This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? I Corinthians 4:1-7
Paul had been trying to correct the “worldly” thinking of the immature saints at Corinth, who were squabbling over which was the better pastor: Paul or Apollos. He insisted that was a false issue, and that they should be concerning themselves with growing in grace by means of the Holy Spirit, with whichever teacher God had provided them. God gave the pastoral gift and assigned the work for those pastors to do. It is God’s production, not the production of men. He told them they were thinking like worldlings (mere unregenerated humans, who have no indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them in truth). Now, in chapter 4 verse 1, he explains how they should think of their pastor-teachers: as servants of Christ. Paul’s message: it is not about us, brethren. It is about the grace of God.
Over a lifetime of Bible study and Church attendance, we’ll have many different pastor-teachers. Some are very learned and dynamic. We hang on their every word. There is a tendency, especially among less mature believers, to make critical comparisons when the dynamo is no longer in the picture. It can be quite unsettling to hear the Word presented in a less technical way, for example, than we’ve grown accustomed to. Here’s my policy, regarding the pulpit pastor: if he is presenting the gospel accurately and honoring the Word of God in all his teaching, he’s doing the job he was gifted to do. I’ve often said “the guy can stand and simply read the scripture for his allotted time,” as long as it is the Word of God he’s presenting, and not false doctrine or some kind of emotional feel-good entertainment, to lull the flock into practicing religion. Give us the perfect Word of Truth, pastor, and let us make individual application. God will, if He has not already, send a teacher of systematic doctrine to help us sort out the categories, history and dispensational details that make up the whole body of scripture. Just don't listen to anyone who distorts God’s Word into legalism or mysticism or prosperity religion. They do this by making YOU the issue, rather than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Your experiences, your emotions, your problems, your hurts, your ecstasies, your needs. God’s plan is perfect.The execution of God’s plan was perfect. Believe it and receive eternal life. Reject it and perish. How you feel about it is not the determining factor, but do you believe it?
So, brethren, accept the pastor-teachers God has sent your way with His Word of Truth. Apollos is not Paul. Paul is not Apollos. Their doctrine was not in conflict, they were simply different personalities with perhaps different aspects of the doctrine to teach. One evangelized and taught the basic salvation doctrines, another taught advanced doctrines (which baby believers, by the way, become quickly bored with). Paul would not have tolerated conflict, and he was given the authority to monitor that. It is not our job to judge the man’s work. The Lord is going to do that, there is no doubt. The men who are gifted as pastor-teachers are well aware of their responsibility to teach sound doctrine and feed the flock of God. They know to Whom they will give account, when the Great Shepherd appears to evaluate us all. Let’s realize their sense of mission and be as supportive as we can of their ministry.
Paul used himself and Apollos as examples to teach this principle: let the pastors do their work, and wait for God to evaluate their motives and effectiveness. We each have enough to be concerned with, trying to fulfill our own responsibilities before the Lord. If we “go beyond what is written” with additional writings, speculations, myths and mysticism; and if we try to burden our pastors with expectations beyond their divine gifts and assignments, we’ve overstepped our own calling. We, the sheep, are to listen and learn.What we know, we have received. If we hadn’t received it, we would be ignorant still. We have nothing to boast about.
There is only one person in the universe I can control. Me. That is a full-time job. That is the one I’ll be evaluated for, at the judgment seat of Christ. Praise God, He has given me good teachers when I needed them and was most receptive to the doctrine they taught. That is stored in my soul. No one can ever take that away.
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