What would be the title of
Apostle Paul if given? He is a servant and steward of God’s mysteries. So are
all Christians. He was just a servant of Master. So are Peter, Apollos, and all
of us in Christ. The servants of God have been entrusted with the mysteries of
God. What is mystery? Mystery is what we desperately want to know and only God
can reveal. There are the mysteries of God, the mystery of Christ, the mystery
of righteousness, the mystery of lawlessness, the mystery of incarnation, the
mystery of the cross, and so on.
“This, then, is how you ought
to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries
God has revealed.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)
Life is so complex and
complicated. Can any economist give the solution for the world economic
problems? Can any doctor give the answer for the diseases? Can any philosopher
give the answer for what life is? They can give many answers but the problem is
that they are not the answers. Human life is a mystery. So many literatures and
articles and books have been written in a desperate effort to find out the
answer. Regardless of the vast arrays and volumes of relentless search outcomes,
no answer has been found and never will be.
Humans are utterly limited and far
from the truth and reality. Humanity in Adam is doomed not to know the truth
because all is in the bondage and enslavement of the devil. All the studies and
researches in arts and sciences are the activities to find out the secret of
life and universe centuries over centuries. However, all has been failing to
say that this is it.
Why cannot humans find it? It’s
because the mystery of humanity can be opened and revealed only by God who
designed and made in His image and likeness. The good news is that our God is
willing to reveal it if asked to know it truthfully and honestly. God entrusted
Paul with the mysteries, especially the mystery of Christ Jesus.
The weakness of church is
caused by the lack of understanding of the mysteries of God. Instead of
teaching and learning the mysteries, most churches are spending time how to
promote the programs like how to evangelize the world and how to raise the
disciples. Also, they keep on teaching the elementary things (things already known)
over and over although by this time they ought to be mature and able to teach
the mysteries of God.
“Therefore let us move beyond
the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not
laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of
faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:1-2)
As Paul tells, the main
function of church is to teach and reveal the mysteries of God. That’s what we
ought to stay in focus because we are called to be the servants and stewards of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Servant is under the headship of master. We are all
under the Headship of Master Jesus Christ. We do obey what Master says to do.
“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.”
(1 Corinthians 4:2-5)
One requirement is faithfulness
for the stewards of God’s mysteries. Those who are entrusted with the mysteries
of God must be faithful to God who judges. They must be reliable and equipped
with accurate knowledge. Also, they are free from the people’s judgment and any
human court. The world cannot make any judgment on them. “Indeed, I do not even
judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent,” says
Paul. It means he is not completely free from any judgment because there is the
Lord who judges him. All shall wait until the Lord comes, judging nothing
before the appointed time. We shall not jump to conclusions until all the facts
are fully known because we’re utterly limited to know other’s motive in heart.
But the Lord will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the
motives of the heart. Then each will receive their praise from God.
But there will be a day that
every motive shall be revealed. It doesn’t mean that we are not being judged
now. In fact, the Lord judges everyone according to the deeds. Paul says that
the wrath of God is being revealed to those who do not obey the law of God. No
one, a believer or non-believer, can escape the judgement of God whenever and
wherever God’s truth is violated. It is immediately released from heaven
against all the godlessness and wickedness of people.
“The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who
suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is
plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” (Romans 1:18-19)
Never miss what Apostle Paul
says, “At that time each will receive their praise from God.” Why doesn’t he
mention judgment? I think it’s because the believers in Christ have already
been judged at the moment of receiving Jesus as Lord through faith in the blood
of Calvary. Jesus says that those who are in Christ Jesus have already passed
the judgment and crossed over from death to life.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever
hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)
God will reward accordingly.
This is a significant and essential truth to which we hold on fast, because the
Scripture says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those
who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
“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?” (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)
What Paul and Apollos applied
to themselves was that they didn’t compete each other. They fully obeyed the
Lord and Master who entrusted with the revelation of the mysteries of God.
Whatever humans said to Paul didn’t mean much. His conscience was clear.
Nevertheless, he was always aware of the ongoing judgment of the Lord. Since he
fixed his eyes on the Lord Jesus, the human points on him didn’t bother him at
all. That’s what it means of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”
So, Paul gives a warning to the
saints at Corinth to follow his example in order not to be puffed up with pride
and boast in favor of one against another. What’s the cause in favor of one
against another? It’s pride and boast which subtly and imperceptibly deceives
the people and makes them think they are superior and set apart from another. “Who
makes you different from anyone else?” Paul continues. “What do you have that
you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you
did not?”
There is nothing coming from us
and everything coming from God. That’s the authentic attitude of people in
Christ Jesus the Lord. We have received everything from God from life, present,
future, depth, height, dominion, authority, and power to righteousness,
holiness, and redemption. Jesus Christ is the bread of life, a living bread. So,
we live by Him and through Him and in Him and for Him. Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. In Him we have been sought and found in the kingdom of
light. We were in nature the sons of God’s wrath but bought with a price and
adopted into the family of God. So, we boast Christ Jesus the Lord if we boast.
That’s the mystery of God
expounded and presented to the saints in Christ. The mystery of God cuts off
all the false truths and twisted human thoughts smeared into our race. It reveals
the ultimate reality of life, purging all illusions, delusions, and unreality.
Prayer: Father in heaven, Thank
you for the revelation of the mystery of Christ in which we have found the
secret of life—Jesus Christ. There is nothing coming from us but everything
coming from God. May we not to jump to conclusions being prompted and provoked
by empty pride and boast. In Christ’s name. Amen.
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