CORINTH: RICH GREEK CITY/STATE

• Lots of good, fresh water
• Lots of good, arable soil
• Lots of good clay for ceramics, pottery, etc., hence "Corinthian Pottery"
• Shops, fountains, carved stone temples to the Greek gods, porticos, metal workshops abounded
• As a part of a major shipping lane, Corinth has four ports, on the Gulf of Corinth, between two seas
• A temple to Apollo was there
• Another temple was one to Aphrodite, an acropolis known as Acrocorinth, that supplied prostitutes for the seafaring men, which made it a rich city
• Perusing the two letters Paul wrote to them, it is obvious that they were apostate and backslidden.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:

• As keepers of the word of god in the earthly realm, we are to read, study, believe, teach and preach it.
• We are not to correct, emend, update, revise it
• It contains the mysteries of God, revealing what God wants us to know, concealing what God only knows, what we will know when we get to heaven.

• Paul, in the context of the verses following, appears to say that they were thinking too highly of him or themselves, or Apollos
• Highly or lowly, we are to judge and discern according to the Word of God all doctrines, motives. We are not to judge according to our own desires, preferences
• We do not know anything of ourselves, but what we know of God, of ourselves, of the world is from the Word of God
• Nearly every person you will meet in your life will judge themselves worthy of heaven, they "hereby justify" themselves as such
• This is why we need The Judge

• This final judgment will be a surprise to many, especially those who sought to and thought they could hide it all from this world
• "Every man" here means saved, not unsaved.
• Today, too many Christians simply lack discernment, getting doctrines and drawing conclusions on the ability to orate pompously, looking at the pedigree, the actual degree, the looks, the mannerisms, the pithy sayings, cute illustrations, long sermons, finely pressed suits.

• The Word of God sheds light on how mankind really is, since the fall. Wicked, evil, proud, arrogant, ignorant of God, hateful, hurtful. Only the Spirit of God and His Word can change that and us into people after God's Heart.
• Paul is saying that he and Apollos showed them that they themselves are fallible, mortal, sinful, fleshly, however they did it, simply by existing they could have
• The purpose was to show them that they can not and should not place fleshly, carnal, mortal men on a pedestal, saved men or unsaved men-ever.

• It seems that, then as today, the Corinthian leadership and some followers thought of themselves better than Paul, not being imprisoned for their faith, having the riches of CHrist but not the sufferings-NOT YET, ANYWAYS
• When someone gets a gift and a ministry, they get all into themselves like it is them who did it and not the LORD
• In their mind it is THEIR ministry, not God's. God somehow "owes them something". No, HE does not owe US anything, not even salvation, which we were gifted as wicked sinners and did not deserve or earn, nor can keep.
• However, it is a level playing field
• Therefore, WE owe GOD all of the glory, all of our allegiance

• The Corinthians were rich in the things of God, the gifts, the fruit of their labor-but apparently did not always appreciate it
• Looking forward, we also are currently reigning in Heaven with Christ, because God does not dwell in time like we do.
• The very fact that we were snatched from a burning hell by God through the Blood of the LORD Jesus Christ makes us rich. God did not have to do this; He does not have to do more.
• In utter humility, Paul here places himself below them to "reign with them". Instead of "that you also might reign with us", he says, "that we also might reign with you"

• Being saved, this now is our lot. Persecution, to the point of death
• The last shall be first.......also to be persecuted, as the leaders of "that way", like Jesus
• Their preaching in the synagogues, markets, arenas, prisons, Colluseums was to be made "something to see" as an example to the unbelievers what happens when you follow Jesus Christ

• The world thinks of us as fools and mocks us, the more so if we walk with Christ and speak His Word.
• This being considered a fool and weak is normal, an expected result, an expected reaction for anyone walking with Christ (Paul, Apollos)
• This being considered wise and strong is normal, an expected result, an expected reaction for anyone not walking with Christ (the Corinthians)

• A fleshly Christian, especially an American one who hears of Christians in a foreign country, soon this country, who is in prison, heavily persecuted, homeless, tortured, slain, etc., thinks that person (the victim) lacks faith, is lazy, etc. And why is this? Because of the false doctrine of the Word of faith Movement, Pentecostals, Charismatics, etc.
• It never occurs to them that Jesus said that this was to be expected, that we are not to look to the cares and the things of the world, the systems of the world
• American Christians and "Christians" are Corinthian Christians and "Christians"; wealthy in this world's goods, lacking in the knowledge of God, ignorant of that fact

• Paul was a tent maker, for sure working with his hands to make tens of goat hair or some other tough fabric
• This command to do the opposite back to those who hate us, who abound, comes from Jesus Himself
• Persecution is prophesied for us, nearly a guarantee if we aree following the LORD

PERSECUTION: FORETOLD

OUR RESPONSE TO PERSECUTION:

• This command is the opposite of the world's philosophy, the opposite of our carnal, sinful fleshly lust for revenge, to react back
• The purpose is to glorify God, not ourselves, because we do not make the rules
• The sun shines on all of us, the wheat and the tares grow together, the sheep and the goats graze the same pastures.

• Paul was a peace maker, and asked them to do the same. He was defamed, they were or were to expect to be
• To the world then, as now, true believers in Christ are considered the lowest of the low. Things people scrape off into the trash can, into the sink drain

1. To slander; falsely and maliciously to utter words respecting another which tend to injure his reputation or occupation; as to say, a judge is corrupt; a man is perjured; a trader is a knave.
2. To speak evil of; to dishonor by false reports; to calumniate; to libel; to impair reputation by acts or words.
   Being defamed, we entreat. 1 Cor. Iv.

1. To offer a treaty. [Not used.]
2. To treat; to discourse. [Not used.]

• Why did Paul have to say this? Simply because they would not understand this when it did happen, or while it was happening to them.

• The difference between an instructor and a fatherly figure who teaches is a fatherly figure teaches TRUTH
• Anyone who knows how to teach can teach; the key is what they teach, not THAT they teach
• A spiritual father is one who brings you to Christ and disciples you under their tutelage, which is unique. This makes them spiritually his children

• Paul is not here being arrogant, forceful, pushy. He was being in the role of a spiritual father
• Paul will explain this further later, as he is not even implying that they are to actually follow him like a person would follow and look to the LORD Jesus Christ-FOR SALVATION-and after that
• A leader, nevertheless, a good, honourable, virtuous leader, like a fatherly figure, should be followed when and only when they are an example top follow, else that is the end of following them
• Everything in the ministry of Paul clearly shows that he left them a good foundation in the Word of God, he delivered the ordinances of God to them, he taught them, raised them, nurtured them like a father does, and on and on it goes. He is qualified to ask this, even command it, of them

• This giving of Timothy to them is like today, saying, "Here. Here's a photocopy, a duplicate of me for you, to guide you in my absence. As good as the original. It'll be like having me here with you"
• Because Timothy was a faithful minister, personally discipled, accompanying Paul, Paul could leave him behind as a trustworthy worked for the LORD.

• "We do not have to worry about Paul. We can do whatever we want."
• There is no other way to describe this mind set than to say "puffed up". It is accurate!

• When the time comes, they will have to reveal themselves openly to Paul, like when your mom said, "Wait until your dad comes home!"

• Today, we would say, "Talk is cheap!"
• This is not just about sign gifts, but the Holy Ghst power to tame a wild man's life
• To add to this, "not in word" means our words in the flesh, not God's Word, as that is powerful

• A father comes at us in love when he disciplines, not in hate
• We often need that "Rod of God" to put us in line, but it is usually brutakl circumstances, invoving losses, pain, suffering-because He knows we need it, for our good
• A good spiritual father will come in meekness, knowing he himself is a sinner, able to fall.