Because of the great and profound truth proclaimed at the end of chapter 3, that everything belongs to every believer, Paul turns his instruction to how the Corinthians ought to regard him. Calvin says, “In the beginning of the fourth chapter he points out what is the office of a true apostle. And as it was their corrupt judgment that prevented them from recognizing him as such, putting it aside, he appeals to the day of the Lord.” For application, we can see Paul’s instruction to us as how we ought to regard servants of God, including ourselves. In the second part of this chapter, Paul distinguishes between those who think they are children / servants of God and those who actually are children / servants of God. Let’s take a look.
Apostles of Christ
1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
Because the Corinthian believers have true wisdom (though they aren’t exercising it – as Paul noted in chapter 3), they ought to regard “us” – referring to Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) – as servants of Christ (v1-2), at long as they prove faithful. According to worldly wisdom, certain preachers might be seen in another light, distastefully, as Paul was in fact seen by at least some of the Corinthians. So Paul defends himself and true gospel ministry against accusations made from within the Corinthian congregation. In v3, he notes that he doesn’t care too much what others think of him, and he says, “I do not even judge myself.” In other words, Paul has a clear conscience (v4) regarding his efforts for God; but the clear conscience is not the final verdict of his life. “It is the Lord who judges me,” said Paul (v4). Paul had a right self-esteem.
Because some of the Corinthians had obviously judged Paul in their immaturity, he warns against issuing any kind of judgment too soon (v5). We ought to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, who “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” They were receptive, but guarded, and they tested what was said with what they knew to check motive. Perhaps some of the Corinthians just liked the way Apollos spoke, and so they abandoned Paul and Peter to follow Apollos; they exalted the man over his gift. Others must have been following false teachers who denied Paul’s apostleship, and Paul responds by asking the Corinthians to check the preacher’s motive in light of the fact that God will do just that on the Day of Judgment.
6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! 9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. 10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.
Paul begins this passage by pointing out that he and Apollos walk the walk, not just talk the talk. They humbly serve the Lord, and that humility is obvious, if the Corinthians would make right judgment, like the Bereans did, rather than judge too quickly in their worldly wisdom. It’s meant to humble them, and Paul again gently calls them “brothers.” He reminds them not to go beyond what is written, perhaps speaking of the words of Scripture. Maybe Paul is calling on them to avoid speculation and gossip, and issue judgment based on what they know for sure.
In v7, Paul begins his assault with 3 humbling rhetorical questions (John 3:27-30). The Corinthians were exalting men over God and knowledge over true wisdom in love. And Paul uses irony, or sarcasm or satire, in v8-13 to show the Corinthians how trivial their concerns are and how unfit their judgments are. They have no idea what it takes to be “worthy” or “successful.” Those words are properly defined spiritually – being a fool for Christ, by God’s grace, is what makes one “worthy” and “successful.”
14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
Paul calms down from his shock therapy and returns to play the role of pastor in v14, reminding his audience that his point is not to shame them but to warn them. He wants to cripple their pride and raise their sensitivity to the truth, not make them feel inferior to others. Some of the Corinthians thought they had no need of Paul, since they had Apollos, Peter, and perhaps others – even themselves; but Paul reminds them in v15 that he founded their congregation and has built its foundation. Therefore, they have no reason to attack or disrespect Paul; rather they should imitate him (v16). They may have many teachers, or tutors, but there was only one man who birthed them in their faith, who taught them the truth in the beginning – Paul. How could they refuse to appreciate that? I may learn a whole lot more from certain teachers and preachers that I study, but I’ll never forgot or undermine my father-in-law, who faithfully proclaims the gospel – and did so to me back in February of 1997.
In v17-18, we hear about Timothy’s role here. Timothy had left prior to the writing of this letter, but some accused Paul of lacking the boldness to speak to them in person (2 Corinthians 10:1-2). It’s true that Paul sent Timothy to avoid the ugliness of a “sorrowful” visit, but he’s certainly not afraid to come. It will be up to them regarding when and how the next visit with Paul will go down (v21; 2 Corinthians 13:1-10). Paul knows that there is no power in arrogant talk; the power is in walking the walk. And that’s what the Kingdom of God is about – humbly advancing in love, not stationary for the sake of talk and knowledge. Calvin says, “On his coming, he will openly discover how little account he makes of those empty boastings by which the false apostles endeavored to recommend themselves.”
One commentator sums it up like this: “Here is the supreme test: where is the power? Is it in the mind? Is it in a man’s ability to teach? Paul is saying: ‘No, it’s not just an argument, but it’s an unction. It’s not just in the faith that you espouse, but it is in the force that you experience in a life of holiness.’ …Paul is saying: ‘…The kingdom of God is not just an expression of human thought, but it’s power, it’s the manifestation of the power in Christ’ – isn’t that what he said? The Gospel is found in the power of Christ; the Gospel, as he said already in Romans 1:16, is the power of God unto salvation. When you bring Christ in the fullness of the Spirit of Christ in your soul, and you take the Gospel of Christ in that capacity, you know the power of Christ!”
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.