It is required in servants that one be found faithful. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. (6) The broader application of Paul’s words. He knew there was a day coming when our praise will come from God, not from man. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. (1) Whom the letter is from: Paul, a called apostle. Paul said, ‘I wrote you a letter. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. Bible Study Tools Language Tools ... Site Resources advertisement. He does not use the more common New Testament word for a servant (doulos) which designated a common slave. Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. You can check these in your browser security settings. But this is to think beyond what is written in the sense Paul means it here. An outcome of this production was the New Testament for English Readers (4 vols. You have reigned as kings without us, : “My, you Corinthians seem to have it all! d. Why do you glory as if you had not received it? You can find the best commentary on 1 Corinthians for you using the tools on the right side. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. (1-6) Cautions against despising the apostle. A Bible Study in EasyEnglish (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. 1Co 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. c. I urge you, imitate me: The first reaction of many of the Corinthian Christians would probably be horror. THE THREE JUDGMENTS (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) 4:1-5 Let a man then so think of us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secrets which God reveals to his own people. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 4:14-21 (Read 1 Corinthians 4:14-21) In reproving for sin, we should distinguish between sinners and their sins. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except z Jesus Christ and him crucified. There is no doubt Paul would prefer to come in gentleness, but he’ll leave that decision up to the Corinthian Christians. Paul began dealing with the problem of division in the church at Corinth in chapter 1. b. The final test of wisdom is power; the word of the cross not only has the power to mentally illumine, but also to morally save. 1 Corinthians 1 – Jesus, the Wisdom of God A. Greeting and giving of thanks. The city of Corinth was a Roman colony. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. , he speaks of how the apostles were publicly humiliated. Much of what Paul says i… Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. I Corinthians 10:4 “They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” I Corinthians 10:17 “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” We must take our every cue from Scripture. 1-corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. i. You are already full! Do not go beyond the Bible 1 Corinthians 4:6-7. f. Each one’s praise will come from God: Paul knew he had little praise from the Corinthian Christians, but that did not concern him. Home; Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary; 1 Corinthians; Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary 1 Corinthians 4. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. 1-corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. They “managed” (in the sense of preserving and protecting) and “dispensed” (in the sense of distributing) the truth of God. Courting Sin (1 Cor. b. Presented here is a verse by verse exposition of the New Testament. You have reigned as kings without us; and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. 1. Commentary for 1 Corinthians 4 . View Our 1 Corinthians Bible Studies. "Sisters and brothers who have been transformed and delivered understand what it means to give back. He does not mean this in a literal way, but in a figurative way, so the Corinthian Christians would learn a more proper way to see the apostles. , they wouldn’t proudly take sides behind certain apostles as 1 Corinthians 3:4 says they did. It’s a little embarrassing to read Paul’s description of his ministry while working on a nice computer and surrounded by several hundred books. He received all the cash, expended what was necessary for the support of the family, and kept exact accounts, for which he was obliged at certain times to lay before the master.” (Clarke). This was an important topic; the Christian concept of marriage was one that needed to be established in the early church. The true character of gospel ministers. 1. Divisions in the Church. 1 Corinthians. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. If there is a difference between us, it is because of what God has done in us, so there is no reason for pride. 1 Corinthians begins by naming Paul and Sosthenes as those from whom the letters comes. An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. The lists in 1 Cor 12:28–30 spell out the parallelism by specifying the diversity of functions found in the church (cf. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. Verse 8. Among the undisputed letters of Paul, only Romans does not have a co-author or other senders named. ii. Here the call was to imitation of Paul’s glorification of God and furtherance of the gospel by self-limitation of freedom in order to become a servant of all." 1 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Paul is trying to address both of these problems. Examining the Servants of Christ 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. 1Co 4:1. The members of each group thought that their group was better than the other groups.For example, perhaps one group believed that the Holy Spirit was more active in their group. Keith Simons. or in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. If the Corinthians claimed that Paul could not judge them, and that they would simply wait for God’s judgment, Paul would remind them that he is a father to them, and has the right to correct their behavior. Directs them how to account of him and his fellow-ministers, and therein, tacitly at least, reproves them for their unworthy carriage towards him (v. 1-6). Paul knew his righteousness came from Jesus, not from his own personal life – even though he had a godly walk. This also was offensive to the Greek ideal; they thought a man was a wimp if he didn’t fight back when slandered. © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . 1 Corinthians 1 – Jesus, the Wisdom of God A. Greeting and giving of thanks. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As in most of his letters, Paul begins 1 Corinthians with an expression of thanksgiving. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. Those who do wrong need to be warned. i. He wants them to know his purpose hasn’t been to make them feel ashamed, but to warn them of a significant spiritual danger – pride. James Rosscup writes that "This was the great work in the life of the versatile Dean of Canterbury. Under-rowers serve “Christ the master-pilot, helping forward the ship of the Church toward the haven of heaven.” (Trapp), ii. (Read all of 1 Corinthians 4) Complete Concise In this chapter the apostle, I. These were things that the Corinthian Christians, in their pride, wanted to avoid at all cost. Morgan describes this “under-rower” as “one who acts under direction, and asks no questions, one who does the thing he is appointed to do without hesitation, and one who reports only to the One Who is over him.”. God help us to choose Paul’s way, because it is really God’s way. : Paul knew he had little praise from the Corinthian Christians, but that did not concern him. These were things that the Corinthian Christians, in their pride, wanted to avoid at all cost. d. Therefore judge nothing before the time: It is as if Paul were saying, “You Corinthians act like judges at athletic events, qualified to give some the trophy and to send others away as losers. You have reigned as kings without us; and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! Verse 14. This is to think beyond what is written. Commentary, 1 Corinthians 4:1-13, Lawrence T. Foster, The African American Lectionary, 2008. . : The Corinthians, in their love of Greek wisdom, embraced the Greek idea that manual labor was fit only for slaves. This phrase points to the reality of Jesus" death. (14-21)1-6 Apostles were no more than servants of Christ, but they were not to be undervalued. The love of God, and of our neighbour for God’s sake, is patient toward all men. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. Verse. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. What do you want? Paul recognizes this, and so will suspend judgment even upon himself. As he opens his letters, Paul commonly names others alongside himself. The person whom the Holy Spirit leads, acts in love. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except z Jesus Christ and him crucified. 16 – 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17 – Paul asked others to follow him as he followed Christ. Many people today evaluate a pastor or a minister on unbiblical standards. : Paul’s description of his own ministry focuses on deprivation and humiliation. Paragraph. d. And stewards of the mysteries of God: What did Paul and the other apostles “manage” in the household of God? We are weak, but you are strong! We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. a. Red Letter. 2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, 1 x did not come proclaiming to you y the testimony 2 of God with lofty speech or wisdom. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. You are already rich! 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. 3:18-23) 7. i. A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. 1 Corinthians 4. You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. Do I live with a spirit of humble gratitude? Seeing that I have received from God, what can I give to Him? 2. We can only say this, in the full sense that Paul means it, if we are apostles. So Paul may have a double meaning here when using the words filth and offscouring. The Apostle Paul spent 18 months there on his Second Missionary Journey and established a church there. Paul had a real problem with the Corinthians; they tended to look down on him and not respect his apostolic authority. Everything we have has come from God, so there is no reason for pride. Paul had a real problem with the Corinthians; they tended to look down on him and not respect his apostolic authority. 1 Corinthians 8:1-21 (New International Version) Food Sacrificed To Idols. We, You are already full! Paul had a unique place of authority and leadership among the Corinthian Christians, not only because he fathered the church itself in Corinth (I have begotten you through the gospel), but also because of his apostolic authority. If what you have spiritually is a gift from God, why do you glory in it as if it were your own accomplishment? By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. You are regarded as a fool, as weak, as dishonored; you are hungry and thirsty and poorly clothed, homeless and beaten; you work hard to support yourself with manual labor. He knew that they had not been Christians for a long time. The Ministry of Apostles. I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. i. Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 1. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. Verse 7. There is no doubt Paul would prefer to come in gentleness, but he’ll leave that decision up to the Corinthian Christians. 1. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. h. The offscouring of all things: Some ancient Greeks had a custom of casting certain worthless people into the sea during a time of plague or famine, while saying “Be our offscouring!” The victims were called “scrapings” in the belief that they would wipe away the communities’ guilt. "Amidst real hardships and suffering, Paul expresses hope in God's work to redeem and to transform." 9 – 1 Thess 1:3-4 – The apostles were destined to face persecution. a. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. Go To MIUD . How the Corinthians should consider Paul and the apostles. (7) Three questions to humble the proud. Verse 9. People had to learn the gospel by watching his life. 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