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Timothy: I Corinthians 4:1-13
The Examples of Apostles

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

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.

9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

[King James Version]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer to You my words of praise and gratitude. Every new day in our lives, Your mercy is fresh and pours over Your people. You are always forgiving of our transgressions, even though we do not deserve Your grace. Most importantly, You nurture our souls with the Eternal Living Word of God. I thank You for that. I pray that Christ will give me new strength and take away the headaches I have. I pray that the Holy Spirit will grant me wisdom so that I may have a deeper understanding of the Word of God. I am grateful to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Father, I would like to present my meditation on 1 Corinthians 4:1-13 as follows:

Verse 1: Paul advises the people of God in Corinth to regard him and his fellow workers as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. This means that Paul and his colleagues work for Christ, distributing the Word of God to God’s people. The mysteries of God are explained in the Word of God, which Paul and his colleagues have been granted wisdom to understand and teach to God’s people.

Verse 2: The essential trait of a steward is faithfulness. Faithfulness means putting one’s heart and abilities into working in accordance with the master’s wishes. A preacher of the Word of God must be dedicated to preaching the Word of God according to God’s guidance, not their own or anyone else’s wishes.

Verses 3-4: Paul is not concerned about being judged by anyone, whether they are from the Church or non-believers. He knows he is not guilty of any wrongdoing in his role. Therefore, he does not need to justify himself, since he has always worked with all his heart and abilities. Paul also understands that righteousness is not achieved by wholeheartedly serving God, but by confessing one’s sins and accepting the redemption of Christ. He knows that Christ is the judge of all, including himself.

Verse 5: Paul advises the people of God in Corinth not to judge anyone’s devotion to God. Only God knows what is in each person’s heart. The Lord will reveal the hidden things of each person’s heart when he comes to take the Church out of the world. He will reward each person according to their deeds. Those who serve God with a sincere heart will receive a proper reward.

Verses 6 and 7: Paul said that the advice he is giving to the people of the Church in Corinth is something he applied to himself and Apollos. He wants them to learn from him and Apollos, instead of being arrogant and thinking they have enough wisdom to judge and create factions within the Church. He advises them not to think too highly of what is written in the Holy Scriptures and what he has written to them, but rather to remember that everything they have is a gift from God, even wisdom. Therefore, no one should be arrogant and consider themselves better than others, evaluating one person higher than another, forming groups and causing divisions within the Church. If someone truly receives wisdom from God, they should use it to build up the Church, not to divide it. And because the wisdom comes from God, the person who receives it has nothing to boast about, as they are no better than anyone else.

Verse 8: Paul means that the people of the Church in Corinth believed they had wisdom and were able to rule like kings. However, the state of the Church in Corinth showed that they had no idea how to rule themselves or how to overcome their bad habits, which caused great divisions within the Church. He hoped that they would truly learn to rule themselves like kings so that he and his friends could also rule with them in the kingdom of God.

Verse 9: Paul explains to the people of God in Corinth that the apostles of Christ are those who have been appointed by God to suffer in the spiritual task of preaching the Gospel. They are like prisoners executed in the Roman Empire at that time, brought into the arena for the entertainment of the world. Only the apostles of Christ have to endure hardships and injustice before humanity and the angels.

Verses 10 and 11: The apostles of Christ were considered foolish by the people of the world, but they brought the wisdom of Christ to the people of God. They suffered and were weak in their flesh so that the people of God could be strong in spirit. They were seen as lowly so that the people of God could live according to their teachings and attain a high position in the kingdom of God. They had to endure hunger, thirst, nakedness, beatings, and wandering from place to place while preaching the gospel and teaching the Word of God.

Verses 12 and 13: The apostles must work hard to earn a living. When they are cursed, they bless those who curse them. When they are persecuted, they endure patiently. When they are insulted, they call on those who insult them to repent. They are constantly viewed as worthless and insignificant by the world and by those who pretend to be righteous in the Church.

Dear Father, the example of suffering endured by the apostles in fulfilling their entrusted mission to build Your Church is worthy for all Your people to remember and follow. Please grant me the grace to endure suffering while doing the good deeds that You have prepared for me. I am grateful to You. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
04/27/2023