The Text: 1 Corinthians 4:6–17 (ESV)
6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may
learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!
9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,
12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the
refuse of all things.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Paul and Apollos both obeyed ‘what was written’; not worldly wisdom or their own ideas. Paul hoped the Corinthians would develop this same humility; the humility of the servant. In general, the Greeks believed humility was a slave’s trait. It was a sign of weakness, not a haracteristic of being great (see, Plato Laws 6.774c). How do we counteract worldly notions of greatness in our own hearts? How do we develop the kind of biblical humility that Paul and Apollos possessed?
2. How do verses 6–13 speak to the attitudes and lifestyles of many modern Christians?
(Remember, the Corinthian Christians had a high view of themselves, believing that they
should live and be treated as kings, that the promises and blessings of heaven belonged to
them right now ; we might see it as an early form of “prosperity gospel”).
How should Christians instead expect their lives to be like if they want to truly follow Jesus,
according to verses 6-13? Given our tendencies to avoid difficulty at all costs, how can we
remain faithful to Jesus even in the face of the difficulties we will likely face?
3. 1 Corinthians 4:7 (and Romans 9:16) greatly influenced the theology of Augustine of Hippo.
Read over 1 Corinthians 4:7 again:
“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
How does this verse impact your theology? How should this verse affect the way you think and speak?
4.
“When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat.”
Paul is reflecting the teachings of Jesus here (see Matthew 5:10-12 and 1 Peter 2:23). What are ways we can imitate Paul’s practices (even towards those who have hurt us)?
BONUS QUESTION
1 Corinthians 4:12 reflects the biblical emphasis on respect for manual labor. This was
devalued by Greek culture, including the Corinthians. Write 2-3 brief sentences about your view of this kind of labor and work in general. (If you desire further study on this, see Acts 18:3; 20:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 9:6 and 2 Corinthians 11:7). Is your ‘theology of labor’ a biblical one? How is a willingness to do manual labor related to humility?
PERSONAL EXERCISE
List the names of people who have had the greatest spiritual impact on you. List a few Christ-like qualities about each. Take some time to pray for them and thank God for them. If you can, contact them and let them know!
