Suffering Servanthood

1 Corinthians 4, 1-21.

So in 2010, I had a chance to be a part of a large missions conference in Cape Town

called the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization,

where 4,000 missionaries from 198 countries attended.

So I was not distinguished enough to get invited to the conference,

so I snuck in as a volunteer.

And most of the volunteers were actually, they're all pastors and missionaries as well.

And one evening at the conference, there was a bit of a stir

because of one Anglican bishop that was there who refused to sit down.

And his reason for not sitting down was that he is a bishop,

but he was given the same chair as everybody else in the conference.

He thought as a bishop, he should have a better seat,

something that reflects his station as a bishop.

At that moment, the volunteer who was attending to him

had the presence of mind to get on his hands and feet and offer to him,

you can sit on me if you want.

And so the bishop was ashamed by his bold confrontation and gesture of humility

and decided that, okay, I'll just sit on the regular chair after all.

Sometimes I think Christians think that now that we are children of the king,

because we are adopted children of the creator of the universe,

that our life should be one of ease and comfort and glory.

Even though we claim to be the follower of a crucified Lord,

instead of the cross, we want a crown.

Instead of faithfulness to God, we seek success in this world.

Instead of serving others, we want to lord it over others.

And instead of glorifying Christ, we like to glorify ourselves.

The Corinthian church was experiencing a similar struggle.

So Paul teaches in this passage that the life and ministry of a Christian

should reflect the suffering servanthood of Jesus Christ.

First, Paul, to that end, offers two examples from his life

and the life of other apostles of suffering servanthood of Christ.

And then he exhorts the Corinthian believers to imitate him.

So that would be my outline.

The first point is in verses 1 to 5, example of servanthood.

Second point in verses 6 to 13, example of suffering.

And the last point in verses 14 to 21 is the exhortation to imitate.

Paul concluded the previous passage by saying in chapter 3, verses 21 to 23,

So let no one boast in men, for all things are yours,

whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future.

All are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

So the church does not belong in any way to Paul or Apollos or Cephas

or any other leader of the church.

Rather, they belong to the church and the church to Christ and Christ to God.

But then after having said this, Paul now sets forth the proper way in which the church,

the Corinthians, can properly perceive of the leaders of the church.

He says this in verse 1.

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

Paul already used the word servant in the preceding chapters to describe himself and Apollos in chapter 3, verse 5.

But the Greek word that's translated here as servant is actually a different word here in chapter 4, verse 1.

It still means servant, but with a different nuance.

So the word that was used earlier in chapter 3 highlights the servant's role as an intermediary between two people, two parties,

as someone who is a minister, who is an agent that represents someone.

But here the word servant in chapter 4, verse 1 means helper or assistant,

and it highlights the accountability of that person to his own master.

So it refers to someone who has been given a duty, has been charged with something.

He is supposed to discharge that duty without any personal prejudice

because he's accountable entirely to his master, his owner, his lord.

And so that meaning is highlighted by the second word that Paul uses also.

It's stewards.

A steward in this cultural context was usually a slave,

a slave that was entrusted by a manager of managing, by the master of managing the household.

So he didn't own anything in the house.

He simply stewarded it.

And he functioned with delegated authority from the master and was accountable to the master.

So again, the same concept of accountability to the master is in view here.

And the mysteries of God that Paul says he's a steward of is the gospel that he mentioned,

chapter 2, verse 7, which he called the secret and hidden wisdom of God.

It refers to God's salvation plan, which was hidden in the previous ages,

but was revealed ultimately once and for all through Jesus Christ.

And he saw himself and the other apostles as stewards of this gospel,

servants accountable to God.

They had to safeguard it, transfer it, and they were subjected to and accountable to Christ in that regard.

And due to this nature of servant and steward, as someone who is under another person's authority,

Paul says in verse 2,

it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

The stewards must be found faithful, which can also be translated trustworthy.

They have to be worthy of their entrustment.

They have to validate the trust that the master has placed on them by faithfully discharging their duties.

And that means it doesn't matter how successful these stewards look to those outside looking in.

What matters is that they are faithful to the master who has entrusted this to them.

And so Paul highlights that it's only the judgment of and the verdict of his master that concerns him in verse 3.

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

This verse confirms our suspicion up to this point that the Corinthian believers have been judging Paul

and have been examining him.

And so they are acting like they're the grand jury

and that ought to determine whether Paul is up to snuff or not.

So Paul tells them,

And notice it's not just their judgment that he's saying is inconsequential.

He says,

So the expression human court in the Greek is literally human day.

And it's similar to the English idiom,

Having one's day in court.

You guys have probably heard of that, right?

So it refers to a day of judgment in the human court.

By using that expression,

Paul is intentionally contrasting this human day

with the day that he mentioned earlier in chapter 3, verses 12 to 13.

He said there that,

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

each one's work will become manifest,

for the day will disclose it.

Because it will be revealed by fire,

and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

So Paul doesn't care about any human day

because his hope is set on the day of God's judgment.

That's why he's able to say,

With me, it is a very small thing

that I should be judged by you or by any human court.

But Paul doesn't stop there.

He goes one step further.

He says,

In fact, I do not even judge myself.

This offers us a revolutionary insight into Paul's humility.

Because when people judge us and criticize us,

our instinct is to respond in one of two ways.

And one way is to make too much of other people's judgments and criticism

and then beat ourselves up.

So we say,

It's all my fault.

I'm stupid and incompetent.

Or we can go the other way.

We discount others' criticisms

and make too much of our own judgments about ourselves.

We say,

There's nothing wrong with me at all.

My critics are unfair and biased,

and they would do far worse than I do under my circumstances.

But Paul says he does neither of these things.

But with me,

it is a very small thing

that I should be judged by you or any human court.

In fact, I do not even judge myself.

He made much of neither other's judgments

nor his own judgment

because he was holding out for God's judgment.

He escapes that vicious cycle of peer judgment and self-judgment

by reserving himself for God's ultimate judgment.

Now, but by this,

Paul's not saying that he doesn't ever examine his own life in ministry.

Of course he does,

and that's what he adds in verse 4.

For I am not aware of anything against myself,

but I am not thereby acquitted.

It is the Lord who judges me.

Paul has examined his life in ministry

and has a clear conscience,

which is a testament to his maturity in the Lord

because I certainly can't say that for myself.

So he's saying that I've examined myself.

He's grown to a point where he actually has a clear conscience

about his life in ministry.

Nevertheless, he insists that that does not mean that he is acquitted

because it's the Lord who judges him.

Paul knows that he is neither objective nor omniscient

when it comes to judging himself and his life in ministry.

So he suspends judgment and waits for the Lord's judgment,

which is perfectly right and just.

And it's standard legal practice if you think about it, right?

So if a judge is personally implicated in a case,

it's standard legal practice for the judge to recuse himself, right?

But when it comes to ourselves, we are often delusional.

We think that we can be an accurate judge of ourselves.

We think that we can fairly and accurately judge our own life in the ministry.

And so I want to ask you this morning,

are you living today in fear of people's judgments?

Do you find yourself often passing judgment on yourself or on others?

Because when you have your day in court,

it doesn't matter whether you have a thousand critics or a thousand supporters.

It doesn't matter that unknown millions of people have judged you

in the court of public opinion.

It doesn't matter how many witnesses you have testifying on your behalf in the stands

because their opinion counts for nothing.

And when you have your day in court,

it doesn't matter how vehemently you protest your own innocence.

It doesn't matter how compelling your own defense is.

Your opinion counts for nothing in court.

What counts is what the judge says.

What counts is his verdict.

So why be so exercised over judgment?

So why, whether it's by others or yourself,

like why, why did we as God's servant have to curry favor with other people,

as other humans, as they were our master?

So then I want to encourage you this morning,

step outside of the court of human opinions and judgments

and entrust yourself completely to the sovereign God

who knows everything, sees everything.

It's his verdict that counts.

He is our master.

He's our judge.

And he is our God.

In this book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes about

what this kind of humility and servanthood would actually look like.

He writes, quote,

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man,

he will be what most people call humble nowadays.

He will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person

who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.

Probably all you will think about him

is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap

who took real interest in what you said to him.

If you do dislike him,

it will be because you feel a little envious

of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily.

He will not be thinking about humility.

He will not be thinking about himself at all.

In Paul's words,

I do not even judge myself.

People who possess true Christian humility like this

live with the sense of freedom and self-forgetfulness.

They are able to rejoice in other successes

without getting envious,

and they enjoy their own successes

without getting puffed up.

They can receive criticisms from others

without being defensive and dismissive on the one hand

or depressed and dejected on the other.

They can offer constructive criticisms to others

with love and humility rather than anger and pride

because they subject all human judgments,

including their own,

to the ultimate judgment of God.

This is what Christian servanthood looks like.

And since Paul is ultimately accountable to Christ

and not to the Corinthians,

Paul warns the Corinthian believers

against judging the servants of Christ.

He says in verse 5,

Therefore,

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.

This is continuing the line of thought

that we saw in chapter 3

where Paul told us that we cannot

in any ultimate, final sense,

judge the quality of our Christian labor

because only the day of judgment

will reveal the true quality of our neighbor.

So following that line of thought,

Paul's arguing here that the Corinthians

are judging and dismissing him,

his teaching as immature in a premature way.

Now, this doesn't mean that we can't judge in any way

or form any kinds of judgments

because just in the immediately next chapter,

Paul speaks of the need for the Corinthian church

to discipline a sexually immoral brother.

Paul writes in chapter 5, verse 12,

Is it not those inside the church

whom you are to judge?

So he says we need to judge.

And in chapter 6, verse 5,

Paul encourages believers to settle disputes

among Christians themselves

instead of suing each other.

So it is necessary for the church

as the body of Christ

to form certain judgments in appropriate times.

But when they do,

they have to render appropriate judgment

according to God's verdict.

It has to be in accordance with God's word,

not their own judgments

as the Corinthians were doing.

The kind of judgment that Paul's forbidding here

is different altogether

because the Corinthians were judging Paul

not by God's standard,

but by the standards of worldly wisdom.

And they were doing so prematurely.

And that's why Paul is saying,

your judgment is inconsequential.

So instead of their divisive boasting

in certain church leaders

and their criticism of Paul,

Paul offers a counter example

of Christ-like servanthood.

That's the first point.

And then having offered the example

of Christ-like servanthood,

Paul also offers in verses 6 to 13

an example of Christ-like suffering.

He says,

the life and ministry of a Christian

should reflect the suffering servanthood of Christ.

In verse 6,

which is a transition from a previous paragraph,

he says this,

Everything that Paul has said

up to this point about servanthood

from chapter 3 verse 5

to chapter 4 verse 5,

Paul's saying that he has applied

to himself and to our polls

for their benefit.

And Paul gives two parallel purposes

for why he did this,

and the two are related,

they explain each other.

So look at the rest of verse 6.

It says,

That you may learn by us

not to go beyond what is written,

that none of you may be puffed up

in favor of one against another.

The first clause says,

That you may learn by us

not to go beyond what is written.

The phrase,

that phrase is preceded

by a definite article in the Greek,

which means,

if you want to translate that literally,

it would read,

it would read,

That you may learn by us

the not beyond what is written.

Right?

That doesn't really make sense

as you think about it.

Right?

So that's the standard way

in which quotations

are introduced in the Greek.

So that's why the NIV,

if you have the NIV translation

in your hand,

in verse 6,

it says it this way.

Now, brothers and sisters,

I have applied these things

to myself and I pose

for your benefit,

so that you may learn from us

the meaning of the saying,

Do not go beyond

what is written.

Right?

So Paul seems to be quoting

a saying,

a maxim here.

And he says,

Not beyond what is written.

It's likely similar

to English idioms

that we use,

such as stick to the script

or stay within the lines

or keep within bounds.

Right?

So he's saying,

the saying means

to keep within the bounds

of something.

But what does Paul mean

by what is written?

The verb write occurs

in its passive perfect form.

It is written

or it has written

ten times

throughout 1 Corinthians.

And every single time,

it precedes

a direct quotation

of scripture.

So I think it's safe

to assume when Paul says,

Do not go beyond

what is written.

He means don't go beyond

what is written

in scripture.

And he cited

several Old Testament

scripture up to this point.

And one that may be

most relevant for this

is Jeremiah 9, 23, 24,

which he cited

in chapter 131.

It says,

Let not the wise man

boast in his wisdom.

Let not the mighty man

boast in his might.

Let not the rich man

boast in his riches.

But let him who boasts

boast in this,

that he understands

and knows me,

that I am the Lord

who practices

steadfast love,

justice,

and righteousness

in the earth.

So these verses

from Jeremiah

will be alluded to

again in this passage,

actually.

So it's possible

that this specific passage

is something that Paul

has in mind

as he's writing this.

He's saying,

Don't go beyond

what is written

in scripture.

Because Corinthians

were boasting in people

instead of in God.

And that would make

good sense of the second

purpose that he gives

in verse 6.

That none of you

may be puffed up

in favor of one

against another.

By not going beyond

what is written,

that's what he means.

That they would not

boast in other people.

Instead boast in God.

And the language

of being puffed up

is so great

because it conjures up

an image of literally

like a bloated belly.

Or someone who is

so prideful

that their head's

just swelling up

like a balloon.

That's the image

that he has.

Puffed up.

And so they're saying

when you say

I follow Paul

or I follow Apollos

and boast in that way

Paul's saying

you're just being puffed up.

You're just full of hot air.

And then in verse 7

Paul gives the reason

why the Corinthians

boasting is out of place

and he writes

For who sees

anything different in you?

What do you have

that you did not receive?

If then you received it

why do you boast

as if you did not receive it?

The Greek word

that is translated here

as see anything different

means to discern

or to distinguish.

And it's a cognate

of the word

that's translated

judge earlier.

So Paul is basically

doing a little word play here

to get back at them

and he's saying

for who

you're pronouncing judgment

on me before my time

but he's saying

but who sees anything

different in you?

Who judges you

any differently?

I'm just a servant

who is stewarding

God's

and entrustment from God

and you are no different

is what Paul is saying.

So if you were to put it

in colloquial English

he's saying

who do you think you are?

I mean that's what he's saying.

I mean don't

why are you judging?

Who judges you

any differently?

Who do you think you are?

And then Paul continues

in the rest of verse 7

What do you have

that you did not receive?

If then you received it

why do you boast

as if you did not receive it?

All that they have

every single one

of their spiritual endowments

they have received

freely from God

in accordance with God's grace

instead of their merit

or deserving.

So if that's the case

then why are they acting

like they earned it

and as if they deserve

some credit for it?

They're acting like

like a child

right?

Who just received

like his brother won

a match

in track and field race

or something like that

and got a gold medal

and he gave it to his younger brother

as a gift

and then he turns around

to his friends

and says

hey look

look at this

and he's like

I know I don't look kind of fast

but I'm pretty fast

right?

I mean it's like

you're boasting

with the gift that you received

as if you earned it yourself

right?

Or like a teenager

that has rich parents

that just bought him

a brand new car

and he drives around

like he owns all the money

in the world

right?

I mean that's

it's vain

it's puffed up

that's what he's saying

why

what do you have

that you didn't receive?

Nothing

so why do you boast

as if you did not receive it?

All the spiritual gifts we have

all the spiritual life

we have in us

every single one of it

is a gift

that highlights

the generosity

of the giver

so why do we make it a ground

for our own boasting?

We're just recipients

of that gift

and the Corinthians believers

possessed many gifts

as we see

in the following chapters

and they saw those gifts

as evidence

of their spiritual arrival

as I mentioned before

and they thought of themselves

as so mature

and so spiritual

that they

were throwing off

of their shoulders

even the authority

of the apostle Paul

and so in a series

of short sentences

Paul offers some examples

of the Corinthians

inappropriate boasting

in verse 8

Already

you have all you want

Already

you have become rich

Without us

you have become kings

and would that

you did reign

so that we might

share the rule with you

The repetition of the word

already highlights

the Corinthians

theological error

According to scripture

the kingdom of God

the reign of God

which refers to

the kingdom of God

refers to the reign of God

the rule of God

is already here

but not yet

and it's already here

but it's not yet consummated

so that's why Jesus says

in John 5 25

Truly truly I say to you

an hour is coming

and is now here

and when the dead

will hear the voice

of the Son of God

those who hear will live

that hour is both

already here on the one hand

but it's still coming

so it's here

but it's not fully consummated

and so with the

it's kind of like

with the life and death

and resurrection

ascension of Jesus Christ

it's as if the hourglass

of the last days

has been turned

and so the sand

is trickling down

and the definite

it's definitely coming

it's imminent

but it's already here

in a real sense

because that hourglass

has been turned

but it has not been consummated

there's still sand left

in the hourglass

that's basically kind of

the consistent biblical teaching

about the end times

and that's why the Bible

sees even the time

of the apostle

every all the age

is subsequent to Christ

as the last days

and so some Christians

mistakenly think

that only the not yet

part of this is true

and the not yet aspect

of the kingdom of God

is true

people who think that way

believe that the new age

of Christ's reign

is not yet here

and because of that

they believe that

they don't participate

in that reign

and that they believe

that that's all lying

in the future

and therefore that the power

of God's spirit

is not available to them

for spiritual growth

and victory

so the Christians

that live with this

not yet mentality

have think that Christ

live as if Christ's coming

made no real spiritual difference

to how they live

here and now

and it's only the second coming

that will come

that will solve

all their problems

so they tend to live

with the defeatist

victim mentality

right

they have

believe that they have

no power to overcome sin

or to change

this world

and Christians

on the other hand

like the Corinthians

mistakenly believe

that only the already aspect

of the kingdom of God

is true

that it's all here

and they believe

that the new age

of Christ's reign

is already consummated

and because of that

they believe

they have everything

already

with nothing left

to get in Christ's

second coming

so already you have

all you want

already you have

become rich

without us

you have become kings

and they live

with the triumphalistic

mentality

so as if everything

is within their powers

to do everything

that they need to do

in this world

and in their lives

and in order to correct

that error

Paul now uses his own life

and the life of other apostles

as an example of suffering

to show that the Christians

do not in fact

have all that they want

yet

they do in a real way

reign with Christ now

but that reign

has not yet been consummated

and so he says this

in verse 9

for I think that God

has exhibited us

apostles

as last of all

like men sentenced

to death

because we have become

a spectacle to the world

to angels

and to men

in the Roman

gladiatorial games

the finale

of the show

was when the

captive slaves

were condemned

to death

or were released

loose to fight

to their death

or if they had

people that they

were going to kill

execute

to give them over

to the beast

that was the finale

of the gladiatorial games

and so they are

Paul is describing

himself in that way

they are the last

of all

like men sentenced

to death

a spectacle

to the world

to angels

and to men

that's a striking

contrast right

to the Corinthians posture

they were acting

like kings

the apostles however

are like slaves

condemned to death

Paul continues

in verse 10

we are fools

for Christ's sake

but you are wise

in Christ

we are weak

but you are strong

you are held

in honor

but we

in disrepute

right

he's alluding

once again

here to Jeremiah

9 23 24

which said

the wise should not

boast in their wisdom

the strong not

boast in their strength

and the rich not

boast in their riches

but instead in the Lord

but the Corinthians

are boasting

in exactly those things

they're saying

in boasting

in their wisdom

boasting in their riches

boasting

in their honor

and the way

Paul describes himself

is exactly

in contrast to this

because the Corinthian believers

are kind of drunk

on their theology

of glory

and Paul's trying

to sober them up

with the good dose

of the theology

of the cross

he says in verses 11

to 13

to the present hour

we hunger and thirst

we are poorly dressed

and buffeted

and homeless

and we labor

working with our own hands

when reviled

we bless

when persecuted

we endure

when slandered

we entreat

we have become

and are still

like the scum

of the world

the refuse

the refuse

of all things

and so he's

I don't know

if you are able

to catch it

in that brief reading

but he's directly

point for point

contrasting his lifestyle

with the lifestyle

and the boasting

of the Corinthians

because they were saying

to themselves

that they already

had all they want

and then Paul insists

that he is hungry

and thirsty

the Corinthians

were boasting

that they already

had become rich

but Paul says

that he is still

poorly dressed

and buffeted

and homeless

and working

with his own hands

but the Corinthians

believed that

they had already

become kings

and then Paul insists

that he and the other

Pauls are still

like the scum

of the world

the refuse

of all things

and Paul's

intentionally using

very degrading terms

to describe himself

and the other apostles

right

the word scum

and refuse

I mean

they're very accurate

translations

because they are

off scourings

you guys know

what I mean

when I say that

so it's like

when you clean

your carpet

right

if you have

a carpet cleaner

it's amazing

the things that come up

after you go

through your house

like you're like

oh I cannot believe

I'm living in this

right

and so all that

accumulated filth

and dirt

that you have to

pour out

that's scum

right

or when you clean

all the gunk

off your dishes

or when you're

trying to scrub

the grime

off your bathtub

that's scum

that's what Paul's

saying

that's scum

we're scum

we're treated

like that

and he says

they refuse

it's garbage

they're treated

like garbage

they're like trash

in this world

that's how the great

apostle Paul

describes himself

his position

in this world

we have become

and are still

like the scum

of the world

the refuse

of all things

and as such

he says

when reviled

we bless

when persecuted

we endure

when slandered

we entreat

you could just hear

the apostle Paul's

heartbeat in that verse

when he says that

because that's

exactly how Paul's

currently

presently in his writing

responding to the Corinthians

because they reviled him

but he's blessing them

they persecuted him

but he's enduring them

and they slandered him

but he's entreating them

and so he continues

his entreaty

in verses 14-21

and that brings me

to my third point

the exhortation

to imitate

the examples

of servanthood

and suffering

that Paul just laid out

he now exhorts them

to imitate

and he says

in verse 14

I do not write

these things

to make you ashamed

but to admonish you

as my beloved children

children

he switches his metaphors

once again

and exhorts them

as their spiritual father

in verses 15-16

he says

for though you have

countless guides in Christ

you do not have

many fathers

for I became your father

in Christ Jesus

through the gospel

I urge you then

be imitators of me

because the members

of the Corinthian church

came to faith

in Christ

through Paul's ministry

he claims to be

their spiritual father

and the word guides

or guardians

in Greco-Roman culture

was also typically

a slave

that was in charge

of basically

taking the children

back and forth

to school

basically in charge

of the kids

while the father

was not there

what present with them

and so he's saying

that you have many guides

and guardians like this

in fact you have

thousands of guides

is the literal translation

but he says

you only have one father

the one who founded

this church

and brought them

to the Lord

in the first place

so he's here

finally reasserting

his own authority

as the founding apostle

of the Corinthian church

because they've been

challenging his authority

up to this point

and then he leverages

that metaphor

to urge them

to be imitators

of him

right

I mean in the

ancient world

the children

were encouraged

to follow

in the footsteps

of their parents

their fathers

in particular

and you still see

a trace of this

in a lot of people's

last names

right

and I think

example

some of the people

have the last name

baker

right

that means

their ancestors

were bakers

or if you're a smith

you're a silversmith

or coppersmith

or if your last name

is bauer

that's a German word

for a peasant

or a farmer

so your ancestors

were farmers

in the ancient world

right

they were expected

to follow

in their footsteps

right

to do those things

or in a more

kind of basic

simple way

like I mean

we expect children

to be like their parents

right

like father

like son

right

if you have

really good looking

parents

like you're not

going to get

an ugly child

all of a sudden

right

and if you have

really intelligent

parents

you expect

your child

to be intelligent

right

it's people

that expect

their children

to behave

like their parents

so Paul's

using the same

logic

and he tells

them as their

spiritual father

you should be

characterized

by servanthood

and suffering

because that's

what my life

looks like

and I'm your

spiritual father

and because Paul

himself could not

be present with them

he says he sent

Timothy for that

purpose in verse 17

that's why I sent

you Timothy

my beloved

and faithful

child in the Lord

to remind you

of my ways

in Christ

as I teach them

everywhere

in every church

like earlier

Paul described

the need

for the stewards

of the mysteries

of Christ

to be faithful

and Paul here

describes Timothy

as faithful

and I think Paul's

concerned here

that because

the Corinthians

were judging him

and dismissing him

that they would

receive Timothy

coldly

and so he says

no receive him

warmly because

he is my beloved

and faithful

child in the Lord

and he tells them

that when he comes

Timothy knows

the ways of Christ

and that he will

show them that

because that's

the same way

he's taught them

in every church

that he's been

and imitation

kind of

makes us

a little uncomfortable

I think because

we have

notions of humility

where like

oh if you're humble

you should never

boast about anything

you should not

be good at anything

I mean that's the

kind of false

humility right

but if you have

a proper sense

of humility

we are talking

about Christian humility

I think there is

a place where

imitation is good

and it should

be commended

in fact it's

an essential part

of Christian discipleship

is to

because when we

hang out with people

certain people

we tend to

act more like them

to talk more like them

and that's an

essential part

of Christian discipleship

and so Paul

urges believers

to imitate him

in many of his letters

and he will do it

again later in this

letter in 1 Corinthians

11 1

where he says

be imitators of me

as I am of Christ

and that puts a

weight irresponsibly

on all of us

doesn't it

because we have

to live in a manner

worthy of our calling

and be examples

to those around us

I mean that puts

the pressure

on the teacher

if you have to

tell people

to imitate them

right

and this is one

of the reasons

why being a member

of the church

being in a regular

Christian community

is so important

because there are

things you can't

learn from just

reading a book

that you have to

learn from observing

the lives of people

and more mature

believers among us

need to say

to younger believers

among us

come watch me

I'll show you

how to study the Bible

come watch me

and I'll show you

how to pray

come watch me

and I'll show you

how to serve

your wife and family

come watch me

and I'll show you

how to respect

and serve your husband

come watch me

and I'll show you

how to share the gospel

with an unbeliever

and then Paul

turns his attention

more specifically

to the instigators

of this problem

in the Corinthian church

who arrogantly

rejected his apostleship

he writes to them

in verses 18 to 19

some are arrogant

as though I were

not coming to you

but I will come

to you soon

if the Lord wills

so some of the

Corinthians were

boasting

and criticizing Paul

as if Paul

would never come back

to correct them

and Paul maintains

that he is

definitely planning

on visiting them

but he doesn't give

a specific timetable

right he says

if the Lord wills

and he's experienced

wanting to go somewhere

for his missionary journey

but not being able

to go before

so he's more tentative

as he says this

but he does say

he has definite plans

to come

he will come soon

and when he comes

he says in verses 19 to 20

I will find out

not the talk

of these arrogant people

but their power

for the kingdom of God

does not consist

in talk

but in power

this is awesome

right

the word arrogant

here is the exact same word

that was translated earlier

as puffed up

right

and the word talk here

is the same word

that was translated

in the preceding chapters

as word

so in 117

Paul said

that he intentionally

did not preach the gospel

with words

of eloquent wisdom

lest the cross of Christ

be emptied of its power

and similarly

in chapter 2

verses 4 to 5

Paul said

his speech

and his message

were not in plausible

words of wisdom

but in demonstration

of the spirit

and of power

so that their faith

might not rest

in the wisdom of men

but in the power

of God

right

so Paul's using

the same concepts here

because the puffed up

Corinthian believers

were boasting

in their worldly wisdom

and word of eloquence

and then

but Paul warns them

that when he visits them

he will test

not their word

but their power

because God's kingdom

doesn't consist

in word

but power

and that

those previous references

to the word power

helps us understand

that Paul is here

referring to the power

that is associated

with the cross

of Christ

in chapter 118

he said

the word of the cross

is folly

to those who are perishing

but to us

who are being saved

it is the power

of God

right

so Paul's contrasting

the Corinthians

word of worldly wisdom

with the word

of the cross

which is the power

of God

and so what he's saying

here is that

the power to save

does not lie

in persuasive rhetoric

or philosophical fluency

it lies

in the crucified Lord

the gospel

of Jesus Christ

and the proof

of this power

is in the Corinthians

themselves

because Paul came

and simply preached

that gospel

and the Corinthians

converted

they came to faith

in the Lord

and they were filled

with the Holy Spirit

and as a result

of that

they possessed

many spiritual gifts

that were causing

some problems

in their midst

so they themselves

were proof

of the fact

that power

lay in the cross

of Christ

and so Paul's

just

I mean

taking them to task

here

he's so confident

and I love

that confidence

in the gospel

that he has

look at it

he's not afraid

of his impending

confrontation

with these

Corinthians

instigators

even though

they're probably

experts

in Greek rhetoric

and philosophical

writings

and sophistry

but even though

they have all of that

Paul's not worried

one bit

about them

he's not worried

that he would be

overpowered by them

because he's so certain

of the powerful

manifestation

of the gospel

itself

that that will be

his vote

of confidence

when he comes

Paul's confident

that the puffed up

Corinthians

eloquence

will not produce

gospel fruit

that it will not

lead to transformation

of people's lives

and it will not

lead to the filling

of the Holy Spirit

and the distribution

of the gifts

of the Holy Spirit

I hope all of us

can have that confidence

in the gospel

because the gospel

is not a gimmick

it's not

a fad

we should strive

to make the gospel

the main thing

in our ministry

not because of our

theological

or denominational

commitments

or traditions

but because that's

what Apostle Paul did

because that's what

scripture itself

enjoins

and if we don't

have this confidence

in the gospel

we will be hesitant

to share the gospel

if we doubt

its power

to save

and transform

people's lives

then we will be

tentative

and reluctant

witnesses

it's only when

we share

Paul's confidence

in the power

of the gospel

to change people

that seem

to be totally

beyond saving

that's when

we be bold

witnesses

that's when

we will be

effective evangelists

and in the conclusion

of his appeal

in verse 21

Paul resorts

one more time

to the father

children analogy

that he used

and he says

what do you wish

shall I come

to you with

the rod

or with love

in a spirit

of gentleness

the rod

is a figurative

representation

of fatherly

discipline

and the spirit

of gentleness

is an expression

of fatherly love

right

and so they're

both expressions

of fatherly care

but whether he

comes with the rod

or with the spirit

of gentleness

will be determined

by the Corinthians

behavior

will they change

their ways

will they reform

their ways

and will they

repent

and that last

verse shows

clearly that for

Paul

the Christian

life

there was no

alternative

but the life

that reflects

the suffering

servanthood

of Christ

Christ has

sanctioned

no other type

of Christian

life and ministry

and that's why

even if it takes

a rod

Paul will

correct them

he says

because they

were living

in a way

that's contrary

to the cross

the path

that Jesus

took to

his glory

his ascension

and his

his seating

and his sitting

down and ruling

at the father's

right hand

the path

that he took

to that glory

was the path

of the cross

and it's the same

for every single

Christian

the path

to glory

for us

is path

to through

the cross

and look at

the prophecy

in Isaiah

how it describes

our Lord Jesus

Christ

in Isaiah 53

and please don't

take this passage

for granted

just because

it's so familiar

and then tune me

out as I'm

reading it

okay listen

to it

actually listen

to the words

that the author

uses to describe

it

he says

he had no

form or majesty

that we should

look at him

no beauty

that we should

desire him

he was despised

and rejected

by men

men of sorrows

and acquainted

with grief

and as one

from whom

men hide

their faces

he was despised

and we esteemed

him not

surely he has

borne our griefs

and carried

our sorrows

yet we esteemed

him stricken

smitten by God

and afflicted

but he was

pierced for our

transgressions

he was crushed

for our iniquities

upon him

was the chastisement

that brought us

peace

and with his

wounds

we are healed

he was oppressed

he was afflicted

yet he opened

not his mouth

like a lamb

that is led

to the slaughter

and like a sheep

that before

it shears

is silent

so he opened

not his mouth

by oppression

and judgment

he was taken

away

it was the will

of the Lord

to crush him

he has put him

to grief

when his soul

makes an offering

for guilt

he shall see

his offspring

he shall prolong

his days

and the will

of the Lord

shall prosper

in his hand

out of the

anguish

of his soul

he shall see

and be satisfied

by his knowledge

shall the righteous

one my servant

make many

to be accounted

righteous

and he shall

bear their

iniquities

it's through

the anguish

of his soul

that the Lord

Jesus found

satisfaction

in redeeming

his people

it's through

his despisement

his affliction

grief

sorrow

and slaughter

that our Lord

Jesus

saved us

do you desire

to be wealthy

powerful

beautiful

if that's

your goal

in your Christian life

you have chosen

the wrong path

even the rich

and famous Christians

that you hear

on podcasts

or at conferences

if they are faithful

to the Lord

they experience

sorrows

and griefs

that we know

not of

precious

that we know

not of

every path

of the path

toward glory

for every single

Christian

is the path

of the cross

and that's why

Jesus said

to his disciples

in John 15

20

a servant

is not greater

than his master

if they persecuted

me

they will also

persecute you

if you are not

yet a follower

of Jesus

then I want

to dissuade

you

from following

Jesus

unless you're

willing to pick

up your cross

pick up his cross

and follow him

why

then should

we want to be

a Christian

if that's what

Christian life entails

because what does

it profit a man

if you gain

the whole world

yet forfeit

your soul

because as Christians

we believe

that this

momentary suffering

that we have

in this life

prepares us

for the eternal

weight of glory

because we would

rather be a

suffering servant

of our Lord Jesus

than be insufferable

kings

in this world

because we'd

rather be

the scum

and refuse

of this world

with Christ

than be the jewel

of this world

without Christ

that's why

because Christ

is worth it all

and if you are

already a follower

of Christ

then let this

be a warning

and an encouragement

to you

because if you

start to feel

home in this world

if you start to feel

comfortable in this world

then you're losing

touch with your

true home in heaven

but if you are

treated like dirt

in this world

remember what

Jesus said

in John 1633

in this world

you will have

tribulation

but take heart

I have overcome

the world

when we are

ridiculed for our

faith

in academia

or in our

workplaces

when we're

caricatured

as ignorant

as regressive

bigots

when Christians

in Muslim

countries

and Buddhist

countries

and Hindu

countries

are persecuted

and martyr

for their

faith

when they

have to

go underground

to proclaim

a prohibited

gospel

and in many

smaller ways

when we

in each

of our

own lives

make small

sacrifices

and endure

suffering