Reminders for a Divided Church

1 Corinthians 3:18-4:5 - Riley Boggs

As we come to our text this morning, I think it would be helpful to remember what Paul has said up until this point. This part of the letter, chapter 3 verse 18 to chapter 4 verse 5, assumes that you have read up until this point, which makes sense. If someone just dropped into this passage without reading the beginning of the letter or if you forget what has been said up until this point, it makes this passage a bit confusing. And so, let me briefly recap what all Paul has said leading up to the passage.

In the first 9 verses you’ll remember that Paul took a very gracious approach to the start of this letter. Instead of coming out swinging punches, which he could’ve done, he instead reminded them of who they are in Christ. He reminded them that they are holy people, marked by grace, who have been equipped by God, and who will be kept until the end. And when I preached that text, I pointed out how seemingly bizarre it was for Paul to say all of this in the way he did, because this church was off the rails. There were major divisions in the church, members suing one another, and marriages falling apart. They were bragging about how their spiritual gifts were superior to others and even showing up early to worship services to get drunk on the communion wine and eat all the bread. It was bad, and still Paul starts by reminding of the beautiful truths that are true because they are in Christ.

Then, in verses 10-17 Paul lays out a path for unity. He tells them that the body of Christ cannot be divided, they must remain humble and committed to Christ and His word, and then tells them that the goal is that the Gospel is seen in and through their church.

After that he speaks about how what the church believes is considered foolish to the world. And Paul says that God designed it that way. The whole redemption story was designed by God in such a way that it doesn’t operate in the way worldly wisdom would have it operate. It seems foolish to those who are wise according to the world’s standards, and yet it is the wisest plan of all.

Next Paul talks about the great gift of the Holy Spirit in them, and tells them that they are living as if the Spirit doesn’t reside in them, though He does. 

Lastly, last week, we looked at how Paul tells them that they are participants in God’s work, that how they participate matters, and that God is the great protector of His church.

And now, we come to this text that I think encapsulates everything he has said up until this point, in 11 verses. This text, and the text we will look at next week, serve as a hinge between the general issues within the church and the specific issues in the church. Because starting in chapter 5 Paul will start addressing specific problems that have been reported to him.

So this morning I want to look at 4 reminders that Paul has for a divided church. Each of these points has already been said in one way or another, but he repeats them all together here, and so we will look at them again.

1.) The world’s wisdom is foolish (3:18-20)

Paul starts off here by saying, “Let no one deceive himself”, which implies that there are people who are indeed deceiving themselves. The question is, how are they deceiving themselves? It seems they are deceiving themselves in thinking that they are wise because they are following worldly wisdom. I won’t harp on this because we looked at it a few weeks ago and I already mentioned it in the introduction, but God has established things in such a way that there is a great irony in wisdom and foolishness. We say that Our King and Savior was killed that is a good thing. We say we are not our own, but belong to someone, and that is a good thing. And so as one seeks to become wise according to the world, they become more foolish. And opposite of that, as one becomes foolish according to the world, they become more wise.

So Paul says, in an act of self-deception to grow in worldly wisdom, they are become more and more foolish. And Paul says to that person, stop deceiving yourself. Then he tells them how they can stop deceiving themselves in the end of verse 18. You can stop deceiving yourself by becoming a fool. And in becoming a fool, you will become wise. See Paul understands the reality of true wisdom. He restates it for them in verses 19-20, “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord know the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’” And he also knows the destructive nature of worldly wisdom in the church.

Think for a moment with me what the world says is wise. The world says do what makes you happy, you deserve it. It says climb the ranks and do what you have to do to become more important and more wealthy. Now use that money to get more and more stuff, and when that stuff gets boring, get more stuff. Oh, and do the same with people. Your spouse is getting hard to be around? Leave them and find someone who actually makes you happy. It’s your life, after all, so take it by the horns and do what makes you happy, what makes you feel the best. You’ve earned it. Now think about the problems in the Corinthian church. Do you see how worldly wisdom lies at the root of these? This church was filled to the brim with worldly wisdom.

The command to those in Christ is so different than this. To follow Christ is a call to die to self. It is a call to be last. A call to love your enemies, to serve others first, and to not seek vengeance on your own. It is a call to suffering, sacrifice, and service. It isn’t a call to do what makes you feel the best or makes you temporarily happy, but a call to obedience and ultimate joy. It is a call to look like a fool before the world. And when you think about a church of people like this, it’s easy to see how much fruit would be had.

Paul sees the Corinthian church and he knows that until they begin to understand this reality of where true wisdom is found, they are going to struggle with quarreling and division. He knows they need to become fools to become wise, and remember that the world’s wisdom is foolish.

2.) In Christ, we have all things (3:21-23)

Starting in verse 21 Paul says, “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours.” Now, you may ask, as I did when I was studying, what does he mean by all things here? He continues in verse 22 and tells us. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present, and the future are yours. What in the world is Paul getting at here?

I think what he is pointing to here is that for those who are in Christ, they have been given what Christ has. Or another way of putting is, what is true of Christ, is true of those who are in Christ. For example, we are a sinful wicked people, but in Christ we have been forgiven of our sins and will be seen as those who have not sinned, like Christ, on judgement day. Or think about how we are an unrighteous people, but have now been imputed with Christ’s righteousness, and are now considered righteous. We share in His sufferings, in His death, in His resurrection, and all the rest. What is true of Christ, is now true of us, because we are in Christ.

Now let’s take this a step further. What all is Christ’s? Paul actually tells us exactly what is Christ’s in Colossians 1:16. He says that, “16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” In other words, everything is His. All is Christ’s.

Let’s bring this all together and see the point Paul is making here. As those who are in Christ, everything is yours. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present, and the future are yours. It’s all yours.

Okay we understand now, but why is he saying this? What does this have to do with the problems in the Corinthian church? What does this have to do with worldly wisdom versus true wisdom?

Here’s why. Jealousy, rivalry, and greed make no sense for someone who is in Christ, because all things are theirs. If the Corinthians would stop and reflect for a moment on all that they have in Christ, which is all things, they would realize that there is no need for these things. They are non-sensical.

Paul mentions these teachers specifically here just to show the absurdity of the fact that they are dividing themselves between them. Look back at verse 12 of chapter 1. He says, “What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” And now Paul says, why are you doing this? They are all yours! There is no need to divide here, it makes no sense.  And he says, let no one boast in men, because they are Christ’s, so they are yours. It’s all yours, because it is all Christ’s and, verse 23, “you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

When we consider, when we remember, that everything that is true of Christ is true of us, it ought to help guard us from the greedy jealously that marks the world. What is true of Christ is not true of the world, but it is true of us, and so that should reflect on us and through us.

  That’s 2 reminders for the divided church so far. First, the world’s wisdom is foolish. Second, in Christ, we have all things. Now thirdly,

3.) Those who lead the church are servants/stewards (4:1-2)

Paul continues on in this conversation about the leaders in the church and he wants to tell them the proper way to treat them. Instead of claiming to be a follower, or someone who was taught by, a certain teacher to make yourself seem more important, which they had been doing, Paul tells them to consider these leaders servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

The language of servant or steward isn’t being used here just to sound pious or humble so that the Corinthians would stop bickering. No, Paul really means this here. And he is using this language because it is a language that the Corinthians would understand well. Sproul explains this well. He says, “The steward was the preeminent servant in a Greco-Romans household, managing his master’s finances, property, and other slaves. Owning virtually nothing but controlling virtually everything, the steward wielded vast delegated authority.” 

See, Paul and these other leaders were wielding some pretty serious authority. They were tasked with starting the church and overseeing the church, specifically at the beginning of the church age. But the authority they had was simply delegated authority, because they were servants of Christ. They were stewards of the mysteries of God. That is, they were the vessels by which God would revealing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a people who had not previously seen. They were instruments who were being used to bring to light what had been hidden since the fall of man. They were servants of Christ and stewards of His redeeming work, the Gospel.

And so Paul says, yes, all is yours, even the leaders, because you are Christ’s. But, when you think of the leaders in the church, you do not need to see them as people to follow fervently and boast about being under. If you do that, you’re missing it. You need to think of these leaders as servants and stewards. They have authority, but they only have it because Christ has entrusted it to them. So while these people lead you, keep your gaze on Christ and follow Him.

Then Paul makes one more note on this. He says in verse 2, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” See these stewards and servant in the Greco-Roman households were given a lot of delegated authority by the owners. And at the end of the day, the servants had one job. And that job was to be faithful with what they had been delegated.

Paul says the same thing is true with the leaders in the church. At the end of the day, Paul, Apollos, and all the rest have been called to be faithful with what God has given them. In the positions, with their authority, they have been called to be faithful.

Paul addresses this question about himself. Has he been faithful with the authority God has delegated to him?

4.) God is the ultimate judge (4:3-5)

Keeping with this idea of being faithful, Paul says that with him, “it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgement before time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Okay, so first I want to tell you what Paul is not saying, and then tell you 2 things that I think he is trying to communicate here. First, Paul is not saying that as believers we are not supposed to make judgments. Paul actually commands the Corinthians to make judgments in chapter 5 and chapter 6.

Look at chapter 5 starting in verse 1. He says, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” Clearly here Paul says to the church that it is their job to judge whether or not those in the church are living according to God’s Word, and if they are not. If they are living in sin, then you need to address them. And then if you address them and they refuse to repent, after the proper processes, they need to be removed from the church. This takes judgements from those in the church.

Then look at chapter 6 starting in verse 1. He says, “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?” We’ll look at this passage a bit more in the a few weeks, but again Paul tells the church that they have been tasked with the specific responsibility of making judgments of those in the church. And he critiques them for going outside the bounds of the church to do this, sort of foregoing their jobs to judge rightly.

Back to our text. If Paul is not making an argument saying that we shouldn’t judge, what is he saying? I think he is doing 2 things here. First, he is defending himself against some of the incorrect claims that have been made about him. In all of this division in the church, specifically between the leaders, at some point there have been wrong critiques made about Paul. And so Paul addresses them and says, I am just a servant of Christ, a steward of the Gospel. And I have one goal, one responsibility, and that is to be found faithful with what I am been given. He says, it’s not a small thing to be judged by people, it’s a serious thing. And he says, I don’t even judge myself because I don’t want to spend time dwelling on myself.

But, it seems that he is now reflecting on what all he has done in verse 4, because he says, that I am not aware of anything against myself. In other words, I think I have done well. But what else does he say? He says that doesn’t totally acquit me, because it is God who ultimately judges. I am not supposed to be found faithful just to myself, but more importantly to God. So whether or not you all think I am according to your wrong standard is inconsequential, because God is going to judge be by the right standard, Himself.

First, Paul is defending himself. Second, he is giving them a warning and a comfort in a way. The warning is to not judge incorrectly, or too hastily. It’s important that the judgment calls we make are right. We can’t judge a church leaders faithfulness based off of their charisma, popularity, or anything like that. The judgement is, are they being faithful with what they have been given, with the delegated authority they have been given? And we need to be careful to not rush to conclusions here. If a church leader is being unfaithful, is in sin, there is a need for the body of Christ to come to them and say, “brother, we see this and we want help you walk in repentance and faithfulness.” It’s not that we can’t judge. It’s that the church must carefully and rightly.

That’s the warning. The comfort is that you are not being subjected to others judgement at the end of the day. Paul is being critiqued by a church, by a people, who are not judging correctly. And that can be a hurtful thing. Imagine it happening to you as a church leader. You are seeking to be faithful, seeking to obey, to grow. You are living a life marked by repentance and sanctification. And then a group of harsh divided believers start hurling critiques at you. Saying that you aren’t like these other leaders and basing all of their judgments off the wrong things. That would be a hurtful thing.

Paul feels this, knows this. But he finds comfort in the fact that it is God who He is ultimately judged by. At the end, it is not whether the Corinthians think he is faithful, in whatever wrong way they are deciding this. It is God. And when God judges, he takes everything into account. He brings everything to light. 

The way I like to think of this is in relation to camping. Some of you may have experienced this before and will know what I am talking about. But there’s been several times where Shelby and I have went camping, and we don’t make it to where we are going until well past dark. And so we set up our tent or whatever with our flashlights, but we really can’t see where we are. We can see our campsite, but not much beyond it. But, in the morning, when the sun comes up and we get out of the tent, we get to see everything for the first time. We can see where we are, what’s around us, and what was hidden in the dark.

Well, the same is with judgement. Our judgment is a bit like a flashlight. We seek to do our best, we aim it where we can, and try to take as much into account as we can. And this is good thing, but not everything that can be brought to light, that will be brought to light. However, when the suns comes up, when God judges, nothing will be hidden in the dark anymore. He will see everything. There is nothing that will hide beyond the edge of the light or lie in the shadows. He will see everything, even the purposes of the heart, and then He will judge correctly.

Let this be a comfort to you, church. Seek to be faithful and do not get bogged down by harsh inaccurate judgments that may be made against you. These aren’t the judgments that will matter in the end. Be faithful and run after Christ, and let your loving Father judge you at the end, as He will.  

Alright, in closing let me sum this up. We looked at 4 reminders for a divided church. First, the world’s wisdom is foolish. Second, in Christ, we have all things. Third, those who lead the church are servants/stewards. Then fourthly, God is the ultimate judge. 

The application of this text is simply remember, call to mind, these truths. And as you do, they will serve as a safeguard from church division. When we seek true wisdom in Christ, think of all we have in Christ, treat our church leaders rightly, and remember that God is the ultimate judge, church division will not come as easily. Paul knows this and so before getting into the specific issues within the church, he calls them to remember these things. And so let us remember these things as well.