How does Paul contrast stewardship, boasting and apostolic treatment?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Faithful stewardship and the Lord’s judgment frame Paul’s questions about received gifts, his account of apostolic hardship and his fatherly admonition.

Chapter breakdown

Paul asks the readers to regard him and his companions as ministers of Christ and dispensers of God’s mysteries. A dispenser must be faithful. Being judged by them or by man’s day is a small thing to him; he does not even judge himself. Although conscious of nothing against himself, he is not thereby justified: the Lord judges him. They should not judge before the appointed time, until the Lord brings hidden things of darkness to light and makes the counsels of hearts manifest. Then each will have praise from God.

Paul has applied these things figuratively to himself and Apollo for the brethren’s sake, so that they may learn not to be puffed up for one against another above what is written. Who distinguishes them? What do they have that they have not received? If it was received, why glory as though it were not? He says that they are already full and rich, reigning without the apostles, and wishes that they did reign so the apostles could reign with them. He thinks God has set the apostles last, as men appointed to death, a spectacle to the world, angels and men. He contrasts their being fools for Christ with the readers’ wisdom in Christ, their weakness with the readers’ strength, and their lack of honour with the readers’ honour.

To the present hour the apostles hunger and thirst, are naked and buffeted, and have no fixed abode. They work with their own hands. When reviled they bless, when persecuted they endure, and when blasphemed they entreat. They have become like the refuse of the world and the offscouring of all until now.

He writes to admonish them as his dearest children rather than to confound them. Though they might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, they do not have many fathers: he begot them through the gospel in Christ Jesus. He asks them to follow him as he follows Christ. He has sent Timothy, his dearest son and faithful in the Lord, to remind them of his ways in Christ, which he teaches everywhere in every church. Some are puffed up as though Paul were not coming. He intends to come shortly if the Lord wills, and then to know their power rather than their speech. God’s kingdom is in power rather than speech. He ends by asking whether they want him to come with a rod or with charity and a spirit of meekness.

The story inside

Paul’s comparison to men appointed to death remains qualified by I think and as it were. His planned visit depends on the Lord’s will; the chapter reports no later community response.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Clean conscience does not itself justify.
2
Paul says I think and as it were about appointed to death spectacle.
3
Visit remains if the Lord wills.

Test your recall

What condition accompanies the promised visit?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 129408–129423
4:1. Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. 4:2. Here now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful. 4:3. But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you or by man’s day. But neither do I judge my own self. 4:4. For I am not conscious to myself of anything. Yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 4:5. Therefore, judge not before the time: until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise from God.
Lines 129430–129443
4:7. For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received, and if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 4:8. You are now full: you are now become rich: you reign without us; and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you. 4:9. For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death. We are made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. 4:10. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ: we are weak, but you are strong: you are honourable, but we without honour.
Lines 129445–129452
4:11. Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no fixed abode. 4:12. And we labour, working with our own hands. We are reviled: and we bless. We are persecuted: and we suffer it. 4:13. We are blasphemed: and we entreat. We are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all, even until now.
Lines 129454–129465
4:14. I write not these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children. 4:15. For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you. 4:16. Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ. 4:17. For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord. Who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus: as I teach every where in every church.