In this passage, Paul closes off, eventually, the question of elevating human leaders. In this case, he brings in two new terms in relation to leaders – “servant”, literally the under-rower on a galley, and “steward”, essentially a housekeeper. Leaders don’t own anything – they just row God’s boat and keep God’s house.
Then Paul moves on to another topic. The Corinthians were mistaking the material blessings of their congregation and society for spiritual maturity. They saw their success as being a sign of God’s kingdom on earth, and so were rejecting the counsel, wisdom and rebuke from Paul. He then shifts into a severely sarcastic mode. “Boy, your kingdom sounds great. Rich, successful, honored, popular, respected. Sounds real nice – us apostles must be doing something wrong, because we’re pretty much dirt.”
Paul paints a very different picture of what the kingdom is supposed to look like. On one hand, you have the Corinthians, a single church plant that happens to be full of prosperous, intelligent, educated, healthy, satisfied, comfortable people – at home in the world and the surrounding culture. On the other have, you’ve got the apostles – handpicked by Christ, spreaders of the gospel, founders of the church. The latter are clearly more deserving of honor and respect, and yet they have given that all up. They are like the captives at the end of the procession of a conquering army, there only to be mocked. They are like the oily, slimy sludge you’ll find in a fetid pond. The world has rejected them, just as it honors and respects the Corinthians.
Paul here is not prescribing suffering and poverty, but rather the behavior that may lead to it. The Corinthians were missing a key piece of behavior, and Paul calls on them to imitate the apostles. There is something missing in the Corinthian outlook and perspective.
Paul begins to zero in on what is missing when he discusses what is going to happen when he comes to confront the “arrogant people”. The kingdom, he says, it’s not about talk, but power.
The term “power” can mean many things, but in the letter so far has not been about secular or even miraculous power, but rather the power of the gospel to forgive sins, sanctify lives and sustain us through persecution. The power of the gospel is also what sparks the persecution, oppression and slander that makes the apostles the “scum of the earth”.
On the flip side, the Corinthians live as if the gospel was untrue – avoiding persecution, keeping relationships intact and remaining comfortable. Like us, as long as they keep their mouths shut about Christ, they can live in peace.
We have typical pushback to this. We don’t know how – and yet, it is as simple as telling our story. We see other things as a priority, providing for physical needs, etc. – and yet, in our culture, particularly in Seattle, focus on those other good things are not at all what is lacking. What is lacking is the courage and boldness for us to share what we believe with the non-Christians in our lives.
It is the use of this power that turned the apostles into slandered, outcast, scum of the earth. And it is the avoidance of this power that leaves the Corinthians having all they want, feeling wise, comfortable and honored.
It is clearly easier to be an admirer of Christ than a follower of Christ. Kierkegaard writes:
The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires. Not so for the follower. No, no. The follower aspires with all his strength, with all his will to be what he admires.
We are all too often apathetic about the gospel. But Christ also offers forgiveness for our failures, as well as the power to share the gospel. He does not promise power to overcome financial or even health issues, but he does explicitly promise the power of the gospel.
– Sermon Notes, Brent Rood, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA
1 Corinthians 4
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