1 Corinthians 4:6, 7 says....
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 4:6, 7, which read,
v.6 - Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
Paul has used the illustrations of the farmer, the builder, and the servant-steward to be applied to his life and the life of Apollos. Paul instructs the Christians in Corinth not to "exceed what is written" in respect to them, their spiritual leaders. What is written is to provide for our spiritual leaders and give them respect as those who are giving us the Word of God but we are not to idolize them. They bring the message but they are not the message. They lead us but not to themselves but continually onto Jesus.
What happens when we put another human being in the place of Jesus is the sin of pride. We will become "arrogant in behalf of one against the other." When you compare your human spiritual leader to another human spiritual leader there will always be a judgment of who is better. You are comparing those who are finite and not infinite. You are comparing leaders who are going to die and have been born in sin. You will get divisions in the church because unity can be disrupted by the sin of pride even if you are using godly leaders as the pawns. This must have really been a big problem in the church in Corinth for Paul to spent four chapters on the issue and he is not done yet.
v.7 - For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Paul peppers the Christians in Corinth with questions. Questions are given for emphasis for us to think about God. God spoke to Job in questions when He "shook" him back to reality about who was in charge of the whole universe. Jesus spoke to the disciples in questions when He needed to make a huge point about who He was and is.
The questions here point them to remember Who gave them what they have received. What they received was the gift of grace through the cross of Jesus Christ spoken to them through Paul and Apollos who came to them because of the instruction of that same Jesus. Why were they now acting like the gift of grace was something that they could boast about like they earned it. A gift is a gift. You receive it in humility. It is given in light of the giver. The giver has provided for you. The gift ceases to be a gift when you make it look like you deserved it or you earned it or you had it coming to you. Now the gift is something else.
The sinful prideful actions of the Corinthian Christians were saying that they had not received the gift of God's grace through Jesus Christ. They were the focus and source of their salvation and not Jesus. They were boasting in something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul uses the questions to shock them into realizing what they are doing.
Have we forgotten that what we have is a gift from God? Have we forgotten that it cost God His own Son, Jesus to die on a cross for us to receive it? Have we forgotten that we are all doomed to hell if it were not for His grace and His action that we have the hope of eternal life? Have we forgotten that it is all because of Him and not because of us? Do our actions show that? Do our actions show a focus on how good we are because we came from good stock? Do our actions show a focus on a list of things we do that ranks us better than others?
The gift you have received from God is a benefit to you and to those around you but don't rob God of the credit that it is all His giving and doing and nothing of your own.
"Lord, we are so quick to take the credit or rob some of Your credit to put in a little of our involvement in the process. We repent of the times that we have pointed to ourselves rather than pointing to You. You have transformed us and that is seen by others but may we continue to express to the world that what they see is because of You and You only. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.6 - Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
Paul has used the illustrations of the farmer, the builder, and the servant-steward to be applied to his life and the life of Apollos. Paul instructs the Christians in Corinth not to "exceed what is written" in respect to them, their spiritual leaders. What is written is to provide for our spiritual leaders and give them respect as those who are giving us the Word of God but we are not to idolize them. They bring the message but they are not the message. They lead us but not to themselves but continually onto Jesus.
What happens when we put another human being in the place of Jesus is the sin of pride. We will become "arrogant in behalf of one against the other." When you compare your human spiritual leader to another human spiritual leader there will always be a judgment of who is better. You are comparing those who are finite and not infinite. You are comparing leaders who are going to die and have been born in sin. You will get divisions in the church because unity can be disrupted by the sin of pride even if you are using godly leaders as the pawns. This must have really been a big problem in the church in Corinth for Paul to spent four chapters on the issue and he is not done yet.
v.7 - For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Paul peppers the Christians in Corinth with questions. Questions are given for emphasis for us to think about God. God spoke to Job in questions when He "shook" him back to reality about who was in charge of the whole universe. Jesus spoke to the disciples in questions when He needed to make a huge point about who He was and is.
The questions here point them to remember Who gave them what they have received. What they received was the gift of grace through the cross of Jesus Christ spoken to them through Paul and Apollos who came to them because of the instruction of that same Jesus. Why were they now acting like the gift of grace was something that they could boast about like they earned it. A gift is a gift. You receive it in humility. It is given in light of the giver. The giver has provided for you. The gift ceases to be a gift when you make it look like you deserved it or you earned it or you had it coming to you. Now the gift is something else.
The sinful prideful actions of the Corinthian Christians were saying that they had not received the gift of God's grace through Jesus Christ. They were the focus and source of their salvation and not Jesus. They were boasting in something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul uses the questions to shock them into realizing what they are doing.
Have we forgotten that what we have is a gift from God? Have we forgotten that it cost God His own Son, Jesus to die on a cross for us to receive it? Have we forgotten that we are all doomed to hell if it were not for His grace and His action that we have the hope of eternal life? Have we forgotten that it is all because of Him and not because of us? Do our actions show that? Do our actions show a focus on how good we are because we came from good stock? Do our actions show a focus on a list of things we do that ranks us better than others?
The gift you have received from God is a benefit to you and to those around you but don't rob God of the credit that it is all His giving and doing and nothing of your own.
"Lord, we are so quick to take the credit or rob some of Your credit to put in a little of our involvement in the process. We repent of the times that we have pointed to ourselves rather than pointing to You. You have transformed us and that is seen by others but may we continue to express to the world that what they see is because of You and You only. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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