Paul Defends His Ministry
Lessons From 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme:
Hope:
Key verse of 1 Corinthians.
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Chapter three dealt with the churches spiritual weakness exemplified by their divided and segmented factions.
Chapter four deals with yet another point of contention that need addressing wherein we find “Paul Defends His Ministry.”
Servant
Servant
An Under-Rower.
An Under-Rower.
Paul begins his defense by pointing out his relation to Christ on their behalf.
1 Corinthians 4:1 (ESV)
1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
The word servant or minister here is interesting and literally means “under-rower.”
It is from the Greek word for those that rowed on a trireme or war-galley ship and later came to refer to hard labor.
Paul’s uses this most interesting word to describe his relationship with Christ.
How was Paul a servant or under-rower for Christ?
An under-rower had to row to the captain’s beat or the ship would never get to its destination.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
In other words, Paul is pointing out that he hears “Christ only and him crucified.” He does not concerning himself with “the small quibbles” of others judgment of him that is “outside” of Christ’s Law.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
An under-rower had to “trust” his captain to lead them properly as they couldn’t see where they were going.
5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Simply put, because Paul trusted in Christ and his just judgment he wasn’t afraid of it.
Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
An under-rower had to row in unison with other under-rowers.
6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
This is to say, that no one can row against their fellow under-rower and get anywhere, unity is required for each to get where they are going.
1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Romans 15:6 (ESV)
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:27 (ESV)
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel
An under-rower was committed for life.
11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
Being an under-rower for Christ means giving our life to Christ.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Summary
Summary
Like the apostle Paul we too must remember we are “under-rowers” for Christ.
That it doesn’t matter what others think of our service, all that matters is what God thinks of our service.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul also describes his relationship with Christ as him being a
Steward
Steward
Found Faithful With The Mysteries Of God.
Found Faithful With The Mysteries Of God.
The apostle Paul knew full well, as you and I know, that this world and its belongings are not ours, that we, like Paul, are simply stewards of what has been given to us.
1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.
And though this is true in all the physical realm what we find Paul declaring is that he, and the other apostles, had been made stewards of “the mysteries of God.”
In other words God’s word was placed in his care and as we already just read he takes his relationship with Christ very seriously.
Now this is where Paul’s defense comes into play because he was the one that taught them the gospel i.e., the mystery of God.
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
And yet they had become “puffed up” favoring each other rather than he who taught them the gospel.
1 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)
6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
The word “puffed up” comes from the word for bellows.
A bellow is used to fan the flame and heat the fire in a blacksmith shop.
They were fanning each others egos to the point that some where considering themselves more important than God’s apostle who had taught them the gospel.
Paul’s concern wasn’t with notoriety but influence with the truth of God’s word.
They were bellowing each other’s ego so that they had become arrogant to the point that some considered themselves more worthy of being listened to than even the apostle Paul.
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!
Notice the progression for “all that you want, to becoming rich, to becoming kings.”
Summary
Summary
Paul simply wanted for these brethren to be under-rowers and thus stewards like him.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
However, their bellowing to each other was causing people to take sides and divide the church.
Until we accept we are simply stewards and not masters it is hard to hear the truth or the mystery of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We learn two important lessons from Paul defense of his servanthood and stewardship.
First, as servants of Christ we cannot let those not willing to serve Christ properly get to us emotionally.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Second, as stewards of Christ we cannot allow others cause us to be “found unfaithful stewards.”
2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
From time to time we will have to defend our service and our stewardship.
But if we head off those divisions and arrogant ways of thinking we can remove a lot of headache.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.