If you read this before July 19th, please take time to read the revisions in red
"judge" - to decide by trial. Remember the context. Paul isn't saying that in the local assembly it is wrong to judge for sin and deal with it accordingly (as he will begin into in 1 Cor 5). The context is the stewardship. It is for the master to decide whether the steward has done a good job or not. The time will come someday, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, when the Lord returns to set up His kingdom. It is at this judgment that the concealed will be revealed. All are naked and open in His sight, and it will be all put on the table. What is wood, hay, and stubble will be consumed, what is gold, silver and precious stones will remain for Him. He will reveal the works and also the intents of the heart and the motives of men. Following all of this, then each man will have praise from God as he is seen fit. What an amazing and baffling thought, that on the merits of Christ we are put into a position someday where we may hear the Lord say, "well done thou good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:21, 23) because He judges that we have done rightly with what He has given us.
Since Christ is the judge of all at the end, and we know not the councils of the heart, we will likely be surprised at others' rewards in that day. Some who we might consider great men will receive little, while others who we least expect will receive great reward.
(ESV)"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."
"these things" - not judging other's stewardships or ministries for Christ based on councils of their heart.
"I_have_in_a_figure_transfered" - Paul applies these things to himself and Apollos. The point Paul is trying to make is that the Corinthians should not judge Apollos or himself as a great man to latch onto their name, since it is unknown to the believer how the Lord will judge another believer. Don't think of man as great, but think of Christ as great. Disagreements and divisions should never be caused over what other men are greatest to attach ourselves to.
These are a series of thoughts why we should not be puffed up, think of ourselves different, or better than another believer; or think about ourselves as better than others since we attach ourselves to the name of another believer.
This is true of all believers/stewards: "What hast thou that thou didst not receive?" Truly all things are gift from God. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, to our faith and our spiritual gifts. The Lord is the owner of all, it is our work to do our best with what He bestows to us. He is worthy to be praised and for us to attach our name to.
As a result of this, we have no glory in ourselves, but the glory is for God who gives.
"full" and "rich" - there was abundance of spiritual gift in Corinth. They could be a self-sufficient assembly without help because they were full of spiritual gift. Unfortunately many of the believers here had stunted spiritual growth.
"reign" - it would seem that those in Corinth already acted as if they were reigning. They must have thought of themselves as far greater then they were. They were no doubt not only overrating other Christians to attach their name to, but also their own gifts.
"I would to God" - it is Paul's desire of course that they should reign. The implications of the Corinthians truly reigning would be that Christ has returned in glory and set up His kingdom. The saints here, Paul, and all other believers would be reigning with Christ who is the true King of kings.
Paul expounds on the condition that the apostles are found in to contrast the condition of the believers in Corinth in the view of the people in the city around them:
1. appointed to death
2. a spectacle unto mankind, angels, and men and women(show, theatre)
3. fools for Christ (in the eyes of the world - 1:18, 2:14, 3:18) v. prudent in Christ
4. weak (1:27) v. mighty
5. despised (1:28) v. honourable
Apollos and Paul both suffered from: hunger, thirst, nakedness, buffeting, homelessness, the need from manual labour to survive. All these things are of higher honour than how the Corinthians lived their lives comfortably. Corinthians sought popularity among the people around them rather than standing for the truth of God, while Apollos and Paul were willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. Their stewardship appears to be far greater at this point.
In these verses 12-13, Apollos and Paul would display the mind of Christ. The Lord Jesus always took the higher road and followed His own teaching upon the mountain. These two would be displaying that they were committing themselves to the one who judges righteously rather than taking matters into their own hands just as Peter records of Christ. I Peter 2:23: "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously"
The purpose of this revelation of the life of Paul and Apollos is not to make the Corinthian believers look like they're not as good as them, but to try to wake them up from their relaxation and loose Christian life.
"instructors" - tutors. Paul appeals to them as a father waking his son in the morning (as it were). He was not just a teacher to them, but a father since it was through his preaching that they were saved.
"followers" - imitators. There are three examples in scripture when Paul entreats other believers to look to himself as one to imitate. (1 Cor 11:1, Phi 3:17). Would I be able to tell others to just watch me, in good conscience knowing I would be accountable for my teaching? We should never do this, but still seek to live a life where we might find in the day of judgment that would could have done this. The apostle must have had such a clear conscience knowing that he was living his life according to the will of God, and having victory temptations nearly always. He wanted them to be good stewards as he was. This is an amazing command seeing he was led by the Spirit to write this to the Corinthians, and it was not of his own boastfulness. We could never command this of ourselves today in good conscience knowing the teaching of the beginning of the chapter.
Paul feels that this matter is important enough to sent Timothy to remind them of how Paul was an imitator of Christ. This is the key that we should be an imitator of Christ.
Problems are arising because Paul hasn't been back to Corinth. The believers in Corinth are puffed up and think of themselves as higher than they ought. Paul hasn't been there in a while, so they think that they are doing good. They have been glorying in the flesh and the strength of man which Paul has been countering all through the epistle. (1 Cor 1:25; 2:6, 14; 3:3-5; 4:7; 5:2). The climax in glorying in the flesh is in the next chapter where it is found that a reputation for fornication characterizes the assembly at Corinth.
It is Paul's desire to visit Corinth if it is the Lord's will. He wants to come to see the power of God work among these believers again, rather than them hearing the empty speech of the carnal who do not have their words used by the Spirit of God.
The speech of them which are puffed up seem to be the ones who take the vocal role in this assembly. They would have been teaching things concerning the flesh. The power of God would not be behind those who are teaching carnality.
word - spoken word. It is not Paul's words that will be great in themselves, but rather when they are energized by the Spirit. God is the power behind the creation of His kingdom. He may use Paul's words to do this, but Paul would only be a channel.
Paul, as a father, will come to teach his children in Christ lessons according to what they need. A loving father will use the means that will be the most effective for the greatest purposes. This is how the Father deals with us also. Paul's methods suggested are with the rod (chastening), in love, or in the spirit of meekness (gentleness). Am I an effective and obedient steward, or do I need the Father to correct me?
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