1 Corinthians 4:7-13

Scripture: 1 Cor. 4:7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

1 Cor. 4:8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!

1 Cor. 4:9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.

1 Cor. 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.

1 Cor. 4:11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,

1 Cor. 4:12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

1 Cor. 4:13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

Teaching: As the Corinthians were fond of boasting in their worldly accomplishments, Paul questions how they believe they came to receive anything at all. Their worldly wealth, power, intellect, and the other things that permeated Greek society, they ultimately received those as blessings from the Lord. More importantly, the saving faith that they received was not a result of those worldly blessings – it was not because they were wealthy, intelligent, or powerful. It was because Christ died for them on the cross and they were chosen in God’s mercy to receive it (see Paul’s argumentation in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Paul is repeating this point over and over in these opening chapters of his letter to drive his point through the thick skulls of the Corinthians – None of this is about you!! Faith is not about the Corinthians. Faith is not about their church. Faith is not about their possessions. It is about Christ.

Paul drives this point home in verses 8-13, showing how apostles like him – those who, if any in service to Christ, should receive honor, power, and wealth – in fact, received the opposite. They were beaten, persecuted, slandered, poor, and destitute. They were the “scum of the world.”  But what they lost in this life for Christ they found in eternity with Christ. What men value has no bearing on what God values. The evidence of this is clear: if God wanted His apostles to be healthy, wealthy, and respected, He would have made them so. But instead, He determined that they would be poor, persecuted, appearing foolish, and ultimately, martyred – and all through it, He was good to them. They were given opportunity to seek reward in the Kingdom, build testimony, and inspire countless Christians today who look to their writings and their lives when times are tough. As James wrote, they “count[ed] it all joy when [they met] trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2)

Takeaway: We live in a country that is enormously blessed; sadly, sometimes the lack of real problems, sometimes called “first-world problems,” leads us to construct false theologies. It goes like this: we think, “Because I am relatively rich, and my life is relatively comfortable, this must be evidence of my close walk with Christ. Therefore, I am great, and others should look to me as evidence of God’s goodness.” Paul, though, cleaves that kind of Corinthian logic in half, revealing the complete lie at its center: Christianity is not about health, wealth, and happiness. It is a life lived for Christ because He is Lord of our lives and Lord of all. Sometimes we all need a reminder that Christianity is not a uniquely American thing; there are Christians around the world today who live in the same state as Paul, or worse. Does that mean God doesn’t love them? Corinthian logic would say yes; but the truth says no.

Jesus gave us a model for how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. This is a structure for how one prays – calling out to the Father, glorifying him as holy, praying His kingdom come, asking for daily provisions/needs, praying for forgiveness and giving forgiveness, and finally praying for strength in spiritual warfare. Notice the order. When we forget to glorify God as holy and emphasize His Kingdom first, instead choosing to simply pray for what we need today instead, it’s easy to find ourselves moving towards Corinthian thinking. We forget just who God is and our place before Him. We forget that in this world we will have trouble, but we should fear not because Christ has already overcome it. We see our daily needs as the things we most need, not realizing that those things will be added to us by seeking first the Kingdom. Paul’s thinking sees God as holy and Christ’s Kingdom as the reality He is looking forward to far more than his current circumstance. We do well to think the same. Today, pray in this way, as Jesus taught, and see how your mind will be renewed and heart changed, just as God’s Word says.