er group. Hopefully, they will all see their rightful position as sub servient to Christ. What a contrast we have here. The humble Paul revealing that he is subject to Cod and then indi cating in verse six that these people think of themselves more highly than they should. Why are they off-base in thinking of themselves the way they do? First Paul says they are "puffed up." In the original language, puffed up means "bellows" or "something being inflated with a blast of wind." Paul says that noth ing more than a blast of wind has determined that one speaker is better than another speaker, that one man is to be preferred above another man. In short, there is no real foundation for their judgment. To put it bluntly, as did Paul, they are filled with hot air. Then, verse seven adds another thing. "For who maketh thee to differ from another?" Or, to put it in today's language, what makes you think you are so hot? "And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" In short, what makes you so spe cial? The gifts or talents or any abilities that you have at all came from God. They were not yours. They are Cod-given. Even Daniel has said, ". . . he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding." ( 2 : 21 ) It is true that discipline will help develop an ability but remember, the natural resource is Cod-given. Let me add an illustration to show you what Paul is driving home.
faithful servant. Thank Cod, Christ, even though He knows all about, us, will be our judge, not the self- styled critics of Corinth or their
counterparts today. BRAGGING CHRISTIANS
Do conceited people bother you? Do they irritate you with their con stant talk about themselves. Such people bothered Paul because he knew that bragging was wrong, and he set them straight. In a most un usual passage of Scripture, Paul approached the people at Corinth who had been bragging that they knew more about the Christian life and certainly about evaluating mes sages than perhaps even Paul did himself. We begin with I Corinthians 4:6, "And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another." What does Paul mean? The word used for "a figure" is a common reference to "figures of speech and thought." The study and use of figures or schemes was an ad vanced art in Paul's day. These are the techniques used to heighten a picture or to strengthen a contrast. It is selecting words and arranging them in such a way that the impact will be as great as we possibly can make it. So, Paul has used the il lustration of the field and of a building to help these people at Corinth see the subordinate posi tion ALL must take before Cod. Paul hopes that if they understand these illustrations there will not be divisions in the church where one group thinks it is superior to anoth
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