11 How to Be ‘Foolish’ in the World’s Eyes and Wise Before God (1 Corinthians 3:18-4:16)

Krisan Marotta: Thank you for joining me today for the Wednesday in the Word podcast. I'm Krisan Marotta, and this is the podcast where we explain not only what Scripture means but how we figure it out. This is the 11th talk in our series on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Today we're going to be studying 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18, through chapter 4, verse 16. As always, you can find the lecture notes for today's talk on the link below the podcast, or you can find them on the website at wednesdayintheword.com slash 1 Corinthians 1 1 or 1 Corinthians 11. Thanks so much for listening. Today we're gonna finish the first major section of the book of 1 Corinthians, and I want to review briefly what we've covered so far. Paul has been speaking to a split in the Corinthian church. Many in the church have rejected Paul and aligned themselves with Apollos instead. They have decided that they don't respect Paul and they question his authority as an apostle, and they prefer Apollos because he is a more eloquent and sophisticated speaker. But the issue Paul's been addressing is not merely this problem of factions or cliques and having favorite teachers. Paul is more concerned with the underlying theology that led them to make this kind of a choice, and he sees that as a profound worldliness. They have chosen Apollos because Apollos fits their perception of what wisdom looks like, and they think that Apollos is more attractive to the world. Paul's kind of embarrassing to them, but Apollos is not. And Paul reminds them the gospel is an offensive message, and if you try to make it non-offensive or change it or tweak it or slant it into something that the world will find agreeable, then it's no longer the gospel because the cross is offensive and the gospel is about the cross. And Paul has been incredulous that they find him boring when he is one of a handful of people who can tell them how to find eternal life. So he's one of the apostles, one of the few people who have been chosen by God and given the authority to speak for and about Jesus and to proclaim the way to find salvation. It's true that many find Paul's message offensive and many find him unimpressive as a speaker or a person, but Paul's basic point has been, so what? I taught you the truth of the gospel. I taught you how to find eternal life. If you decide you want to align yourself with a message that the world loves, you're going to find yourself in opposition to the gospel because the world finds the gospel offensive. And if you align yourself with the gospel, then the world is going to think you're a fool. Paul has just finished warning those who build on the foundation he has laid to be careful how they build. So he was the first person to proclaim the gospel in Corinth. He established the church there, and he warns those who come after him to take care how they further the work of the gospel and further the work in the church there at Corinth. And he warned them they need to teach well and build well. And he concluded with a stern warning to those who would tear up the foundation itself. So if they set themselves to destroy the foundation that Paul laid or destroy the gospel that Paul taught, it will be to their destruction. If they set themselves against the purposes of God, it's going to lead to their destruction in the end. So we're going to pick up from there. We're going to start in 318, and we're going to look at what is Paul's last appeal to them on this issue. After this section, he's going to move on to another topic. And we're going to take a rather large section today. We're going to do 318 to 416 because much of what's in here are themes that we have talked about before. Paul is concluding this argument that he began in chapter one and he's wrapping it up and a lot of this is a summary of what he's already said. So he's going to finish though by urging them to repent, to recognize what is true and conduct themselves accordingly. We're going to start with three hundred eighteen through twenty. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God, for it is written, He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness, and again, the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are useless. Now if you're reading from the New American Standard Version like I am, you'll notice that they put three hundred nineteen in all caps, which is what they do when they believe the apostle is citing an Old Testament scripture or quoting the Old Testament. And three nineteen is probably not a citation from the Old Testament, although it is similar to wording we find in Job. But I think what's going on here is similar to what we saw in chapter two, verse nine, where Paul is summarizing a theme that is taught in Scripture, but he's not quoting a specific verse verbatim. As I said then, just like today, I might say the Bible says if you want to be saved, you have to trust in the blood of Jesus Christ. That statement is not a direct quote of anything contained in Scripture, at least to my knowledge. You won't find that exact language if you want to be saved. You have to trust in the blood of Jesus Christ. But I think that statement is faithful to the ideas contained in Scripture. It is a summary of an idea or a digestion of a theme that is frequently taught in Scripture. And I think that's what Paul's doing here. He's not quoting a particular passage, but he is expressing an idea found in the Old Testament. 319 does express a theme that is developed in the teaching of the Bible, the point that we've talked about before that the wisdom of the world is not impressive to God, and the wise people of the world are foolish in God's eyes. On the other hand, 320 probably is a quote from Psalm ninety four The wisdom of the wise is nonsense to God and has no substance in God's eyes. And this is the theme of the section we're looking at today, and we have talked about it quite a bit over the last two chapters. Paul has argued that there are these two incompatible perspectives there's the wisdom of God and there's the wisdom of the world. The world considers the wisdom of God to be foolish when it is in fact true wisdom, and in the end God will show the wisdom of the world to be the foolishness it is. Some in Corinth have set themselves up as judges of Paul and Apollos. They've rejected Paul because he doesn't fit with what the world finds wise and attractive. And if I set myself up as a judge of who's wise and who isn't, that implies that I am wise because I'm wise enough to be the judge. To judge like this, I have to exalt myself over Paul and see myself as more wise. I'm essentially saying Paul's not wise, but I am because I figured out that Paul isn't wise. And I figured out that Apollos is the one we should be listening to. And there's a kind of arrogance in that that Paul's been warning them against. Many in Corinth have set themselves up against Paul and see themselves as being more wise than he is. So now he's warning them, if you think that you're wise in this age, you'd better stop and think again. When he says in three eighteen, let him become foolish that he may be wise, he's not saying that the gospel is irrational, and he's not saying that you have to believe a foolish message to be wise. He's saying that the message that Jesus Christ died on the cross to bring deliverance from sin is true, it is rational, we have every reason to believe it, but the world is going to reject it as foolishness. And again, we've talked about this idea before. The message of the gospel is true and reasonable, logical and rational, but the world is just not interested in it. The world finds it foolish. So when he says you have to become foolish that you may be wise, the idea behind it is you need to be willing to be seen as foolish in the world's eyes if you want to find true wisdom. The Corinthians need to change course. Right now they're letting the world dictate to them what's wise and what's foolish, and they need to see that the world is wrong and the gospel is in fact true wisdom. And Paul's urging them here, if you want to be truly wise, you have to make this change. You have to flip-flop and realize that what you now consider foolish is really wisdom, and that's how you'll become wise. So you need to be foolish in the world's eyes to actually gain wisdom. You need to stop deceiving yourselves and recognize that teaching which you see as embarrassing is in fact true wisdom of God. So if you think you have a better understanding than I as an apostle have, you need to think again, you need you have not yet understood true wisdom. Paul's saying the gospel I preach is wisdom, and if you can't see it as such, then you're a fool, and you need to embrace what you now think is foolish if you want to become wise. So if they were to take this warning seriously, what should they change? What should they do differently? And that's what Paul's gonna go on to tell them. Let's look at 321 through 23. So then, let no one boast in men, for all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. So Paul is recognizing the arrogance and personal boasting that underlies these factions in Corinth, and this is what we've just talked about. If I see myself that I'm smart enough to recognize the superiority of Apollos over Paul, there's a kind of arrogance in that. Paul may think he's this hot shot apostle, but he's wrong, and I've seen that. Although Paul was the one to first preach the gospel to me, I now have a better understanding than he does because I've got Apollos on my team. That's how you know I'm somebody, I recognize the superiority of Apollos. There's a boasting or an arrogance in that. And Paul's saying, Do you want to boast about something? Boast in what God is doing in your life. God's whole purpose in the gospel is to take nobodies like you and make them somebody's. He wants to give his people everything that will in fact make them worthy and significant in freeing them from sin and granting them a share in his holiness and his glory. So if you Corinthians have really embraced the gospel, then all the worthwhile things have been given to you. Being on Team Apollos is not your badge of distinction. If you've truly embraced the gospel, God has given you the key to eternal life. You belong to Christ, that's your badge of distinction. God has given you the eyes to see. God's purpose is to give you life and forgiveness. You want to boast in something? You should boast in that. Look at what God is doing for you through Jesus. Through Jesus, God intends to give you eternal life. Jesus has conquered death for you. Both your present circumstances and the future that is coming are part of God's gift to you. It is all God's gift to you if you belong to Christ. That's what we should boast in. We have everything because Christ has everything and He has us. That's what the gospel is all about. All these things are yours because you belong to Christ, and Christ is a gift of God. If you want to boast in something, that's what you should be boasting in. The Corinthians are saying, you know, I'd find it much easier to follow Paul if he preached a message that had a little more sophistication and eloquence to it, maybe a little more flair, a message that was more attractive to the beautiful, sophisticated intellectuals in town. You know, it would just be so much easier if Paul were not so offensive to the movers and the shakers. In saying that, the Corinthians have chosen the approval of men. They have chosen team world rather than team Christ. And Paul's reminding them, you've forgotten whose team you're on. If you have the words of life, then you have everything. If you want to be a winner, boast in the gospel. Those who humbly embrace the cross of Christ are the ones who are going to be shown to be wise in the end. They will find life and fulfillment and a place in the kingdom of God. They will have victory over death, and they have hope and meaning and significance. That's all a gift of God through Christ. Why would you boast in the praise of men? That's a very weak boast in comparison to boasting in Christ. You can boast that though you didn't deserve it, Christ died in your place and gave you everything worth having, and that's the solution to your real problem, which is sin. Why seek the approval of men when you can have that? Sure, Apollos debates really well. So what? The gospel is what offers you eternal life. The gospel is something to get excited about. The gospel is the solution to death and sin and futility. Which of those things means more in the end? Apollos' skill as a debater or the solution to sin, death, and futility? That's what you should be boasting in, the gospel. Remember the issue throughout this section is they have chosen Apollos over Paul, which represents this profound misunderstanding about the gospel, and now Paul's circling back to that issue. So how should you think about Paul and your teachers? Let's look at first Corinthians four. We're going to go from one to verse five. Let a man regard us in this manner as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy, but to me it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself, for I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me as the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. I think this section is the bottom line of the whole discussion. Paul recognizes that he has failed the judgment of the Corinthians, but as he says in four three, it's a very small thing that I, Paul, should be judged by you Corinthians. This is the underlying issue of the discussion. They have judged Paul and found him lacking. And now in this section, Paul's telling them, This is how you should be seeing me, this is how you should be thinking of me. Paul says I am a servant of Christ, I'm a steward of the mysteries of God. So let's talk about what it means to be a steward. In Paul's day, a property owner had various servants in his home, and one of them was a steward. The steward typically had charge over all the master's goods. He managed the master's estate and he managed the other servants. So a steward has the responsibility for the master's goods, but those goods do not belong to him. He's been entrusted with the master's wealth and given the responsibility to handle it wisely. So he had the authority to conduct business for his master, to speak on his master's behalf, sometimes to sign his name, but in the end, his job was to execute and carry out his master's wishes. So what's required of a steward is to be trustworthy. His job is not to be a charismatic leader or a speaker or an innovator and to attract business opportunities for himself. His job is to faithfully execute his master's wishes. For Paul, as an apostle, then, he sees his job as to faithfully proclaim the gospel. His job is not to add to it, it's not to embellish it, it's not to spin it or tweak it or make it more attractive to the world. His job is not to change it, but to faithfully proclaim it. So not just in content but motives, his job is not to sell himself in the process such that people are attracted to Paul and not to Jesus Christ. So he's not to teach the gospel for his own agenda or any kind of agenda which might make him great or famous and put him on people's top ten list. His job is to faithfully proclaim the gospel. And I think Paul would say when my personal agenda distorts the message or thwarts the master's wishes to continue the metaphor, then I'm no longer trustworthy. My job is to faithfully and accurately proclaim the message, and it is also to proclaim it with pure motives, seeking to bring glory to my master, not to myself. That's how Paul sees himself. He doesn't see himself as this smart, eloquent, sophisticated, articulate debater who's earned his reputation because of his excellent and charismatic speaking skills. He's just a regular guy who by the grace of God was given an understanding of the gospel and he is faithfully sharing it with others. He is a servant who has been given something that is not his own. He didn't figure it out, God told it to him, God gave him the message. So he's teaching something that's not his own. God revealed the mysteries of the gospel to him and his purposes to Paul, and Paul is acting as a good servant to teach and explain the understanding that God chose to give him. So he's a servant who's been entrusted with the wealth of his master, and in this case, that wealth is the truth that God now wants to reveal about Jesus Christ. Paul says, that's how you should be thinking of me as a steward of the gospel. But you've been thinking of me as one of many teachers competing for a platform. And Paul says, That's wrong. Don't think of me as one of the many philosophers and teachers who influence with charisma and flair. Think of me as a servant of God. God, the master over all creation, has made me a steward of his thoughts and mysteries. He gave me the message and it's my task to proclaim it. Now yes, he says it's true that stewards can be judged, but you're judging by the wrong standard. The standard is not who looks best according to worldly debate and media charisma standards. Paul says that's a foolish way to judge a servant of God. The appropriate question is, has this steward been faithful to the task his master gave him? Has he truly served the interests of the master? And ultimately he says it's not up to you Corinthians to judge that. That's up to the master to judge. God, my master, is the judge of that. Was I faithful in my stewardship? Well, God's going to be the one to determine that, not you, Corinthians. Let's look at four four again. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord. Paul says, I'm not aware of any credible charges against me. I believe I am faithfully stewarding the message that God gave me, both in content and motive, but that doesn't make me innocent. God is the one who will judge me. What you Corinthians think of me is not the issue. In fact, even what I think of myself is not the issue. The one who knows and will judge me rightly is God. Now, yes, we can ask Was I faithful in my stewardship? But God hasn't given you the task of deciding that answer. God is the one who's going to answer that question. And then four five, therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. I think he's saying here we don't have the right viewpoint to evaluate ourselves or other people accurately. Only God has the information to judge us rightly, and he will judge when Jesus returns. Then it's all going to become evident, and it's not our place to judge now. The only praise that really counts is the praise that comes from God. Now it's hard to get to that place where you only care about what God thinks. I think it's a wonderful gift that Paul had that he understands that truth and he wanted to be faithful to God and really only cared about praise from God, and I suspect that understanding helped get him through all the trials and beatings that he suffered. When you care about what others think, you start adjusting what you say and you start modifying it to make yourself more intellectually presentable or more acceptable to the group, and you end up distorting the gospel and the truth. As Paul talked about in an earlier section, our lust for intellectual respectability can sabotage the gospel. Now the Bible does encourage us to examine the message proclaimed by those who teach and make sure it's true. It is appropriate to ask, is what I'm hearing biblical? I think it's appropriate to ask, does this teaching fit with the rest of what I know of Scripture? And it's also appropriate to ask, does the person teaching me reflect the truths of Scripture? Do I see evidence of a mature, solid faith in his or her life? Does he or she personally embrace the faith that she or he proclaims? There's nothing wrong with deciding, you know, this person's not telling the truth. They're either not teaching accurately what Scripture says, or I suspect their motives, and so I'm not going to listen. There's nothing wrong with deciding, you know, this person is not yet mature enough to be up front. They need further growth and discipleship before teaching. I think that's okay and that's a biblical response. But that's not what we've seen the Corinthians doing. Rather, they've been judging Paul as a speaker and a debater and judging the style of his message and finding it lacking, and then they look at the content of his message and they say, you know, that's just too offensive to the world, so they're judging the content based on worldly standards and not scripture. Now Paul is assuming the truth of his claim to be an apostle, and the Corinthians acknowledge that. They're judging him on style and flair and panache. They're judging Paul on the fact that he's offending the academics and the elites and the movers and shakers of Corinth. He's just not politically correct. And Paul's saying that's the wrong basis for judgment. You have no reason to think that my message is not true because I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. And your job is not to judge the quality of my work, your job is to believe the content of the message I preach. Ultimately, God's going to decide whether Paul was a faithful servant or an effective teacher. And their job now is to seek true wisdom and discern whether the content of the message they're hearing is in fact true wisdom. Their job is to embrace that true wisdom and live it out. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollo's for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. So in case they misunderstand, Paul says, Look, this is not a backhand slap at Apollos. I applied these things to myself and Apollos to teach you something, and that something is that no one of you become arrogant. Why are you championing one teacher against another when we're all servants of the same God? We're working on the same building, we're harvesting the same field, we're on the same team, and we're teaching the same gospel. I wanted you to learn not to exceed what is written. I think what he's saying here is I don't want you to dip into the culture of the world and add it to the gospel and thereby exceed what's written. I think that phrase exceeding what is written in this context means adding to or changing the gospel, exceeding what Paul taught them and what is scripture. Their presumption in judging Paul is a kind of arrogance. They have said, We know better than the apostle Paul about who and what is wise. And Paul saying all these things I have written in this letter up to now, I have written so that you might not become arrogant and favor one servant of God over the other. There is arrogance in presuming to know what real wisdom is and deciding that Apollos has it and Paul doesn't. In saying we're for Apollos and we're against Paul, they're arrogant because they're taking on the role of judge. As he closes this section, he wants to take on the arrogance directly. four seven. But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? Essentially he's saying, Who looked at you and made you judge? Who said you have it all together such that you can judge everyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? Everything you know was taught to you. You received all your knowledge from God through me, the apostle Paul. All your understanding of the gospel came from the foundation that I, Paul, laid by the grace of God. What makes you think you can judge an apostle? Why do you act as if you figured all this stuff out on your own, such that you're capable now of judging who's right and who isn't? To the extent that you have anything, it's not because you're such hot stuff, it's because it's been given to you as a gift. And since you received it as a gift, why do you boast as if you earned it or made it up yourself? Why do you act as if it's not a gift? Why have you arrogantly taken on yourself this matter of judging? For ain't you are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us, and I would indeed that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. I think he's being sarcastic here. I think he's kind of parroting their picture of themselves and saying, Oh yeah, you're already filled up, you've already become rich, you've become kings without us, and I think that us is me, Paul. And then he says, I wish you had become kings. I think he's saying, I wish it were true, I wish this high opinion you have of yourself was true, but it's not. Ultimately, it's God's purpose to make us reign with Christ over creation and be kings in that sense. And the day is coming when we will no longer be subject to the futility of creation and we will rule with Christ over creation when he establishes his rule and peace and justice. But you're acting as if you can have all that without apostolic teaching and without the gospel, but you don't get that without Christ and the gospel. So I think he's saying a little sarcastically, I wish your picture of yourself was true, because when it's true of you, it's going to be true of me, and I wish it were true because that would mean Jesus has returned and established his rule on earth, and I will be there with you standing in glory. Then he goes on, and I think again there's kind of a sad irony in this section as well. Let's look at four nine through sixteen. For I think God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated and are homeless, and we toil working with our own hands. When we are reviled we bless, and when we are persecuted we endure. When we are slandered, we try to conciliate, we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I exhort you, therefore, be imitators of me. So what's going on here? I think in four nine it's a historical allusion. When Rome captured another nation, they would parade the captives and all their spoils through town to celebrate their victory, and the captives who were to be executed were the last ones in the parade. Caesar put them on display in this victory parade as men condemned to death, and I think that's what Paul's referring to here. God has exhibited us apostles last of all as men condemned to death. So you see the irony here. On the one hand, the apostles are some of the most important people in the history of the world. In terms of accomplishing God's purposes, in terms of being wise, in terms of having the best understanding of reality, it doesn't really get any better than being an apostle. They ought to be people who are honored and revered and have schools established around them so that they can sit and teach and tell the rest of us what's really true and what's really right. They are some of the most important people in the history of the world, but on the other hand, they're despised and ridiculed. They are seen as foolish, they're mocked, they're beaten, they've become spectacles, they're hungry, they're thirsty, they're poorly clothed, they're roughly treated, they toil, they're reviled, they're persecuted, they're slandered, and they are condemned to death. In fact, all the apostles except the apostle John were martyred. And he says here to angels and to men, I think the idea is to display a very important truth that what is wise to the world is foolish to God, and vice versa. So Paul paints this picture here. We apostles have been rejected by the world. The apostles have been made stewards of the mysteries of God. We ought to be honored and listened to, but the world finds those mysteries foolish and they reject us and mock us and ultimately will kill us. As a representative of the gospel, people think I'm strange and I'm foolish. I don't get a parade when I come to town. I get beaten and scourged and arrested. The world doesn't reward me or any of the apostles really, with wealth or fame and honor and glory. The world treats us as the scum of the earth. We're paying that price for following Christ. But not you guys. You guys are wise in the world's eyes. The world finds you respectable. We're weak in the world's eyes, but you're strong. The world finds you okay, and it despises me an apostle, and that ought to worry you. The irony of the situation is that the servant of God, the one who gave the Corinthians the word of life, is rejected by the world, and now the Corinthians are treating Paul the same way the world treats him. So the world views themselves as respectable and strong and wise, and they find the apostle Paul foolish, and now the Corinthians see themselves as respectable and strong and wise, and they consider Paul foolish as well. They are judging him and finding him lacking just like the world. They think they're the beautiful people, the strong, the honorable, and they're holding Paul in contempt. And I think Paul's kind of pointing out here, doesn't that worry you? Don't you see the problem in your viewpoint? God gave me the role of apostle, and I'm willing to be a fool for him. The foolish world doesn't see the value in the gospel, and the world's gonna mock me and laugh at me because of it, but you guys should know better. You're treating me just like the world treats me, and you should know better. In four fourteen he says, I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. I think there is a sense in which he is shaming them, but his point here is I'm not trying to humiliate you. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm trying to open your eyes to see the foolishness of what you're doing. So I think that he's saying I'm not trying to shame you in the sense of I don't want to destroy you. Rather, I want you to recognize the foolishness of the path you're on. I want you to recognize the problem with the choices you're now making. You are my beloved spiritual children. I am your father in the faith. When you knew nothing at all about Jesus Christ, I patiently taught you what you needed to hear. I told you who Jesus is and how to find eternal life. As the wise master builder, I laid the foundation and patiently explained the words of life to you as a servant of God. As your father in the faith, I taught you the words of life. So I think Paul's saying, look, I am your spiritual father in the fact that I was the first to teach you and introduce you to the gospel. Lots of people are going to teach you after that, but you were born into the kingdom of God through me. I have a special attachment to you. I don't want to shame you. I want you to learn and grow as any father wants his children to learn and grow. And then he concludes in four sixteen, therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. How should you respond to me? Should you judge and despise me? No, you should recognize that I'm a steward of the mysteries of the gospel, and rather than reject me, you should listen to me. Rather than judge me, you should imitate me. I'm a steward who is serving you. You need to follow Christ the same way I follow Christ, and that's going to lead you to look foolish to the world. So imitate me that way in becoming a fool for Christ. I urge you to reject the world's wisdom, to imitate me and be willing to be considered foolish by the world. Value what's really important. Value content over style. Value the words of life over looking good. Value following God and His praise over the praise of men. You ought to be imitating me and serving and following Jesus, not judging me. So I, Paul, am a servant who is serving you well. Lots of people are going to teach you, but you only have one father, the first one to proclaim the gospel to you, and that's me, Paul. So what I want you to do is imitate me and be willing to be considered foolish by the world. Now that brings us to the end of this discussion that Paul began back in chapter one. He's about to move on to another topic. And to wrap this section up, I want to make two last observations. First, I don't think the application of this discussion is it's wrong to have a favorite teacher. I'm not saying it's wrong to decide that, you know, there's someone else out there who's a better teacher than me. There are lots of teachers who are better than me. That's not really the issue. Or having someone you prefer or you really gravitate to their teaching style. The problem in Corinth was not that they had favorite teachers, the problem was the reason they had a favorite teacher. They had a favorite teacher because they wanted to be intellectually respectable to the world. They claimed to follow Jesus, but they wanted to be loved by the world more. Now I think that issue, that temptation of being accepted by the world is one that many of us will face. Many of you probably work in academics or scientific research or corporations or any place where Christians are looked down on and seen as foolish and bigoted. And when you're in a situation like that, it is very tempting to take on a persona that just fits in better, to try to be the person who is seen as wise in the world's eyes. In jobs and situations, you're probably gonna wrestle with this same temptation the Corinthians faced of if I tell them I'm a Christian, if I act a certain way that betrays the fact that I believe the gospel, they're gonna think I'm a fool. But even if you don't face that particular temptation in your daily life, you're most likely gonna face the underlying issue. So I don't want you to take this situation and turn it into a rule that you apply, like, okay, make sure you never decide one teacher's better than another. That's not the issue. The issue is that the Corinthians wanted to be accepted and respectable to the world around them. They're embarrassed by the fact that Paul keeps on talking about the gospel and he's talking about it in a way that's not going to win them any worldly praise or accolades. And I think that's an issue that confronts us everywhere. Because underlying that issue is really the question, do I in fact value the gospel? Do I see it as the road to eternal life? Have I set my hope on what it promises such that I'm willing to look foolish to my community, to my workplace, and to the world? Am I willing to follow God if it costs me the praise of my peers? That can be a really hard situation, many of us will faith. That's a truth we can live out in many different situations and circumstances, and those circumstances may have nothing to do with favoring one teacher over another. But we will be put in situations where we have a choice. Do I stand up and choose in accordance with what I know the gospel says is true, or do I maybe just slide over here and pretend that what the world says is true? And that's really the underlying issue the Corinthians were facing. It's just they faced it in this avenue of who's the best teacher. We might face it in any different, many different kinds of situations. And lastly, this whole argument depends on Paul being the apostle he claims to be. None of his argument makes sense if he's lying. But if Paul really is in fact an apostle, if he really has a true message from the creator and author of the universe, then his argument makes sense and we ought to listen to it. If he's not a messenger from God, then his argument doesn't really hold up. So underlying this issue, he's also confronting them with that question. Am I in fact an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God? Do you believe that I am in fact an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God? If Paul is in fact a messenger from God, then you have to choose what Paul says over the world, because you can follow God or you can follow the world. And if you follow God, the world's gonna think you're foolish. And if you follow the world, you may get praise and accolades from men, but you will miss out on the more important praise from God. As he said earlier, if you follow the world, it's gonna lead to your destruction. But if you follow God and the gospel he proclaimed through Jesus and His apostles, then you will find eternal life. So everything Paul says in this section depends on the truth of the message he's been proclaiming. You've been listening to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. My mission is to apply serious Bible study to real life and to help you learn how to study the Bible. If you haven't visited my website, wednesdayintheword.com, I'd encourage you to stop by. Rather than being covered with advertisements, my website contains a wealth of Bible study materials designed to help you improve your skills and understanding. There's no charge, no spam, no advertisements, only Bible study. And if you want to thank me, join the mailing list, subscribe to the podcast, and tell a friend what you've learned. Our theme music is graciously provided by Reggie Coates. You can find his music on heartfeltmusic.org. Thank you for joining me today. I'm Krisan Marotta, and I'll see you next week at Wednesday in the Word.