“Already you have all you want!
Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How
I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!”
(1 Corinthians 4:8)
Apostle Paul is telling that
the Corinthian Christians acted as if the millennium had already arrived. The
Amplified Bible renders it like this:
”[You behave as if] you are
already filled and think you have enough [you are full and content, feeling no
need of anything more]! Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts and
graces]! [Without any counsel or instruction from us, in your conceit], you
have ascended your thrones and come into your kingdom without including us! And
would that it were true and that you did reign, so that we might be sharing the
kingdom with you!”
This reminds of the church in
Laodicea which our Lord Jesus mentioned in the Book of Apocalypse. The Laodicea
church is the church neither hot like the church in Philadelphia nor cold like
the church in Sardis. They pretend to be rich, saying “we have everything and
don’t need anything more.” But Jesus says that they are poor, pitiful,
wretched, blind, and naked. They are complacent, satisfied, contented, and
self-righteous. This church is the exact picture of almost every modern
churches.
“I know your deeds, that you
are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because
you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you
do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
(Revelation 3:15-17)
Contrary to their self-complacency
and contentment, Apostle Paul was in the position on display at the end of the
procession, like those who condemned to die in the arena.
“For it seems to me that God
has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those
condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole
universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but
you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we
are dishonored!” (1 Corinthians 4:9-10)
This is a stark contrast
between the Apostle and the church at Corinth. He and his companions like
Sosthenes and Titus were put in a spectacle to the whole universe, to angles
and to human beings. It is surprisingly true that the angels in heaven are
watching over us. It means God has put His beloved children in the very spot to
teach the angles as well as human beings. No Christian is an exception. God
chose Paul and the apostles as the sample people in Christ.
In the Upper Room Discourse,
our Lord Jesus comforts the disciples, saying “I have told you these things, so
that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Going back the creation, God pronounced
the irrevocable prescription for the fallen race. It’s graciously a given time for
us to learn how to live in the earth that we cannot escape toil and labor until
we return to the dust. Jesus says that man does not live bread alone but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). The course of life
is a precious span of time given by God for us to learn the secret of life in
the midst of hard struggle and sweat.
To Adam he said, “Because you
listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you,
‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is
the ground because of you;
through
painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days
of your life.
It will
produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will
eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat
of your brow
you will eat
your food
until you
return to the ground,
since from
it you were taken;
for dust you
are
and to dust you will return.” (Genesis
3:17-19)
But Paul says to the Corinthian
Christians that they have already had everything, saying “We are fools for
Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are
honored, we are dishonored!” Their attitudes were not realistic nor true. It simply
reflects the pretense of unreality. Jesus says that His children are like lambs
among wolves (Matthew 10:16). Also our Lord says that there will be persecutions
and sufferings for the testimony of the gospel and His name’s sake. However, they
will not be persecuted but loved if they conform to the world.
“If the world hates you, keep
in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you
as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out
of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)
Paul further explains how he
and his companions were treated in the world for the cause of defending the
gospel of the blessed God.
“To this very hour we go hungry
and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work
hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted,
we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum
of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.” (1 Corinthians
4:11-13)
This is the authentic and real
picture of Christians. Now, it doesn’t mean that we all should be intentionally
and exactly the same as Paul and his companions. What it means is that when
such things happen and will do in due time we don’t go panicky but understand
that they are part of God’s divine program designed and intended for us to go
through and learn the mystery of life.
Jesus says that no servant is
greater than the master. “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater
than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they
obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:20) The life of Jesus in
the earth truly reflects what Paul went through. Often our Lord went hungry and
thirsty, He was in rags, sleeping in the mountains while the disciples went
their homes, and He was brutally treated when He was teaching and healing,
especially before the Sanhedrin and on the cross of Calvary.
What’s Paul’s reaction to the
world? “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when
we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the
garbage of the world—right up to this moment.” He didn’t fight back nor even
try to get even but blessed those who cursed, endured the persecution, and
answered kindly to the slanderers. He became the scum of the earth, the garbage
of the world. It really reflects the Lord’s attitude toward the people who were against Him. Apostle
Peter wrote this way how our Lord reacted when He was suffered and ill-treated
without cause.
“When they hurled their insults
at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he
entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his
body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by
his wounds you have been healed.’” (1 Peter 2:23-24)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank
you for telling us bluntly and honestly about the secret of life. Thank you for
telling in advance what would follow in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ—persecution
and ill-treatment. Lord, keep us from the evil that we may continue to live and
manifest the authentic and real lives in Christ by blessing those who curse, by persevering persecutions and sufferings, and by answering kindly to the slanderers. In His
name. Amen.
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