November 5, 2021 — 1 Corinthians 4:1 – 21

“Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 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. 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 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 have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, “Nothing beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” 1 Corinthians 4:1-7

Paul was trying to make the point that Apostles were no more than servants of Christ, and that the gifts they had were just that — gifts. They had been entrusted with something great, and for that reason, had an office that separated them from others, but had no place to be judging others.

It is a comfort, is it not, that we will not be standing in front of our fellow servants as our final judges. And it is not judging well of ourselves, or justifying ourselves, that will prove anything for us. Our own judgment will not be dependent upon any measure of our true faithfulness; nor are our own works to be any measure for our justification.

There is a day coming, that will bring all secret sins into the light, and will uncover the secrets of our hearts. Then every slandered believer will be justified, and every faithful servant approved and rewarded. The word of G-d is the best rule by which to judge all people.

Let us Pray,

Lord Christ, our conceit often contributes to an undue esteem of our ourselves. Help me not to be puffed up — instead help me remember that we are all instruments of G-d’s creating intelligence, the Son’s redeeming presence, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor Dave

November 4, 2021 — 1 Corinthians 3:1 – 23

“And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

From the New Interpreter’s Commentary on 1 Corinthians: “Paul knows that the Corinthian believers are immature because they bicker and are divisive; in fact, they are acting just like ordinary people”.

Imagine Paul hearing about the behavior of the people in one of his churches – a church that could not have been that old. Certainly Paul had a vision that did not include the newly baptized treating one another so terribly. He writes that he hopes one day they may be more — they might become mature believers. Dare we say that the Corinthians are the “mother church” of all subsequent squabbling churches?

I have experienced some of the worst of our humanity in the church. One of the great shames of the church is that the family of G-d has so many members who will not talk to one another, who will not wear a mask for one another, and will not agree to, well agree with one another. Christians should find ways to honor the differences, the otherness, even the divinely inspired differences that we all bring to the table without telling each other to “…just shut up”. Different is not necessarily wrong — no matter if it is that we look differently, we act differently, or we think differently. In the midst of our genuine differences, it is imperative we welcome one another in love.

Let us Pray,

Lord Christ, instead of trying to root out and weed out those who we have differences with, we should be planting, and watering, and sowing, and nurturing — it is G-d who gives the growth. Help me to plant, water and sow the love of G-d today. Amen.

Pastor Dave