1 Corinthians 4:8-13 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 4:8-13, which reads,
v.8-10 - You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
Paul is speaking to the Christians in Corinth in a sarcastic way. He is speaking to their actions that paints a picture of them as being self-sufficient. They are already filled, rich, and kings who are reigning. They have arrived.
In contrast to those self-sufficient Christians is Paul and the Apostles who are displaying just the opposite. They are being put through the storms of life and of persecution by God and for God. Paul and the Apostles are ready to die for the gospel while the Christians in Corinth are just concerned about their status among others as having it all together.
This would be called a strong rebuke from Paul. Paul uses himself as the bringer of the gospel to them as someone not equal with these Christians but actually viewed as lower than them. Paul is a fool and they are prudent. Paul is weak and they are strong. Paul is without honor and they are distinguished.
An argument against the prosperity gospel where everything will be given to you and running over and especially in the area of money and greatness is a look at Paul's life. I think these verses has Paul addressing the issue himself. The Christians are promoting a self-sufficient life of glamor while Paul is displaying a sacrificial dependent life of following Christ.
v.11-13 - To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure, when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
Paul goes on to describe what his life is like. At times he is hungry and thirsty; at times his clothing is not suited for the environment; at times he is pushed around; and at times he has no place to lay his head. Things are not handed to him so he is working with his own hands for his living and in the midst of this "hard" life when he is reviled, he blesses and when he is persecuted, he endures and when he is slandered, he tries to make peace with that person. His actions are just the opposite of what you think a hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, pushed around homeless person would be.
Paul gives the description of himself to the world as scum and dregs, what is left at the bottle of the barrel that needs to be scrapped off. Paul has a reason for making this comparison between how he is living and how the Christians of Corinth are living and how he is perceived by the world and how they are perceived by the world.
The Christians in Corinth are like us. We blend so much into the fabric of our world that nobody would really see anything much different in us. But when you have a Paul who seems to have nothing displays something opposite of what we would deem to be natural then it makes us think that there must be something more to this. In Charleston, the people who had the greatest pain and should have been throwing mud at this guy but they were saying the words of Jesus to him. I am so glad the media showed some of it to the world. Christians beat up by the world but still humbly following Christ's example no matter what. Don't blend in with the world but keep bowing to Christ might have been a great point in Paul's sermon here.
"Lord, the success of the world has become our god at times. We have gauged our lives on its values rather than Yours. We have promoted ourselves as ones who have arrived rather than pointing them to the arrival of You and Your coming again. Help us to look at Paul and the Apostles as physical examples of what it means to be totally surrendered to You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.8-10 - You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
Paul is speaking to the Christians in Corinth in a sarcastic way. He is speaking to their actions that paints a picture of them as being self-sufficient. They are already filled, rich, and kings who are reigning. They have arrived.
In contrast to those self-sufficient Christians is Paul and the Apostles who are displaying just the opposite. They are being put through the storms of life and of persecution by God and for God. Paul and the Apostles are ready to die for the gospel while the Christians in Corinth are just concerned about their status among others as having it all together.
This would be called a strong rebuke from Paul. Paul uses himself as the bringer of the gospel to them as someone not equal with these Christians but actually viewed as lower than them. Paul is a fool and they are prudent. Paul is weak and they are strong. Paul is without honor and they are distinguished.
An argument against the prosperity gospel where everything will be given to you and running over and especially in the area of money and greatness is a look at Paul's life. I think these verses has Paul addressing the issue himself. The Christians are promoting a self-sufficient life of glamor while Paul is displaying a sacrificial dependent life of following Christ.
v.11-13 - To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure, when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
Paul goes on to describe what his life is like. At times he is hungry and thirsty; at times his clothing is not suited for the environment; at times he is pushed around; and at times he has no place to lay his head. Things are not handed to him so he is working with his own hands for his living and in the midst of this "hard" life when he is reviled, he blesses and when he is persecuted, he endures and when he is slandered, he tries to make peace with that person. His actions are just the opposite of what you think a hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, pushed around homeless person would be.
Paul gives the description of himself to the world as scum and dregs, what is left at the bottle of the barrel that needs to be scrapped off. Paul has a reason for making this comparison between how he is living and how the Christians of Corinth are living and how he is perceived by the world and how they are perceived by the world.
The Christians in Corinth are like us. We blend so much into the fabric of our world that nobody would really see anything much different in us. But when you have a Paul who seems to have nothing displays something opposite of what we would deem to be natural then it makes us think that there must be something more to this. In Charleston, the people who had the greatest pain and should have been throwing mud at this guy but they were saying the words of Jesus to him. I am so glad the media showed some of it to the world. Christians beat up by the world but still humbly following Christ's example no matter what. Don't blend in with the world but keep bowing to Christ might have been a great point in Paul's sermon here.
"Lord, the success of the world has become our god at times. We have gauged our lives on its values rather than Yours. We have promoted ourselves as ones who have arrived rather than pointing them to the arrival of You and Your coming again. Help us to look at Paul and the Apostles as physical examples of what it means to be totally surrendered to You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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