I Corinthians 4:1-5
1 Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the 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 commendation from God.
I Corinthians 4:1-5 has the theme of the Lord as judge. It occurs at the beginning of a chapter in which Paul deals with stewardship of apostolic ministry. Paul encourages them to think of his team as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Think of us in this way, as servants (ὑπηρέτας), stressing his subservient role. Christ is supreme in the church. Paul and his team are servants of Christ and also stewards (οἰκονόμους). A steward or manager is literally a divider of the household. The term goes back to the practice of assigning to one servant the responsibility for distributing supplies, tools, and food to the workers on estates. The parable in Luke 16:1-8 is an example of this. They were slaves in relation to their masters but overseers in relation to the other slaves. In addition, the term designated business agents, political administrators, city treasurers and treasurers for private societies or guilds.[1] Consequently, just as οἰκονόμους were guardians with responsibility for someone else’s valuables, so, too, were the apostles responsible for guarding and caring for God’s mysteries. Paul’s willingness to use these two terms, ὑπηρέταςand οἰκονόμους, in close proximity to each other illustrates his emphasis on the subordinate nature of the apostle’s position. The point is that all the elevating of one person over another that seems to have plagued this congregation is not appropriate. Any leader of the church is only a servant, a steward. With this language, Paul emphasizes that God is the primary actor, while he and the others are merely God’s assistants in performing their secondary role. Such a subordinate status precludes any boasting on the apostles’ part, as well as that of the Corinthians on behalf of the apostles. The apostles are servants and stewards of God's mysteries. They handle such mysteries with extreme care. They do not take their responsibility lightly. Paul refers here to parts of the historical plan of God, summed up comprehensively in Jesus Christ and which God has already proleptically revealed in Jesus Christ.[2] Thus, God’s mysteries consist of the salvific purposes of God as found in the gospel — indeed God’s wisdom, which was secret and hidden and not understood by this age’s rulers yet revealed by God’s Spirit to Paul and all those who are spiritually discerned (2:10-12, 14-15). 2Moreover, it is required (ζητεῖται, a divine passive) by God of stewards that they be found trustworthy (πιστός, or faithful). Paul acknowledges that God requires faithfulness or trustworthiness of stewards. Faithful stewardship means taking care of God’s estate, or the Corinthians, who are God’s field and God’s building (3:9). Moreover, the word πιστός recalls Paul’s earlier use of the word in 1:9 concerning God’s faithfulness. Divine faithfulness provides the impetus for God’s call into fellowship with Jesus Christ and for God’s strengthening of the Corinthians until the end (1:8-9). Similarly, as stewards of God’s mysteries, God calls apostles to be faithful, as well. Their faithful stewardship reflects the God called them. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged (ἀνακριθῶ, examined or even investigated, in the sense of questioning for the sake of gaining information, to cross examine in order to elicit truth from an unwilling witness, or conduct a formal enquiry) by you or by any human court. The Message renders “It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion.” I do not even judge myself. Christians may accept a great deal in the loss of honor among human beings. We may even feel such loss ourselves. Honor is a matter of human judgment and our desire to receive respect from those we deem significant. We value their opinion of us. Yet, the follower of Jesus must be willing to lose much of this type of honor. The Christian is aware that only one judgment truly matters. [3] 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. For Paul, the divine origin of his call and the mysteries with which God entrusts him makes human judgment irrelevant to him. Because neither his apostleship nor his gospel derive from any human being (1:1; 2:1-5), no human can judge him adequately. Indeed, he acknowledges that he cannot even judge himself, demonstrating that all human judgment — even that of an apostle — becomes irrelevant in the presence of God. Paul admits that while he is not aware of any charge against him, even this knowledge does not count for anything. Again, his view of himself remains immaterial. The only judgment that counts is the Lord’s. Paul has been pointing the Corinthians to God and away from human personalities. Paul now explicitly points readers to the Lord as the final judge, indicating his recognition that the rivalries around apostolic personalities involve the Corinthians passing judgment for or against apostles, including him. If we are Christian readers, we need to hear Paul clearly here. None of us can overlook or avoid this judgment, for even Paul will experience this judgment. [4] Thus, such judgment on the part of the Corinthians is not only wrong but audacious, in that it presumes to take God’s place and to usurp God’s timing. 5 Therefore do not pronounce, as in they need to stop pronouncing, judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. The Message renders: “So don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in.” The “end” will bring judgment, so do not judge now. Thus, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to stop engaging in their present behavior and to wait for God’s timing. Jesus Christ, consistent with the theme of the Son of Man sayings, is the one who executes judgment. Paul, and therefore all Christians, will stand before the judgment of Christ, responsible for what they have done with their lives.[5] God is the true judge because only he can see the inner recesses of a person’s heart and know his or her true motives and purposes. God sees the inner parts of a human’s soul and, as the only true judge, God is able to unmask before all whatever humans beings try to hide the dark. Paul’s statements here echo his previous declarations in chapter 3, in which he acknowledges that God will try every apostle’s work by fire (3:10-15). God’s judgment, then, is sure and true. Just as God’s wisdom, which was hidden and secret for ages but which God has now revealed in accord with God’s timing (2:7-10), so, too, the purposes of the heart may be hidden for now but will be revealed in God’s own time. Then each one will receive commendation from God. This statement should bring relief. We need to remember that God’s truth judges created things out of love, and Satan’s truth judges them out of envy and hatred.[6] The judgment from God has already been set. God looks at us through Jesus Christ, and sees a forgiven person, not a perfect person. You have your commendation, not because of what you have done, but because of what Christ has done.
Human beings are always judging. If society has become incredibly permissive, one could make la case that it needs more judgment. Yet, in the ways in which American society seems increasingly divided into tightly knit honor and shame tribes, we could also make the case that people could use less judgment. We often complain about judging, but the reality is that judging or evaluating people, performances, and events are an important way we learn what is important to us. The Academy Awards are an example of those who work in movies judging the movies and those who worked in them during a calendar year. We know who is judging, even if the standard of judgment might be vague to outsiders. The same is true, however, as we interact with neighbors, as we relate within our work environment, and even in the context of family. Others judge us in terms of our achievements, our competence, our personality, our looks, our social status, our children’s accomplishments, our bank accounts. Given that reality, what are we to do? The church in Corinth was engaging in its form of judgment as it examined the influence of certain apostles upon them. Paul wants them aware that their judgment of him is not where he receives his sense of personal self-worth, as we might say today. In his time, the honor and shame culture prevailed, but he wanted them to know he did not receive honor or shame from the results of their examination of him.
Paul says elsewhere in this letter that Christians need to make judgments.
• Discerning spiritual truths (2:15),
• Evaluating ungodly behavior of other believers, not unbelievers (5:12),
• Deciding between two options (7:37),
• Evaluating the truth of teachings (10:15),
• Judging our own sin and motives (11:31).
We often hear the phrase “Don’t be judgmental.” God has told us that we need to judge, we need to be people who evaluate what is best and therefore make wise decisions.
However, Paul is also discerning or judging that some matters are inappropriate for human judgment. Some Christians in Corinth used their examining capacity to condemn Paul People questioned his ministry. Perhaps his pedigree did not stack up to that of other leaders who had served Corinth. Paul was concerned about personal attacks and frequently defended himself, but he also had the luxury of living with a conscience that was free and clear. Think of how easily such “I am better than you” mentality becomes part of our language.
“My boss is an idiot.” And you’re not?
“All they want to do is stir up trouble.” And you don’t?
“That was really stupid!” And you don’t ever do something stupid?
Paul suggests that we keep such condemnation in perspective. So, what should we do when other people judge or condemn us? We might:
· Humorously admit that we have more faults than they could possibly know.
· Confess our need for good evaluation.
· Examine ourselves honestly for any truths we need to hear.
· Choose not to believe unfair condemnation.
· Remind ourselves of who the real Judge is.
If we lose a sense that all of us, yes, that includes me and you, will experience divine judgment, we will give far too great a weight to the judgment of others. You see, we are the players on the field. We are not competent judge how we, or even others, are playing the game. We need to get our eyes off our judgment of others, we need to stop obsessing over the judgment of other players on the field, and we need to pay attention to the divine referee, the divine umpire, the divine judge. We need to get our minds off self and others and pay attention to the risen and returning Lord. Paul is, once again, reminding us how Christ centered he is. The coming Lord is the one who judges the heart, the intent, the purpose we have. Every pastor, every teacher, is only a steward of the mysteries of the Christian faith. Each of us can only hope that we are trustworthy stewards, so that others can trust our judgment.
Ultimately, we play to an audience of one. God is that audience. Of course, we cannot ignore the opinions of others, nor should we. We cannot let their opinions guide our lives. Nor can we allow our judgment of ourselves be our guide. We may be too harsh, and we may be blind. God knows us inside and out.
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