By
Sam Nobles
With
this chapter, the Apostle Paul ends his critique of the problem of division
that existed at the church at Corinth and goes on to illustrate the attitude
one should have toward those who serve God, and why we should leave the
judgment of such men to God (v.1-5). Paul uses the example of the
apostles in ironic fashion (v.6-13) with the purpose to warn the
church, and to remind them of what is proper. Paul himself makes the pledge
that he is coming to deal with those who are "puffed up", if
necessary (v.14-21).
Life is like stewardship, so be faithful (v.1-5).
Everybody
is guilty of being judgmental, but the truth is, no one’s judgment counts for
anything except the Lord’s. He is looking for faithful stewards in this life.
In fact, the Bible reveals that God wants to tell us, “Well done good and faithful
servant…” (Luke 19:17). It
has been rightly said that a thousand dollars’ worth of faithfulness is paid
off in nickels, dimes, and quarters. Be faithful in the small things because
life seems to be made up of more of the smaller moments than the big ones.
Life is like a battle, so be brave (v.6-13)
If the Apostles were some of the
greatest Christians who ever lived, and they were the filth and the scum of the
earth, where did that leave the boasting Corinthians?1 This
description of how the Apostles suffered
for the sake of Christ should make
us all embarrassed at what we complain about. You might be doing pretty well compared to your
neighbor, but you’re comparing yourself to the wrong person. The comparison is
not between you and your neighbor or between you and your pastor. It’s between
you and God. When the Lord comes on the scene, He sets the standard. It’s not
how you compare with anything but the glory of the Father, and in His light, we
all come up short. When we compare ourselves against each other we can always
find someone that seems worse off than us, but the truth is, we should all
compare ourselves to the perfect standard of Christ Jesus, and see that we are
all lacking.
Life is like a school, so be teachable (v.14-21)
Paul saw himself like a father
figure to the Corinthian believers, and like a father, he felt it was up to him
to instruct them in the ways of righteousness. The Lord uses many hands and
voices to teach us, and we must be willing pupils as we go through life.2
Scripture to Claim: But you, O Lord, are a God
merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness. Psalm 86:15
[1] Warren
W. Wiersbe, Be Wise, New edition (David C. Cook, 2010).
[1] Ibid.
