1 Coríntios 4

1 Coríntios 4

Ironside - Illustrations of Bible Truth - I Cor. 4:9 The Lord's Spectacles One of the students of the Southern Bible Training School of Dallas, Texas, was praying and besought the Lord as follows: "O Lord, please keep your spectacles clean so that sinners can see you through us, 'cause you know, Lord, we are your spectacles." He did not know that the original word "theatron" means a show or display, but supposed it referred to eyeglasses. How we all need to remember that unsaved men can only see Christ through us; and if our lives are unclean, the vision of the Saviour will be blurred! Oswald Chambers - The recognized ban of relationship We are made as the filth of the world. 1 Cor. 4:9–13 . These words are not an exaggeration. The reason they are not true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot the exact truth in using them, but that we have too many discreet affinities to allow ourselves to be made refuse. “Filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ” is not an evidence of sanctification, but of being “separated unto the gospel.” “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,” says Peter. If we do think it strange concerning the things we meet with, it is because we are craven-hearted. We have discreet affinities that keep us out of the mire—‘I won’t stoop; I won’t bend.’ You do not need to, you can be saved by the skin of your teeth if you like; you can refuse to let God count you as one separated unto the gospel. Or you may say—‘I do not care if I am treated as the offscouring of the earth as long as the Gospel is proclaimed.’ A servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to go to martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a merely moral man or woman comes in contact with baseness and immorality and treachery, the recoil is so desperately offensive to human goodness that the heart shuts up in despair. The marvel of the Redemptive Reality of God is that the worst and the vilest can never get to the bottom of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal his son in me.” 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. Amplified We are [looked upon as] fools on account of Christ and for His sake, but you are [supposedly] so amazingly wise and prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are [so very] strong! You are highly esteemed, but we are in disrepute and contempt NET 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored! NLT 1 Corinthians 4:10 Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. ESV 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. NIV 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! GNT 1 Corinthians 4:10 ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. KJV 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. YLT 1 Corinthians 4:10 we are fools because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we are ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured; ASV 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor. CSB 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! NKJ 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! NRS 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. NAB 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. NJB 1 Corinthians 4:10 Here we are, fools for Christ's sake, while you are the clever ones in Christ; we are weak, while you are strong; you are honoured, while we are d are fools: 1Co 1:1-3,18-20,26-28 2:3,14 3:18 2Ki 9:11 Ho 9:7 Ac 17:18,32 Ac 26:24 for: Mt 5:11 10:22-25 24:9 Lu 6:22 Ac 9:16 1Pe 4:14 you are prudent: 1Co 4:8 10:14,15 Jer 8:8,9 we are weak: 1Co 2:3 2Co 10:10 11:29 12:9,10 13:3,4,9 but you are strong: 1Co 3:2 10:12 but we: Pr 11:12 Isa 53:3 Lu 10:16 18:9 1Th 4:8 FOOLS FOR CHRIST We are fools (moros) for Christ's sake, but you are prudent (phronimos - sensible, smart) in Christ - Amplified = "We are [looked upon as] fools on account of Christ and for His sake, but you are [supposedly] so amazingly wise and prudent in Christ!" See related comments on 1 Cor 3:18 where true wisdom is becoming fools for Christ's sake. Here Paul with stinging sarcasm says he (and those with him) were the fools (moros = dull, stupid, foolish, ridiculous), while the Corinthians who claimed to have worldly wisdom (philosophy) were actually the prudent or wise. One wonders if the readers felt the sting? Arnold - To serve Christ, the Apostles had to be willing to be called fools by the world. Their devotion for Christ caused the world to think of them as odd and strange. The Corinthians thought they were wise, but they were actually ignorant and spiritually pitiful. No Christian who lives for Christ will ever get along with the world. He will always be unpopular with some crowds. A true Christian will have people laugh, ridicule, sneer and mock at times. No Christian likes to suffer for Christ, but it constitutes the great test of life: whether we are willing to bear reproach for Christ and His kingdom. It is possible for any Christian or church to do exactly what the Corinthians did -- compromise, accommodate, sell out so the world will respect the Christian and not laugh at him any more. When a Christian is highly respected and honored by the world, then he has lost his testimony to the world. Often the most brilliant Christian will be looked upon as the village idiot by his unsaved colleagues. (Conceit: The Root Of Divisions) How important it is for God’s people to be “wise fools” who are willing to be called “fools for Christ”s sake” so that He will receive all the glory. -- Warren Wiersbe Vance Havner - Fools for Christ - This world has always been moved, not by cold, calculating brass hats but by fools with their facts on fire; fools to their own generation, who perhaps did not know as much as some others but who were consumed by what they knew. And God is looking for "fools for Christ's sake" who are sure of a few great facts and with those facts on fire. James Smith - If a Christian is not in the eyes of the world an anomaly he is nothing. The Spirit of God always makes a tremendous distinction between men. "Ye are a peculiar people." The energy of the natural man, and that of the Holy Spirit in the believer, are as different as darkness is from light; as far apart in character as Judas was from John....When God makes His choice of weapons they are always weak and base in the sight of the wisdom of this world (1 Cor. 1:27, 28). Fools for Christ. (Read his full discussion of Gideon's Victory where the numbers of warriors and weapons are "foolish" to the natural, logical man - scroll down to middle of the page). In another comment on fools for Christ, Smith writes "Those who are fools for Christ have a business, and pleasures, and prospects, that Christless eyes have never seen. Fools, because they hold lightly the material, and grasp with firm hand the eternal. The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man (1 Cor. 2:14). To die to live, is wiser than to die to be lost. (from For Christ's Sake) We are not much use in the Lord's service until we are willing to become fools for Christ. |It is ours to obey and to trust. Opinions formed apart from the light of God's Word will sooner or later bring the blush of confusion to your face. --- James Smith Fools (3474)(moros conveys the root meaning of one who is mentally dull, sluggish in understanding, foolish, morally worthless, useless, silly or stupid (English = “moron”). Absurd (ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous). All 12 NT uses - Matt. 5:22; Matt. 7:26; Matt. 23:17; Matt. 25:2; Matt. 25:3; Matt. 25:8; 1 Co. 1:25; 1 Co. 1:27; 1 Co. 3:18; 1 Co. 4:10; 2 Ti 2:23; Titus 3:9. Jesus used moros giving us a good description of foolish when he declared “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish (moros) man who built his house on the sand." (Mt 7:26+) That is foolish! Prudent (wise, shrewd) (5429)(phronimos from phronéo = think, have a mindset related to phren = diaphragm, regarded by ancients as seat of mental and spiritual activity, came to mean mind or understanding) is an adjective which describes one who is thoughtful, sagacious or discreet. It describes the quality of one's thinking which is the result of insight and stands in opposition to moros which means foolish. The idea is that there is understanding combined with wisdom and insight. Phronimos implies a cautious, sensible, prudent character and in Mt 10:16 refers to one as "shrewd" as a serpent. One who is shrewd has clever discerning awareness, acute perception and sharp powers of judgment. Phronimos also includes the ideas of one who is prudent, sensible and practically wise in relationships with others. There is a type of phronimos that is desirable (eg, here in Mt 7:24, 10:16, et al) and a type that is not desirable (Ro 11:26, 12:16) this latter describing the person who relies on th We are weak, but you are strong - This contrast could not have been more marked in truth it was actually the opposite of what Paul states. The reason of course is that the weakness of the apostles paradoxically led to their experiencing of power from Christ (see passage below), while the the strength of the Corinthians was fleshly and they were in effect spirutally impotent! And thus in the very thing in which they were boasting (their spiritually exalted state) they were boasting, the irony is that they were in effect absolutely powerless! As Paul said And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power (dunamis) is perfected in weakness (astheneia).” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses (astheneia),, so that the power (dunamis) of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses (astheneia), with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak (astheneo), then I am strong. (dunatos) (2 Cor 12:9, 10+) Arnold - The Apostles were weak and in constant need of fellowship with Christ and the body of Christ, but the Corinthians thought themselves strong, needing nothing and no one. They were “Lone Ranger” Christians.(Conceit: The Root Of Divisions) Weak (sick, helpless) (772) (asthenes from a = without + sthénos = strength, bodily vigor) (See study of related verb astheneo - note the concentration of asthenes/astheneo in the epistles to the Corinthians - almost 50% of NT uses) is literally without strength or bodily vigor. Asthenes describes one's state of limited capacity to do or be something and is used literally of physical weakness (most of the uses in the Gospels) and figuratively of weakness in the spiritual arena (weak flesh, weak conscience, weak religious system or commandment [Gal 4:9, Heb 7:18], etc) and thus powerlessness to produce results. Strong (loud, mighty, severe, strong man) (2478)(ischuros from ischuo = to be able) is an adjective which means strong, powerful, mighty (usually referring to inherent physical strength), able, forcible. Strong, having moral power. Inherently strong. Ischuros denotes power or ability and places “stress on the actual power that one possesses rather than on the mere principle of power. People - spoken of the powers both of body and mind, physical and moral . You are distinguished (endoxos), but we are without honor - Amplified = "You are highly esteemed, but we are in disrepute and contempt." He says they are honored, distinguished, eminent. Perhaps this was true when they gazed in the mirror, but not when their heart was examined by the piercing gaze of God (Pr 15:3). Again the contrast is a paradox, for the apostles were dishonored by men but greatly esteemed by God, for "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6+). See Spiritual Paradox in the Christian Life Arnold - The Corinthians were objects of honor and praise in the eyes of the world; the Apostles were held in utter contempt. Christians compromise the faith not because of intellectual problems but because they want respectability in the eyes of the world. Behind most compromise is the unwillingness to be laughed at by the world. Christians cannot get it through their thick skulls that to be a follower of Christ means persecution from the world. Sharing in Christ’s suffering becomes a major way Christians share in Christ’s glory. (Conceit: The Root Of Divisions) Distinguished (1741)(endoxos from en = in + doxa = glory) means (1) held in high esteem, honored, of high repute, distinguished, eminent as in 1Co 4.10; Lxx - Gen 34:19, 1 Sa. 9:6; 22:14; Isa. 23:8. (2) BDAG says endoxos pertains to "possessing an inherent quality that is not ordinary" and thus glorious or splendid. Of the church, brilliant in purity Eph 5:27 (figuratively free from sin). Of splendid deeds Lk 13:17 (cp Lxx. Ex 34:10; Job 5:9; 9:10; 34:24) Endoxos describes clothing which is splendid, fine (Lk 7.25). (3) Finally, endoxos speaks of spiritual excellence, that which is glorious, splendid, wonderful (Eph 5.27) including wonderful things, splendid deeds (Lk 13.17; Dt 10:21 = awesome things) Liddell-Scott - (1) held in esteem or honour, of high repute, (2) of things - notable. Gilbrant - In classical Greek endoxos means “to be honored or esteemed” in the opinions of others. Men held in such high esteem were thought to be “extraordinary” or “magnificent.” The Septuagint uses endoxos to refer to honorable men. Most often, however, it relates to the “glorious things” God promised Moses that He would do for His covenant people (cf. Exodus 34:10). In doing so His name would be “glorified” (Isaiah 60:9). Endoxos occurs in the New Testament only four times. Luke used endoxos to describe clothes. “Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces” (Luke 7:25, NASB). The word relates to “gorgeously” splendid clothes which were made for the elite. Luke also used the word to refer to the glorious acts of Jesus (Luke 13:17). Paul referred to the Corinthians as “honorable” or “illustrious” when contrasting them with the apostle’s condition in 1 Corinthians 4:10. Paul also used the same word to describe the “glorious” estate of the Church in Ephesians 5:27. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Endoxos - 4x - in all...glory(1), distinguished(1), glorious things(1), splendidly(1). Lk. 7:25+ = "Those who are splendidly clothed" Lk. 13:17+ = "the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him; 1 Co. 4:10; Eph. 5:27+ = church in all her glory. Endoxos in Lxx - Gen. 34:19; Exod. 34:10; Num. 23:21; Deut. 10:21; Jos. 4:4; Jdg. 18:21; 1 Sam. 9:6; 1 Sam. 18:23; 1 Sam. 22:14; 2 Sam. 23:19; 2 Sam. 23:23; 1 Chr. 4:9; 1 Chr. 11:21; 1 Chr. 11:25; 2 Chr. 2:9; 2 Chr. 36:14; Est. 1:1; Est. 1:3; Est. 6:9; Job 5:9; Job 9:10; Job 34:24; Ps. 149:8; Prov. 25:27; Isa. 5:14; Isa. 10:33; Isa. 12:4; Isa. 13:19; Isa. 22:18; Isa. 22:24; Isa. 23:8; Isa. 23:9; Isa. 24:15; Isa. 26:15; Isa. 32:2; Isa. 48:9; Isa. 59:19; Isa. 60:9; Isa. 64:3; Isa. 64:11; Dan. 5:31; Dan. 6:3; Nah. 3:10; Fools for Christ - An article appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (April 10, 1996, A12) titled "Stand Up for Faith, Scalia Says." The article reported the recent speech delivered by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to an event sponsored by the Christian Legal Society at the Mississippi College School of Law. He said that Christians must proclaim their belief in miracles and ignore the scorn of the "worldly wise." He went on to say that the modern world dismisses Christians as fools for holding to their traditional beliefs, "We are fools for Christ," he said "We must pray for the courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world." ILLUSTRATION - I heard Professor W. O. Lappin tell about the man walking down State Street in Chicago wearing a sign board. On the front it read, “I am a fool for Christ’s sake.” Those who turned to look saw that the back of the sign read, “whose fool are you?” I visited with a young Christian woman taking graduate work in psychology. She sounded dismayed when she said, “anyone who holds to Christian ethics is now considered abnormal.” I thought, “The Christian is nearly always considered abnormal.” The Story of a Fool for Christ Karl F.A. Gutzlaff (1803-1851) Disgraced idealist One historian described him as, variously, "a saint, a crank, a visionary, a true pioneer, and a deluded fanatic." Karl Gutzlaff provides a poignant example of how Christ is preached even through those with many shortcomings. Gutzlaff, young and zealous, skirted the coast of China in his boat, delivering Chinese tracts. The free-lance missionary had recently lost his wife and daughter after several years of mission work in Indonesia and Thailand. By the late 1840s, the reports from Gutzlaff's work in China were glowing: the 300 Chinese Gutzlaff had trained to evangelize China in one generation had distributed thousands of New Testaments and counted no fewer than 2,871 baptized converts. Supporters back home were enthusiastic—until the hoax was discovered in 1850. Gutzlaff was in Europe promoting his mission work at the time, but evidence suggests he already knew he had been deceived by his Chinese workers. They had concocted the conversion numbers and had secretly sold back to the printer New Testaments Gutzlaff had paid to have printed in the first place. The printer would sell them again to an unsuspecting Gutzlaff. More serious still: for fear of losing financial support, Gutzlaff chose to gloss over the growing discrepancies. When this all came to light, he was disgraced. A disheartened Gutzlaff returned to China to try and pick up the pieces. One year later he died. If history judges Gutzlaff as a "deluded fanatic," it must add that he was a fool and a fanatic for Christ. In Indonesia and in Thailand (where he and his wife translated the complete Bible into Siamese) and in China, he was foolish enough to dress, eat, and live like those he sought to evangelize—a radical step in his day. He deftly blended evangelism with social concern, as when he helped to negotiate the end to the First Opium War, in 1842. And though the mission organization he founded, Chinese Union, died with him, out of its soil grew the Chinese Evangelization Society, which sent Hudson Taylor to China in 1853, only two years after Gutzlaff's death. Taylor himself remembered and honored Gutzlaff by calling him "the grandfather of the China Inland Mission." —"Hudson Taylor and Missions to China," Christian History, no. 52 ILLUSTRATION - Gary Hamlin: Fool for Christ - Gary Hamlin: A physician and self-proclaimed "fool for Christ" Nine years ago [1984] on April Fool's Day, Dr. Gary Hamlin, a Joplin, Missouri, osteopath, became a "fool for Christ." Soon, he began doing seemingly foolish things. "I lived the first 40 years of life for Gary Hamlin's personal gain," he says. "But as I became obedient to God, he opened my eyes to other people who needed my help." First, Hamlin co-founded a Teen Challenge center offering free counseling and medical care for young people in trouble. He and his family hosted some of these teenagers in their home. Then, when no other physician volunteered, Hamlin became the first medical director of the AIDS Project of the Ozarks. Lafayette House, a Joplin facility for battered women and children, also engaged Hamlin's services, which he provided free of charge. But God had more plans. On April 1, 1988, Hamlin opened a highly unconventional medical practice—the Benevolent Friday Clinic. Any patient who needs medical care receives it. No one is turned over to a collection agency for non-payment. Medicare and Medicaid assignments are welcomed. Build a clinic like that, and people will come—35 to 45 patients a day. However, operating that way, Hamlin has to moonlight every other weekend in a local hospital to help with the overhead. Not everyone in the medical community is as enthusiastic about Hamlin's set-up as he is. But that's okay. "Luke 14:14 introduced me to the founding principle for the clinic," he explains. "It was God's personal promise to me. 'And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.' " Even now, though, "when a patient's eyes well up with tears because someone is willing to give him medical care, it's humbling," Hamlin says. Teaming up with a Christian dentist, Hamlin is heard weekly on "Healing Touch," a radio call-in program. In 1992, Hamlin entered the congressional race in his district, finishing a respectable third out of six candidates. He took his cue to "plead the cause of the poor and needy" from Proverbs 31:9. always the initiator, Hamlin enjoys "being a loud voice. Confrontation has a way of making politicians stay on their toes." The future may include more campaigning, especially to lobby for health-care reforms. In 10 years, when his youngest child is grown, Hamlin hopes to be practicing medicine in Haiti. Since his first visit to Haiti in 1989, Hamlin admits "materialism has lost its value. Before I went to Haiti, where I worked with the Haitian Christian Mission and on my own, I carried a lot of fears in my life. Fear of dying. Fear of financial hardship. But after awhile, the fears began to dissipate. God was weaning me from the world's attractions. He was showing me his vision for my life. To be a fool for him every day. But realize how rich I am." —Christian Reader, "Ordinary Heroes." 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; Amplified - To this hour we have gone both hungry and thirsty; we habitually] wear but one undergarment [and shiver in the cold]; we are roughly knocked about and wander around homeless. NET 1 Corinthians 4:11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, brutally treated, and without a roof over our heads. NLT 1 Corinthians 4:11 Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. ESV 1 Corinthians 4:11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, NIV 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. GNT 1 Corinthians 4:11 ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν καὶ διψῶμεν καὶ γυμνιτεύομεν καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν KJV 1 Corinthians 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; YLT 1 Corinthians 4:11 unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about, ASV 1 Corinthians 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; CSB 1 Corinthians 4:11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; NKJ 1 Corinthians 4:11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. NRS 1 Corinthians 4:11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, NAB 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless NJB 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this day, we go short of food and drink and clothes, we are beaten up and we have no homes; GWN 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this moment, we are hungry, thirsty, poorly dressed, roughly treated, and homeless. BBE 1 Corinthians 4:11 Even to this hour we are without food, drink, and clothing, we are given blows and have no certain resting-place; unto: 1Co 9:4 2Co 4:8 6:4,5 11:26,27 Php 4:12 and are naked: Job 22:6 Ro 8:35 and are buffeted: Ac 14:19 16:23 23:2 2Co 11:23-25 2Ti 3:11 and have: Mt 8:20 SO YOU WANT TO BE AN APOSTLE! Check the "job description" for an apostle. Now do you still want to be an apostle? Many in modern Christendom are claiming to be apostles! They need to read these passages by Paul! See Is God restoring the offices of apostle and prophet in the church today? | GotQuestions.org To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless - Don't miss the fact that every one of these verbs (hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated, are homeless) is in the present tense indicating that this was their lifestyle, their continual experience! These were the real life experiences of Paul and the apostles. Paul never owned a home and in effect was "homeless," at the lowness levels of ancient society, while the Corinthians were "living like kings."