1 Corinthians 4:9-13 - Apostles: like the scum of the earth

4:9,10

Paul now contrasts the life of a real apostle, a real man or woman of God, and the superficiality of how the Corinthians were measuring things. This is something that we in charismatic churches need to be particularly aware of. Compared to what the Corinthians were boasting about, Paul and the other apostles were “at the end of the procession”. This is likening things to a Roman triumphal procession where those condemned to die were placed at the back of the procession. The life of an apostle was not a particularly jolly one! They endured physical persecution and deprivation, and were ridiculed. The Corinthians, in contrast, considered themselves to be so wise. The apostles were, in human terms, so weak, yet the Corinthians considered themselves strong. The apostles were frequently dishonoured, yet the Corinthians were honoured. This should warn us against superficial success-oriented teaching. Now there is nothing wrong with succeeding, and God may well grant us success in many areas, but it can so easily slip into a superficiality, and miss the aspect of the gospel that is concerned with sharing in Christ’s sufferings.

4:11-13

There were times when the apostles and their co-workers went hungry or thirsty, they were dressed in rags and were beaten up by their oppressors. They may even be homeless. But they did not react to this by repaying like with like. Instead they worked hard, they blessed those who cursed them. They endured persecution and responded with blessing. In short, they fulfilled Christ’s commands. Far from being honoured they were treated like filth, the scum of the earth. Now Paul is not saying here that things were always like this, but there were times when they were, and it was all part and parcel of being a servant of Christ. We need to be very wary of times when the world speaks well of us (Luke 6:26), and of all superficial “gospels”.