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Christian Leadership Encourages & Enforces The Way of the Cross To Those Who Profess to Believe
1 Corinthians 4

It is not enough for Christian leaders to have people following them. After all, a leader may be building with sloppy materials and inferior workmanship (3:12–15). The Christian leader must not only preach the message of the cross and live life in the light of the cross, but foster genuine Christian living. Just believing the right things is never enough; Christians must live out their beliefs. Where real deviations from the way of the cross are evident, the leader may have to resort to some form of discipline or intervention. The basis for this is love.

A Leader Encourages Believers

Paul starts with a gentle form of correction. Despite the hard words he had used earlier in his letters, he insists that he does not want to shame them, but to warn them as dear children. At one level, he is shaming them, but that is not the reason he writes as he does. He writes to correct and encourage them in the right way. It is very much like parenting.

Paul reminds these New Testament believers at Corinth that he is the one who led them to the Lord. He was the one who first brought the gospel to the Corinthians. In that sense, he alone became their earthly “father in the faith,” a fact nothing could change. His relationship with the Corinthians could never be duplicated or displaced.

Therefore, Paul writes, I urge you to imitate me. This idea escapes most modern thought. However, in that day and culture, especially vocationally, if the father was a baker, the son would likely become a baker. The son was expected to carry on family values, family heritage, the family name. With that cultural expectation prominent in their minds, Paul reminds the Corinthians they ought to imitate him in the faith.

In the context of these chapters, it is clear that Paul wants them to imitate his passion to live life in the light of the cross. He expects the believers to imitate his values, his stance with respect to the world, the same biblical priorities, and the importance of the gospel of the crucified Messiah.

Paul Sends Timothy in His Absence

1) Timothy is to remind the Corinthians what a life in Christ Jesus looks like. Biblical Christianity embraces both creed and conduct, both belief and behavior. Paul gives the impression that the Corinthians are not living up to what they knew. They were not making the connections between what they believed and how they should live.

This makes it clear that a Christian leader is not only to teach the gospel, but also must teach how the gospel works out in daily life and conduct. This union must be modeled as well as explained.

2) Timothy is to convey what Paul is teaching, and agrees with what he teaches “everywhere in every church.” This suggests that the Corinthian church was constantly trying to prove how independent it was.

A Leader Warns Believers

Paul knows it will take more that one letter to correct this problem. In the Corinthian church there was a group that Paul labels “arrogant.” In most institutions, a relatively small number of people largely shapes the opinions of virtually the entire group. In this case, these arrogant, self-appointed leaders had not only swayed the congregation, but were openly banking on Paul not actually coming there to deal with the issue in person.

Paul says when he comes, he will “find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.” The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. Some will always prefer to talk and argue more than to do, & live it out.

The Corinthians had become intoxicated by the wisdom of word spoken by the philosophers of their day, and were thereby emptying the cross of Christ of its power (1:17).

They were so enamored with form and rhetoric that showing off with eloquence became more important to them than sticking to the message of the cross.

The gospel is displayed in its greatest power when it is not running in noisy competition with people more interested in promoting themselves than in God’s power. (2:1–5)

So Paul is going to ask for their credentials:
What people has your eloquence of speech and life genuinely transformed by bringing them into a personal knowledge of the crucified Messiah? He was exposing the emptiness of their “religious” mindset and lifestyle.

Bringing the people of God to consistent Christian living in the light of the gospel of the crucified Messiah is so important to Paul that he will not turn from this goal. If he moves people in this direction by encouragement and admonition, all to the good. If a more severe discipline is called for, he will not flinch. So Paul offers the Corinthians a choice: “What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?” (4:21)

Christian leaders cannot overlook their responsibility to lead the people of God in living a life that is in conformity with the gospel.

If the people of God dig in their heels in disobedience, there may come a time for Christian leaders to admonish, to rebuke, and ultimately to discipline firmly those who profess to be Christian, but have no concern about how they live their lives. May we commit our lives to encouraging one another in the way of the cross. And to love each other enough to exhort in love, when needed.