1 Corinthians 4:9-13
For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
These verses are highly contextual to the problems Paul had with the Corinthians. Yet there is still a message for us today. I am reflecting on the challenges the apostles, first missionaries, and early Christians faced. We have a hard time understanding this as we read our Bibles in the comfort of our warm (or cool) homes, with food in our refrigerator and possible a car or motorcycle in our car port. The Corinthians evidently thought pretty highly of themselves because they were relying on their own strength and wisdom. Paul has already shown how foolish this approach to life is (see ch. 1). Why did the Corinthians experience little hardship and relative comfort? Part of the reason may be that they were living no different than their surrounding culture. Outsiders could not tell a believer in Jesus from a non-believer. Those who live like the world will not be persecuted because the world likes those who feed into its deception. Those who live in the shadow of the cross should expect that same response Paul describes he was receiving from the Corinthian church.
We like to be comfortable and accepted. I know I work hard in caring for my family so that we can live comfortably. We are blessed. Paul is not asking the Corinthians to live in poverty but to accept his way of life, which imitates Jesus. Are willing are we to live such radically Christ-like lives that we find ourselves in tension with the culture around us?
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