1 Corinthians 4:8-13 (NIV)
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
Even though it might seem like Paul is whining a bit here, he is not. Paul was shown clearly what would be required of him when he first came to Jesus (Acts 9:15-16), and whatever had come his way, he bore it well, and kept on going.
What Paul is doing here is warning the Corinthians they had grown comfortable in their faith and had thus quit growing and had ceased to become productive for the kingdom. They prided themselves in their position as children of God and co-heirs with Jesus, rich princes and kings of the kingdom of God. And that had made them complacent and lazy.
But Paul, Apollos, and Peter, the leaders of the church, and the people that they so looked up to, we’re not complacent about their status with God. Instead, they understood that their positions as sons of the Most High through faith in Jesus laid a requirement on them to be about the Father’s business of saving souls.
This meant that far from sitting around and rejoicing in their salvation, relaxing and partying over how good it was to know that they were headed to heaven, they were on the front lines in the battle for the souls of people. This meant eschewing many of the comforts that others took for granted, doing without, traveling constantly, and being in almost constant danger from enemies of the gospel. It meant frustration and rejection as they shared about Jesus, and being considered the scum of the earth for Jesus sake.
But again, Paul is not complaining. He did what he did gladly, understanding that the crown of glory that was set aside for him was not for this world, but for the next. He understood that the divine rest promised to all God’s people was not for here and now, but for when he came to heaven shores, completely spent for the cause of Christ. He was warning the Corinthians that it was not the time for kicking back and celebrating. There was vital work to be done, and they needed to put aside their celebrations and get to work. There would be time to celebrate when their work here was done.
Father, it is interesting how much time we spend celebrating and praising, and how little time we spend working to accomplish Your mission of saving souls, even today. We have been taught who we are in Jesus, but few are taught that the children of God are Your workforce to go and make disciples of all nations. We sit in our comfortable pews and are content to leave the work of the kingdom to the missionaries, and evangelist, and pastors. We glory in the riches that are ours in Jesus, and in our royal status as sons and daughters of God. But we failed to see that we are actually wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17). Lord, open our eyes so we can see ourselves as You see us. Open our hearts so we can repent of our inaction in the places of matter the most to You. Open our ears so that we can hear Your Spirit leading us, not to rejoice, but to go and do the work for which we were saved. Amen.