1 Corinthians 4:8-11 

⁸Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ⁹For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

Find Rest

Life on earth is challenging. And Christ invites us to find rest in him. Yet, we do not readily come to him for his help. What do you normally do? Do you search for biblical principles or just follow your instinct or seek advice from experts?

Someone refuted popular advisories and referred to what Christ Jesus said. Popular advice says, “Follow your heart!” Well, what did Jesus say? “Follow me!” Another advice says, “Be true to yourself! Follow your passion!” What did Jesus say? “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves!” Still they advise, “Believe in yourself!” Again, what did Jesus say? “Believe in me!”

While we live in this world, temporal fantasies can easily entertain us.

We’ve got to keep in mind always that heaven is our eternal destination; we are pilgrims, we’re transients in this world, and while waiting for Christ’s return, we have to be alert. Apostle Paul warned in Romans 2:8, ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Intellectual advisories from human beings can be useful temporarily. When they published what they have cherished, subscribers can be enticed to cherish similar fantasies. Well, we can be attracted and try what others had experienced. We want to taste the amazing things that others have tried. Nobody is exempted. Everyone wants to have wonderful memories. It warns in Luke 9:25, ²⁵What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

Have you ever wondered if Christ prohibits us to try what others enjoyed? Did God say, “Ignore your passion?” Will he prevent us to follow our heart? No! But, we pray that God gives us wisdom to practically obey his grand plan for us.

The Scripture has numerous records when God blessed with material things those who trusted him: Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, King David, Jabez, Job, Queen Esther, Daniel, to name a few. Do you believe that the Lord uses material blessings as practical proof that he also cares for our practical needs and not just spiritual?

Let’s reflect on Romans 10:12, ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.

How do you practically evaluate, if your faith in God is active or not? When our faith is active, we visualize the blessing included in the commands of God. We trust that God had designed his commands to bless believers who obey him.

Only by faith, we believe God. We can only obey him when we believe that his commands are favorable for us. God blesses us also with practical things when we obey him. Can you agree that prosperity or progress is blessing from God?

1.  Progress

⁸Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 

Personally, how do you interpret the phrase, “You have all you want?” It is also properly interpreted as “You are satisfied, contented or satiated; you are not short of anything; you have no deficiency, not needy, not poor.” Did Apostles Paul suggest that the believers in the church of Corinth have financially progressed?

What do you normally observe from celebrities who prospered financially? There are humble celebrities; but there are entitled personalities who boast about their wealth, fancy clothes and fancy cars. They try to intimidate ordinary people. Do they assume that they have power and authority to do whatever they want?

The rich people among the Corinthians had exemplified such behavior of entitlement when they verbally declared their preferred leader. It is sad to admit that in every generation, believers displayed preference when electing leaders.

What qualification do you prefer when you elect church leaders? Have you ever observed any ordinary Christian who gladly accepted the challenge of leadership ministry in the church? Biblically, leadership is spiritual gift, and the Holy Spirit sustains ministry leaders with wisdom to accomplish his purposes.

Deacon

Somewhere in Asia, an ordinary believer actively participated in the church ministries; he was nominated as one of the church deacons. He turned down his nomination; humorously, he said, “I’m not a manager!” His biblical argument was 1 Timothy 3:4-5, ⁴He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. ⁵If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

Truly, he argued that he was not qualified because he was not a manager. In that particular church, most deacons were managers in their workplaces.

Maybe, he supposed that church leaders who were managers will ignore his suggestions or ideas; so he may have thought his time will just be wasted.

Well practically, such behavior had exemplified dependence on human ability and intellect. When we rely upon human efforts, we can be dissuaded to reject the challenge to serve the Lord. Did God determine believers who reject nomination?

The church of Corinth was divided by their preferred leader. They assumed that they have authority to follow whoever they chose as their leader. Some of them said, “I follow Paul.” Others said, “I follow Apollos; I follow Cephas (Peter)!”

Did they prefer preachers who preached on what they wished to hear? We are also warned in 2 Timothy 4:3, ³For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

This biblical warning happened among the Corinthians. It happens in every generation. When Apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians, it also serves as rebuke and warning against possible similar situation in any local church. Can you agree?

Did Apostle Paul hint some sort of resentment or sadness? He wrote, “You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ” Despite their material prosperity, the Christians in Corinth were not spiritually mature yet. But why did Apostle Paul say that God put them on display at the end of the procession?

2.  Procession

⁹For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 

Dramatically, Apostle Paul interpreted their situation as apostles sent out to preach the gospel just for a show, display or spectacle for the world to watch.

Do you sense sadness here? Did Apostle Paul resent that their message has little significance to the church in Corinth? Did Apostle Paul imply that their sacrifices and efforts among the Corinthians had been taken for granted seemingly?

Their preference for a leader implied assumption of authority to choose who should teach them what they want; they rejected anyone they didn’t prefer.

But how should we associate that to what was declared in Ephesians 4:11? ¹¹Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

When we elect our church leaders, do you suppose that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us decision on who should be elected? We pray for guidance, and we believe that our decision is the answer of the Lord to our prayer, right? In a sense, we are just instruments of Christ when he gives leaders to the church. Why did Paul rebuke the Corinthians to choose their preferred preacher then?

Egg or Chicken

You heard the argument, “Which comes first, the egg or the chicken?” Eggs come from chicken, but chickens are hatched from eggs. Listen: God created chicken first because eggs need mother hen to keep them warm until they hatch.

Similarly, God created Adam and Eve as mature human beings instead of creating babies first, right? Newly born human infants do not have capability to prepare food or feed themselves. Would infants declare their preferred parents?

Adults can help infants, not vice versa. Similarly, Christ our Creator gave preachers, teachers and leaders to local churches to equip, train, and help us grow spiritually mature until we reach unity in faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Together, let us seriously reflect on what it states in Jeremiah 17:9:

⁹The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

The Lord knows that we prefer leaders who agree with us. And we pray that the Lord guides us when we choose ministry leaders. We trust that the Lord has anointed all elected church leaders. We also trust that others who rejected their leadership nomination had been called in another ministry involvement. When we are involved in Christian ministry, it is a privilege to practice our faith in God.

3.  Privilege

¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

Have you discovered your privileges being Christian? Have you personally proven it if you can be satisfied in plenty and in scarcity? We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In Christ, we’ve got wisdom and honor. Amen!

So, why did Apostle Paul testified that they were fools for Christ, weak, dishonored, hungry, thirsty, in rags, brutally treated and homeless? Did he try to get sympathy from the rich Corinthians so that they may send financial support?

He described the challenging situation they have endured as apostles of Christ.

He testified of his personal interpretation, as if God had paraded them on display at a procession, like criminals condemned to die. He felt like they have been made a spectacle to the whole world to see, angels and human beings. 

In first century, criminals who were sentenced to death were paraded before execution. And that was what they did to our Lord Jesus Christ. Did Apostle Paul complain about their situation? Not necessarily! In 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 he even admonished: ⁶Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Reflect on it. If Apostle Paul complained against being homeless, will they listen to him when he preaches that God is able to bless abundantly the cheerful giver? The phrase, “God is able to bless abundantly,” is also interpreted as “God is able to bless more than enough; God is able to bless more than what we need.”

When Apostle mentioned that they were fools for Christ, weak, dishonored, hungry, thirsty, in rags, brutally treated and homeless, he testified of possible situations we may go through to experience the sufficient grace of God.

Amazingly, Apostle Paul had received amply supply. Well, not from the Corinthians. Did the Corinthians read what Paul testified in Philippians 4:12-15? ¹²I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ¹⁴Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only. 

The Philippians were not rich but generous. We can be generous when the Holy Spirit of our generous God inspires us. We can learn the secret of being content in any and every situation. We can also do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Those privileges for believers are available by faith in Christ.

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