SERIES: Christ is the Answer When the Church Is in Crisis
Principles for Purging Pride
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: If you have been worshiping with us for the past several months as we have been studying the book of 1 Corinthians, you have undoubtedly become aware that one theme common to almost every paragraph so far is that of conflict and division in the local church in Corinth, particularly over their spiritual leaders. Some members were bragging that they were converted under Pastor So-and-so’s ministry; others were boasting because they had been baptized by Pastor So-and-so, and both groups were badmouthing the other side.
In dealing with this ridiculous politicking in the church, Paul has pressed home several important points. He has expressed relief he hadn’t personally baptized more people than he did so people couldn’t make an issue of it; he has emphasized to the proud ringleaders that God doesn’t call many wise, mighty or noble into His family, but rather the foolish, the weak, and the lowly, the real zeros of society; he has pointed out that their divisiveness is a sign of spiritual childishness; he has taught that those who build God’s church with inferior workmanship and materials (wood, hay, straw) will suffer loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ; he has further warned that those who contribute to the destruction of the local church will be destroyed by God; and he has gone to considerable lengths to help them understand ministers better so they will cease their premature and presumptuous judgments–either pro or con.
In our text today the Apostle comes to the very heart of the problem at Corinth, and that is PRIDE. The real reason division has invaded the church is that many of the Corinthian believers are filled with pride and conceit. Listen to the two verses that constitute our text for today, 1 Corinthians 4:6-7:
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. {7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
I want to read parts of a letter I received just this week from a young lady who used to attend our church but moved to another state. In the year she has been gone, she has been unable to find a church with the kind of biblical and theological balance she’s been looking for. She wrote me about some of the doctrinal issues she’s been facing, and after I responded, she wrote back:
Dear Pastor Mike, thank you so much for your answers to my questions. My brother and I have come to the conclusion that we are in the middle…neither militant Calvinists, nor Arminians. It has been our experience that few are in the middle as we are and that the extremes are largely responsible for dividing the body of Christ (pretty astute for a young woman in her 20’s!). Your answers helped us to know that it is not sinning to be in the middle of an issue and that God’s Word does contain an amount of mystery that keeps us from putting Him neatly in a box.
Plus, we are learning that we are in the process of growing, and as long as we remain teachable and open, we are in a good place. What we have noticed from our newly formed friendships with reformed/Calvinist believers is that there is a great deal of certainty on these issues, almost bordering on arrogance. This actually defies logic, because reformed believers say there is nothing one can do about salvation–not even accept it of one’s own accord. And yet, Arminians who contend that we are largely responsible for obtaining salvation seem not to be nearly as prideful.
Now please don’t misunderstand my purpose in sharing this letter. It is not to take potshots at reformed churches. I am personally more in agreement with them theologically than I am with the Arminian viewpoint. (And if you don’t know the difference, don’t lose any sleep over it–just focus on Jesus). Besides, my personal experience is that more than enough spiritual pride has been exhibited on both sides of this, and other, theological chasms. My real purpose is to say to all of us, “Why should spiritual arrogance and pride ever rear its ugly head in the church of Jesus Christ?” That’s what Paul wants to know in this brief passage this morning.
I see two principles here that are critical in preventing pride from doing a number on our Church.
Principle #1: If we pattern our lives after God’s Word, individually and collectively as a church, and refrain from exceeding Scriptural limits, we will avoid taking pride in one leader over another. (6)
Now I want you to put your thinking caps on and follow me closely here. Paul is attempting to apply some important truths directly to the prideful condition of the Corinthian church, which he founded and loves deeply, but nevertheless grieves over. What truths? I am inclined to think that “these things” in verse 6 refers in a general way to all he has taught so far, but in particular to the previous paragraph, chapter 4:1-5.
Normally I am not one for extensive review of the previous Sunday’s message (after all, you endured it once!), but since Paul’s point in this passage hinges on understanding his point in the previous passage, bear with me while I remind us of what we studied last week. In fact, let me read the previous paragraph, this time from The Message:
Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The Master makes that judgment.
So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of–inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God.
Let me summarize this paragraph briefly. The minister is a servant, but he is also a steward. Therefore, we should not make a superstar out of him, but by the same token, we should not treat him as the scum of the earth. His ultimate obligation is faithfulness to God–not success or popularity or brilliance, or anything else. Furthermore, of the three judgments every minister faces (the judgment of his peers, the judgment of his conscience, and the judgment of God), the only one that counts in eternity is the judgment of God. (That goes for all of us, by the way).
Immediately following this pointed teaching about the responsibility and obligation of Christian leaders, Paul says in verse 6, “Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit.” In other words, “If you have any doubt about whom I was just speaking, I was talking about Apollos and myself. We are the first two leaders God gave you–I was the church planter and Apollos followed me as the first full-time pastor. And I want to use our experience at Corinth as an illustration that I hope will make a difference in your lives.”
Well, what was the experience of Paul and Apollos in Corinth? While they had some very good and valuable times with the congregation there, the toughest thing they faced was having the congregation choose sides between them based on human standards of evaluation. I suspect some of the members were saying, “Oh, I love how Paul analyzes an issue and stops the heretics in their tracks with his brilliant logic.” But others were responding, “I love Apollos’ ability to tell a story and to paint beautiful word pictures.” Some said, “Paul knows his OT better than anyone; in fact, he quotes Scripture all through his sermons.” Others said, “Apollos is far more relevant. He quotes from the poets and philosophers of our day. He’s more contemporary.” One said, “Paul was off on an evangelistic trip when my daughter had her first communion, and I’ll never forgive him for not being there to officiate.” Another said, “Apollos spends so much time with people that he doesn’t have time to study. His sermons are lightweight.” And on and on it went.
It is in the face of these kinds of unwarranted judgments that the minister’s ultimate obligation is presented: It is to ignore such evaluations and concentrate on faithfulness to God. Paul’s aim is to teach the church an invaluable lesson, namely “that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’” This is apparently a saying or slogan, which while well-known was not being well-practiced. We can shorten the phrase, “what is written” to the one word, “Scripture,” for that is exactly what is meant. “Do not go beyond Scripture.”
How were the Corinthians violating this principle? I think in two ways. First, the Scriptures clearly teach that a spiritual leader is to be respected, honored, and obeyed. When some of the Israelites challenged Moses’ authority, God caused the earth to open up and swallow them. When some young punks made fun of Elisha the prophet of God by calling him “Old Baldie,” some bears came out of the woods and killed them. (By the way, that was one of Brad Harper’s favorite stories, and he often warned me about it!). Nor is this just an OT concept. In Hebrews 13:17 we read, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Had the Corinthians been giving proper respect, honor and obedience to their leaders? No.
On the other hand, the Scriptures also teach that the spiritual leader is not a little god. Pastors, elders, and church leaders put their pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else. In fact, if you look at how the great spiritual leaders of Scripture viewed themselves, you can readily see that elevating one over another makes no sense at all. Let’s just take a moment and examine what some of them said about themselves.
When Abraham was interceding to the Lord on behalf of Sodom he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.” (Gen. 18:27) When God commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites, Moses replied,“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11) In a similar way Gideon responded to God’s call to deliver His people from Midian: “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judg. 6:15)
John the Baptizer could not conceive of baptizing Christ. He said, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” (Matt. 3:14) The previous day John had told the crowds, “I baptize with water, but among you stands One you do not know. He is the One who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:26-27) Even self-confident Peter, after witnessing the miracle of the great catch of fish, fell at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8) Paul acknowledged, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Cor. 3:5) And he said of himself, “I am less than the least of all God’s people.” (Eph. 3:8) God’s choice leaders have always been humble.
In His incarnation Jesus Christ Himself gave the greatest example of humility. “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus even said of Himself, “I am gentle and humble in heart.” (Matt.11:29)
Friends, if the church will stick with the teaching and the attitudes of Scripture, then the problem of either elevating pastors to pedestals or depreciating their very worth as servants of God, will disappear. In fact, that’s how Paul concludes his point at the end of verse 6: “Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.” The divisiveness, the bickering, and the politicking will stop if the church adamantly refuses to go beyond the Scripture.
Now I am convinced that what was true for the Church at Corinth is also true for the Church today. Many are going beyond the Scripture in their ascribing of honor and authority to spiritual leaders, while others are going beyond Scripture in judging and criticizing them. Most of us in the ministry have little worry about being unduly elevated, because we are ordinary enough in our gifts and abilities. But this is a real danger for those Christian leaders who have unique gifts of communication and who ooze charisma out of their pores.
The Church does these individuals a terrible disfavor when they ascribe superstar status to them. What a misplaced confidence when someone says, as I have heard, “My whole day is ruined if I don’t hear Charles Swindoll in the morning!” Now I thank God for Chuck’s ministry. He deserves our thanks and our respect for his clear application of God’s Word to the wounds of life. But let’s not go beyond Scripture in assigning to him or to Bill Hybels or to Charles Stanley or to anyone else a place that only Christ should fill. Those leaders wouldn’t even want us to.
On the other hand, I have known spiritual leaders who have been chewed up and spit out. We have eight or ten former pastors attending our church as laymen. Did they abandon the call of God on their lives? No. Did they throw in the towel? No. What happened to some at least is that they were abused by dysfunctional congregations. I’m not suggesting that none of them ever made mistakes–we all do. But instead of having people come along side to affirm them, encourage them, and pray for them, they were rejected and discarded. But if the Church refuses to go beyond Scripture, this will not happen!
Now I ask that you indulge me for a few moments as I examine more broadly the exhortation to “not go beyond what is written.” I want us to think of some other ways in which the church today is guilty of doing this. It’s easy for us to point a finger at the Catholic church and identify beliefs which go beyond the Scripture, like the Immaculate Conception, the assumption of Mary, the infallibility of the Pope, prayers to the saints,and prayers for the dead. None of these doctrines are found in the Bible, and one can’t help but think how much greater spiritual impact the Catholic church could have for truth if it would just stick with Scripture.[i]
But why point a finger at the Catholic church when we have plenty of good examples within Protestantism of churches going beyond Scripture in their views and practices? I think, for example, of infant baptism, nowhere mentioned in the Bible, but a practice not only accepted but treated as essential in many churches. Or how about the heavy emphasis on the charismatic gifts found in some churches, an emphasis missing from the NT. Speaking in tongues is mentioned in only one of the Epistles to the Church (here in 1 Corinthians), and most of what Paul says about it is cautionary, yet some churches claim tongues as the indispensable sign of spirituality. On the other hand, some churches go beyond Scripture in forbidding people to speak in tongues, even though the Bible states clearly, “Do not forbid speaking in tongues.” (1 Cor. 14:39)
Then there is the whole area of ethics and morality. How many churches today allow some vague notion of tolerance to form their attitudes on such issues as abortion, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, and end-of-life issues, even though the Bible speaks unequivocably to these issues. Many are allowing their sympathies to determine their morality.
Well, I’ve nailed the Catholic Church, the Charismatic and the anti-charismatic churches, and the mainline Protestant churches. I’m sure glad we evangelicals never go beyond Scripture! Friends, is it possible that we too are guilty of exceeding what is written in the Word of God? Consider the area of biblical prophecy. I know evangelicals who would die for a certain view of the rapture or the millennium. Since godly people (even those who accept the absolute authority of Scripture) have differed on these issues for centuries, wouldn’t it be wise to exercise just a little humility on such subjects? Is there anything wrong with saying, “My best understanding is that the rapture will occur, say, in the middle of the Tribulation, but I could be wrong. I’m going to be ready whenever it happens.”
Since I’m already in trouble, let me take another step over the cliff. I believe some of our best-known theologians consistently go beyond Scripture with their theological systems. Whether they are promoting dispensationalism or covenant theology or Pentecostalism or some other approach, frequently their theological system eventually becomes more important to them than the Scriptures themselves. Oh, they would never say that! In fact, they would vigorously deny it. But their system often becomes a Bible-to-the-second-power, which determines their interpretation of individual Scripture passages. (Again, if you don’t know what those theological terms mean, don’t lose any sleep over it. It’s not essential to know this jargon to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ).
I have studied theological systems for over 35 years, and I do not believe there is a single system that deserves the kind of allegiance most of their followers give to them. I am personally much more concerned about being biblical than I am about having a neat, consistent, all-encompassing system of theology. The Bible sometimes teaches two things that are difficult to reconcile. Does that give me the right to massage one of them until it fits the other? That, in fact, is what theological systems almost always do. I would rather live with the tension between two things I can’t completely reconcile than to force a reconciliation. Don’t get me wrong. I love theology. It is indeed the Queen of the Sciences. But I love the Scriptures more, and I love the King most of all.
Of course, one important implication of all this is that we must know the Scriptures. One cannot avoid going beyond the Scriptures if one doesn’t know how far the Scriptures go. I’m not for a moment suggesting everyone needs to be a technical scholar. I’m not suggesting that you should learn Greek and Hebrew. But I am saying that you should become at least a Bible reader, and hopefully a Bible student. It’s amazing how much a person can learn about the Bible just by reading a chapter or two a day. But most of us can do more–we can get into serious Bible studies here at church or at BSF or CBS or somewhere else.
To come back to the overall point of our text for today, pride is the root culprit that causes people to go beyond Scripture. They want to have an answer for every issue. They want to be able to tell other people how to live their lives in every detail. They want to be known as authorities in the church. And if they can’t be an authority themselves, they want to choose their favorite teacher or pastor to be their authority. Phooey on all that, says Paul. Stick with the Word!
Now our text provides a second principle in verse 7, and this one will be much briefer, but no less important:
Principle #2: If we recognize that all our assets are purely a result of God’s grace, we will be grateful and humble, rather than proud. (7)
This point is made by means of three rhetorical questions in verse 7: “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” The first question really means, “Who makes you superior to anyone else? Who appointed you ‘the big cheese’ around here?” The only kind of leadership that is taught in the Scripture is servant leadership. Just after the mother of James and John asked if her two sons could sit at Jesus’ right and left in the Kingdom, Jesus said this to His disciples:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The intended answer to the first rhetorical question is obvious: no one is superior to anyone else in God’s sight.
The second question asked is, “What do you have that you did not receive?” Some of the Corinthian leaders prided themselves on their communication gifts, as we shall see later in the book. Where did these gifts come from, Paul asks? They came from God, of course. Others looked with pride at their giving and considered how important their financial resources were to the ongoing of the church. But where did their personal wealth come from? Ultimately it was a gift from God, was it not? Still others were proud of their position in the church. Maybe they were on the elder board or the deacon board and liked to flaunt their authority before the congregation. But who gave them their leadership ability? God, of course.
Friends, there is not a single thing of value we have that cannot be traced to God’s grace. Perhaps you are quietly objecting to yourself, saying, “I’m a successful businessman and I worked for everything I have. It sure wasn’t given to me on a silver platter. I was born poor and everything I have I earned the hard way. I’ve never been on welfare, and I’d never take food stamps like some of these freeloaders, no matter how bad things got.” Well, if you’re thinking that way, maybe you need to think again. Where did you get the physical ability to work? You know, there are some people born handicapped to the point that they couldn’t do the job you do, even if they wanted to. Where did you get the mind that enables you to earn a decent living? Did you order your own I.Q? There are millions of people who weren’t born with the native intelligence you have.
Where did you get that special gift for music or math or public speaking that enhances your life and enables you to make a special contribution to society or to the church? You know where you got it–from God. You may have worked hard to develop it (and if so, I give you credit for not wasting your gift), but if God hadn’t created you with the innate capacity for that gift, all the hard work in the world wouldn’t have made you what you are today. The intended answer to the second rhetorical question: No one has anything that isn’t a gift from God.
The third question challenges the logic of personal pride: “And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” If indeed all that the Corinthians have is due ultimately to the grace of God, what basis is there for pride and conceit and division between brothers? If we really were self-made people, if there really were such a thing as picking ourselves up by our own bootstraps, then there might be grounds for comparison and boasting. But if we are all charity cases, which we are (that is, we are products of God’s grace), then obviously there are no grounds for arrogance and pride. The intended answer to the third rhetorical question is: No one has the right to boast about a gift.
Conclusion: We have been given two extremely important principles for Christian living that, if followed, could virtually eliminate division and conflict in the Church. Frankly, they would go a long way to heal our nation, too, but until we practice them in the Church, how can we expect the world to do so? First, if we pattern our lives after God’s Word, individually and collectively as a church, and refrain from exceeding Scriptural limits, we will avoid taking pride in one leader over another. And second, if we recognize that all our assets are purely a result of God’s grace, we will be grateful and humble, rather than proud.
I would encourage you today to take these two principles and covenant before God to allow them to make a specific difference in your life this week.
- Read and study the Bible daily, but only with the prior commitment to accept what it says and refuse to go beyond it, no matter what.
- Then, humbly acknowledge before God that everything you own or have comes from Him. Be filled with gratitude instead of pride.
The greatest of all God’s gifts is, of course, the gift of salvation. There is nothing you can do to save yourself, no religious rituals you can perform to achieve your own forgiveness. But God has promised to declare you “not guilty” and let you spend eternity with Him if you will renounce all your own efforts and trust what Jesus did for you on the Cross.
DATE: November 12, 2000
Tags:
Pride
Conflict
Humility
[i] The Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of the virgin Mary herself, not the virgin birth of Jesus. The Catholic church teaches that Mary herself was preserved free from original sin by God’s grace when she was conceived. While the Immaculate Conception is not found in the Bible, the virgin birth of Jesus is clearly taught there.