PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

Using this as a metaphor, Paul refers to himself as a steward in God's family. God is exceedingly rich; He has a vast storehouse of goods which He intends to dispense into His children. But this dispensation requires a steward. Thus, a steward is a dispenser, one who dispenses the divine life supply to God's children.

As such a dispenser, Paul dispensed Christ into all the believers. Receiving such a dispensation through Paul, the believers could then grow with the supply they had received. ... Paul dispensed Christ's riches not only into the saints individually, but also into the Body corporately....

FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF CHRIST

In 4:1 Paul says, "In this way let a man account of us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." By "this way" Paul means the way described in 3:21-23. In these verses Paul charges us not to boast in men, for all things are ours, we are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

In this way, Paul says, he was to be accounted as a servant of Christ. The Greek word rendered "account" here also means reckon, measure, or classify. Paul is saying that he was to be evaluated, or estimated, in this way as a servant of Christ.

The word servant in this verse means an attendant or appointed servant, an official servant appointed specifically for a certain purpose (Acts 26:16).

In verse 2 Paul goes on to say, "Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful." The word "here" means in the stewardship, in the dispensing ministry. In this dispensing ministry it is most important that stewards be found faithful....

In verse 3 Paul continues, "But to me it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by man's day; nor do I even examine myself." The word examined means examined for judgment or in judgment. It also means to be criticized. Paul is saying that he regarded it as a small thing to be criticized by the saints or by man's day. Man's day is the present age in which man judges. This is in contrast to the Lord's day (3:13), which will be the coming age, the kingdom age, in which the Lord will judge.

In this verse Paul also tells us that he did not even examine himself. He regarded it as a very small matter to be examined by the Corinthians or by man's day, and he would not examine himself....

In verse 4 Paul says, "For I am conscious of nothing against myself; but I am not justified by this; but He Who examines me is the Lord." Although Paul felt that he was right, he did not think that he was therefore justified. Knowing that the One who examines him is the Lord, he was willing to leave the matter of judgment with Him. Paul seems to be saying, "Let the Lord examine me. He will judge me in the day of His appearing."

In verse 5 Paul concludes, "Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, Who shall both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then there will be praise to each one from God." The phrase "before the time" means before the Lord's day.

Paul's words in verses 2 through 5 indicate that he was a faithful steward. He did not care for the criticism of others, and he did not criticize himself. He left the entire situation with the Lord. This indicates his faithfulness. (Witness Lee, Life-Study of First Corinthians, Message 34, pp. 297-302)

THE BEGETTING FATHER

Verses 14 through 21 are the most intimate portion of this chapter. Here we see that Paul was a begetting father....

In verse 14 Paul says, "Not as shaming you am I writing these things, but as my beloved children I admonish you."... Paul says that he wrote these things not to shame them, but to admonish them as his beloved children.

In verse 15 Paul goes on to say, "For though you have ten thousand guides in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." The Greek word rendered guides literally means child conductors, as in Galatians 3:24 and 25. Guides, child conductors, give instructions and directions to the children under their guardianship; fathers impart life to their children whom they beget. The apostle was such a father. He had begotten the Corinthian believers in Christ through the gospel, imparting the divine life into them so that they became children of God and members of Christ.

Verse 16 continues, "I appeal therefore to you, become imitators of me." The Greek word for appeal is the same as that used in verse 13. In appealing to the Corinthians to imitate him, Paul seems to be saying, "My children, don't be kings, but be willing to be despised as criminals in the sight of men. Don't be philosophers, but be offscouring and scum. Turn from what you were in the past and become imitators of me. Today we, the apostles, are despised before man for the sake of Christ. We have become fools because of Christ. We have been made a spectacle to angels and to men, we are like criminals sentenced to death, and we are scum and offscouring. But to you I am a begetting father."

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