Pride Goes Before the Fall
The last part of chapter three, Paul is reminding everyone that he is a servant of God. This sets up the next section of his letter where he is going to deal with that servant’s heart he and the apostles have as opposed to the Corinthian’s pride and self proclaimed wisdom. He begins with an explanation of what being a servant of Christ really means.
Vs. 1-6a A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries. In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful. It is of little importance to me that I should be evaluated by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.”
The word Paul uses for servant here is the Greek word hupéretés, which literally means under rower. It is a word that describes the rower on the lower deck of a ship. He is the person who executes the orders that have been given him from above. He doesn’t question those orders, he just does what he has been told. Paul is saying that he, and the other teachers, are servants of God. They follow His instructions without question. They are also managers or stewards of God’s mysteries. They have been entrusted to carry the gospel out to the world. They must be faithful to the One who is over them – that being God Himself. He reminds them that they are only evaluated by God and do not concern themselves with what the human courts, or the churches for that matter, say about them. Paul has applied these things to himself and Apollos so that neither “side” can boast. The Greek word for applied is metaschématizó. It means to figuratively apply something, so Paul is trying to show the Corinthians that Apollos, the apostles, and himself are like the rowers not literally the rower. He continues with an explanation of why he has done this.
Vs. 6b-13 The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another. For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the world’s garbage, like the dirt everyone scrapes off their sandals.
Now Paul dives into the real problem. The Corinthian church is inflated with pride. They see themselves as above and superior. They have chosen sides, so some see themselves either above even Paul or Apollos. They act as if they know better then their teachers. Paul says “so, you think you are full and rich. You think you are like kings who already reign. You think you know more than the apostles who have been appointed by God. You see us as fools and yourselves as wise. You see us as weak but yourselves as strong. We have been dishonored and are poor. You see yourselves better than those who have come to you by God.” They have forgotten that they received instruction from Paul, Apollos and several other teachers and now they have decided to judge them by the world’s standards. This is why Paul says in verse 6 – so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” He wants them to get back to what scripture says, not the culture they live in, or the standard of the world around them. Paul reminds them that the world will buy into many things that are not Biblical, and he wants the church to guard itself from doing the same thing. The definition of success, strength, wisdom and riches need to come under a Biblical definition. The church at Corinth reminds the church today that God’s wisdom is not the same as man’s wisdom. His definition of success and strength are not the same as what the world around us would have us believe. Looking at success, wisdom and wealth through the lenses of the world is a trap the church and believers have fallen into over the years. We must redefine these terms.
One such idea is a concept called prosperity theology. Several years ago, this philosophy became a mainstream Christian idea and it still exists today in many forms. Even churches who reject the theology, still hang on to some of the teachings without even realizing it. How many of us have heard that if we just have enough faith everything will work out? What about those who still hang on to the idea that spiritual success is tied to financial and physical wellbeing? When we look at the Bible, this theology doesn’t bear out at all and it is a mystery why believers still give credence to this theology. Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He also said “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” (Matthew 5:11-12). Financial blessings are not tied to our faith. If that were so, the disciples would have been the wealthiest men around, Jesus would have been born in a grand house and Paul would have lived a carefree, unpersecuted life. We cannot get caught up in the trappings of this world no matter how spiritual they may sound. Paul has reminded us so far that God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom is not the same. Weakness is strength, foolishness for the cause of Christ is wisdom, dying produces life everlasting and taking up our cross to follow Jesus may mean a life filled with suffering, pain and loss. But, we can be assured that the loss we experience in this life will produce everlasting abundance. The Corinthian church saw Paul and the apostles as weak, foolish and unsuccessful. They were judging them by the standard of their world, but Paul wants them to see the truth. Pride will indeed cause a great fall.
Vs. 14-21 I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some are inflated with pride, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those who are inflated with pride. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
It was Paul’s desire to come to them in love and a spirit of gentleness, but he would come with a rod if he had to. The rod was a shepherd’s tool that was used to discipline the sheep if they strayed from the path or wandered off by themselves. When we walk in pride or indulge in false teachings, we need of the disciplining rod of the Good Shepherd. In order to walk in wisdom and in the strength of God, there may be times when we must be redirected back on the path or even disciplined because we wandered far from where we needed to be. The lesson Paul wants us all to hear is that we not listen to the talk of a prideful people, but walk in the power of God. This is a wakeup call to us all not to become prideful of all our “accomplishments”. Instead, let us listen to the voice of God who says, “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Bible Study Blog 