HOW PAUL PRESENTS HIMSELF TO THE CORINTHIANS

J. Renton

1 Corinthians 3: 9–11; 4: 14–17; 7: 40; 9: 19; 15: These verses indicate some of the ways in which Paul presented himself to the Corinthians. He was known to the saints in Corinth, and they were known to him, because he had lived there for eighteen months. His presentation of himself would therefore be supported by what the Corinthians knew Paul to be. He presents himself in a way that would help the Corinthians. The Corinthians needed adjustment, help, and instruction, just as in our localities there is similar need. Although Paul was an apostle, some features in which he presents himself in this epistle could in some measure be taken on by us in our localities.

In chapter 1 Paul presents himself as an apostle . He says, “Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, by God’s will” (1 Corinthians 1: 1), which would be unique to Paul. He had official authority as an apostle. That would not obtain today, but he also presents himself in other features which in measure, I believe, could be taken on by us.

In chapter 3 he presents himself as a wise architect which would be special to Paul too, but it would be a good question to ask ourselves what is the and in view in our activities, our desires, and our prayers in our localities. Paul’s activities in Corinth were governed by the light

that he had as an architect. He could see what God had in mind in that locality. He had the view of God’s building, for His pleasure, in which God could dwell. Paul refers to a shrine, a temple, where God’s presence would be known, where light would shine and God’s mind would be known. Paul as the wise architect had all this in mind when he preached and taught in Corinth. He says, “We are God’s fellow-workmen”. He and those with him worked together in view of arriving at God’s objective in that locality. It is a great matter, dear brethren, to have God’s objective in any activity we undertake. Paul laid the foundation in keeping with his understanding as an architect. What he laid was the foundation, but the foundation conformed to the structure that the architect had in mind. He says here, “According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it”.

He exhorts others to build according to that foundation. The foundation was laid with the architect’s view of the building in mind; they were to conform to the foundation which was laid there. “I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it. For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”. It is another order of Man that Paul laid as the foundation at Corinth, Jesus Christ. He tells us earlier in the epistle “And I, when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God. For I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2: 1, 2). He had in mind to lay the foundation in Corinth in accord with another order of Man. That is what our local assemblies are to be. They are to be

conformed to another kind of Man, Jesus Christ. Nothing of the first man, and nothing of the man after the flesh was to enter into this structure that Paul had in mind as a wise architect, and therefore he laid the foundation.

Others were building upon it and they were not all building in keeping with the foundation. We need therefore to be watchful in our localities. How important it is to have a right objective in all our activities locally, in measure the objective Paul had in his labours in Corinth. He would discount every other man, no matter how eloquent, no matter what personal appeal they might have in human wisdom or that kind of thing. Paul laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ, and he exhorts others to build according to the foundation he had laid. How important, therefore, to have some idea of what we are working for, what we are praying for, and the end to which we are labouring. Paul had this objective at Corinth as a wise architect. Everything was to conform to God’s own thought, God’s pleasure in another Man, Jesus Christ.

In the tabernacle of old the boards were of acacia wood. They were of the same kind of wood as the ark. That was the structure that supported the curtains in the tabernacle of which Moses was the architect as Paul was the architect at Corinth. It is all in view of another kind of Man, Jesus Christ. Let us judge every feature of the first man and of the man after the flesh so that we are building according to the foundation.

Now in chapter 4 Paul presents himself as a father. He says, “I think that God has set us the apostles for the last, as appointed to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men” (1 Corinthians 4: 9). The fact is that the

Corinthians’ father, Paul, was under reproach and suffering and the Corinthians were not faithful children of their father. They were considering for themselves. Paul says, “Already ye are filled; already ye have been enriched; ye have reigned without us; and I would that ye reigned, that we also might reign with you” (1 Corinthians 4: 8). “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye prudent in Christ—we weak, but ye strong—ye glorious, but we in dishonour” (1 Corinthians 4: 10). Paul and Sosthenes were persecuted and insulted, while the Corinthians were enriched and were reigning; they were not true children of their father. So he says to them, “Not as chiding do I write these things to you, but as my beloved children I admonish you”.

What a powerful appeal he made to these Corinthians! Their behaviour was not in keeping with the conduct of their father. We often quote this scripture, “Yet not many fathers”, and that would be true that there are not many fathers. The fact is that the Corinthians had one father, Paul. He says, “For if ye should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the glad tidings”. He had the right to claim them as his children, being an apostle. No one could claim today to be a father as Paul was, but there is plenty of room for fatherly affections, fatherly influence, and fatherly appeal to young people and to the saints locally and generally. The feelings and affections of a father are needed. What a powerful appeal this would make to the Corinthians and, to complete it, he sent Timotheus. He said to the Corinthians, “Not as chiding do I write these things to you, but as my beloved children I admonish you”, but he says regarding Timotheus, “For this reason I have sent to you Timotheus, who is my beloved and faithful child in

the Lord”. He could not say to the Corinthians, ‘You are my beloved and faithful children’, but he could say that in regard of Timotheus. Nevertheless, he appeals to them as, “My beloved children”. Even if they were not representing their father, even if they were not the faithful reproduction of their father, they certainly were beloved, and Paul’s fatherly affection came through and had its weight with these persons in Corinth. No one could have said, ‘Paul, you were not always like a father’. He had been eighteen months among them and he had been like a father. What they knew of him would support what he writes here.

Then he says, “I entreat you therefore, be my imitators”. Paul as a father represented in Corinth what all the saints should be. What a test that is!—to represent locally what the Lord intends all the saints should arrive at. That is what Paul represents. It is a very, very testing matter, but not an impossible one. In fact there would be some shortcoming in our prayers for our local brethren if the one who prayed did not somewhat represent what he was praying about for others. Paul represented what God intended all the saints in Corinth to arrive at, and he represented it in fatherly affection and fatherly influence, “I entreat you therefore, be my imitators”. Then he sent to them Timotheus, one who was his imitator, one who was his beloved and faithful child, showing that it is not impossible to be a faithful representation of Paul, to have Paul’s outlook, and feelings and affections. Paul’s appeal was reinforced by the presence amongst them of Timothy. The saints would look at Timothy and say, ‘He is a faithful representation of Paul himself. We had forgotten what Paul was like, but here he is, represented in this young man’. So a young man can take up this attitude that Timothy had here in

representing fatherly features. We have to learn to be sons before we can be fathers. We have to learn to be children before we can be parents, and Timothy no doubt learned to be a child of Paul and therefore could faithfully represent him.

Now in chapter 7 Paul presents himself as one who has God’s Spirit. You might say that every believer normally has the Spirit of God, and that would be true, but Paul says here, “I think that I also have God’s Spirit”. Not only had he received the Holy Spirit of God, but he had been formed by God’s Spirit. This chapter deals largely with the matter of marriage, but apart from what it deals with it is interesting to take note of how Paul speaks about himself. He says, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 7: 10, “But to the married I enjoin, not I, but the Lord”; that is, he emphasizes what is the Lord’s commandment, what it is obligatory on the part of every one to be subject to. Then he says in verse 12, “But as to the rest, I say, not the Lord”; that is, he goes on to speak of what he could not say specifically was the Lord’s commandment, but what he said. No doubt, as having God’s Spirit, he was qualified to say certain things.

It is good to accept direction from persons who have God’s Spirit. As having God’s Spirit, Paul’s judgment is reliable. He says, “According to my judgment; but I think that I also have God’s Spirit”; it is his judgment as having God’s Spirit. So he could say, “I say, not the Lord”. He could not exactly say, ‘This is a matter which is the Lord’s commandment and is obligatory and laid upon you to answer to. Who in Corinth or elsewhere would disregard what Paul said? Who in our localities would disregard what one who has God’s Spirit says is his judgment?—How important this is. We find salvation in the area

where persons who have God’s Spirit would give their judgment. Not that anyone is to be absolutely trusted; only the Lord is, and the Lord’s commandment is obligatory. Nevertheless, Paul says, “I say, not the Lord”. There are many references of this kind in this chapter.

Paul says in verse 25, “I give my opinion”. He gives his opinion as one who has God’s Spirit. He was a spiritual man. If we have such persons amongst us—and we speak to young people here, as well as older ones—we do well to listen to them. We might be saved many a sorrow if we listened to persons who would give their opinion as having God’s Spirit. What a desirable objective it would be on the part of every one of us to have God’s Spirit characteristically. It would come through giving place to the Spirit of God, being formed by the Spirit of God, so that we have the judgment God would have without being told directly what God’s judgment is.

The Lord’s commandment is specific and obligatory, but then there is the Lord’s mind. I have no doubt that “My opinion”, as Paul said, would be the Lord’s mind, and so he says in the last verse, “According to my judgment”—the judgment of one who has God’s Spirit.

In John 14 the Lord speaks about His commandments, “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me” (John 14: 21), and then He goes on to speak about “My word”, “If any one love me, he will keep my word “(verse 23). Then He speaks about “My words” (verse 24). Now the Lord’s commandment would be “Not I, but the Lord”, but then His mind would come in through persons who have God’s Spirit. We need to recognise where persons who have God’s Spirit would give their opinion, their

judgment. We would find salvation, beloved brethren, in listening and being subject to such persons. Therefore Paul presents himself to the Corinthians as having God’s Spirit. Besides his apostleship and the authority that he had, there is what the man was morally, formed morally as having God’s Spirit. What room there is in our localities for persons who have God’s Spirit! What an objective it should be on the part of every one of us to be formed in God’s Spirit, because matters come up where judgment is needed, where opinions need to be expressed. How important that those who express their opinion, or give their judgment, should have God’s Spirit.

In chapter 9 Paul presents himself as being free from all. He was under obligation to no one. He had no special friends, he had no party affiliations, nothing of that kind. He was free from all. His obligation was to his Lord and Master. He tells us (1 Corinthians 9: 9) that even the ox that trod the corn had certain rights; even the plougher had certain rights, but he says in verse 15, “I have used none of these things”. He had served at Corinth, and was serving them now in this letter, under obligation to no one. “Being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all”. What a man he was! What an influence he had! This is what the man was morally. He had only one loyalty and that was to the Lord Jesus, his Master. How important that each one of us should be like this! You can scarcely lift a volume of Mr. Taylor’s ministry without there being some reference in it to the dangers of partisanship and special friendships. That dear servant laboured at this matter. He could see the danger.

Paul was free from all, under obligation to

no one. He did not look for credit, nor did he look for approval. He did not look for any personal advantage; nothing of that kind marked the labours of Paul in Corinth and elsewhere. Thus, as looking for nothing in return, he was free from all in order to be more fully available as the bondman of all. “For being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all, that I might gain the most possible”. Oh how large was Paul’s outlook! We need to have our outlook enlarged that we might gain the most possible. I am calling attention to these features in which Paul presents himself to the Corinthians, and his presentation in his letter would be supported by what they knew the man to be. Alas, very few of us have been consistent. Paul was, and his consistency no doubt would have weight in the letter he wrote. How inconsistent we have been! How we departed, to our shame, from what we were brought to know as the truth! Even so, we can repent of all our diversions, of all our failures; we can repent of all, and as we thoroughly repent we can be morally clear. Where there has been failure and repentance the Lord can take account of what a man has been in the main objective of his life; but Paul had not deviated. Paul was consistent; “Being free from all, I have made myself bondman to all”. He was more completely a bondman to all because he was free from all, under no influence and no obligation, and at no personal advantage.

Now in the last scripture we read Paul appeals to the Corinthians as a brother. He says, “So then, my beloved brethren”. We use this expression, “Beloved brethren”, somewhat frequently in addressing the saints, but Paul uses this language very sparingly. He wrote to the Philippians, “My brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown” (Philippians 4: 1), but apart from that I do not know of

anywhere else where Paul says, “My beloved brethren”. He appeals as a brother, and how important that is in our links together as brethren, including, of course, sisters. There will come a day when the wise architect will be no longer needed, and being bondman to all will no longer be needed; but the brother will go through into eternity. It belongs to the divine family. So Paul says, “my beloved brethren”. He had said in 1 Corinthians 4, “My beloved children”. That is a father. That too will cease—Paul will not be a father in eternity, but he will be a brother. He says, “So then, my beloved brethren, be firm, immovable, abounding always in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord”. It comes at the end of a great opening up of teaching. Paul wrote in chapter 1, “But of him” (that is, God) “are ye in in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness” (or sanctification) “and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1: 30). He has gone over all this ground in this epistle, and after concluding with the great matter of redemption, including resurrection, he says, “So then, my beloved brethren”, 1 Corinthians 15: 58. He is alongside of these persons in Corinth as one of them. He says, “Be firm, immovable, abounding always”. They can have confidence that the work of the Lord is going to go through. The very teaching of resurrection would show that everything is going through. “Abounding always”—not only abounding, but “abounding always in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord”.

I believe that these ways in which Paul presents himself to the Corinthians can be in measure taken on by each one of us so that a right influence is brought to bear locally and that conditions may improve for the glory and pleasure of God. May it be so for His name’s sake.

Address at Southend-on-Sea
25 October 1975