Reading: 1 Corinthians 3-4, Psalm 142

Today’s reading in the first letter to the Corinthians continues on in much the same vein as the it began. Paul continues to deal with the issue of the Corinthian Christians dividing and judging one another over various issues that are not particularly important. The rivalry between those who were baptized or taught by Paul or Apollos seems to have been the key sticking point, since Paul spends much time dealing with it. By the end of today’s reading, Paul is ready to move on to condemning the things some of the Corinthians are doing that do matter. On it’s surface this appears contradictory. Paul says not to divide and judge, and then he judges, and in such a way almost certain to cause division. But there is more going on here than that.

Paul began his letter reminding the reader of the same thing he reminded the Roman church of: that there is one judge set up by God, and that it is Jesus. Nearly everything he says in those early chapters is drilling that point. Jesus is the judge. He is the wisdom of God who defines right and wrong, good and bad. He gets to tell you what to do and what not to do. No one else gets to do this, and you most certainly do not get to do it yourself. Paul really gets going on this subject, telling the Corinthians that he doesn’t even have the perspective to judge himself. He believes he is doing the will of God, but is not going to take the place of judge over whether what he has done is stone or straw. He paints a vivid word picture of how the life of the believer is to play out. Christ is the foundation, and it won’t be going anywhere no matter what you do. Your responsibility is to build on the foundation things that will last. Finally fire will come and reveal that which is lasting and that which is not. Paul is saying not to mistake the builder for the fire. When you see someone building what appears to be a great stone castle in their life, don’t get confused and think that person carries the torch. They are only fellow servants and message bearers.

Paul is talking about himself, Apollos, Peter, and other evangelists of the early church era. It is a common mistake among humans to confuse the bearer of important news with the source of such news. In our days we have often described news anchors as the most trusted people in America, confusing the trustworthiness of what they presented with that of the person themselves. Until they are caught in lies, and the edifice is destroyed. This also happens very often in churches and other religious organizations. The gifted presenter of the gospel gets confused in people’s minds with the source of the message. The real disasters happen when this confusion affects the messenger themselves, and otherwise well meaning leaders start taking their people off a cliff.

Okay, so Paul has called out this “who do you follow” habit as a real bad move. Don’t judge people based on such empty things as who presented the gospel to them. God was the source of the message in all cases. The messenger is just doing as he is told. So how is it that Paul can shift gears, as he will tomorrow, and start correcting the behavior of the Corinthians? Didn’t he just say not to judge? Well, sort of. But not the way we often say not to judge today. The misjudgment that Paul is warning the Corinthians against is judgment of one another according to meaningless standards, like who baptized you. He doesn’t want the messenger confused for the message. But that does not invalidate the message. There is a judgment coming, and insomuch as Paul understands Jesus the judge, he is going to warn the people he cares about against behaving in ways that offend the judge. Paul does not present Jesus as one who does not care how you act. In fact, he presents him as caring more than anyone else, though also as more merciful than anyone could ever imagine. Tomorrow, when Paul starts his tirade against wicked behavior, he is doing so not for himself, but for them. Paul doesn’t judge them. He doesn’t even judge himself. But there is a judge, and his judgment is coming.