July 10
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PAUL ADMONISHES THE CORINTHIANS OF SPIRITUAL PRIDE
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in power. 21 What do you desire? That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
– 1 Corinthians 4:14-20
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In this letter, Paul reproves the Corinthian church as a father would reprimand a child. He considers them like his own children. He is concerned that they were dazzled by many other teachers telling them about the gospel. He simply reminds them that his love for them is like the love of a father to his own children. It is very different from the reproof they get from other teachers. As a father would expect his own children, he admonishes them to imitate what he does. He was setting an example for them to emulate. He wants them to follow the way that Christ has taught him.
In verse 17, he mentions sending Timothy, his beloved spiritual son so that they can be reminded of how Paul’s way was and so that they won’t be misled by the carnal temptations around them. He mentions to them that he teaches the same gospel and the same truth in the other churches as well so there is no reason to be jealous or envious because he treats all believers the same.
In verse 19, he targets their arrogance in presuming that Paul wasn’t coming over there for some reason that they concocted or assumed. He straightens out their wrong thinking by re-directing their attention on the kingdom power which is only attained by a complete dependence on God on everything. He wanted them to give up their self-reliance and their dependence on their own understanding. Spiritual pride and arrogance is prevalent in many churches today. We could have a good reminder from Paul about this sin problem that is so present in many churches that have chosen a wrong path.________________________________________
REFLECTION
• Why should we be mindful of spiritual pride as a sin that easily trips us up?