Fools for Christ (1 Corinthians 4:9-15)

Speaker: Rev Peter Tan

(60 minutes)

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1 Corinthians 4:10 “We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” •               INTRODUCTION          i.            FOOLS IN THEIR MANNERS OF LIFE          ii.            FOOLS IN THEIR MINISTRIES         iii.            FOOLS IN THEIR MESSAGES •               CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION •               1 Corinthians 4:10 “We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” •               Paul’s remarks of sarcasm and irony are aimed directly at the worldly Corinthians. •               The word “spectacle” is theatron, from which we get our word “theater”. •               The image from the coliseum, or the parade of a conquering Roman general, where he displayed his armies first, the booty second, and at the end of the procession, the defeated captives who would be condemned to die in the arena. •               Paul contrasting himself with the Corinthians who think that they are more spiritually privileged or blessed and endowed. I. FOOLS IN THEIR MANNERS OF LIFE •               Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” •               When they were slandered, they would reach out in kindness. This also was offensive to the Greek ideal; they thought a man was a wimp if he didn’t fight back when slandered. •               1 Peter 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” •               The Corinthians, in their love of Greek wisdom, embraced the Greek idea that manual labor was fit only for slaves.  It would offend them that one of God’s apostles would actually work with his own hands! II. FOOLS IN THEIR MINISTRIES  •               Paul’s description of his own ministry focuses on deprivation and humiliation.  These were things that the Corinthian Christians, in their pride, wanted to avoid at all cost (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23-25). •               2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” •               Ancient Greeks had a custom of casting certain worthless people into the sea during a time of plague or famine, while saying “Be our offscouring!”  The victims were called “scrapings” in the belief that they would wipe away the communities’ guilt. •               Paul may have a double meaning here when using the words filth and offscouring; he may be mean he is both despised and a sacrifice on their behalf. FOOLS IN THEIR MESSAGES •               Acts 17:18 “Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” (v.32) •               Acts 26:24 “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” (cf. Mark 3:21; John 8:48; 10:20-21; 2 Kings 9:11) •               A speech made on April 9, 1996 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia before the Mississippi College School of Law. He said, "Devout Christians are destined to be regarded as fools in modern society ... We are fools for Christ's sake . . .We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world . . . Surely those who adhere to all or most of these traditional Christian beliefs are to be regarded as simple-minded." “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” ~ Jim Elliot ~ POINTS TO REMEMBER 1.                   We consider ourselves as Christ’s servants; to be like our Master; 2. We are to be prepared to be seen as fools in this world; 3. Our honour and glory are not in this present world but in the world to come – in the eyes of God! VERSE TO REMEMBER John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”