“Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I BECAME YOUR FATHER THROUGH THE GOSPEL. THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO IMITATE ME.” (1 Corin. 4:15-16) [The Corinthians became Christians under Paul’s ministry. He laid the foundation of a church among them. Others could only build upon it. Whatever other teachers they had, he was their spiritual father. He first brought them out of pagan idolatry to the faith of the gospel and the worship of the true and living God. He was the instrument of their new birth, and therefore claimed the relation of a father to them, and felt the compassion of a father towards them. There normally is, and always ought to be, an endeared affection between faithful ministers and those they win to Christ Jesus through the gospel! Paul encourages them, as we should to those we bring to the Lord, to imitate him, to do as Paul does!] “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. HE WILL REMIND YOU OF MY WAY OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corin. 4:17) [Spiritual brother-hood should involve affection as well as what is common and natural. The children of one father should have one heart. But he adds, “He is faithful in the Lord – trustworthy, as one that feared the Lord. He will be faithful in the particular office he has now received of the Lord! Oh how wonderful it is to see those we have been privileged to ‘train up’ in the Lord, go on with the Lord’s work!] “If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD’S PEOPLE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!” (1 Corin. 6:1-3) [A Brother went to law with another brother, one member of the church with another. Could not we as Christians preserve peace and good understanding? The bonds of fraternal love were broken through, and a brother offended, as Solomon says, is harder to be won than a strong city; their contentions are like the bars of a castle, Pro_18:19. Christians should not contend with one another, for they are brethren!] “Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE IS NOBODY AMONG YOU WISE ENOUGH TO JUDGE A DISPUTE BETWEEN BELIEVERS?” (1 Corin. 6:4-5) [We must learn to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God!]
Be blessed as you praise The Lord, knowing that WE WILL JUDGE ANGELS! HOW MUCH MORE THE THINGS OF THIS LIFE!
-Bill Stockham