1 Corinthians 4
Observation-What does it say? As Paul opens his letter to the church in Corinth, he is dealing with the pride that has built up within them. This pride, though, has taken on a distinct form, as they have divided themselves up into cliques. There were those who claimed to follow after Paul’s teaching or Apollos’ teaching. The city of Corinth was near Athens and, much like Athenians, they took pride in their supposed intellectual superiority. Their proclivity to these things has shown they are still holding to the world’s way of thinking. Additionally, it has made them ineffective in sharing the message of Christ, as they are not welcoming to others who do not share their point of view. Paul uses sarcasm in the later half of this chapter to display their behavior and attitude. They were in need of a lesson in humility.
Understanding-What does it mean? We live in a world filled with “haves and have nots.” What I mean by this, is all around us people are trying to fit into some sort of elite group of something. Whether that group involves having the nicest of things, or being the best at your pursuit, almost all of us want to have something that someone else has not.
For the longest time, my pursuit of being an elite was in the world of running, I wanted to be a “Boston Qualifier.” While thousands of people run the Boston Marathon every year, many don’t know that there is a qualification process. The Boston Marathon has long been an event that sought the elite competition in the world. There are two ways to “qualify” for Boston. The first way to qualify is by being a part of a charity group, essentially securing your spot through fundraising a large sum of money, or buying your way in like a cheater. The second way, the real way, to qualify is to run a marathon in a certain time for your gender and age bracket and enter your name into the lottery pool. And the faster you run, the more likely you are to be selected.
I wanted so badly to be part of the group that qualified by merit of time. I would often talk about how “Finishers Medals” were making the sport of running less legitimate, and watering down the quality of competition. I would go on to talk about how slow people shouldn’t be allowed to buy their way into elite events. Then my wife would look at me with disdain, as she cherished her finishers medals. Having never been a competitive runner, she holds those as proof that she conquered a monumentally difficult task. Needless to say, she didn’t appreciate my elitist attitude.
The incredible thing about our redemption through Jesus’ death on the cross, is no one can earn it. It can not be bought, worked for, cheated for, or held as a means of elite status. We know from John 3:16 that Christ loved the whole world so much he was willing to die. In Ephesians, Paul writes this idea in a very concise way. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Life Application God, help me to let go of any pride that would hinder your message. May I not hold myself in high regard because of any bit of minutia, like denomination, church building, or status within any organization. Help me to only boast in Christ and the cross. May my life be an extension of your love.
-Tyler Galloway