Arrogance of Immaturity

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? I Corinthians 4:8-21

Uh-oh. There seems to have been several problems with these Corinthian saints’ attitudes. They were saved just like Paul and you and I were saved: by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. These Gentile believers, far from being ascetic legalists, were materialistic and lascivious and were arrogant critics of their Bible teachers. They had a lot of immature expectations about the Christian Way of Life. In verses 8-13, Paul drips sarcasm about their comfort and prosperity, while the apostles were living in constant adversity, on display to the world and angelic beings. “We, who are happy to be considered fools for Christ, are being evaluated by you, who have only the most basic understanding of Christianity. We know our weakness, but you think you are strong. We suffer dishonor, but you demand respect. We have material needs and physical mistreatment and are slandered for our faith. The world sees us as trash, because of our calling IN CHRIST.” A lesson in humility was in order here.

Paul was their spiritual father, having been the one who brought them the gospel. They had many tutors in Biblical Christianity, but only one spiritual father. He was also Timothy’s spiritual father. The Corinthians needed to orient themselves to the example set by Paul. There was no better communicator of that example than Timothy, who had been saved under Paul’s evangelism and trained as Paul’s helper and companion. Paul was confident of Timothy’s faithfulness in the Lord’s work. Paul practiced what he preached, wherever he went, and that was what he wanted the churches to do. He totally trusted Timothy to deliver that message to these disoriented saints.

So, here’s the warning. This was a letter, delivered by Timothy, but Paul was coming to visit them soon, and planned to “clean house” of those who were such persistent critics. They had a lot to say, apparently, in Paul's absence, but that is no indication of real power. That keeps the church in turmoil and hinders the progress of those who would otherwise learn humility and grow in grace. Paul had a remedy for it. 

His challenge, verse 21: If you get your attitudes squared away before I arrive, we can have sweet fellowship while I teach you more advanced doctrines. If this arrogance continues unchecked by you, I will have to come on a mission of discipline. That doesn't sound very touchy-feely, "you're so wonderful," does it? Sometimes the servants of Christ have to take care of business. We are the Army of God. God's policy is NOT every man for himself. 

As an apostle of the Gospel of Christ, Paul had the authority to discipline the churches who were fighting among themselves and distorting doctrine. After all he’d been through from the moment of his Damascus Road encounter with the risen Christ, He would not hesitate to do just that. There is nothing in life more important than the Word of God. It must be reverenced and it must be taught. That’s why we Churches exist in the world. To reverence and to teach God’s Word.