Should You Judge An Apostle?

1 Corinthians 4 is the fourth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus, composed between 52–55 CE. Paul continues to confront the factionalism of the Corinthian church and describes the role of an apostle.

Paul insists the Corinthian Christians should stop making themselves judges of each other. Only the Lord’s judgment matters. They are living as if their wealth and status are all they need. And they criticize the apostles who serve Christ in poverty and under persecution, imitating Christ.

Corinthians Lack Respect for Apostolic Authority

Apostles were no more than servants of Christ, but they were not to be undervalued. Paul had a problem with the Corinthians; they tended to look down on him and not respect his apostolic authority.

Paul asks that he, and the other apostles, be regarded by the Corinthians as servants. In carefully chosen words, Paul shows the Corinthians how to have proper regard, not too exalted and not too low, of himself and the other apostles.

Words Describing a Servant

There are several different words in the language of the New Testament to describe a servant. Here, Paul uses the word “hyperetas,” which describes an attendant, a servant who waits on or assists someone, and a subordinate servant functioning as a free man.

In this sense, Christian leaders should attend personally to the needs of the people they lead. Leaders are not exalted, but humbled, by accepting leadership.

Paul does not use the more common New Testament word for a servant (doulos) which designates a common slave.

The word hyperetas means an “under-rower,” in the sense that someone is a rower on a big galley ship. So, though it is not the lowliest word for a servant, hyperetas is not a prestigious position. This under-rower acts under direction, asks no questions, does the thing he is appointed to do without hesitation, and reports only to the One Who is over him.

Stewart

The second word Paul used to describe himself as a servant is oikonomos (“stewards”). This word describes a servant or slave who manages the affairs of a household or estate. The chief distinction in this position is trust. The steward is trusted to manage the affairs of the household for the benefit of the owner.

Likewise, the Christian leader is trusted to manage the group for the benefit of all its members, rather than the leader’s personal benefit.

In addition to being a servant, Paul asks to be considered a steward, like the manager of a household. In relation to the master of the house, the steward was a slave; but in relation to the other slaves, the steward was a master.

For stewards, the important thing was faithfulness. They had to be efficient managers of the master’s resources. A steward never owned the property or resource he dealt with; he simply managed it for his master and had to manage it faithfully.

The Apostles Were Stewarts of God’s Mystery

What did Paul and the other apostles “manage” in the household of God? Among other things, they were stewards of the mysteries of God. They “managed” (in the sense of preserving and protecting) and “dispensed” (in the sense of distributing) the truth of God.

Paul Has little Regard for the Judgment From Humans

Paul said it is a very small thing to be judged by the Corinthians or by any human court.

In fact, Paul said, he does not even judge himself.

In Summary:

Paul had a problem with the Corinthians; they tended to look down on him and not respect his apostolic authority.

The Apostles had a great trust, and for that reason, had an honorable office. Paul has described himself as a steward of God’s revealed mysteries.

Can, or should, every Christian today have the same attitude? Should we have no or little regard for what other Christians think about us, and just say He who judges me is the Lord? We can only say this, in the full sense that Paul means it – if we are apostles.

If the Corinthians claimed that Paul could not judge them and that they would simply wait for God’s judgment, Paul would remind them that he is a father to them, and has the right to correct their behavior.

It is a comfort that men are not to be our final judges. And it is not judging well of ourselves, or justifying ourselves, that will prove us safe and happy. Our own judgment is not to be depended upon as to our faithfulness, any more than our own works for our justification.

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In conclusion, consider what the Daily Bread email message sent on 2/15/2023 says,

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1 Corinthians 4:1-3 – Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. (NASB)

The Corinthians tended to look down on Paul and not respect his apostolic authority. Paul makes the connection that he and the other Christian teachers must also be found faithful by God to serve as stewards of the revealed mysteries of God. They must be trustworthy people of high integrity.

Every Christian today should have the same attitude. We should have little regard for what other Christians think about us, and just say He who judges me is the Lord (in the full sense that Paul means it: if we are apostles).

If the Corinthians claimed that Paul could not judge them and that they would simply wait for God’s judgment, Paul would remind them that he is a father to them, and has the right to correct their behavior.

We should not be puffed up for one against another if we remember that we all are instruments, employed by God, and endowed by Him with various talents.

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