In the fifth verse of the third chapter, the Apostle had asked, “Who then is Apollos, and who Paul?” and answered, “ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each” (N. T.).
This they were, truly, and not to be exalted as though they were the sources rather than the channels, through whom salvation, and the blessings of the believer had come to once darkened souls in Corinth.
But the solemn considerations that have been before us in the later verses of the third chapter are fitly followed by the opening verses of the fourth,
They were to be looked upon as Christ’s servants, commissioned by Himself, not by men; and as stewards of the mysteries of God-of the things which in other ages were not made known to the sons of men. In Deuteronomy 29:2929The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29) we read, “The secret (or hidden) things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things that are revealed, belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this, law.” What God then kept to Himself, He revealed after the cross of Christ, as is abundantly shown in Ephesians 1:99Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (Ephesians 1:9); Colossians 1:26-2726Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:26‑27), and kindred passages. The ways and purposes of God are unknown to the world, but have been revealed to His saints.
It will profit the young Christian much to turn to Romans 11:2525For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25); 1 Corinthians 2:7; 17But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (1 Corinthians 2:7)
7So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: (1 Corinthians 1:7) Corinthians 15:51-52; Ephesians 5:29-3229For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:29‑32); Ephesians 6:1919And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:19); Colossians 4:33Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: (Colossians 4:3); 1 Timothy 3:8,168Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (1 Timothy 3:8)
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16), and Revelation 10:77But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7), and prayerfully examine these references to the things now made known to believers, which were held secret in the counsels of God from eternity until revealed to the Apostle Paul for the church.
The responsibility of any servant or steward is to his master; he must be faithful to the trust reposed in him. If this is true in regard to a man’s responsibility to his employer, is God’s standard lower? By no means.
The third chapter has shown us the solemn issue before the servants of Christ in regard to their work (1 Cor. 3:13-1513Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13‑15)). They are His servants, not men’s; not the servants of the Church, but responsible to their divine Master alone in the exercise of their service. This is true of all who serve Him, though many do not believe it, and in a large part of the Christian profession, the rule is that the Church regulates the ministry-an open disregard of the Word of God. As saints, the servants of Christ are, of course, subject to discipline for bad conduct, and bad doctrine, just as any other saint, but in their service, apart from such evil, they are responsible to Christ alone.
Accordingly, the Apostle goes, on to say (1 Cor. 4:3-43But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4:3‑4)), “But for me it is the very smallest matter that I be examined of you, or of man’s day. Nor do I even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing in myself, but I am not justified by this; but He that examines me is the Lord” (JND). The reference here is really not to judgment; but to a preliminary inquiry or examination. The believer will never come into judgment (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) JND), but will give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)); will appear (or be manifested) before the judgment seat of Christ, and receive according to the things done in the body (2 Cor. 5:1010For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)). How important it is that we, young Christians and old Christians alike, should maintain always a good conscience before God! (1 John 1:7; 2:17But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1); Titus 2:11-1411For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:11‑14); Col. 2:6-76As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6‑7)).
The Apostle says that he was conscious of nothing in himself, yet that he was not justified by that; the conscience may be dulled by self-will and other things, if we are not careful to test everything we allow in our lives by the Word of God. “He that examines me is the Lord”, and His discernment is as perfect as Himself. If I am in a right state of soul, I shall quickly learn His mind in regard to the things I am going on with; but in any case I shall learn it fully in eternity.
The believer, then, is to judge nothing before the time, or prematurely, until the Lord shall come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall the praise be to each from God. We are not to impute motives (the counsels of the heart), or to speak or act upon what we do not know, on supposition. This is safe, and needed, to prevent discord easily occurring between saints of God without due cause. The Lord will at His coming, when trials and difficulties are forever behind His people, expose in the light all that was done in the dark so as not to be seen, and will make evident the counsels of the hearts that are not known now. Then, if there be found that which is praiseworthy, each will have his praise from God.
1 Corinthians 4:6-76And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 7For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:6‑7): The Apostle, in discussing himself and Apollos, had in mind the leaders who had set up themselves at Corinth to the damage of the saints there. He has shown what God’s servants ought to be, and as to himself and Apollos at least, what they actually were. How wrong it was to be puffed up, one against another!
“For who maketh thee to differ (or, who distinguisheth you?) And what hast thou that thou didst not receive.” But if what you have, you received, why boast as not having received? Thus does the Holy Spirit proceed to expose the folly of these saints at Corinth.
But there is more: “Already ye are filled; already ye have been enriched; ye have reigned without us; and I would that ye reigned, that we also might reign with you” (1 Cor. 4:88Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. (1 Corinthians 4:8) JND). Through bad teaching at Corinth the true place of the Christian in the world had been lost, the present is not the time for reigning, but for following Christ in His path of rejection here. When He reigns, we shall reign with Him; it is of that time that the Apostle wrote, “I would that ye reigned, that we might reign with you.”
Shame surely must have mantled the faces of the Corinthians when they read what immediately follows, telling them of the place the apostles, and most of all Paul, had-the very opposite of their own attitude in the world.
“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last” as appointed to death-a spectacle in the amphitheater of the world, unto angels and unto men. Christ crucified was the first and supreme spectacle: God’s Son rejected and cast out when come in grace, He who knew no sin being there made sin offering for us that we who believe might be made righteousness of God in Him. In his path of suffering the apostles trod, fools for Christ’s sake; weak; in dishonor; knowing hunger and thirst, nakedness, buffeting; become homeless wanderers, laboring, working with their own hands; railed at, persecuted, insulted, become as the offscouring of the world, the refuse of all. Nor had the passage of time, nor the gradual spreading of the gospel brought a change for the better to the Lord’s servants, for the circumstances to which the Apostle alludes continued, as he says, “even unto this present hour” (1 Cor. 4:1111Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; (1 Corinthians 4:11)), and “unto this day” (1 Cor. 4:1313Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. (1 Corinthians 4:13)).
And has the world changed, think you, since the Apostle’s days? Should the servants of Christ now court its favor, or seek a high place in it? Are they worthy of their Master when they do?
Paul has been called the pattern-servant of Christ, because he trod so closely in the path of his Master; because of his untiring devotedness, and the deep affection he bore to all the children of God. How tenderly he writes to the Corinthian saints, as in this chapter, concerning their faults! O, for more like Paul today, to seek out and restore the wandering sheep, to minister Christ to hearts growing cold toward Him!
Not to shame or chide them, did the Apostle write contrastively of the widely different positions in the world occupied by the Corinthian believers and himself; but as his beloved children he admonished them. For if they should have ten thousand instructors (child-guides, as it is in the Greek, which is here the origin of our English word pedagogues) yet not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus he had begotten them through the gospel, Therefore Paul beseeches his beloved children to be followers, or more exactly, imitators of himself.
For this reason he was sending Timothy, his beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who would put them in mind of Paul’s ways as they were in Christ, according as he taught everywhere in every church (assembly). Of Timothy we first read in Acts 16:1-31Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:1‑3), and to him was the Apostle’s last inspired letter written (2 Timothy) when his martyrdom drew near. Both this young man and the Corinthian Christians were called Paul’s “beloved children”, but in addition of: “faithful” was made in Timothy’s case, not in theirs; the reason for the omission in speaking of the Corinthians is not hard to seek.
May you, dear young Christian, be to God both a “beloved” and a “faithful” child, keeping His Word in heart and ways.
Some at Corinth had been puffed up, concluding that the Apostle shrank from coming there again; but he tells them that he will surely come, and quickly, if the Lord will; and he will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power, for the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What did they desire? that he come to them with a rod, or in love, and in a spirit of meekness? In the second epistle, Paul tells the Corinthians that to spare them he had not yet come there (1 Cor. 1:2323But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (1 Corinthians 1:23)).