Passage: 1 Corinthians 4

The Big Idea

Before Paul corrects the Corinthians’ specific sins, he goes after the root of them all: pride. Faith only works with humility, and pride cuts us off from the power of God. Paul asks three piercing questions, contrasts proud living with humble living, and lovingly calls his spiritual children back to the way of Jesus, who humbled Himself all the way to the cross.

Looking for Solutions

Everyone is looking for solutions to their problems. Some of us just have different problems than others.

Researchers are now testing virtual assistants that could help astronauts diagnose and fix unexpected problems on spacecraft in real time. “Hey Siri, fix my spaceship!” It seems like the whole world is turning to the newest technology to fix our problems.

But there have been some funny AI mistakes. One city launched an AI chatbot to help small businesses understand the law, and it started confidently telling business owners they could do things that were clearly illegal. The city ended up adding a stronger disclaimer: this chatbot can’t give legal advice.

Our tools can’t fix our deepest problem. Paul is about to show us what it is.

Servants and Stewards (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

Paul says people should think of him and the other leaders as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. And what’s required of stewards is that they be found faithful.

Paul and the other leaders were responsible for this church, and they were about to start correcting it. No one likes correction, so Paul lays a loving foundation first.
The word for servants pictures an under-rower on a ship. Paul isn’t building his own kingdom or rowing his own boat. He’s simply part of the family, responsible to train others in the “mysteries of God”: the gospel, the life of faith and the grace of God.
They must be faithful: examples of what faith looks like, willing to teach the family to live by faith too.

God Sees the Heart (1 Corinthians 4:3-5)

Paul says it matters very little to him if he’s judged by them or by any human court. He doesn’t even judge himself. His conscience is clear, but that doesn’t make him innocent. The Lord is the one who judges him. So don’t pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes. He will bring to light what’s hidden in darkness and reveal the motives of the heart, and then each person will receive praise from God.

“I know I love you. I don’t have to prove it to you or anyone.”
“I know how to live by faith.”
The big picture: God sees our hearts. And Paul is going to help them see what’s going on in theirs.
Our hearts determine how our lives play out. No one can hide what’s in their heart forever. Guard your heart above all else, because it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23).

Paul is acting as their counselor, guiding them to the truth. That’s the true role of a counselor: not to tell us what we want to hear, or validate what we feel, or even hand us steps to fix ourselves, but to lead us to the truth.

Pride or Humility

There’s really only one part of our hearts we can choose: pride or humility.

Faith is only compatible with humility.
Pride is its opposite.
And pride will get in the way of living by faith every single time.

“Don’t Go Beyond What Is Written” (1 Corinthians 4:6)

Paul says he has applied all this to himself and Apollos for their sake, so they would learn not to go beyond what is written, and so none of them would be puffed up in favor of one leader against another.

Think. Our minds have to be renewed in humility. Our natural way of thinking is pride and self-sufficiency.

What is written. Scripture is our only reliable guide, the source of truth.

Pride pushes back right there: “Don’t tell me what to do! I’m the boss of my life!”
Humility accepts that God wouldn’t lie to us or lead us astray.
And Scripture tells one consistent story about pride and humility.

Before destruction the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor (Proverbs 18:12).

Pride was the original sin. Isaiah pictures the shining one, the “morning star,” cast down from heaven because he said in his heart, “I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Ezekiel describes one who was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, but whose heart became proud because of his beauty, and who corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor (Ezekiel 28:12, 17). Many see in these passages a picture of Satan’s fall.

Three Questions That Expose Pride (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you didn’t receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t?

“Who makes you different?” God designs each plant with its own purpose and its own fruit. He likes that we’re different. But no one is better than another. There’s no place for racism or any kind of superiority in God’s family. It’s all pride, the very heart of Satan.
“What do you have that you didn’t receive?” Grace only works by God giving and us receiving. And He gives grace to all of us. No one has ever earned anything from God, so pride is pointless. We enjoy God’s gifts, not our wages.
“Why boast?” Pride in the church makes no sense, because every one of us has received grace upon grace: forgiveness, relationship and a new heart.

Proud Living vs. Humble Living (1 Corinthians 4:8-13)

Paul makes a sarcastic comparison.

“You’re already full! You’re already rich! You’ve become kings without us!” Paul is exposing their self-sufficiency. The Corinthians acted as if they’d already arrived at spiritual maturity and needed nothing more. Paul reminds them of their ongoing need for growth and dependence on Christ.

“God has put us apostles on display at the end of the parade, like men condemned to die, a spectacle to the world, to angels and to people.” My old self-life was crucified with Christ. That’s what’s on display. What do I have to boast about when my whole part was simply to die with Christ and be raised with Him? Remembering that our self-focused life ended at the cross is humility, and the world and even spiritual beings can see it.

Then Paul lays out the contrast:

“We’re fools for Christ, but you’re so wise in Christ!”
Pride: “I’m wise. I’ve figured it all out.”
Humility: “I don’t care if you think I’m foolish. I’ll keep trusting Jesus and His Word.”
“We’re weak, but you’re strong!”
Pride: “I’ve got this.”
Humility: “I know how much I need Jesus.”
“You’re honored, but we’re dishonored!”
Pride: “I love getting honor and having people talk about me.”
Humility: “Even if I’m ignored or laughed at, I’ll keep my eyes on Jesus.”

“To this very hour we’re hungry and thirsty, poorly dressed, beaten and homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we’re insulted, we bless. When we’re persecuted, we endure. When we’re slandered, we answer kindly.”

That’s humility on display:

If I don’t have what I need or want, I accept what God has chosen for me and trust He has a plan and purpose in all of it.
I spend my life working and blessing others, instead of wanting to be served.
I respond to mean people with blessing and love.
It’s the exact opposite of the self-life.

“We’ve become like the scum of the world, the garbage of all things.” My value doesn’t come from what the world thinks of me. The world’s opinion never blessed me anyway.

A Father’s Warning (1 Corinthians 4:14-17)

Paul says he isn’t writing to shame them, but to warn them as his dear children. They might have ten thousand teachers in Christ, but they don’t have many fathers, and Paul became their father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. So he urges them to imitate him. That’s why he’s sending Timothy, his beloved and faithful son in the Lord, to remind them of his ways in Christ, which he teaches in every church.

Correction can feel shameful. But we all need it.
Paul is teaching them the right way, the way of humility, and he’s living it fully. That’s the best way to teach: by example.
We all need reminding of the way of Christ: the way of grace and humility. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Pride is the root of the problem.

Not Talk, but Power (1 Corinthians 4:18-20)

Some of them had become arrogant, as if Paul weren’t coming back. But he would come soon, if the Lord willed, and find out not what these proud people were saying, but what power they had. For the kingdom of God isn’t a matter of talk, but of power.

Pride cuts us off from the power of God.
God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).
Paul was jealous for his spiritual children to know the real life they’d been given. I’m jealous for you to know that same power.
You can’t imagine the life of power we have. We can live a truly powerful life, impacting the world around us, as we choose humility over pride.

Rod or Gentleness? (1 Corinthians 4:21)

“What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or with love and a gentle spirit?”

Paul loved them enough to correct them, but they got to choose how.
That’s the point of this chapter. The issue that needed correction was pride.
Pride would lead to a whole list of other sins Paul addresses in the rest of the letter, sins that would bring destruction to God’s beloved family.
Paul loved them enough to name the problems and the root cause, even if they got mad at him and called him names.

The Mind of Christ

Paul tells us to have the same attitude Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He didn’t cling to His equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born as a man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. That’s why God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

Grace Takeaway

Pride is the root of so many problems, and it shuts off the flow of God’s power. Everything you have, you received. So lay down the need to be wise, strong and honored. Humble yourself like Jesus did, and God will pour His grace and power into your life.

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The Root of the Problem