I. The Problems Being Addressed Vs. 6-8
A. They Had A Distorted View Of Their Christian Leaders V. 6a
1. When they considered their leaders, they evaluated the beyond the scope of Scripture.
2. Conversely, they were missing important biblical truths about their church leaders.
3. They were evaluating their leaders using carnal standards.
4. They didn’t follow scriptural guidelines found in verses 1-5.
B. Their Carnal Views Of Leadership Led To Church Divisions V. 6b
C. Problems Concerning Spiritual Gifts Vs. 7, 8
1. They forgot that God is the Giver of gifts.
2. They boasted in the giftings of these men, but forgot that the gifts were given by God
3. 1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
4. Vs. 7, 8– Their attitudes resulted in self-glorying
a. Paul utters these words with a sarcastic twist.
b. He has a righteous anger against their foolishness.
c. They thought they were full, rich, and kingly.
d. He mockingly shows them their error.
5. It is much the same manner Jesus employs when speaking to the church of Laodicea.
Revelation 3:17-19 17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked– 18 “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent’’.
6. Paul wished that they understood the true nature of things.
a. If they did, then they could enjoy a truly exalted state, and Paul could join them.
b. Instead, he uses the same method that Jesus uses. Sarcastic rebuke.
II. A Correct View Of A Christian Leader Vs. 9-
A. A Life Of Self-Denial V. 9
1. Every true servant of Jesus Christ will endure varying degrees of what Paul endured.
2. If you desire to serve Jesus, you will go through difficult times.
3. William Barclay- Paul turns on the Corinthians with scathing irony. He compares their pride, their self-satisfaction, their feeling of superiority with the life that an apostle lives. He chooses a vivid picture. When a Roman general won a great victory, he was allowed to parade his victorious army through the streets of the city with all the trophies that he had won; the procession was called a Triumph. But at the end there came a little group of captives who were doomed to death; they were being taken to the arena to fight with the beasts and so to die. The Corinthians in their blatant pride were like the conquering general displaying the trophies of his prowess; the apostles were like the little group of captives doomed to die. To the Corinthians the Christian life meant flaunting their privileges and reckoning up their achievement; to Paul it meant humble service and a readiness to die for Christ.
B. A Life Of Being Judged By His Own Spiritual Children V.10
1. Paul was judged and criticized by those whom he had brought to Christ.
2. The Corinthians had developed carnal tastes, and now viewed Paul through carnal eyes.
C. Physical, Emotional, Mental Hardships Vs. 11-13
1. V. 11-Beaten– It is the word used for beating a slave. Paul was willing to be treated like a slave for the sake of Christ.
2. V. 12-Reviled-to reproach, rail at, revile, heap abuse upon
a. William Barclay– We probably do not realize just how surprising a statement this would be to a pagan. Aristotle declares that the highest virtue is great-heartedness, the virtue of the man with the great soul; and he defines this virtue as the quality which will not endure to be insulted. To the ancient world Christian humility was a virtue altogether new. This indeed was the kind of conduct that to men looked crazily foolish although this very foolishness was the wisdom of God.
3. V. 13-Filth– The Greeks used to offer victims as sacrifices to make expiation for the people, criminals who were maintained at the public expense, that on the outbreak of a pestilence or other calamity they might be offered as sacrifices to make expiation for the state. The lowest of humanity, worthy of the garbage pile, except that they might prove to be a good sacrifice to appease the Greek gods.
III. The Needed Correction Vs. 14-21
A. Paul’s Intention-Not To Shame, But To Correct V. 14
B. Why They Should Receive This Correction V. 15
1. In their past they had had other pastors, and would have other new ones in the future
2. Some would be godly men and others might not be.
3. Some they would have right regard for, but for others they might not respect.
4. Many opinions had come their way, and many more would come.
5. But if they were going to listen to anyone, it should be Paul, their spiritual father.
C. Instructions On How To Live V.16
William Barclay- Then Paul says an amazing thing. In effect he says, “I call upon my children to take after their father.” It is so seldom that a father can say that. For the most part it is too often true that a father’s hope and prayer is that a son will turn out to be all that he has never succeeded in being. Most of us who teach cannot help saying, not, “Do as I do,” but, “Do as I say.” But Paul, not with pride, but with complete unself-consciousness, can call upon his children in the faith to copy him.
IV. A Warning To Them Vs. 17-21
A. Important Enough To Send Timothy V.17
1. These matters were so important, that though Paul could not immediately join them, he insisted on sending Timothy to tend to these matters.
2. They needed reminding about how to view and not view servants of Christ
3. This correction was for their protection and spiritual safety.
B. Some Were Proud and Resistant To God’s Word V. 18
1. To some, the word of God isn’t enough.
2. They won’t yield until they are confronted face to face.
3. They think carnally and need to be dealt with face to face.
C. The Test Of Godliness Would Soon Come Vs. 19, 20
1. Powerful Christian living isn’t found in man’s opinion
2. Some Christians are very opinionated. They have Bible knowledge.
3. They evaluate Christians and Christian leaders, and churches.
4. They believe themselves correct on all matters.
5. The power of the Christian life isn’t in the words of a man. It is in the life of a man.
D. We Can Choose How God Will Correct Us V. 21
William Barclay-In the end Paul demands whether he is to come to mete out discipline or to company with them in love. The love of Paul for his children in Christ throbs through every letter he wrote; but that love was no blind, sentimental love; it was a love which knew that sometimes discipline was necessary and was prepared to exercise it. There is a love which can ruin a man by shutting its eyes to his faults; and there is a love which can mend a man because it sees him with the clarity of the eyes of Christ. Paul’s love was the love which knows that sometimes it has to hurt in order to amend.