“The Servants of Christ”
Paul returns again to a discussion on the ministers of a church. The first order of business is to restate something he said earlier. The Apostle is very much aware of his ministry to the Gentile world and his overall work on behalf of the Church. Paul never questions his authority and inspiration, so neither should we. In fact, Paul wants to remind us that his role is as a servant of Christ and as a steward of the mysteries of God. An important qualification of these stewards is trustworthiness. A survey of Scripture reveals trustworthiness comes in three aspects: to God, to Church, and to the wider community.
The order of that is very important. If a minister of the Gospel concerns himself with trustworthiness in the wider community before being trustworthy to God, that leads to serious errors. While a good reputation is a requirement for elder, the opinions of a human court never outweigh God’s decrees. This includes the sovereign decree of election. The believer stands before God not under his or her own felt justification, but under the objective justification of Christ the Redeemer. It is in this light that Paul reminds the church to withhold judgment until the appropriate time.
This right understanding of judgment is brought back to the subject at hand, the ministers of the church. Paul, Apollos, and any other minister is never to be esteemed higher or lower than is prescribed in Scripture. This is true not only for ministers but for all Christians because the fact of our salvation is not through any work of our own, but through the full and finished work of Christ. (August 28, 2022)
The order of that is very important. If a minister of the Gospel concerns himself with trustworthiness in the wider community before being trustworthy to God, that leads to serious errors. While a good reputation is a requirement for elder, the opinions of a human court never outweigh God’s decrees. This includes the sovereign decree of election. The believer stands before God not under his or her own felt justification, but under the objective justification of Christ the Redeemer. It is in this light that Paul reminds the church to withhold judgment until the appropriate time.
This right understanding of judgment is brought back to the subject at hand, the ministers of the church. Paul, Apollos, and any other minister is never to be esteemed higher or lower than is prescribed in Scripture. This is true not only for ministers but for all Christians because the fact of our salvation is not through any work of our own, but through the full and finished work of Christ. (August 28, 2022)
“The Power of Shame”
Continuing in his discussion on the role and authority of the Apostles, Paul addresses a particular error of the Corinthian church: the sin of pride. Reading ahead, we learn that Paul’s authority and trustworthiness was brought into question by some of the false teachers in the church in Corinth. He wants to address that matter here by chastising the church. He does so by employing a biting irony to highlight the point of difference between a faithful disciple and a false one.
A series of four ironic statements draw attention to the Church’s penchant for entertaining error rather than mortifying sin. First is the use of false praise where he likens the wealth of the Corinthians to that of royalty, yet the church is actually very impoverished in spiritual matters. Next is mention of a deadly display where he likens the state of the apostle to that of a gladiatorial spectacle. Then he points out misplaced wisdom by admonishing the church for desiring earthly wisdom rather than the foolishness of the cross. Finally, Paul compares himself to the scum of the earth, yet even here we see God’s glory manifest.
Everything Paul has said is to the church’s shame, yet it is not said to shame her but to admonish her. Setting aside all irony, the Apostle likens his relationship to the Corinthians as a father to his children. His love for this congregation is present in a pastoral call for imitation. Imitation of humility, suffering, steadfastness, and hope. We all are just regular folks called by God to submit to Christ and love one another. If Paul can do this, so can we. (September 4, 2022)
A series of four ironic statements draw attention to the Church’s penchant for entertaining error rather than mortifying sin. First is the use of false praise where he likens the wealth of the Corinthians to that of royalty, yet the church is actually very impoverished in spiritual matters. Next is mention of a deadly display where he likens the state of the apostle to that of a gladiatorial spectacle. Then he points out misplaced wisdom by admonishing the church for desiring earthly wisdom rather than the foolishness of the cross. Finally, Paul compares himself to the scum of the earth, yet even here we see God’s glory manifest.
Everything Paul has said is to the church’s shame, yet it is not said to shame her but to admonish her. Setting aside all irony, the Apostle likens his relationship to the Corinthians as a father to his children. His love for this congregation is present in a pastoral call for imitation. Imitation of humility, suffering, steadfastness, and hope. We all are just regular folks called by God to submit to Christ and love one another. If Paul can do this, so can we. (September 4, 2022)
