Slices
Prepare
What responsibilities have you been given in life? How did it feel to be given those responsibilities? Perhaps some felt right, but some felt overwhelming. How did it feel attempting to fulfil the required duty?
Bible passage
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’; 20 and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’ 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
The nature of true apostleship
4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Explore
In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus told a story of some servants entrusted with some of their master’s money. In one way, the Corinthians were like the first servant who was given the most money – they had been enriched in every way, given every spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:5,7). But in another way, they were unlike the first servant, who used the money that was entrusted to him to further enrich his master. They seemed to be using their gifts to raise themselves up in their own importance.
‘Watch out,’ says Paul. ‘God knows your motives and those will be revealed. Follow our example.’ Paul, Cephas and Apollos saw themselves as the servants of Christ, working to give him glory, not to take glory for themselves. Furthermore, Paul pointed out that it was not the place of the Corinthian church to judge and criticise the apostles. They were working for God and it was up to God, not other believers, to judge them (v 4).
Respond
Make a list of your areas of responsibility – within your relationships, for your possessions, as a citizen of your community, country and world. Ask God to help you see all these responsibilities as God-given, and to help you fulfil them faithfully.
Deeper Bible study
‘O let me feel thee near me: / the world is ever near; / I see the sights that dazzle, / the tempting sounds I hear’.1
Paul returns to his critique of the world’s wisdom. It is foolishness because it ignores ultimate reality. Today, nothing has changed. The human mind can still be used for good or ill, but ignoring God is ultimately unwise. As the psalmist warns us, it is fatally foolish to ignore God in our hearts,2 to ignore God deep within us in the place where we choose right and wrong, where we orient our purpose in life. Paul labels this self-deception (v 18).
Paul is not accusing the Corinthian church members of godlessness. He is writing to them as Christians. Aware of the risk he is taking and the criticism he may engender, he is confident of his calling and that only God’s judgement finally matters (4:4). Paul’s sadness is that, although they have responded to the gospel and consider themselves followers of Jesus, they remain under the influence of the world’s ways, its values and priorities. Competing factions sprang from minds still shaped by rivalry, jealousy and pride. Competing for power and prestige, they were bringing the world into the church.
In my youth, the ‘worldliness’ we were warned about always seemed connected with sex, alcohol and entertainment but the worldliness which corrupts the church goes deeper than the mere temptations of youth. The desire for wealth, power or prestige has always infected the church and diminished its witness in the world – including today the sanctifying of corporate management structures and business methods. To Paul, the irony of this is that we have no need of it: We already own the future (3:22). The temporary concerns of the world should not affect us. We belong to Christ and that should be enough: ‘your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.’3
‘My foes are ever near me, / around me and within; / but, Jesus, draw thou nearer, / and shield my soul from sin.’4
1 John Ernest Bode, 1816–74, ‘O Jesus, I have promised’ 2 Ps 14:1 3 Luke 12:32 4 See note 1
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 13,14; Colossians 4
Pray for Scripture Union
The new supporter relations database (see 23 June) is undergoing user acceptance testing, a critical phase where we make sure that the system works as expected and identify and fix any bugs. Pray for our external suppliers and all involved, that they may be able to spot the areas requiring attention.
