Fools For Christ's Sake - 4:8-13
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Introduction
Introduction
So far in our study of 1 Corinthians, we have discussed several times the issues this church was facing.
They were divided by their identification with various teachers.
In verses 6-7 of this chapter Paul addressed pride as one of the root causes of their division.
Paul told the Corinthian belivers not to be puffed up with pride because everything they had was a gift from God.
In our passage today, Paul is going to give them a proper perspective.
As we think about having a proper perspective, watch this short video with me.
VIDEO
Perspective matters.
From the little boy’s perspective, his mom wanted to be just like him.
From her perspective, things were very different.
Perspective matters.
As servants of Jesus Christ, we need a proper perspective.
Those in the Corinthian church were puffed up with pride.
They had an inflated opion of their own importance.
In these verses, Paul is going to correct that inflated opinion.
We need to understand our role as servants of Christ.
When we understand our role we are able to endure the trials of life.
Our endurance grabs the attention of a watching world.
Folks, the bottom line is this.
We exist to advance the cause of Christ.
That is the idea behind the verses we will consider today.
To help the Corinthian church understand their role as servants of Christ Paul makes two powerful points.
Point #1. We are…
1. Fools On Display vv. 8-10
1. Fools On Display vv. 8-10
When we put something on display, typically our goal is to attract someone.
Right?
At the store, the display is supposed to draw you in and get you to buy something.
For example: If I saw a display of donuts, I would be tempted to buy some.
If my son Joseph saw a display of legos, he would want to buy some.
When Paul talks about himself and the other apostles on display, it is not the kind of display we might think of.
They are a display that attracts but not through beauty or enticement.
The apostles are a display of the power of God evidenced through the weakness of men.
It is this display of the presence and power of God that attracts.
The Corinthian believers were getting it wrong!
They though the Christian life was about what leader you followed, how tolerant you were, and what gifting you had.
Paul’s goal is for this church to understand the power of humility.
To that end, Paul explains exactly what it means to be an apostle.
An apostle of Jesus Christ is…
a. Displayed to instruct vv. 8-9
a. Displayed to instruct vv. 8-9
Here we go, 1 Corinthians 4:8.
8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!
The only way we are going to understand this whole section is by keeping the context in mind.
Paul just confronted the pride of these believers.
He just asked them why they were boasting as if everything they had didn’t come from someone else.
Here in verse 8 Paul overstates his thoughts to drive his point home.
This is sanctified sarcasm.
When I was young we had a friend who had a particular response to people when they would brag.
If someone started bragging about something, he would go way beyond what they said and make it almost embarassing or comical.
If they said, I’m really good at basketball.” He would say, “You are good, you’re probably the best ever. I bet if Michael Jordan or LeBrone James played you you’d beat them no problem. They’d be crying on the floor.”
Whenever he would do this, you ended up seeing how ridiculous your boasting really was.
That’s what Paul is doing here.
They are puffed up!
They are exalting leaders to unbiblical heights!
And so Paul takes their thinking to the extreme to expose how ridiculous they are being.
The word “already” communicates the idea of “at this present time.”
He says if you are so great, you must have already experienced all these things.
You’re already full, already rich, you are already reigning as kings.
Paul is overemphasizing this point because he wants them to understand something very important.
The believer will only be fully satisfied in eternity!
Why? Because this life is not all there is.
Look at Philippians 3:20-21.
Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
This is what we are awaiting.
To think that this life can bring fulfillment and satisfaction is simply foolish.
Paul is calling attention to the fact that they are not full. They are not satisfied.
If we are seeking fulfillment and satisfaction in the temporary pleasures of this life we are doomed to failure and discontentment!
He continues by addressing wealth.
The believer will only be truly rich when we are with Christ!
Why? Because riches here are temporary.
Look at Matthew 6:19-21.
Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When we pursue riches in this life we are going after something that will not last.
Riches do not bring happiness, there is evidence of this fact all around us.
Paul wants the Corinthians to realize the error in their thinking.
Finally, to take this to the very extreme, Paul mentions reigning as kings.
As soon as he mentions this he stops being sarcastic to remind them of an important reality.
The believer will one day reign with Christ!
But that time is not yet.
Paul wishes they did reign, because that would mean Christ has returned and is seated on the earthly throne and this life is done!
We will reign with Christ, but until that time comes we are to serve with faithfulness.
We are not to be puffed up.
This life is not all there is.
True fullness, true riches, true authority will be part of eternity, not part of this life.
As Paul continues to adjust their thinking he presents some contrasting thoughts in v. 9.
Look verse 9.
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.
There is a definite article here indicating that Paul has the office of apostle in mind.
The controversy in Corinth was their desire to attach themselves to people who had authority.
There was a desire to gain prestige through association with those who seemed to have it.
Paul is setting the record straight.
They are the last.
Displayed – ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeiknymi) show forth; display; attest; prove. to exhibit v. — to display in a manner accessible to or observable by the public. Finite verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular.
Displayed – ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeiknymi)
God put the apsotles on display like men condemned to death.
It is unclear if Paul had something like the colosseum in mind or not.
His point is that the apostles were not men put on pedastals, they were men viewed in humilitation by the world.
The apostles were like condemned men.
Condemned men are not looked up to. Condemned men are not put on pedestals.
Condmened men are typically despised.
They are last.
They are a spectacle.
Spectacle – θέατρον (theatron) theater; spectacle. exhibition ⇔ stage n. — the act of presenting something to sight or view; understood as a presentation for the stage. Noun, predicate nominative, singular, neuter.
Spectacle – θέατρον (theatron)
The aposltes are a presentation to the world.
Paul clarifies his meaning as being angels and men.
God has displayed the apostles making them a spectacle to angels and men.
Look at 1 Peter 1:10-12.
1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
Angels desire to understand salvation.
Believers, here specifically the apostles, are part of God’s instruction.
The apostles are a spectacle to angels.
They are also a spectacle to men.
Have you ever heard the experssion “trophies of His grace?”
Go to Ephesians 2:4-7.
Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
We are a spectacle.
A display of God’s grace.
This is our calling. Not just that of the apostles, though that is Paul’s specific topic here.
Scripture reveals that this is the calling of every believer.
Our call is to face death.
Our call is to be a spectacle.
Our call is not glory in this life but glory in the life to come.
Paul tells the Corinthians that the apostles are a spectacle.
A spectacle of what? go back to verse 2.
A spectacle of faithful service.
A spectacle of endurance!
A spectacle of what God can do through ordinary people!
God puts faithful beleivers on display to instruct the body of Christ!
The glory is not ours.
The glory belongs to Christ.
We are fools on display.
Our lesson here is in the form of a question we all must answer.
Does my example point others to Jesus?
That is Paul’s point.
The apostles were not to be exalted.
Their lives are ment to instruct.
An apsotle of Jesus Christ is displayed to instruct.
Secondly. An apostle of Jesus Christ is…
b. Displayed to increase v. 10
b. Displayed to increase v. 10
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!
Paul gives us some more sanctified sarcasm here.
He wants the Corinthians to realize the contrast.
They are thinking of the apostles in unbiblical ways.
This church is convinced that effectiveness for Christ means being considered wise, strong, and distinguished.
They want the praise of men!
Paul wants them to understand that We are not here for the approval of a world enslaved to sin!
We are here for the approval of Jesus Christ!
That approval comes as we do what Paul describes here.
What do I mean?
There are three words that I think are central to this whole passage.
Ready?
“For Christ’s Sake.”
This is the key.
They are fools, for Christ’s sake.
A fool is someone who is without wisdom or good sense.
It is the Greek word from which we get our english word moron.
Paul is not calling the Corinthians nor us to behave as morons.
His point is that more often than not, that is how we are seen by the world.
Here’s the contrast he is making.
The Corinthians want everyone to think they are wise.
They want people to say that they have good judgement and common sense.
“There goes a wise Christian.”
But that is not what our world does.
Look around! They think we are stupid!
Paul is content being thought a fool.
They want to be strong.
Paul says he is weak.
They want might and power!
But Paul has learned that God’s strength is perfected in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The Corinthian beleivers want honor and splendor.
Paul says the apostles are dishonored and disrespected.
The things they are seeking after are not what will satisfy!
Honor and power and wisdom will not bring fulfillment.
Paul’s words here remind me of John the Baptist in John 3:30.
John 3:30
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
This is to be our attitude.
Self-promotion is not what we need!
In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul writes,
2 Corinthians 4:7
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are put on display as fools that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us!
We are fools for Christ’s sake!
When God uses fools to fulfill His purposes, He gets all the glory.
All of this is for the advancement of the cause of Christ.
It is for Christ’s sake.
That’s where we began this verse.
This brings us to another lesson in the form of a question.
Is my goal the glory of God or self-promotion?
This is the issue in Corinth.
They want to be known. They want to be honored. They want power and influence and wealth.
Those things are not about the glory of God.
We are fools on display.
We are displayed to instruct men and angels.
We are displayed to increase, to exalt and glorify God.
This is Paul’s first powerful point.
We are fools on display.
Point #2. We are…
2. Fools By Design vv. 11-13
2. Fools By Design vv. 11-13
The word “design” reflect intention and purpose.
If you hire someone to do interior design, you are expecting them to produce a product that flows around a common theme.
You would sit down with them and discuss colors and arangments.
You would take measurments and look at budget ideas and cost estimates.
If someone is building a house they might hire an archetect to do a design layout, a blue print, of the house.
Into this plan would go all the intentions and desires of the designer.
You have a design because you have a plan and purpose that you are working towards.
Paul wants the Corinthians to recognize the danger of pride.
So he is revealing God’s design for those who are apostles.
As we work through these verses we will identify two purposes.
Revealed in these verses is the kind of character we are to have.
This is a portrait of a servant of Christ.
As we pursue Christ, what should we look like?
That is what we find in these two purposes.
Purpose #1…
a. Designed to endure vv. 11-12a
a. Designed to endure vv. 11-12a
11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.
Once again I want to remind us that Paul’s purpose is to confront the pride that is destroying the Corinthian Church.
He wants them to understand what servants of Christ face.
In contrast to the fullness, riches, wisdom, strength, and honor the Corinthians sought. Paul and the other apostles faced suffering.
The suffering described here is being faced at the present time.
This is not some past tribulation Paul is describing.
This is present suffering.
They don’t get enough to eat and drink.
Their clothing is not rich or fancy.
In fact, the words Paul uses paint a picture of clothing so bad they might as well be naked!
They are beaten.
The apostles have faced physical oppression for the cause of Christ!
This is something we see clearly described in the book of Acts.
The apostles are first beaten in Acts 5. Stephen is stoned to death in Ch. 7. Saul persecutes, imprisons and kills Christians in Ch. 8. James is martyred in ch. 12. Paul is stoned in ch. 14 and there are several more instances of physical violence against the apostles recorded in the rest of the book.
The point is this.
Christians should not expect honor and respect from a world that rejects our Lord.
Paul says they were also homeless.
This is what a faithful servant of Jesus can expect.
We’ve mentioned this passage several times but we need to hear it again.
2 Timothy 3:12
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
This is a promise.
Paul tells us here that he and the other apostles are currently suffering.
This suggest perseverance.
They have not given up, they are pressing on despite opposition.
No matter what we face in this life, we endure.
We keep preaching Jesus.
We endure suffering, trial, and the rigors of service.
Why? Because that is God’s design.
He has designed us and equipped us to endure.
How do we endure?
Look at the begining of verse 12.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
We endure while laboring. We endure with diligence.
If we are going to endure, a strong work ethic is vital.
Paul wrote this to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
If you don’t work, you don’t eat.
This is Paul’s attitude when it comes to leadership.
He works.
Paul is not saying that in order to serve Christ we need to be poor.
He is not advocating some sort of vow of poverty.
What he wants to get across to the Corinthians is that personal elevation is not the goal.
The goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ!
If that means we suffer, so be it.
Here is our lesson question.
Will I endure suffering to spread the gospel?
We must understand that the Christian life is not about having material things.
The Christian life is about the advancement of the gospel and the glory of Jesus Christ.
We are fools by design.
We have been designed by God to endure as faithful servants.
That is purpose #1.
Purpose #2…
b. Designed to engage vv. 12b-13
b. Designed to engage vv. 12b-13
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
To understand this passage we must keep the larger context in mind.
Paul is talking about being faithful stewards.
He is talking about faithfully serving Jesus Christ.
Scripture promises us that those who live in pursuit of Jesus will suffer.
There will be trials, there will be persecution.
How we endure those difficulties is what Paul has in view.
How will we engage those who oppose us?
When reviled, we bless.
To revile someone is to heap verbal abuse on them.
When we are verbally abused we are to respond with kidness. We are to bless them.
When persecuted, we endure.
Persecution, when Biblically defined, is sytematic harassment and attack because of your religious beliefs.
When we are facing harassment and attack, we endure.
The beginning of verse 13 adds one more issue and response.
13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
When defamed, we entreat.
Defamed is a form of slander.
When people start telling lies about us because we are followers of Jesus, we entreat.
We make an appeal.
We don’t defend. We don’t fight. We appeal.
All of this is exactly what Jesus taught.
Matthew 5:44
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Is this how we treat those who oppose us?
What Paul is describing here is meekness.
This is not weakness.
It is strength under control.
We want people to come to Jesus, so we bear this mistreatment.
We return good for evil and heap coals of fire on their heads.
As Paul said in v. 10, all this is for Christ’s sake.
Paul’s final description, and where we will end this morning, is somewhat grim.
We are like the filth of the world.
This is a very particular word.
It describes the water that is left in a tub after someone has taken a bath.
How many of us would save that water?
It isn’t useful for anything after we have washed in it.
Paul says that is how the world sees us.
To a Christless world, we are dirty bathwater.
We are the offscouring of all things.
This is another particular word.
In Paul’s day olive oil was used as a cleanser.
This cleanser left behind a residue that had to be eaither scraped or scoured off the skin.
What was left over was a gummy collection of skin cells and oil.
That is Paul’s second comparison.
Again, this is how a lost world sees us.
This is an expression of humility.
That is Paul’s goal.
Corinthian’s. Everything you have you have received.
You have nothing to be proud of!
If the apostles, men taught directly be Jesus Christ, are simply dirty bathwater, where does that leave the rest of us?
Paul wants them to understand that this life is not where we are fixing our hope.
We are fools for Christ’s sake because the life to come will be blessing and pleasure forevermore!
We need to hear the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12.
Matthew 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Our savior says that we are blessed when reviled and persecuted.
We are blessed when they speak evil and lies.
We can rejoice! We can be glad!
Why? Because our reward is in heaven and it is great!
Everything that Paul has said, we endure.
We bear this because it doesn’t matter.
We are not seeking fame in this life, we are seeking reward in the life to come.
If being seen as filth is the price for Biblical faithfulness, so be it!
If this is what it takes to defeat pride, bring it on!
Our goal, our desire is to see lost sheep come into the fold.
We want to see people saved.
If we are being faithful to Christ, the world’s opinion of us doesn’t matter.
Here’s our lesson question.
Will I prioritize the gospel?
Paul was willing to let his reputation go so he could share Christ.
He blessed, endured, and entreated, all so Christ could be known.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We are fools for the sake of Jesus Christ.
The more foolish we are the brighter He shines.
This is what we need to grasp.
The Christian life is not about me!
In our personal lives, Christ must be the center.
In our relationships, Christ must have priority.
This is what our children need to learn.
The Christian life is not about your happiness.
It is not about God giving you everything you want.
The Christian life is about Christ!
We want people to know Him!
If we want to teach our children this, we must learn it first.
Christ must be the center of our marriages.
We are to point people to Him.
COMMITMENT:
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People will never know about Jesus if we only promote ourselves.
The Corinthian church had a problem.
Their problem was pride.
Paul teaches them humility through teaching them their place.
Our role as servants of Christ is to endure and engage.
We exist to advance the cause of Christ.
When we respond to trials how Paul describes here, an unbelieving world will take notice.
May we be fools for Christ’s sake so that Christ will be seen in us.