wisdom and instead be governed by the wisdom of God.

Vs. 5

God Himself will judge no man until his life is over so how foolish for us to try. The Lord’s judgment will be perfect because He will reveal the hidden motives and inner thoughts of every one of us. How often do we misinterpret other people? I have done it more often than I care to think about. How often have you been misjudged by others? We very simply do not have the capacity to be able to accurately evaluate or assess the heart of anyone. Therefore we are to judge no one.

Notice the last line of verse 5, “Then each one’s praise will come from God.” We are not to take seriously or receive either the condemnation or the praises of other men. It is not only the critical judgment that is prone to be inaccurate but also the praises that are likely to be undeserved. The only one who can accurately assess us, either positively or negatively is the Lord.