Paul stays on the theme of inappropriate criticism and judgement that he introduced in verse 2. ‘But brothers I have changed these outward appearances towards myself and Apollos through you, so that within us you do not learn over and above what has been written, in order that one not over and above one, blown up and inflated bringing down the other’ (I Corinthians 4 v 6). The first clause of this verse is slightly difficult to translate into English, but Paul seems to be saying that he has changed the shape of the images or outward appearances that the Corinthian Christians had formed of both himself and Apollos. In presenting basic theology he has changed these outward appearances away from that of different factions vying in competition with each other to be the best. He has replaced this with an appearance of the Corinthian house managers as sub-ordinate crewmen co-working together under the command of the Lord, as stewards of the mysteries of God (verse 1). He has applied this appearance to himself and Apollos because the Corinthians were placing them as different leaders of divisive factions that were in conflict, (I Corinthians 1 v 12). Paul’s purpose was that the Corinthian Christians did not use himself and Apollos to learn over and above what has been written, so that leaders were perceived as equal. Paul and Apollos were not examples to be used to create the idea of a leadership hierarchy, inflated to the point of one leader bringing down another.
I recently read a book on historical theology that outlined the development of thought within Christianity from the time of the Apostles through to the present day. It outlined some of the ‘heresies’ or ‘unorthodox teachings’ that began to emerge within Christianity and it became clear to me that a lot of these happened when Christians went ‘over and above what had been written’. Some Christian leaders were influenced by what were then current philosophical trends of thought, or by philosophical methods of reasoning for example, and they added these concepts and methods to Apostolic teaching. That is what Paul is guarding against here. He has outlined these different concepts of house managers and then applied them to himself and Apollos so that the Corinthian Christians don’t go beyond what is written and as a result introduce mistaken ideas and practices into the assembly. Paul is particularly concerned that no house manager is placed above another, that no house manager becomes inflated with a self-evaluation of their own superiority such that they ‘bring down’ or criticise other house managers.
Paul then introduces a sarcastic note. ‘Because who thoroughly judges you back and forth? And what do you possess that you did not receive? But if you also received, why do you boast in the manner of not having received? 8 Already now you are filled enough; already now you are enriched; you rule without us and O that you really did rule so that we also rule together with you’ (I Corinthians 4 v 7, 8).
In these early chapters Paul has established two important spiritual principles:
God is the effective proportionate Judge through His Messiah
Christians and Christian leaders do not attain their position and status through their own ability but by means of God’s free gift and effective summons
‘But you’, says Paul, ‘who is critically judging and assessing you? You are boasting of your status and ‘skills’ compared to those of others but your position and abilities have been given to you as a gift’. He says that already, before the proper time, they are filled enough and enriched. They rule the assembly reigning like kings, without and apart from the founding Apostles. He says in effect that ‘Already, before the appointed time, you have reached a pitch of Christian perfection. You have become mightily exalted and dominant leaders without us, so that you present an anticipation of the future Messianic approval and the Messianic fullness of possession and dominion before the appropriate season’. Paul turns to sarcasm and acidic wit. Many Christians consider such sarcasm to be ‘unseemly’ and ‘inappropriate’. It is worth taking an aside for a moment to consider the theme of Christian sarcasm.
Christian 2 Christians 