Bible Reading

1 Corinthians Chapter 4 - “The scum of the world”

The ministry of an apostle, in Paul’s own words.

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How would you describe the ministry of the apostles? 

Some might say “Noble”, when they think of the apostles’ dedication and sacrifices for God’s flock. Some might say “Precious”, because they did the work of saving souls. Some might even say “Profound”, because their work impacts people throughout the world and throughout generations.   

What about Paul – as an apostle himself, how did Paul describe his own ministry, as well as the ministry of his fellow apostles?

If you look at Paul’s extensive descriptions in verses 9 to 13, they do not sound nice: 

“Last of all”, “Men sentenced to death”, “Spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men” (v9).

“Fools for Christ’s sake”, “Weak”, “In disrepute” (v10).

“We hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless” (v11). 

“Reviled”, “Persecuted”, “Slandered”, “Scum of the world”, “Refuse of all things” (v12-13).  

Even though the ministry of the apostles was indeed a noble God-appointed ministry, it was also undeniably excruciating and challenging. No wonder Paul said earlier: “It is required of stewards (of God) that they be found faithful.” (v2)    

In the service of God, a faithful steward endures all persecutions, including rejections by men. They bless those who revile them, entreat those who slander them (v12-13). They will gladly spend and be spent for the souls of others who may hate them even more for their efforts (2 Cor 12:15).  

And why – what motivates these stewards to endure all these and persevere in their ministry?       

Undeniably, it is their genuine love for God and His flock – as seen in these words of Paul:   

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them (the other apostles), though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) 

“I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 4:14-15)

Even way before Paul was called, Jesus Himself made it clear to Peter, three times: “If you love Me, care for My sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). If we truly love Jesus, we will be compelled to love the souls He died to save, knowing how much Jesus loves them and wants to save them to the uttermost.         

Today, although we are not apostles, we are servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries (1 Cor 4:1), as members of the True Jesus Church who are entrusted with the complete gospel of salvation

Hence, let us reflect on our own faithfulness as God’s stewards. Does our faithfulness match up to Paul’s, insofar as we can endure the sufferings listed by Paul in verses 9 to 13 while continuing to love the souls that reject us? If not, how can we cultivate ourselves to be more faithful towards God, in our everyday lives? 

When we faithfully endure hardships as God’s stewards, God promises: 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Therefore, Paul boasted even more gladly of his weaknesses, because he had this hope: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9-10) 

As fellow stewards of God, let us also cling to this hope and press on together! ⛽    

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See Also

Reflection on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1

Reflection on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1

At the beginning of Paul’s epistle to the church in Corinth, he begins his greeting by emphasising his calling by the Lord Jesus Christ as an apostle, urging the believers to recognise that we all share this calling. He seeks to remind us that our faith is not centred on the self but rather collective, rooted in Jesus Christ.  He swiftly addresses the fact that the Corinthians were rife with division and pride. They boasted allegiance to various leaders, such as Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ. Paul questions them: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?” Their strife and division reflect man’s tendency to prioritise personal differences and grievances over the unifying truth of the gospel. Therefore, Paul’s rejection of sectarianism reminds them, and us, to rise above rivalries and centre our faith on Jesus Christ alone. Paul goes on to speak about the power and wisdom of God. He says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1: 18). The world and its wisdom may dismiss the idea that salvation is attained through Jesus’ dying on the cross. Although it is perceived as a weakness, Paul argues that this perceived weakness, in light of man’s wisdom, is God’s power. This paradox shows us that God’s wisdom often contradicts our human logic, and it challenges us to reflect on how much we trust the Lord. How much do we trust in Jesus Christ when His will and plan for us seem to go against our plans or what we envision them to be? The cross truly dismantles this pride for “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1st Cor 1: 25). Lastly, Paul speaks about God using the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong. Very often in our lives, God uses what seems small and insignificant to accomplish His purpose. In John 6:9, a young boy offers his small lunch, which seems insignificant and impossible, yet the Lord Jesus uses it to feed over 5000. God’s strength and wisdom shine through what man considers foolish and weak.  In a world that exalts pride and division, Paul urges us to be united and humble and to rely on the Lord Jesus. May all glory be given to the Lord.

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

At the point that he wrote Romans 10, Paul likely had a lot of people on his mind.  Some studies estimate that Paul was on his third missionary journey when he wrote Romans, addressing Christians who lived in Rome, where he hoped to visit eventually.  Being on one’s third missionary journey naturally means having gone for a first and second. Indeed, he had.  Unlike some of our church’s missionary journeys today that are limited to one country, Paul’s journeys were peppered across the region of Asia Minor. There were hence many different cities he visited, hundreds or possibly even thousands of believers whom he edified. Not only was Paul’s heart sincere towards these Christians whom he met, Paul also took significant actions for them.  Paul wrote of how he affectionately longed for the members in Philippi (Philippians 1:8-9). To the church in Thessalonica he wrote, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives . For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil…” (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9). Additionally, he explicitly shared that he prays for the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica (2 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).  Paul knew that God had called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), and he set an exemplary example for us of how to be a good shepherd for Christ.  But this was not all. Still, his heart’s desire was for even more people to know our God. In Romans 10:1, Paul writes: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” This is fascinating, especially since Paul had tried to preach the gospel to the Jews previously but was redirected to the Gentiles by God’s hand.  He had done above and beyond what many of us may not even consider attempting with regards to preaching the gospel. And yet zeal to see the Jews saved still compelled him.  This makes me think about our congregation’s heart for evangelism. How often do we channel God’s love for humanity into the action of sharing His word? How much do we burn with desire to see souls saved? Or do we feel languid about our own salvation in the first place? For those of us who yearn to preach but feel helpless that others don’t respond well, we can have our faith renewed with Paul’s perspective. He saw the might and personal efforts of the Lord. ‘But Isaiah is very bold and says: But to Israel he says: Whether to Jew or Gentile, God makes Himself known to them. (See also Romans 1:20; Acts 17:26-27).   In God’s salvation plan, He wants to save all mankind (John 3:16).  Paul saw this unity regardless of race and ethnicity that comes through belief in the one true God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, he saw and was motivated by the blessings that would come to one who followed Christ and submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). Do our cultural prejudices seep into our evangelical work, such that we only share the gospel with people of certain races, ethnic groups, tribal identities, or nationalities?  Have we forgotten the goodness of God, the hope of His calling, the power of God to salvation in His gospel?   In Christ, there is no distinction between the Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Burmese, Iraqi, Austrian, Finnish, the Algonquin people, the Māori, Ghanaian… This year, where will your work of evangelism begin?

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