1 Corinthians - Chapter 4

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In this section of Paul’s letter, he reprimands those he’d left in charge of leading the church for their arrogance and discontent and warns them what will happen when he returns to them.

¹ This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. ² Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Paul urges his readers to think of “us” as servants of Christ delivering “the secret things of God.” We’ve learned in the previous chapters the “us” he refers to is himself, Peter, and Apollos. The "secret things of God" is referring to the Gospel, the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Apollos was a self-confident and strong leader who had been to Corinth and become a very effective leader in the church there. However, because he had made such a strong impact on them, the church members were split in their loyalties. Some felt they should be followers of Paul, and others thought they should become followers of Apollos.

When Paul wrote this letter, Apollos was probably with him. Paul wanted Apollos to return to Corinth, but he refused because this division of the church was too troubling to him. He did not want to encourage more of it.

So Paul wrote this letter rather than send Apollos with the message.

Paul goes on to explain how those entrusted with God’s message are required to prove themselves faithful. As a servant of God, we must do what He tells us to do through the scripture and through the Holy Spirit. Each day, we are faced with opportunities to make choices, challenging us to do what we know is right.   

³ I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

It is tempting for us to judge other Christians for the way they do, or do not, follow Christ. But only God knows their heart and their true intentions. He is the only one with the right to judge. When you judge, you consider yourself better than the person you are judging, and that is arrogant.

Paul reminds them of the Day of Judgment that is to come, when God will reveal those things hidden in our hearts and expose us for who we truly are. Those who are worthy will receive their praise from God.

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. ⁷ For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

When we have respect for a leader, it is natural for us to feel loyalty toward them. Paul warns us not to allow these loyalties to cause divisions within the church. Our loyalty should be to Christ, not to His human servants. True spiritual leaders are representatives of Christ and have nothing to offer other than what God has given them. Those who spend more time debating church leadership rather than delivering Christ’s message do not have Christ as their top priority

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

In this section of his letter, Paul pours out his anguish in a tirade of sarcasm. At his own expense, Paul had suffered through 18 months of his life setting up the church in Corinth, at great risk to his life. Soon after he left, the church members became rebellious and initiated personal attacks against him. Throughout this letter, Paul’s moods bounce from anger to shame to sorrow and to indignation. 

¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. ¹⁵ Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

Although he had been hurt by their disloyalty to him, Paul lets them know how he still loves them as a father loves his children even when they disappoint him.

During this time in history, a “guardian” was a slave assigned as a special tutor and caretaker of a child. Paul is telling them he is more than their guardian, but more like a father. Because he was the founder of the church, he could be trusted to have its best interest at heart. His tough and harsh words were motivated by his love for them much like a father for his children.

¹⁶ Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

Paul didn’t expect them to imitate him in everything he did, right or wrong. He was referring to his teachings. He’d taught them to walk close to God, to spend time in prayer and in the scriptures, to be aware at all times of God’s presence in their lives, and to follow in the footsteps of Christ. This was Paul’s basic message; a message we should not stray from no matter what our church leaders teach.

¹⁷ For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Timothy was not literally Paul’s son, but a young man Paul had been highly impressed with and allowed to join him on his second missionary journey. Timothy had helped Paul set up the early churches during their travels. Paul trusted Timothy to deliver his message and make sure his advice was received, read, understood, and implemented. We don’t know if Timothy actually delivered this letter or if he was sent soon after the letter.

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. ¹⁹ But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. ²¹ What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

It is not known for sure if Paul ever went back to Corinth, but it is likely he did. He speaks of a “painful visit” in 2 Corinthians, so it is thought he visited sometime between writing this letter and the second one and that it didn’t go well.

Paul asks if he should come to them with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness. In this letter we see a little of both sides of Paul. He admonishes them, but with love and affection, just as a parent with a child.

We talk a lot about faith. We might know all the right words to say, but do our lives reflect God’s power? Paul says the kingdom of God is to be LIVED, not merely discussed. There is a big difference between knowing the right words and living the right life. Allow God’s power to work in your life by making the right choices in your daily activities. Let others see God’s power in your life, not simply hear you talk about it.