A Person Should Logically Consider
Comments on 1 Cor. 4:1-7
By Jonathan Mitchell
1. Thus, let a person (a human) continue logically considering (or: measuring and classifying) us as God's subordinates (God's deputies; those under God's orders; God's under-rowers) and house-managers (or: administrators) of God's secrets (or: mysteries from God which require initiation for receiving; secrets which are God).
Now observe that he does NOT refer to himself, Apollos, or other teachers as "house-managers" of PEOPLE. No, they are dispensers of the Christ, Who is the Secret that was hidden from past ages, and which is best explained in Col. 1, where we also learn of Paul's goal in being "God's subordinate,"
26. the Secret (or: sacred mystery) having been hidden away and remaining concealed away from the ages (or: from [past] eons), as well as away from the [past] generations, yet now (at the present time) is set in clear light in His set-apart folks (or: was manifested to His holy ones; is caused to be seen by His saints; is shown for what it is, for His sacred people),
27. to whom God wills (or: at one point purposed; or: intends) to make known by intimate experience, what [are] the riches of the glory of this Secret (or: the wealth which has its source in this sacred mystery's manifestation which calls forth praise) within the multitudes (among the nations; in the Gentiles; IN UNION WITH the swarms of ethnic groups), which is (or: exists being) Christ within you folks, the expectation of and from the glory (or: which is [the] Anointed in union with you people: the [realized] hope of the manifestation which called forth praise; or: which is [the] Anointing [and the Messiah] within the midst of you folks - the expectation which is the glory),
28. Whom [other MSS: Which] we ourselves habitually proclaim down the line (or: announce in accord with the pattern), constantly putting [Him] into the minds of every person (or: human) and repeatedly teaching every person (or: human), within the sphere of all wisdom, to the intent that we may place every person (or: human) finished (mature; perfect with respect to purpose; complete; as having reached the goal of destiny) by [our] side, within the midst of, centered in, and in union with, Christ [other MSS add: Jesus],
29. unto which [goal] I habitually work hard (or: progressively toil on) and become weary, constantly struggling as in a contest, corresponding to (or: down from, yet on the level of) His inward working (or: energy and operation): the One continuously operating (energizing and inwardly working) within me - within power and in union with ability.
As he said above, he and other sent-forth folk are simply workers on God's farm, God's building. Those in Corinth should not think of them as more than this. The opening adverb, "Thus," is being used as an intensifier pointing back to what has just preceded it, summing up what he has just presented in 3:21. This is our position in God's reign. Paul has returned to his topic of 3:5ff, above.
3. Now to (or: for) me, it is of little importance (a very trivial matter) that I am being constantly critiqued (sifted, critically reviewed and evaluated; put up for judgment) by you folks, or by a human day (= day of reckoning; man's tribunal or day in court). In contrast, by habit, neither do I set myself up for critique (or: review, evaluate or judge myself).
4. For, in and regarding (or: [as] to; for) myself, I have been conscious of nothing; but yet [it is] not in this [that] I have been set forth as (or: made to be) fair and equitable (just and rightwised with right relationship in the Way pointed out). Now the One continually setting me up for evaluation (sifting, reviewing and deciding about me) is [the] Lord [= Christ or Yahweh].
In the service to the King, those operating as His representatives must be
"full of faith (loyal; reliable; trustworthy; faithful)."
This is seen in the parable of the unjust or worthless servants (figures of the Judean leadership of the 1st century) in Jesus' parables.
In vs. 4 he assures his listeners that he is not aware of any personal fault, but then goes to posit that having a clear conscience is not the basis for a person having been
"rightwised with right relationship in the Way pointed out."
In 8:7, below, he points out that a person can have a
"conscience (integrated inner knowing; perceptive awareness) [that is] being weak."
Our being
"set forth as (or: made to be) fair and equitable (just)"
was the work of Christ, in His death and resurrection. We do not base our place in the new creation on what we may or may not be conscious about, any more than we are to be critiquing ourselves (vs. 3). We are confident is the Lord's
"continually setting [us] up for evaluation,"
and sifting us to remove the chaff from His grain, that He has produced in us. This is the ongoing
"judgment seat of Christ/God."
For this reason
"it is of little importance (a very trivial matter) that [he was] being constantly critiqued (sifted, critically reviewed and evaluated; put up for judgment) by [them]."
Recall Rom. 14:4,
"You, who are the person constantly judging (separating away; making a distinction or a decision about) another man's house-servant (domestic)! By (In; To; For; With) his own Lord (Master; Owner) he continues standing, or, he is falling. Yet he will repeatedly be made to stand, for you see, the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] is constantly able (perpetually powerful) to make him stand."
We need to remember this admonition as it applies to us, as well. But let us drink in Paul's conclusion...
5. Hence (or: And so), do not be constantly evaluating (or: stop judging, making decisions about or critiquing) anything before [its] season (before a fitting, due or appointed situation; prior to a fertile moment): until the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] would come - Who will continue giving light to (or: shine upon and illuminate) the hidden things of the Darkness (or: the hiding things which are things in the shadows and dimness of obscurity), and will progressively set in clear light (or: keep on manifesting) the intentions and purposes (designs, dispositions, motives and counsels) of the hearts - and then the praise and applause from God will repeatedly be birthed (happen; come into being) in each human (or: for every person)!
This verse has traditionally had a futuristic spin put to it as though it related to a "coming of Christ" that supposedly has not yet happened. But that is yanking the verse out of its context. Read again the last statement of vs. 4. In this admonition of vs. 5, Paul is of necessity speaking of a future situation, for this is always the case when speaking in imperatives, such as,
"do not be constantly evaluating (or: stop judging, making decisions about or critiquing) anything before [its] season (before a fitting, due or appointed situation; prior to a fertile moment)."
But he is speaking into their current lives and to a potential, immediate future - within first century Corinth! And so next he goes on to define what he means by the term
"season" (fitting or appointed situation; fertile moment [in their lives]): and that would be whenever "the Lord [= Yahweh or Christ] would come."
Now this is not an eschatological, end-of-the-age scenario. It is apocalyptic language, but this is normal to Paul as he "unveils" what was being disclosed to him, and what he says of the Lord's coming, here, is likely analogous to what he said in 2 Tim. 4:17a,
"Yet the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] took a stand beside me (or: stood alongside in me) - and He empowered me (enabled me; gave me inward ability)..."
It would be comparable to what the risen Christ had John write to Ephesus,
"Yet if not, I am continuously (repeatedly; habitually) coming to you [as a group], and I will proceed removing (or: moving) your lampstand out of its place, if ever you [as a group] may not change your way of thinking (your mind-set and paradigm) (Rev. 2:5; cf Rev. 2:16; 2:22-23; 3:3; 3:11, for other examples).
No, this was not speaking of the false teaching of a "second coming of Christ." It was speaking of the Lord coming, by His Spirit (we no longer know Him in the sphere of the flesh - 2 Cor. 5:16) to illuminate the situations that needed their evaluations and decisions, and they were to wait for the Lord's
"giving light to (or: shine upon and illuminate) the hidden things of the Darkness (or: the hiding things which are things in the shadows and dimness of obscurity)."
In Jn. 1:4 we read,
"the life was continuing being, and began progressively existing as, the Light of mankind,"
and the next verse tells us,
"the Light is constantly shining in the dim and shadowed places, and keeps on progressively giving light within the gloomy darkness where there is no light" (Jn. 1:5).
This might very likely happen through someone such as Paul (cf 5:3, below), or through someone within their community where there is given "an effect of grace," such as
"a word (thought; message; expression; [the] reason) of intimate, experiential knowledge, insight or realization (gnosis) - in accord with (or: down from; in the sphere of; in line with) the same Breath (or: Spirit)." (12:4, 8b, below).
When Jesus sent out his disciples to the towns and villages, he gave them His power and authority - and they were effective representatives of Him (cf Lu. 10:17, 19). Therefore, when they had come to villages they were to announce that God's kingdom (the presence and actions of the Lord) had come to them (Lu. 10:9). Here Paul instructs those at Corinth that the Lord's coming would
"progressively set in clear light (or: keep on manifesting) the intentions and purposes (designs, dispositions, motives and counsels) of the hearts."
We saw an example of this with Peter, in the incident of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). We see this ongoing situation, spoken of here in vs. 5, presented as a metaphor of
"a step, platform, stage or place ascended by steps to speak in public assembly in the center of a city" in 2 Cor. 5:10.
There, Paul sets the scene in vs. 9,
"Therefore we are constantly loving the value (or: ambitious for the honor)... to constantly be folks [that are] well-pleasing to Him."
Why? Verse 10 gives the answer:
(or: for you see that it continues binding for us all to be set in light so as to be clearly seen in the presence of the judgment seat which is Christ, so that each should keep and provide for the things performed throughout [His] body, with a view to, and face to face with, what things [were practiced], whether virtuous or vile)." [cf 3:9-17, above]
Notice the second half of vs. 10: the reason for living coram deo (in God's presence) is for evaluation of what we have been doing, in regard to the body of Christ. The purpose is
"to take [these things] into kindly keeping, for care and provision (= be responsible for)" our actions and "practices."
This implies facing up to what we have been doing, so that we can make corrections, if necessary.
Paul brings up the topic of
"judging [one's] brother"
in Rom. 14:10, and then reminds them,
"For you see, we will all continue standing in attendance alongside on God's elevated place,"
and then in 14:12 informs them,
"Consequently, then, each one of us will continue giving a word (presenting a message; rendering an account) about himself to God (or: for God; by God; in God)."
This is like the accounting of a manager to the owner, in the parables of Jesus. This is not a one-time thing, but a periodic necessity.
6. Now I refashioned these things (or: transposed and transfer these things into a figure; change the distinctive form to apply and exemplify; or: = changed the form of the metaphor), brothers - with a view to Apollos and myself - because of you folks, to the end that in us you could learn not to set your thoughts (be disposed; put your intellect and opinion; entertain sentiments) on things over and above things which have been written, so that you do not continue being puffed up - one over and above another, [and] down on the different one.
Paul has said all this about himself and Apollos as an example for them, so that they would not
"set [their] thoughts on things beyond what has been written."
So often, pride is the motivation behind factions and divisions. Paul did not want them to be "puffed up" with an inflated self-disposition of being intellectually or spiritually superior to others - especially toward folks that were "different," so as to look down on them. This sort of opinion or sentiment engenders an "us-and-them" cliquishness that brings division, instead of "joined unity."
Of what was he speaking, when he referred to,
"things over and above things which have been written"?
The first thing that came to our minds was, "the Scriptures." This would mean the plan of the ages (Eph. 3:11), the Alpha to the Omega. No need to go into theories and philosophies of human speculations. But further, the lyrics of Gerry Rafferty come to mind: "Whatever's written in your heart, that's all that matters," or as Heb. 10:16 put it,
"Continuously giving My laws upon their hearts, I will even progressively write them upon their mental perception (or: comprehension; that which passes through the mind)."
Reading Paul's admonition of vs. 6 in the light of this quote from Heb. 10 seems to us to best align with Paul's teachings. He had received unveilings that were "over and above" what had been written in the OT writings. Those unveilings were rooted in the old covenant (Rom. 11:17), but everything in the new covenant was growth "above" the roots. With the insight of things being written our hearts, they would be the real from which we can give honest witness to the Way, the Truth and the Life that came through Jesus. But speculations on things that are beyond our grasp, things that are not being lived-out, leads to intellectual, heady ideas that simply gender pride and prejudice, usually ending in divisions and factions.
Also, as Dan Kaplan reminds us, Paul told these folks,
This seems to be a second witness as to what Paul was meaning, concerning what has been written. And now, observe how he continues his thoughts...
7. For who continues making you to discriminate (or: who is now thoroughly separating or dividing you through the midst, for evaluation; or: who is repeatedly discerning or distinguishing you; or: what makes you completely different, separated or exceptional)? And what are you habitually holding (constantly having) which you did not receive? Now since (or: if) also you received [it], why do you continue boasting, as though not receiving [it]?
Since they had all received the same effects of grace, why would they discriminate against those that they deemed inferior for some reason? Why would they boast about what had been freely given to them? Those who feel that they are "the elect" can be tempted to think of themselves as "special" or superior to those who, in their eyes, are apparently not a part of "the chosen." Paul is challenging them in regard to their practice of "discriminating," and challenging their assumption that they are "completely different, separated (from others in the community) or exceptional." Next he characterized their self-assumptions using irony...
Jonathan
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