Transcript

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 3 ERV, Ch. 4 NASB

Podcast Introduction

This is Epistles Sunday. We’ll read 1 Corinthians 3-4. I’m calling this episode “The Servant Leader.”

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Comments on 1 Corinthians 4

In chapter 4 Paul is reinforcing his qualifications with the Corinthian church. They did not recognize his apostolic authority. So he is instructing them on his position, and how they ought to regard him.

He says that they should think of him and the other apostles as a servant of Christ. There are several different Greek words that we translate as "servant". The word used here is "", which is a subordinate servant working as a free man. The more common Greek word is "doulos", which is a common slave. 

"Hyperetas" literally translated means under-rower. Think of a big galley ship. They had many, many men who rowed, and an under-rower acted without question, under the direction to the one in charge. In the apostles' case, they answered only to Christ.

Paul also said that the Corinthians should think of them as a stewards. A steward was the manager of a household. And in relation to the master of the house, the steward was a slave, but in relation to the other slaves, he was a master. Commentator Adam Clarke put it this way, “The steward… was the master’s deputy in regulating the concerns of the family, providing food for the household, seeing it served out at proper times and seasons, and in proper quantities. He received all the cash, expended what was necessary for the support of the family, and kept exact accounts, for which he was obliged at certain times to lay before the master.”

So after laying this out to the church at Corinth, Paul told them that it didn't matter much to him that they had a low regard for him, since he answered to Christ, not him. Not that even his own judgement of himself mattered, but only the judgement of the One he served. 

I'm clarifying this at this point because without the proper understanding of the first five verses, one might think that it was wrong to judge anyone, and the next chapter clearly teaches that judging others is sometimes appropriate.

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