What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Cor 4:7
Paul continues in 1 Cor 4 talking about the ‘servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful’.
Paul says he cares little if he is judged by others, or in a court and though his conscience is clear he doesn’t even judge himself. ‘It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing until the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden…’.
Paul is saying that our judgements of people and situations may not be accurate because we and he didn’t know the whole truth. Paul wouldn’t even judge himself because there could be hidden things of which he wasn’t aware. The bottom line is that we should be very careful about judging our brothers and sisters! ‘Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry’. James 1:19
Paul has applied these things to himself and Apollos so that the Corinthians wouldn’t go beyond the scriptures and compare or judge one person against another. ‘For what do you have that you did not receive’?
This Truth is shown in two other scriptures;
John the Baptist telling his disciples(when Jesus was getting more attention than John, exactly the type of situation that Paul was talking about) that ‘we can receive only what is given us from Heaven’. John 3:27 We have all been given our portion and we need to give ourselves fully to serving there and not judging others. SERVE, DON’T JUDGE.
‘… so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the GRACE GIVEN US. If a person’s gift is prophesying, let them use it in proportion to their faith. If it is serving, let them serve; if it is teaching, let them teach; if it is encouraging, let them encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let them GIVE GENEROUSLY; if it is leadership, let them GOVERN DILIGENTLY; if it is showing mercy, let them DO IT CHEERFULLY’. Rom 12:5-8 NIV
’… so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members of one another. Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service: if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the one who is called to give, give freely; let the one who wields authority think of their responsibility; and let the sick visitor do your job cheerfully’. Rom 12:5-8 PHILLIPS
One body, many parts, for the good of all.
God bless and keep you today.