Apostles of Christ
1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
6 Now, brothers, 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 take pride in one man over against another. 7 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?
My Understanding: Paul began this section of his letter to the Corinthian church with the word “So,” which means “thus,” “For that reason,” or “As a result.” In other words, his comments that follow in this chapter refer back to what he said earlier and explain the reasons for these comments that follow. So, we must look back and see the context of the “So,” in order for us to fully comprehend what he was saying in this chapter and why he said it the way he expressed his thoughts in this section of his letter.
Paul had just spoken to the Corinthian church concerning a report that had come to his attention with regard to divisions in the church. The divisions were being caused because people were becoming followers of men and were choosing one man above another to follow. One followed Paul, another Cephas, another Apollos and another Christ. So, Paul asked the questions: “Is Christ divided?” “Was Paul crucified for you?” I think those are really good questions to ask ourselves whenever we are tempted to follow any man over another or to follow men over and above Christ, in particular. Men (and women) are just human beings. Paul said that the men they were following (excluding Christ, I believe, who was God in the flesh) were only servants of God, each doing his assigned task given to him by God, yet it was God’s power behind them that was causing the church to grow, not the men themselves. Paul was putting things for them in the proper perspective.
In this context of addressing this issue with people in the church becoming men followers and thus it causing divisions in the church, Paul addressed another parallel issue, and this is the issue of men’s wisdom vs. the wisdom of God. He explained to them that the gospel message he preached was not that of human wisdom, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” He told them that he did not come to them with “eloquence or superior wisdom.” He said that his message and his preaching were not with “wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,” so that their faith “might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” Paul said that the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight, so there should be “no more boasting about men.” He said:
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Co. 2:13).These issues Paul addressed with the Corinthian church are not peculiar just to them. We face the same issues in the church today. Many follow denominations, which I believe divide the church. Many follow a particular pastor because of his charismatic personality and/or because of his teaching. Many, as well, follow a particular local fellowship because of the building, the programs, the music, performances, and activities, etc. The Mega churches are very popular because of their abilities to offer more services, activities, programs, etc. And, included in this is the parallel issue of following man’s teachings, philosophies, goals, mission and purpose statements, rules and regulations, doctrines, marketing techniques and philosophies for how to build the church, i.e. how to build man-made businesses. Many church congregations have gone to following books written by men to interpret scripture for them, or to follow books written by men even over and above the teachings of scripture - books based upon man’s wisdom, with its “wise and persuasive words” and with the wisdom (reasoning and thinking) of this world. Yet, as Paul said, human wisdom, if this is what we follow, empties the cross of Christ of its power.
So, Paul said, “men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and those entrusted with the secret things of God.” Being entrusted with something or having a trust is having a “charge; custody; care; protection; care; responsibility; and/or guard” over something or someone (MS Thesaurus). It is a lot like having the care and responsibility of having a child or of being given the responsibility over a group of people or over a financial fund. We are to take care of what has been entrusted into our care and to make certain that it gets the appropriate care, attention, nurturing, and/or distribution as required or as necessary. Paul said that he and his fellow apostles were entrusted with the “secret things of God,” i.e. the things of God that cannot be discovered through human wisdom, but that God has revealed by his Spirit, i.e. through the teachings of scripture, especially with regard to Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and through the power and witness of the Holy Spirit.
We have all – those of us in Christ Jesus – been entrusted with our salvation and with the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the word of God, the Holy Bible, i.e. the scriptures, and with the presence and working of the Holy Spirit within us in giving us the mind of Christ (see 2:16) so that we can discern what is from our Lord and what is not of him. As well, we have been entrusted with our personal relationships with Jesus Christ as our Lord (master) and Savior (from the control of sin over our lives), and with whatever spiritual gifts and abilities the Spirit of God has placed within us to use for God’s glory, his purposes, and for building up the body of Christ, His church. And, just as the apostles were required (not a suggestion) to prove faithful with the trust they were given, we are, as well to prove faithful with all that we have been given, mainly with our salvation, the gospel, the word of God (to obey it and share it), with our personal relationships with Jesus Christ, the assignments and tasks we have been given to do corporately and individually, and with the spiritual gifts given us.
So, going back to Paul’s opening statement in this chapter which begins with the word “So,” Paul, I believe, is contrasting the teachings of men, which is based upon human and worldly wisdom (thinking and reasoning) with the secret things of God, i.e. the word of God which is God-breathed and is of the Spirit of God and thus spiritually discerned. He is contrasting being followers of men with being true followers of Jesus Christ, understanding that it is the power of God behind the men that does the work of God, and this does not come from the men themselves. And, he is making an appeal, I believe, for the church to return to their first love, Jesus Christ, to follow him only as their Lord and master, realizing Jesus Christ is the one who died for them, not some man they are following.
Paul, I believe, is making an appeal to the church, as well, to make sure they are following the wisdom of the Spirit of God and not the wisdom of man. So, when he said that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful to that trust, he was not only giving testimony to his own relationship with Jesus Christ, but I believe he was appealing to the church to do the same, to stop following after men, to not get caught up in the wisdom (thinking and reasoning) of men, but to make sure they are being faithful to Jesus Christ, who died for them, and that they are being faithful to all that has been entrusted to their care, which is to protect, keep, guard, defend, and uphold the truths of God’s Holy Word and all that has been given to them via the Spirit of God and their relationship with God.
So, Paul said he had made these applications of these truths to his own life and that of Apollos for the benefit of the church so that they could learn the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written,” so that they would not take pride in one man over another. There are many varied interpretations of that verse in chapter 4, vs. 6. I will share what I believe it means, based upon what I believe the Lord is teaching me here with regard to the context of this letter to the Corinthian church so far. I believe he is saying that they should not go beyond the word of God in their teaching and practice, i.e. to where they become followers of men and/or followers of human and worldly wisdom. I don’t believe he was speaking against practical understanding and application of scripture, teaching and preaching of scripture, and/or the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts in teaching us the truths of God’s word, etc. If that were true, there would be no need for teachers and preachers or for us to witness to others concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What I believe is meant by not going beyond what is written is that we should not be following man’s wisdom and philosophies or even interpretations of scripture as though they are God’s God-breathed words to us. We need to be discerning of all teaching to make sure it is Biblically based and is sound in doctrine and is not teaching us something that goes against God’s word or against God’s divine nature and will for our lives. For instance, the teaching that says that repentance and obedience to Christ are not necessary for salvation and that God is pleased with us no matter what we do are so obviously in conflict with the teachings of Christ and of the New Testament. All we have to do is start with Matthew and read through the New Testament and we can’t miss it. Where some have removed teachings clearly of God from scripture in order to please men’s ears, others have added on rules and regulations of men not required of God and have required these of men. So, that is why we need to know God’s word and we need to be discerning about what is true and what is false.
So, as servants of Christ, which all of us are, if we are true followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are being warned here against becoming followers of men and against following one man over another or following men over Christ. We are also being warned against following men’s wisdom and philosophies, which means we need to be in the Word of God and know what it says and apply its truths to our lives in obedience to God’s commands so that we will be able to discern what is true and what is false when we hear it. We won’t know if what we are accepting is made up by men or is actually in God’s word if we don’t bother to check it out. So, we need to be diligent about this matter.
And, we are being encouraged to be faithful with what trust we have been given. We have been given salvation from sins, so to be proved faithful with that trust, we must turn from our sin and we must walk in deliberate obedience to Christ and to his word. We have been entrusted with the word of God, which means we need to read it, study it, know what it says, obey what it teaches, and share it with others so that they can know and obey it, too. We have been entrusted with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord (master) and Savior, so we need to submit to his will for our lives, both his revealed will in his word and in finding out what specific tasks he has assigned for us to do and then in doing them. And, we need to spend time with him daily at his feet listening to what he has to teach us and then obeying what he says to us.
We have also been entrusted with spiritual gifts and abilities, so we should use them as God intended for us to use them for his glory and for the edification of the body of Christ. And, we have been entrusted with finances, homes, vehicles, resources, children, grandchildren, spouses, other relationships, et al, and we are to care for them as God intended us to care for them in nurturing them, encouraging, spurring, teaching, loving, etc., for all of this is what it means to truly be the Lord’s servants, which we have been called to be.
Your Servant / An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.
Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.
Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.
Song lyrics @ Public Domain
Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/your-servant
Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7ncxAL15Q
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1226/Your-Servant
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