The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 1 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service I Corinth 4:6 – “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.” –What things? See 1 Cor 2:5,6 and 1 Cor 4:1-5 – have figuratively transferred is one word and is best translated as transformed (aorist active indicative). And notice, this was for Paul and Apollos for your sakes. –They were to model this condition for the brethren. What condition? –not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. –not to think is omitted from ILG

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 2 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service »What does this really say and how does this affect how we walk? I Corinth 4:7 – “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” –I just love this verse. Where’s cockiness here? Where’s overconfidence here? Where’s self-esteem here? –How about Christ-esteem! »To God be the glory, great things He has done! –Do you think this verse applies to just the teachers who were in Corinth or does it have broader applications? All of what we have is Grace! –So then what is our responsibility here?

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 3 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service I Corinth 4:8 – “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.” –Now ye are full (satisfied) – by what? Not spiritual food. –Now ye are rich – in possessions or resources? –What does ye have reigned as kings without us imply? –And what about the contrast, that we might also reign with you? There is no to God in the better translations but implied. Paul is challenging the Corinthian brethren to put aside their earthly possessions and pride and put on that new life based on position. I Corinth 4:9 – “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.”

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 4 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service –Paul is doing more than thinking here, present active indicative. –Is God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death a prophecy? How do you interpret last? –“Grotius supposes that this means, in the lowest condition; the humblest state; a condition like that of beasts.” The word condemned to death is the only NT use and was typically used to denote conspirators who were thrown two at a time to the lions; also criminal who were hurled to their death from the Capitoline Hill in Rome. – What does having been made (aorist passive indicative) a spectacle (theater) to the world indicate? world, kosmos – world system And to both to angels and to men? –Good or fallen angels? –Men – anthropos, mankind

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 5 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service I Corinth 4:10 – “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!” –To whom is Paul speaking here, ‘we’ vs. ‘you’? We – fools for Christ’s sake, weak, dishonored. You – wise in Christ, strong, distinguished. –This is irony embellished and can be best interpreted as mature believers vs. those immature in Christ, emotionally and experientially, connected to the ways of the world. I Corinth 4:11 – “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.” –Here Paul reflects on the many trials and sufferings that he experienced throughout his ministry.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 6 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service II Corinth 11:23-27 –Let’s reflect on this for just a moment. I Corinth 4:12 – “And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off scouring of all things until now.” –And we labor, working with our own hands Just think about us today. –My late father-in-law often said ‘physical labor makes you spiritually more hungry or tuned in’. –Does a desk job produce the opposite? –Being reviled, we bless. How does this occur? –Rom 12:14 – Bless them that persecute you: bless and curse not.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians March 20, 2016 Bob Eckel 7 I Corinth 4:6-13 Pride and Suffering in Service Does this make us a milk toast? –being persecuted, we endure Our citizenship is not here. –being defamed, we entreat defamed – blasphemed entreat – admonish, exhort, encourage, strengthen This is entirely that other nature isn’t it! –we have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. filth, refuse – only NT use –Applied to men of the most vile, abject and worthless character. –Is this the way the world system sees us? »How about you? offscourings – what is wiped off –Applies to the same group and again is the only NT use.