February 16, 2009 1 Corinthians 4

Apostles Are Servants of Christ ~1 Corinthians 4~

Too long to type it all, look it up!

This passage is Paul explaining to the Corinthian christians that apostles are servants of God. God has displayed the apostles so low, whereas the Corinthian christians were so "puffed up," in other words, full of pride, being full, with riches, reigning as royalty. Paul uses sarcasm to get the Corinthian christians to realize their pride, and that they should get rid of all that pride because they haven't done anything, God has. Everything they have, who they are, everything, everything around them, they're all God's works.

Throuhgout the passage, Paul compares the Corinthian Christians to the apostels, using sarcasm to contrast the difference between them. Most of all, the issue Corinthian Christians had was pride. Those christians thought they were better than anyone...especially the apostles. They had so much pride that they wanted to avoid humiliation and deprivation.

Today, people are so caught up in worldly success, in power, in wealth, in professions, and etc. That is just what the Corinthian christians were like and Paul had to teach them to not be like that. Also, when we listen to pastors these days, a lot of people are quick to judge the pastor on behalf of how comical, or how enthusiastic, or how interesting he/she is, but that shouldn't be it. The focus should be on the word itself. We need to becareful that we don't "think beyond what is written."

In the end, Paul is aware that the Corinthian christians are ashamed of themselves because Paul had pointed out all these things, but Paul's intentions were not to ashame them, but to warn them. Paul knows that these christians aren't too fond of him, but he says, " I urge you, imitate me." When they hear this, they are quick to disagree because Paul's reputation is so bad, but the way he lives is pleasing to God. That is why Paul tells them to imitate him...because he is regarded as a fool, weakling, all the more glory to God, and that glory shines through him.

We need to be aware of who we are...especially with so many things in this world, even the gifts God has given us, we need to use them for His glory, and not to bring praise to ourselves. All that does is bring pride upon ourselves, which is what we should not do. Paul says that he can't even judge himself, because he is still unaware of who he, himself is...He knows that his righteousness came from God, and not from himself. We say that we need to live like Jesus Christ, but I believe that a lot of us still aren't even able to live like Paul...