When You Are Scum-1 Cor 4:6-13

Do you suffer like Christ, like Paul, until others think you‘re out of allignment–that you’re like scum? There’s a jarring personal dissonance and disconnect to answer this while I’m comfortably reading the Bible along with several Bible commentaries, and typing on several computers–one at my house, one in my office, one on my lap top when visiting my grandchildren–and working barefoot at home in my shorts as a telemedicine physician. How do you avoid either guilt, on the one hand, because you‘re not suffering like Paul or Jesus? Or develop a martyr complex, on the other hand, where you work, serve and suffer for others in order to alleviate your guilt and feel good about yourself?

H𝒐͛𝒘͛ ͛𝒅͛𝒐͛ ͛𝒚͛𝒐͛𝒖͛ ͛𝒇͛𝒆͛𝒆͛𝒍͛ w𝙝͟𝙚͟𝙣͟ ͟𝙤͟𝙩͟𝙝͟𝙚͟𝙧͟𝙨͟ ͟𝙩͟𝙝͟𝙞͟𝙣͟𝙠͟ ͟𝙩͟𝙝͟𝙖͟𝙩͟ ͟𝙩͟𝙝͟𝙚͟𝙮͟’͟𝙧͟𝙚͟ ͟𝙗͟𝙚͟𝙩͟𝙩͟𝙚͟𝙧͟ ͟𝙩͟𝙝͟𝙖͟𝙣͟ ͟𝙮͟𝙤͟𝙪͟? 𝑶͢𝒓͢ ͢𝒕͢𝒉͢𝒂͢𝒕͢ ͢𝒚͢𝒐͢𝒖͢’͢𝒓͢𝒆͢ ͢𝒍͢𝒊͢𝒌͢𝒆͛͛͢͢ 𝒔͛͛͢𝒄͛͛͢𝒖͛͛͢𝒎͛͛͢?͛  That’s how the Corinthians arrogantly felt about Paul. They thought of themselves as “filled, rich, ruling, wise, powerful, honored” (1 Cor 4:8, 10), while Paul looked the very opposite of them: foolish, weak, dishonored, poor, brutally treated, homeless (1 Cor 4:10-11). They failed to see how much Paul resembled Jesus who “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not” (Isa 53:2–3). Paul was NOT a pretty picture…and neither was Jesus! So with devastating irony and powerful contrasting imagery he embodies the theme of the folly of God as wiser than merely human wisdom.

Genuinely participate in Christ is how Paul took seriously his sufferings and weaknesses, for discipleship entails fellowship in the sufferings of Christ (Rom 8:17; Phil 3:10). This doesn’t mean that one must suffer to be a genuine disciple, but that sufferring is a direct result of belonging to Christ and considered the norm (1 Thess 3:3; Phil 1:29). Christ really suffered. Then those who’d follow him must expect that they, too, will be like this, as Paul was.

[“Puffed up“] Critical of Paul. 4:6-13 is dominated by 2 themes:

1. Their pride (1 Cor 4:6-8, 10).
2. His weaknesses (1 Cor 4:9, 11-13).

Their 𝒑͙𝒓͙𝒊͙𝒅͙𝒆͙–the root of the matter–caused them to be “𝒑͢𝒖͢𝒇͢𝒇͢𝒆͢𝒅͢ ͢𝒖͢𝒑͢” against Paul (1 Cor 4:6c). After trying to deflate them through a series of rhetorical questions (1 Cor 4:7), Paul launches into an ad hominem argument against both their exalted status (1 Cor 4:8, 10) and their improper view of Paul/apostleship. The contrasts are stark and the irony is devastating:

• they have arrived (1 Cor 4:8); he is like one condemned to die in the arena (1 Cor 4:9).
• they are wise, strong and honored; he is foolish, weak and dishonored (1 Cor 4:10).
• they disdain the very things that Paul “boasts” about — his tribulations (1 Cor 4:11-13).
• 1 Cor 4:8, 10 is undoubtedly the way they think Paul ought to be, while 1 Cor 4:11-13  is the way they ought to be.

The common lectionary omits much of this material (4:6–21), likely for these reasons:

• Paul addresses the congregation in a sarcastic, scolding tone;
• he portrays the authentic Christian life as one of deprivation and suffering;
• he employs patriarchal rhetoric to assert his own authority;
• he immodestly calls his readers to imitate him; and
• he threatens those who refuse with violent punishment (the “stick” of 1 Cor 4:21).

This is not winsome material. We might like Paul better when he is less confrontational. [Personally, I like Paul’s confrontational diatribes, polemics, sarcasm and blunt brutal biting irony!] Surely there are times when the church needs to hear a message of tough prophetic confrontation. Is this such a time?

The theology of the cross–set forth in 1:18-2:16–Paul applies to the Christian life. Paul desires that they ” imitate” him (1 Cor 4:16)–not out of his ego–but to follow his “way of life in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 4:17). To be a servant of Christ means to go the way of the cross: “It is the way the master trod; should not the servant tread it still?”

The moment of truth: You‘re arrogant. Paul uses metaphors for understanding the church and its relation to him and other leaders (3:5–4:5). He now shifts into literal explanation and not through figures. He explicitly discloses what he’s been aiming at and confronts them with the charge of behaving arrogantly. “The argument has reached the moment of truth” (Fee).

The key transitional sentence (1 Cor 4:6) is obscure causing readers to miss what Paul is saying. But the meaning was perfectly clear to the Corinthians, while we lack information that was taken for granted by Paul and his original readers. Consider each clause of this crucial sentence.

“I have applied these things [all this] to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters… .” What does “all this” include? Paul means to refer back to the argument at least from 1 Cor 3:5 onwards. “All this” (literally, “these things”) could extend back to chap. 1 where Paul and Apollos are first mentioned (1 Cor 1:12) [and Apollos is not mentioned again until 1 Cor 3:5]. Paul uses himself as an example in chap. 2 of what it means to boast in the Lord rather than in human wisdom. Now he draws together his whole argument up to this point.

“Applied.” Its root meaning is “transformed,” as in Phil 3:21 is a technical term used in rhetoric to describe the device of making covert allusion through the use of figurative language to disguise the writer’s meaning. [Same verb, meaning “to disguise,” (2 Cor 11:13–15).] So, Paul has been speaking metaphorically. He’s “telling it slant” [Eugene Peterson]. In truth, he’s driving at something else entirely. This is a critical point. It means that we’ll utterly misunderstand Paul if we think that the problem was a power struggle between Apollos and Paul. Everything Paul says indicates that the relationship between him and Apollos is harmonious, and also without the slightest hint of any conflict with Cephas or others.

Divine reversal. “…so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, ‘Nothing beyond what is written‘” [a slogan or maxim Paul assumes they recognize.] What does it mean? “What is written”  always refers to Scripture. Paul quotes 6 Bible vs. in the 1st 3 chaps. (1 Cor 1:19, 31; 2:9, 16; 3:19, 20). In the first 2 and the last 2, the application is explicitly spelled out: No boasting in human beings (1 Cor 1:29; 3:21)–linking the 2 quotations in chap. 3 back to the quotations in chap. 1. The OT context of each quote is the theme of divine reversal: God confounds the wise, the strong, and the prosperous and raises up the simple, the weak, and the poor. The 2 quotes in chap. 2, though not explicit admonitions against boasting, reinforce the same theme by juxtaposing God’s gracious ways to all human understanding. The cumulative force of these citations is unmistakable: the witness of Scripture places a strict limit on human pride and calls for trust in God alone. What would it mean to go “beyond” (hyper) this witness of Scripture? It means to boast in human wisdom by 𝒔͢𝒖͢𝒑͢𝒑͢𝒐͢𝒔͢𝒊͢𝒏͢𝒈͢ ͢𝒕͢𝒉͢𝒂͢𝒕͢ ͢𝒘͢𝒆͢’͢𝒓͢𝒆͢ ͢𝒔͢𝒎͢𝒂͢𝒓͢𝒕͢𝒆͢𝒓͢ ͢𝒕͢𝒉͢𝒂͢𝒏͢ ͢𝑮͢𝒐͢𝒅͢. (Rom 12:3: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly [hyperphronein] than you ought to think.”) The last clause of 1 Cor 4:6 confirms this interpretation.

Intrnal rivalry. “…so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another.” Their problem is internal rivalry within the community, fostered by prideful claims about the possession of wisdom and rhetorical skill. The verb “puffed up,” is a vivid image describing their problem of excessive self–esteem, appears here for the first time (also in 1 Cor 4:18–19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4–the last two is set in opposition to love). To Paul, those who are puffed up should be pricked and deflated by Scripture. In these opening chapters, he has spoken about Apollos and himself as examples of authentic collaborative service, boasting only in the Lord, as Scripture teaches. They should take the hint and “learn through us” what it means to live in accordance with Scripture. But just in case they missed the point, Paul now makes it explicit (1 Cor 4:6–7): Stop boasting and competing with each other.

Shouldn‘t you humbly give thanks to God?? 1 Cor 4:7  ought to have a devastating impact on the wisdom-boasters.”For” connects to 1 Cor 4:6. Paul wants to show why those who are “puffed up” against him in favor of Apollos are out of place and out of line. Their pride in persons reflects a lack of perspective and a lack of gratitude. The Fall has given us all too high a view of ourselves, with a correspondingly low view of others. Instead of humbling offering thanksgiving for gifts received (1 Cor 1:4), they allowed the gifts to become a sign of status and a source of dissesion. So Paul tries to give them perpective with 3 rhetorical questions.

Who are you to presumptuously judge me?? The 1st rhetorical question means, in effect, “Who in the world do you think you are, anyway? What kind of self-delusion is it that allows you to put yourself in a position to jugde another person’s servant?” (Fee)–in judging me and comparing me to Apollos or anyone else (1 Cor 4:3, 5). The implication is that there are no grounds for anyone exalting himself/herself over another, since any difference or advantage are ultimately attibutable to God. Paul’s intent is to address and correct their “puffed up” attitude toward him by mocking their conceit as presumptuous.

Why are you so ungrateful when all that you have is a gift from God to be humbly received?? The 2nd question is an invitation to experience one of those rare, unguarded moments of total honesty, where in the presence of the eternal God one recognizes that everything–absolutely everything–that one “has” is a gift.

• All is of grace.
• Nothing is deserved.
• Nothing is earned.

Those who so experience grace also live from a posture of unbounded gratitude. Those who think of themselves as especially gifted with the Spirit and wisdom, thereby enabling them to judge another, reflects a total misunderstanding of grace, and quite miss the “humility of God” expressed in the Crucified One.

Grace vs. self. Paul drives the 2nd question home with the 3rd rhetorical question–just in case they miss the point, which assumes the answer “nothing” to the 2nd question. Their “boasting” is the sure evidence that they missed the gospel of grace. Instead of recognizing everything as a gift and being filled with gratitude, they possessed their gifts–saw them as their own–and looked down on Paul who seemed to lack so much—compared to them!

• Grace leads to gratitude.       “Wisdom” and self-sufficiency lead to boasting and judging.
• Grace has a leveling effect.    Self-esteem has a self-exalting effect.
• Grace means humility.           Boasting means one has arrived (1 Cor 4:8).

Because of their “puffed up” arrogant boasting, Paul resorts to irony to help them see the folly of their “boasting.” Thus, the last 2 questions show the absurdity of boasting (reinforcing 1:26–31 and 3:19–21a) about anything, because ALL that we have is a gift of God. To claim credit for wisdom or any kind of spiritual insight is both absurd and ungrateful, for all that we have is solely God’s gracious doing. The privileged are often those who “were born on third base and think they hit a triple.” This is just as insidious an illusion in the realm of spiritual and intellectual things as it is in the realm of material wealth.

Paul now turns to withering sarcasm (1 Cor 4:8) if they’re still not chastened by the questions in 1 Cor 4:7. He begins an extended comparison between himself and the “wise” at Corinth (4:8–13). In contrast to the lowly apostle and apart from him, they “already” are filled and rich and have become “kings.” With the adverb “already,” many interpreters argue that their error was an “overrealized eschatology,” a belief that the kingdom of God had already arrived in all its fullness and that they were living already in a state of eschatological blessedness, like angels in heaven. It is by no means clear. Certainly they (or at least some of them) suffered from excessive pride and self-satisfaction, but there’re other ways to arrive at such a state besides having an accelerated apocalyptic timetable. Indeed, most of the evidence of the letter suggests that their problem was almost exactly the reverse: They lacked any definite eschatology, with the result that they were heedless of God’s future judgment of their actions. It is far more likely that their “boasting” was caused not by an excess of eschatological enthusiasm but by their infatuation with popular philosophical notions of how the wise person can transcend the ordinary limitations of human existence. In the letter to this point Paul has chided them for inappropriate understandings of “wisdom,” which, as we have seen, is linked with philosophy and rhetoric.

Derisive description (1 Cor 4:8). Where would they get the idea that they are already rich and that they reign as kings? These claims were made by Cynic and Stoic philosophers. Their “wisdom” sets them free from attachment to things and makes them in effect rulers of all things. Epictetus, the true Cynic says, “Who, when he lays eyes upon me, does not feel that he is seeing his king and master?” Plutarch takes a somewhat more skeptical view of such claims: “But some think the Stoics are jesting when they hear that in their sect the wise man (sophos) is termed not only prudent and just and brave, but also an orator, a poet, a general, a rich man, and a king; and then they count themselves worthy of all these titles, and if they fail to get them, are vexed.”  This reveals that the Stoics make of themselves precisely the claims that Paul imputes to the Corinthian sophoi. Thus, Paul is deriding them for adopting an inflated self–understanding based on a philosophy/ideology alien to the gospel. This doesn’t mean that they’d rejected the gospel in favor of Stoicism, but they’re creating an uncritical mixture of ideas, or arguing that Christianity was the true wisdom that enabled them to accommodate and embrace the philosophers—just as Philo of Alexandria was arguing in this same era that the law of Moses was the epitome of philosophical truth.

They’re uncritically perpetuating the norms and values of the pagan culture around them. Paul then diagnoses the situation and redescribes it in theological categories. He keeps introducing apocalyptic eschatological language into the argument to get critical leverage on their boasting, as he tries to encourage them to understand themselves in terms of an apocalyptic narrative that locates present existence in between the cross and the parousia.

A simple but crucial point. Church leaders today have the same task that Paul had. We must analyze the ways in which we link the gospel with the beliefs and aspirations of the surrounding culture and—when done in “merely human” ways—we need to address and critique, which is what Paul models and what every pastor/elder/leader must do. We must address people in a given cultural situation and get them to reshape their lives in light of the gospel by reframing the story within which they live and move.

Paul‘s own life is the alternative he offers them, set in antithesis to theirs. In contrast to their self-designation as conquering kings, Paul’s image is that of prisoners sentenced to death. The image is taken from the Roman “triumph,” where the victorious general parades through the streets in a chariot, with the leaders of the defeated army trailing along in the rear of the procession, to be “exhibited” and humiliated as a public “spectacle” (1 Cor 4:9) on their way to imprisonment or execution (2 Cor 2:14). There’s no image more antithetical to the Stoic conception of the philosopher as strong, free, and self-sufficient. It’s a stunning image, for Paul suggests that it is God who has won the victory and made a spectacle of the apostolic prisoners. They, by contrast, fancy themselves as leaders of the procession, victorious kings who therefore, Paul suggests, are not subject to the authority of God.

They are wise, strong, and held in honor, whereas the apostles are fools, weak, and held in disrepute. The echoes of 1:26–31 are clearly audible here. Paul’s manner of life is consonant with the cross, while they aspire to a lifestyle that is a de facto repudiation of the cross.

Apostolic suffering (4:11–13) is one of several such lists in the Corinthian correspondence (2 Cor 4:7–12; 6:4–5; 11:23–29; 12:10; Rom 8:35–36). To Paul these are not misfortunes or trials to be surmounted but identifying marks of the authenticity of his apostleship, because they manifest his conformity to Christ’s sufferings. The reference to blessing in response to reviling is surely modeled on his understanding of Jesus’ example (Rom 15:3), if not on the teaching of Jesus (Lk 6:28; Rom 12:14). Some features of the list are conventional (hunger, thirst, poor clothing, homelessness), but some are quite specific to Paul’s own situation and to the matters at issue between him and the church. When Paul emphasizes that he suffers these hardships “to the present hour” and “to this very day,” he is contrasting his experience to those who have “already” become full and rich. Being beaten should be compared to his autobiographical remarks (2 Cor 11:24–25). Working with his own hands (Act 18:3) is related to his refusal to accept financial support from them, which led to difficulties and misunderstandings (9:4–18; 2 Cor 11:7–9; 12:13–17). Paul refused financial support likely because of his desire to remain independent and to distinguish himself from popular philosophers who charged fees for their services or became attached to wealthy patrons. His manual labor marked him as a person of relatively low social status, which is displeasing, even embarrassing, to some of them.The strong language of “rubbish [scum] of the world, the dregs [garbage] of all things” (1 Cor 4:13b) should not be underplayed. Paul says in the strongest possible terms that to follow Christ is to share his destiny of being scorned and rejected by the world. There’s no direct allusion to Isa 53, but Paul’s vision of the Christian life agrees with Isaiah’s picture of the Servant as “despised and rejected…a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity” (Isa 53:3). Paul is throwing down the gauntlet for his readers. If you really want to belong to Christ, look at me: this is where it leads, this is what it looks like. This is a powerful word for the church today. To belong to Christ is not a way of assuring success or a trouble-free life; quite the opposite. Paul had a successful life before he was called by God to his apostolic vocation; to become a proclaimer of Christ crucified meant giving all that up (Phil 3:4–11). The image of the suffering apostle should be held clearly before our eyes, and then we should ask ourselves: Are we sure we want to belong to Christ and share his way?

REFLECTION and important message FOR the church. Paul critically reframes cultural norms (4:6–13). His specific critique is aimed at a popularized version of the Stoic ideals of self-sufficiency and self-determination. We still encounter variations of such ancient philosophical tendencies. Paul’s response is that we’re radically dependent on God’s grace (1 Cor 4:7), and our lives—in this time between the times—must conform to the pattern of the cross (4:9–13).

Paul attacks their version of wisdom because it splinters the church. What forces are splintering your church? What philosophical, political and ideological sentiments need to be critiqued by the gospel? The prevailing “philosophy” of Western culture today is not Stoicism but hedonism and political activism. We are coaxed and conditioned by powerful persuasive forces (media, pundits, political rhetoric, advertising, entertainment) to believe that the highest good is the pursuit of pleasure and/or social activism for a perfectly just utopia–which will NEVER be realized this side of the parousia. This is self–determination of a very different sort from the Stoics. The crasser manifestations of this cultural tendency are easy to spot and criticize: rampant materialism/consumerism, disregard for the poor, liberal individualism for individual freedom, ignoring the community and a rebound of guilt and violence by many to “correct” the ills of society. Those who are “puffed up” by material wealth, personal autonomy and social activist causes must be confronted with the gospel of Christ crucified.Hedonism and social activism has infiltrated and corrupted the church. In attitudes about sex and social justice, we think that the purpose of the church’s ministry is to make people feel good and comfortable and to correct the ills of society. 1 Cor 4 poses a severe challenge to such an understanding of the gospel. Hays read a report from a Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor evaluating the fitness of a certain candidate for ministry. The supervisor was extremely critical of her. Why? Because she was so excessively self-giving, focusing only on the needs of others and not paying sufficient attention to “caring for herself.” He wondered how that supervisor would have evaluated Paul on the basis of his self-report in 4:11–13. Worldly wisdom teaches us to look out for ourselves, to make ourselves secure and comfortable, and worst of all to interpret “ministry” as helping other people to achieve the same. Paul’s message severely challenges to such thinking.

Signs of the church’s cultural captivity and compromise include the uncritical perpetuation of patriarchy which divides the church by causing males of power and privilege to be “puffed up” and to dominate and belittle others in the church. Paul’s message of the cross calls those with power, privilege, and honor to surrender them and to be conformed to Christ.

How do we deal with our culture’s corruption of authentic Christian community? 1 Cor 4 insists that all our discernments about the life of our community must be formed in light of these 3 criteria to keep us from getting fooled by the power-illusions of the present age:

1. The eschatological reservation insists that the world’s way of seeing power and value is distorted and that we must wait for God’s final setting-right of all things while trusting the truth of a gospel that offers power in weakness.
2. Scripture stands as a word from God that challenges our pride and blocks us from going beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6). For Paul, “what is written” must be interpreted with the aid of the Spirit in light of the cross.
3. The apostolic example of suffering gives experiential concreteness to the word of the cross, showing that the death of Jesus–a vicarious atonement for the sins of the world–is also a model of the life of faithfulness in the world.

The regnant [reigning, ruling] systems/slogans/values of our day MUST be critiqued by the gospel. Feel also the force of Paul’s critique on your life. Many of us are filled and rich. Then we either ignore the problems of injustice, racism and the poor. Or we react out of guilt as though we can correct the problems by our own efforts and initiative. Whatever we boast in, ask yourselves whether Paul is talking directly to you in 4:8–13. Does your gospel proclamation have any credibility? Do you respond to the call of God by living a visibly alternative lifestyle that bears prophetic witness against a culture of self–satisfaction, self–determination and self-sufficiency?

Reference:

1. Richard B. Hays. First Corinthians. Interpretation. A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. 1997.
2. Gordon D. Fee. First Corinthians. The New International Commentary on the NT. 1987.
3. Richard B. Hays. The Moral Vision of the N.T. A Contemporary Introduction to N.T. Ethics. 1996.

Sermon Divisions:

1. 7/12/20: Always Thank God (1:1-9) [1 Cor 1:4].  Cosmic Epic Calling [1 Cor 1:2].
2. 7/19/20: The Devil Divides, God Unites (1:10-17) [1 Cor 1:10]. All Agree. No Divisions. Perfect Unity.
3. 7/26/20: The Cross—God‘s Way—is Dumb (1:18-25) [1 Cor 1:18]. The Cross Stumbles. The Cross is like a Cop Out. Foolish Cross.
4. 8/2/20: What You Were, Who Christ Is (1:26-31) [1 Cor 1:26, 30]. The Necessity of Lack. No Boasting  [1 Cor 1:31].
5. 8/9/20: Nothing but Jesus (2:1-5) [1 Cor 2:2].
6. 8/16/20: Wise vs. Stupid (2:6-16) [1 Cor 2:6]. True Wisdom is Only for the Mature. The Mind of Christ [1 Cor 2:16].
7. 8/23/20: You‘re NOT Spiritual (3:1-4) [1 Cor 3:1].  Spiritual, Yet Not Spiritual.
8. 8/30/20: Merely Servants (3:5-9) [1 Cor 3:5]. Field Laborers.
9. 9/6/20: Build with Care or Be Destroyed (3:10-15, 16-17) [1 Cor 3:10-11].
10. 9/13/20:  Deceived by Wisdom (3:18-23) [1 Cor 3:18]. God’s folly is true wisdom. Wisdom doesn’t boast. All Belongs to Christ and God.
11. 9/20/20: When You Are Judged (4:1-5) [1 Cor 4:4]. God Ahead…Judge Me! Judged Only by God; Accountable Only to God.  Judging Others Blinds You.
12. 9/27/20: When You Are Scum (4:6-13) [1 Cor 4:13]. Become Scum. Suffering Apostle amid Others’ Boasting
13. 10/4/20: Imitate Me (4:14-21) [1 Cor 4:19]. Fatherly Admonition. Final Warning to Boasters.
14. 10/11/20: Expel the Wicked Person (5:1-13). Drive out the wicked person from among you.
15. 10/18/20: Your Will Judge the World (6:1-11) [1 Cor 6:2]. I say this to shame you [1 Cor 6:5]. You’re washed, justified and sanctified [1 Cor 6:11]. Legal Disputes Should Be Handled within the Community.
16. 10/25/20: Glorify God with Your Body (6:12-20). Prostitutes.
17. 11/1/20; 11/8/20; 11/15/20: West Loop Elders.