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We are grateful that we can once again come back to the book of 1st Corinthians, and we are at chapter 4, verses 6 to 21. Sounds long, sounds like a lot of verses, typically we cover less verses each time, but I thought we would just end off the section on schisms or divisions today.

You would ... maybe for some of you who are new with us, be ... it would be good for you to be reminded or to know that the book of 1st Corinthians, really deals with many problems in the church. And the first problem Paul had to deal with, was the problem of schisms or divisions.

There was a lot of carnal pride amongst the people there, because they were competing and unhealthily comparing one with another saying, "I belong to Paul's gang," "I belong to Apollos' gang," "I belong to Cephas' gang." Maybe they were priding themselves in how big their gang or their section or their group or party is.

So there was a lot of fighting; a lot of jealousy; a lot of envy, and that may even creep into the minds of the leaders and they start to do ministry with not the best of methodologies. They start to compromise, instead of working and laboring with gold, silver and precious stones, they started to labor with wood, hay and straw, as Paul would have said it. So, that was an unhealthy situation and Paul saw the urgency to try to arrest this problem.

Well, when I first started the book of 1st Corinthians, and knew that we're going to look at the problem of divisions, I was wondering how much can there be said about this problem. "Don't get divided! Be united!" I thought that would be it, but here we are, four chapters, a lot of ink has been spilt, but we come now to the final words about this problem in 1st Corinthians.

So let me read to you these verses again, they're very long because there are 16 verses, but I want to assure you that the sermon today is very short, just to pace yourself or to assure you that it would not be too long.

[v6]: I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.

[v7]: For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

[v8]: Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!

[v9]For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.

[v10]: We are fools for Christ's sake, but you're wise in Christ. We are weak but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.

[v11]: To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,

[v12]: and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endured;

[v13]: when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

[v14]: I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

[v15]: For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel.

[v16]: I urge you then, be imitators of me.

[v17]: That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

[v18]: Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.

[v19]: But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.

[v20]: For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

[v21]: What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

Quite a chunk! And what is this passage all about? Well, I thought about it and I kind of summarize it into the title that I'm going to give, and it is simply this, "Paul's Final Appeal In The Corinthian Divide".

Now, after this chapter, after this sermon, we're going to look at a separate problem in church. So these are really the last words about the division that is taking place in the church of Corinth. I'd like you to notice together with me, three things that Paul mentions here.

[1] Appeal To His Walk
First of all, Paul appeals to the Corinthians not to divide by asking them; calling them to look at his own walk and life.

So Paul appeals to them, "Don't be proud. Don't be arrogant. Don't boast. Don't fight. Don't divide." Why? "Look at me, look at my life, look at the way I minister." He appeals to his own walk.

Now, let me share something a little bit embarrassing. A little bit unglamorous, about myself. I sit at my desk for quite long periods. And you know, when you sit in a chair, the same chair for a long while you get tired, right? Your muscles get achy, and so I typically after a while, and when I'm mentally tired, I propped my legs up on the table. Not a pretty picture lah! I didn't ask anyone to take photo to show you because I think that's very unglammed. But you can kind of picture that, I sit on my chair, my legs are up on the table, And sometimes after all, I fall asleep there.

So one day I saw my son, Matthias, he was having his meal, and to my horror, I saw him prop his ... his legs onto the dining table. I mean, on the study table is one thing lah, on the dining table is another! So I said to him, "Matthias, put your legs down! You should not put your legs up on the table." To which he replied, "You also what!" It's a good argument in a sense, but I did tell him, "Study table is not where you eat, but the dining table is where you eat."

You know, Paul says to the church at Corinth, "Stop your dividing. Stop your fighting. Stop your boasting." And the Corinthian church could not say, "But you also what," because Paul says, "Look at my life! Look at the way I have served! Look at my walk!"

How does he develop this point? Let's look at verse 16, "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another."

Now, I think the general meaning of this verse is obvious. "Look at myself, look at Apollos, we are not proud, we are very humble servants of God, so that as you look at us, you will learn not to be arrogant against one another." I think the basic meaning is clear, it's easy.

But there are some phrases here that may be a little bit tricky, "I have applied all these things." Now, people can differ as to the understanding of what it means, "To have all these things". I think the most obvious choice would be Paul's teaching about servanthood. Remember the words, huparetes, we looked at two weeks ago, and the word, stewards — oikonomos.

So Paul is saying, "I've applied the principles of huparetes, the under rower, the unglammed, the lowest-rung slave to myself and Apollos. And I've applied the concept of oikonomos, a steward, who is responsible to faithfully dispense the mysteries of the Gospel to myself and to Apollos."

So Paul says, "I'm no celebrity, I've never see myself as a celebrity, I never look at our positions or our ministry as excuses for stardom. I've applied these things — servanthood, stewardship to myself and to," if I may say, "My successor, Apollos."'

Paul is Pastor number one, Apollos is likely Pastor number two. And he says, "I've made sure these things are true in my life and also for Apollos."

I wonder what is most important in church leadership? Is it smart? Is it your theological degree? Is it your charisma? Or is this most important? "Moreover, it is required amongst the servants of God that a man be found faithful?"

So Paul says, "I've applied these things to myself and Apollos."
And he goes on to say, "So that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written." Now, this really is confusing to virtually all commentators and preachers. I've tried to make sense of it myself, and it's not easy. Basically, people offer two general possibilities.

One, "What is written here" can refer to what the whole of Scripture talks about with regards to humility. But again, it's a bit difficult because you don't have a specific reference here to say that.

Two, they say, "It's a common proverb in those days," but again, it is beyond Scripture, it is not what is verifiable. So most of them would say, "Paul is saying, "You may learn by us not to go beyond what is written in the Scriptures with regard to humility." That's admitting most of us or historically, pastors, preachers, that's our best understanding of this text. But I guess, the overall meaning is not diluted in any way, because the main point I think is obvious.

So Paul says, "Myself, my successor, we have diligently lived these principles of servanthood and stewardship up, so that you may learn from our example not to be proud, contrary to Scripture, that none of you may be 'puffed up.'"

That's an interesting word, it's a word that is describing an instrument, that you use to fanned the flames — a bellow. You know how it is, you ... you squeeze this and there's, there's a lot of wind that comes out. "So don't be, pssst, puffed up in favor of one against another. So don't be arrogant about Paul, don't be arrogant about Apollos, don't be arrogant about Cephas. Don't be arrogant that you belong to these gangs." Why? "Because we don't live like that."

I think, this one verse tells me the importance of setting the right example as spiritual leaders. Now, I know not all of us here are pastors, we certainly are not apostles. But I think this is a very important principle of spiritual leadership,
maybe some of you are care group leaders, discipleship group leaders, bible study group leaders, children ministry leaders.

You may be leading in your respective realms and God is using you to influence people, what is the most important thing about spiritual leadership? I think, it's humility. I think, it's being an example of servanthood. Think about our Lord Jesus Christ, He never strut around and boasted of His abilities but He .... enduring picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, besides the crucifixion, must be how He laid aside His garments, poured a basin of water and washed the feet of His disciples.

So Paul can say, "Don't fight! Don't argue! Don't be proud!" And none of you can say, "You also what!" because, "All of you could see the manner of life and ministry Apollos and I have." So, I ... I just want to kind of cross reference and lay this principle down, reinforced for you.

I'm going to truncate a lot of these verses, in 1st Peter, but I think you can read up for yourself if you like. It says, "So exhort the elders among you, shepherd the flock." [1 Peter 5:2]
So elders are to care and to tend their group, to lead and to guide and to provide and to protect the flock. We are to shepherd the flock. In what way? "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock." [1 Peter 5:3]

I have, in recent years, been exposed to what's happening in other parts of the world and in other churches, because of social media because of greater awareness of these things, greater write-ups about these things. And it is very encouraging to read about advances and understandings of the Bible and theology, but it's also very discouraging when you hear about scandals and problems in many churches.

And one of the problems, I've read about is abusive leadership, where leaders form a cult around themselves. It's like the church revolves around a man, revolves around a cult personality, and he is abusive. He may be very smart, he may be very well-spoken, he may be very influential, but instead of stewarding all that for the glory of God, he uses all that to bludgeon his opponents in the church, silence his critics, and dominates and uses the people, and he is still called pastor.

I won't name names but he has been exposed, it's just one example in my mind, but there are many like that. He was exposed, he left the city, went to another city and started another church, just like that. And the same story is repeating right where he is right now.

But that's exactly what the Bible is saying not to do. We are to be examples, and I think it follows on with Peter saying, "Clothe yourselves, all of you with humility." [1 Peter 5:5] I think, if there's anything, elders, shepherds, pastors, don't show off your stuff, don't try to form a cult personality around yourself. But I think this is the best way for ministry, to recognize we are huparetes, to join with John the Baptist saying, "He must increase and I must decrease." And I think the church would be well served like this.

And I think it is helpful then, that when there is strife and envy, and infighting, the elders together with Paul can say, "I've applied these things to myself." I hope you will learn, we are not here for ourselves. Easier said than done, but I hope that the principle laid down will be helpful for the health of this church, for the glory of God.

At the end of the day, it's what Jesus did, isn't it? Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. And as a church, we must follow Him and not follow the world. The world's style of leadership is to show how great you are. The church, the spiritual style of leadership, is to serve people right where you are.

I think it was Moody, it just comes to my mind now, it was DL Moody who says, "The greatness of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many people he serves." I think that's a true saying.

Now Paul, therefore says, "Look at my walk. Look at my life." Now he's ... he's going to kind of ask them again, "Why, why are you boasting? Why are you so proud about being in Paul's group or Apollos' group or Cephas' group?" And he asks a series of rhetorical questions, to question their assumption that they are great just because they belong to Paul or Apollos or Cephas.

"For who sees anything different in you ..." [1 Cor 4:7] "What makes you so special even if you belong to Paul and Apollos and so on?" "... What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

So they were challenged, they were asked by Paul, "Why do you boast as if it's you who is so great, when there's nothing great in you?" He goes on to say with a huge dose of sarcasm, he is very sarcastic here. He says, "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us, you have become kings and would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!" [1 Cor 4:8]

So, he's probably alluding to how they might not just be priding themselves in belonging to Paul and Apollos or to Cephas in their various parties, but they may be priding themselves in their circumstances — how wealthy they are. Certainly there's a bit of that showing up later on in chapter 11, as well.

So they may be boasting about their circumstances, about their personal wealth. And so Paul is sarcastically saying ... Alright, you ... in Singapore, we say, "Le yah liau [Hokkien dialect], you win already lor! You very good lor!" Maybe that would be the similar kind of vein of questioning Paul has for them.

"So why do you boast?" he said. "Look at us," switches back to himself and to the fellow apostles, "For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men." [1 Cor 4:9]

So Paul says, "Our lives are not lived to become the first of all, but God has ordained that we shall be the last of all." Again, very different philosophy of the world and the church.
Now, when you look at this verse, it seems very simple, but there may be a deeper reference here or meaning here in this phrase, "Sentenced to death".

Many point out that this is an allusion, a reference to the triumphal procession of the Romans. So when a Roman General goes out to war and wins a victory, he would come back to the city and march through the city with his troops, so that the people may cheer their general. And at the tail end, this is not a clear picture, but you can roughly see that the Roman General or Caesar he comes back on his white horses, in his carriage, people were cheering.

And in this kind of procession, right at the end, will be the captives, will be the prisoners of war. And this triumphal procession will lead these captives, ultimately into their theatre, to their amphitheater, to the Colosseum in Rome, where these captives would then be thrown to fight the wild beasts.
That they say, "Is the punishment for fighting against the Roman Empire."

And so Paul says, "They are like men sentenced to death." "They are the last, they are coming in as the captives, treated with disrepute, jeers, disrespect, and they will be thrown, their lives will be in danger, and they will be made like a spectacle." The word, spectacle is the word, 'theatron' on ... in the Greek, which, of course, you know, has its roots in the word, theatre. They are like a show. So, Paul may be referring to this scene, this kind of picture and how they would be ridiculed as apostles.

Spiritual leadership is not where one should be in, to be admired. If you're in this ministry, if you're serving in whatever capacity, you are in so that people may admire you, you're in the wrong job; wrong vocation; wrong calling. If you want people to admire work outside in the world, maybe you will get better rewards there, for present life admiration. But if you're laboring for the rewards in heaven, then be prepared to be last of all in this world.

Paul says, "We are fools for Christ's sake people ..." [1 Cor 4:10] "People laugh at us. People mock us." "... But you are wise." "You don't want to be like us! You want to be first, so you are very wise." Again, a huge dose of sarcasm here, I think you must catch that. "... We are weak, but you're strong." "You are so capable. You are, you belong to Paul, you belong to Cephas, you belong to this big group. You're held in honor, but we in disrepute."

"To the present hour, we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless." [1 Cor 4:11] It is shocking actually, to read these things about the apostles. It is a huge disparity with what I see in church life today. I ... I ... you know, one of the things I often admit, rather ashamedly — is a how good life I live today, how great a life, physically speaking, circumstantially speaking.

And I'm ... I'm really ashamed when I look at the Bible and see the way they lived. And I said, "This is unreal!" We live in such a well-provided-for country. And I wonder, "If I'm really in the center of God's will many a times." I ... I ... I ... if I may say this, for Pastor Paul as he feels the same way. He says, "It's unreal, it's so comfortable."'

But when I look at the lives of the servants of God and Paul and the apostles; now I'm not saying that I purposely go look for trouble and ask you to beat me up and take away my home. I'm not saying that, but I'm just saying ... am I ready for this kind of life? Would I be happily serving God still? I think that's a question anyone who wants to serve God must genuinely ask themselves.

Well, Paul was ready for that, he says, "We labor working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted we endure; when slandered, we entreat, we prayed for them. We have become and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things." [1 Cor 4:12-13]

The commentators tell us that the word, 'scum' and 'refuse' used in the language of those days, refer to the lowest of lowest people in society.

And so Paul says, "Don't fight!" I hope you get the drift now. "Guys, please stop fighting. It's not worth it, it's not right!" "But Paul ..." they can't say that, because Paul says, "Look at my life. Look at Apollos. Look at us. We are homeless, destitute, we work with our hands, we are abused, we are reviled, we are the theatron, we are the spectacle. We are the people who are the last, sentence to death."

"Look at us, you guys want to be wise and strong and honored and lifted up! You want to reign as kings, but we want to be the last. I hope you'll be imitators of us. I hope you would see that we've applied these things to ourselves."

Matthias will not be able to say to Paul, "You also what!" None could! And so that is, I think the longest point I'll make today, the next two points are really short. Paul appeals to his own walk as his final appeal, in the issue of the Corinthian divide.

[2] Appeal To His Warmth
Well, secondly, Paul appeals to his warmth.

He used a lot of strong words. And truth be told, sarcasm is not something that is easily swallowed by people, right? I mean, I know sarcasm works because it wakes you up, gives a rude shock factor, but it hurts, huh. It's like a sharp knife, a sharp dagger. And so people may feel as they read Paul's letter, that, "Wow, why is he so harsh?" So I think there is fine balance here, when Paul reminds them about his love, his affection, his warmth towards them.

"I do not write these things to make you ashamed ..." [1 Cor 4:14] "I don't write these things just to make you feel bad for the sake of making you feel bad, "... But to admonish you as my beloved children."

The word, 'admonish' is the word "noutheteo" which is to put into your mind, the truths that are important. So he wants to put these truths into their lives because, "I love you, and you're my beloved children." So there's fine balance, strong words, to create that wake-up factor, but at the same time, strong assurance that he loves them and that's why he does what he does.

"For though you have countless guides in Christ ..." [1Cor 4:15] There are many teachers in your life, "... But you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Jesus or Christ Jesus through the Gospel."

So, Paul was the one who brought the Gospel to the city of Corinth, and in that sense, he is their father, not that he is saying, "I am like your heavenly Father," but in sense, "I was used by God to bring you to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ."

"I urge you then because of my affection, my love for you, be imitators of me ..." [1 Cor 4:16] Bringing back to the first point, "Look at my walk, look at the way I serve." And he said, "This is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere, in every church." [1 Cor 4:17]

So, Timothy is like Mr. Trouble Shooter. If you read about how Paul talks about him, whenever there are problems, and Paul is stuck somewhere or is in prison, he would send his protege, his Mr. Trouble Shooter Timothy. But I hope you sense in this second section, Paul's warmth towards the church.

I scold my kids a lot, I say a lot, my wife maybe even more. But both my kids, they need to be scolded, they need to be reprimanded, they need to be disciplined. But one thing, we ... I think both of us, as parents do is to constantly and consistently remind them, we love them.

I think we grow up ... I grew up in a typical; traditional Chinese family. I don't think I've ever heard my parents say, "I love you." Now, I know they love me from their actions, my dad always buys a lot of food. That was why I was really pudgy and huge, but that's his love language. But they have never really said, "I love you." I think even up till today.

But for my kids, I made sure, I made sure my wife and I, we both assure them, we love them. It's so important, isn't it? That whilst we discipline them for their good, they may not understand it's always for their good. So the spiritual leader assures the church, "I love you. The things I do, it's not because I hate you, not because I want anything out of it for myself, but this is really for your good." And I think Paul balances his admonition really well.

[3] Appeal To His Warning
But finally, Paul appeals to his warning. So there's a lot of a twists and turns, strong words, affectionate love, and then he leaves this section with a final warning.

"Some are arrogant as though I were not coming to you." [1 Cor 4:18] So apparently, there are some gangsters there, not gangsters in a bad way, not in that sense, but ringleaders. We call it, tua tau. [Hokkien dialect] Er, well, leaders there, who are kind of stirring up the problem. And they were saying probably, "Aah, don't care about Paul! He can say whatever he wants, he can write whatever he wants, but he's not going to come and deal with us, we can just carry on this ... this mess in the Corinthian church."

"So some were arrogant as though I were not coming to you." [1 Cor 4:18] "You think that the, when the cat is away the mouse can play. "No! No! No! No! No! I'm going to come. I will come to you soon." But of course, with the caveat, "... if the Lord wills, and I'll find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power." [1 for 4:19]

"I'm going to watch their life." "For the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." [1 Cor 4:20] "Are they really godly people? Do they show spiritual vibrancy and godliness?" I think that's what the power here refers to, whether they are truly godly people. "I'm going to check it out."

But he finally ends off is saying, "What do you wish when I come to you? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness?" [1 Cor 4:21] So, he's saying, "I will come and discipline you, if you're still not behaving yourself." Sounds like me, when I talk to Sean and Matthias, "You better stop it now, if not I'm going to come to you with a rod."

So, here ends the final appeal of Paul to the Corinthian divide. We took many months to go through these four chapters, but I hope you'll see the terrain that Paul has to navigate. The various issues he has to uncover, and how he is regularly pointing people back to the Gospel, to the life of Jesus to resolve these issues.

I ... I think just as a kind of a, take a step back look at how he deals with it, you would have to see that ministry requires great balance and nuance. There are many times you will be strong, and there'll be many times you have to be soft, but there is a balance there. We cannot be harsh without being loving, neither should we be soft without being firm. I think Paul demonstrates wisdom in pastoral ministry this way.

Now, I also learned that having spiritual leaders, doesn't exempt a church from real carnal problems. I think they had good leaders. Won't, won't you say so? Paul was a great leader. I'm pretty sure Apollo was a good leader because he was at least servant hearted, Paul's ensured that. But that doesn't mean that the church wouldn't have problems.

But having spiritual leaders will help in bringing the people back to what they should be doing. At least Paul could say, "Look at my life." So I pray that you would be praying for your leaders, for all the pastors, elders, CG leaders, DG leaders in Gospel Light.

We're not looking for smart men, we're not looking for charismatic men or women. We're looking for people who understand these things — huparetes, oikonomos. We are under rowers and we are just responsible to give out the mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To faithfully do so, that's what I think will mark true spiritual leadership.

But the hardest thing I think about leadership is to say with Paul, "Be imitators of me." Very hard, easy to preach, easy to talk, not so easy to walk. Easy to tell Matthias, "Put your leg down," but very hard for me not to put my leg up also. And I hope that as I grow, the church will grow together and as you grow, I will grow together with you, and we all can say, "Let's learn from one another."

But finally, let's think about the Lord Jesus Christ, He does not tell the church to do anything that He has not done before, or He has not done himself. Real spiritual leadership is the picture of Jesus washing feet, and I pray we will follow Him well.

For all of you who are new with us, you're not Christians as yet, you're wondering what Christianity is all about. Let me tell you what Christianity is all about, it's about Jesus, the Son of God coming down to wash our feet, coming down to die on the cross, to pay for our sins. To do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, to be willing to serve us, to the extent of giving His life on the cross, as a ransom; as a payment for your sins.

How can a church be filled with pride when we see our Savior, lay that all down, lay His glory down to give you and I eternal life? May we worship Him, and for you who are not yet God's children, God's child, I pray you will humble yourself and see Jesus, the Savior for your sins.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Father, we thank You this morning, for Jesus Christ, Your Son. The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. It may seem so distant from us, but when we consider our own egocentric self, when we consider our pride, when we consider how often we boast of ourselves and how much we want to elevate ourselves, we are amazed and deeply thankful that He was willing to lay aside His glory, emptied Himself and became obedient even to the cross.

Father, we pray that we would be centered in the Gospel, in that we see the humility, the servanthood, the sacrifice of Jesus, and we will be willing to lay our pride down. If there be any schisms, if there be any divisions, if there be any divide within Gospel Light, I pray You will heal it with Your love this morning.

Oh Lord, I pray for the team of pastors and elders, the spiritual leaders in this church, that we will never dominate God's people, but that we would be examples and that we will be clothed with humility, that we would see ourselves as huparetes, and that we would be faithfully doling out the mysteries of the Gospel as stewards. Give us a healthy church, clothed with humility.

And Father, we want to pray for all friends, guests, once again, that you will open your eyes to see that we speak not about man's self-righteous efforts to clean himself of sin, but that the Bible speaks about a great Savior, who humbled Himself to do for us what we cannot do, to save us from our sins. Turn our eyes to Jesus. Thank You and we pray all this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

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