1 Corinthians 4

Introduction

Paul winds up his previous argument about the place of God’s servants with, So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollus or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). We possess everything in Christ and are meant to enjoy it. And now he goes on to describe Christian workers and their task in more general terms.

This chapter is an ideal passage for an ordination or induction service. Yet it applies to all of us if we are Christians. There is a sense in which we are all full-time workers. The “priesthood of all believers” – all of us in the body of Christ have gifts for service. He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers…. so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12). As someone once put it, every church has the same number of missionaries as it has members. Every member is a missionary. Therefore, though there is special reference to “full-time workers”, it is applicable to all. In relation to the Godhead, the Christian worker is a servant and steward (given a trust). In relation to the world, he is a fool. In relation to those he has responsibility for in the church, he is a father.

The servant and steward of God

The New Testament writers used no less than six different Greek words for servant, each with different meanings in origin. diakonos (1 Corinthians 3:5) – a waiter at a table. uphpeth (1 Corinthians 4:1) “under-rower” (This is the only time Paul uses this term though Luke uses it a little for Christian workers). In ancient galleys there were three tiers of oars. The uphreths were the lowest tier of oarsmen, the most despised of all. Then the “underling” – someone who serves under someone else. Then one who performs lowly service. So all these words, when used to describe the Christian worker, clearly indicate a very subordinate position to Christ. Committed to lowly obedient service. Centred on God, therefore single-minded, but costly service.

Then the Christian worker is described as a steward, oikonomos (from which we get our word “economy”), someone who is given a trust, the person responsible for an estate or household. The overseer, into whose hands the landowner puts all affairs. He issues supplies, controls the other workers. They are his slaves and he is the master’s slave. Subordinate to the master and accountable to him.

The Christian worker is entrusted with God’s mysteries. What he has learned from God’s hand he must pass on to others. He must give nothing more and nothing less. Needs to be faithful and reliable. His task may be difficult, distasteful, embarrassing, cause resentment, but he must be faithful to the Lord. All Christian workers, whatever their position and power, are servants, subordinate to the Lord, and stewards of what God has entrusted to them, and therefore faithful to Him. C.f. the man who signed himself, in the pastoral letter of the parish magazine, “I am your servant for Jesus’ sake.”

The Christian worker who has been blessed with position and gifts must not throw his weight around or be proud. He has nothing that he did not first receive. There is no place for boasting or pride. Christian work is not an opportunity to boost self and show who is in charge. The worker is subordinate and steward of the Lord. He owes everything to the Lord.

And because the Christian is subordinate and steward, the only opinion and assessment of him that matters is the Lord’s. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself…. It is the Lord who judges me (1 Corinthians 4:3,4). Christ is the only one whose opinion is important. The Christian worker inevitably faces criticism, and will want to react against it. But he would be wise to listen to it. None of us are perfect; we all have a lot to learn, especially from those who have our best interests at heart. Criticism from malicious jealous people we can usually ignore, because it tells us more about the critic than the criticized. Again, it is wise to examine ourselves on occasions without being deeply introspective. Beware of pride or depression.

But in the long run, only the Lord’s opinion does really matter. What does He think? Am I pleasing Him? Remember, He is looking for faithfulness, not success. Only He knows all the facts and the motives, the circumstances and pressures. He knows our hearts and desires. “Man sees the deed, God sees the intention.” This is a comfort when we are unfairly criticized. The Lord is judge, and He is just, fair and all-knowing. Yet this same fact is also a challenge – because He does know all. Our eyes must be firmly fixed on the Lord, His will, His opinion and His glory. Never rush to be swayed by what men think.

We can summarize this first point with a comment made by a minister who did not have an easy time in his church: “I am servant of all, but I have only one master.”

A fool in the opinion of the world

We are fools for Christ (1 Corinthians 4:10). The world does not have a high opinion of Christ’s underlings and stewards. Paul’s assessment of himself is very realistic and down-to-earth. He was so different from the Corinthians who were infatuated with vanity and self-satisfaction. They boasted that they were rich and reigning already. Enjoying banquets and sitting on thrones, full of their own self-importance. Then he describes his own position, and that of the other apostles. They were not full of self-importance and greatness.

He uses the picture of gladiatorial show. Men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole world (1 Corinthians 4:9). On one of the great public holidays in a Greek or Roman city, excited crowds would have packed the arena, and watched all the events until the grand finale – when criminals were thrown to the lions.

Christian work involves not only physical but also mental sufferings. Christians are the object of the pitiless gaze of a ridiculing world. They are written off as fools and weak. Despised, hungry, thirsty, without clothing, without shelter, beaten by men’s fists, labouring with their own hands (how the Greeks despised manual labour as fit for only slaves), reviled and defamed. We have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world (1 Corinthians 4:13). The Greek words periyhma and perikaqarmata literally mean the sweepings and the dust picked up when a house is cleaned, that which goes into the dustbin, down the sink, or into the gutter. This is what the Christian worker is in the world’s opinion. The same description is given later of the lowest criminals who, in Athens, were thrown into the sea to appease the gods when there was plague or famine.

Even in this tolerant country, Christians are treated with utter contempt and as fools. Fancy spending time singing hymns on Sunday when you could be on the beach. Fancy putting up with that treatment. Fancy having to mix with that lot. Fancy being content with that salary when they could be doing well for themselves. Fancy giving up that job and prospects to go and work with the savages of Africa. Though we must not go out of our way to be odd and strange and freakish, we have to be prepared to be written off as fools and idiots. If they scorned the Master, they will do the same to His disciples. If He was despised and rejected of men, so will His servants be.

While this world remains, those who belong to the Lord of glory whom they crucified can expect the same treatment. Sometimes it will be done in polite, but none-the-less unmistakeable, ways. Sometimes in harsher, cruder and more abusive terms, we are made objects of scorn and derision. We are a joke, and treated as dirt. But there are worse things than being a fool for Christ’s sake.

Remember this situation is not out of God’s control; in fact it is God who puts His apostles on display (v9). God’s sovereignty has allowed this. God’s sovereignty is a great stabilizer in the storm. He brings peace and assurance. God has put us in our present circumstances. And we can be convinced that God’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear.

A father to those in the church whom he has led to Christ

You do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the gospel (1 Corinthians 4:15). He has become their father because, through him they had become believers. There is a problem here because elsewhere we read, Do not call anyone on earth ‘Father’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven (Matthew 23:9). But in describing himself as their father, Paul is not meaning that he exercises a father’s authority over the church, so that others are spiritually dependent on him. He is speaking of himself as a father in relationship to them – he brought them to Christ through the ministry of the Word. Here is a picture of intimate affection and love for those to whom he ministers.

There are lessons for all of us who, in various ways, help others in spiritual things. We may have led them to Christ, encouraged them, taught them, given advice, prayed when they were in need. This is not just about preaching and teaching, but it involves ordinary conversation, writing letter, giving practical help. What can we learn from Paul’s attitude? He showed an understanding of the problems and heartbreaks of life. There was the importance of his example to them. Therefore I urge you to imitate me (1 Corinthians 4:16). Not only what he said, but also what he did was important. A godly example is where true spiritual authority comes, and it does not come because of age or experience or education.

Paul was also faithful to them. Some were getting above themselves and puffed up. Paul was prepared to point this out to them. Prepared to rebuke arrogance and immature behaviour. He was not content with mere talk by these people. He wanted to see the power of God at work in their lives. Because he cared for them, he dealt faithfully with them.

So Paul was father to these Corinthians, not in the sense of dominating authority or superiority, but in caring, gentle way, anxious that they should not stumble, loving enough to rebuke. Is this how we treat those who look to us and learn from us?

Conclusion

The Christian worker is a subordinate and steward in relationship to the Lord. He has to be dependent, single-minded. This means being a fool to the world. But God’s opinion is the one that really matters. Then the Christian worker has to be a loving, caring, faithful father to those who look for help in the church. Therefore he must not be concerned with status or office, but with service. Concerned with Christ’s interests, not his own, God’s glory and not his own. He mocks proud mockers, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34).

Is there an area in your life where God is being robbed of His glory? A very important matter for evangelism and service is the areas of the world where God is being robbed of His glory. The ultimate reason why we must let God set things right in our lives whatever is wrong, is for His name and His glory.