Lessons #79 and 80
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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God’s supremacy over His workers (1 Cor 3:5-9)
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
This passage, as we have noted previously, is concerned with God’s supremacy over His workers in the advancement of His plan for the church. However, the message of this passage is that you should understand that God is infinitely superior to all ministers of His word that He uses in His divine work regarding you. This message we indicated is to be expounded by focusing on three responsibilities you have as derived from our passage. A first responsibility we started to consider in our last study is that you should understand the position of pastors and teachers of the word to God in their roles in divine work. As we also stated, this responsibility requires you understand four facts in the passage we are studying that will enable you to maintain proper perspective about those who minister God’s word to you. A first fact is that ministers of God’s word are His agents to bring the message of salvation. This fact is derived from the phrase only servants or literally servants of 1 Corinthians 3:5. A second fact is that each minister of the word has received from the Lord specific assignment to advance God’s word. We derived this second fact from the last clause of 1 Corinthians 3:5 as the Lord has assigned to each his task. The apostle then illustrated this fact from the assignments he and Apollos received from the Lord. His assignment was to found local churches through preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to teach doctrines to the churches. In case of the Corinthians, the apostle founded the church and taught them basic doctrines. Apollos’ assignment was to continue the ministry of the word from where the apostle stopped. Thus, Apollos came to Corinth after the apostle founded the church and continued to teach believers and evangelize unbelievers. We insist that Apollos not only taught the word to believers but evangelized unbelievers because that will be in keeping with what the Holy Spirit instructed through Apostle Paul to Timothy to preach and teach the word, as in 2 Timothy 4:2:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Preaching the word in this verse is primarily concerned with teaching doctrine to believers since the preaching of the gospel to unbelievers is implied in the instruction requiring Timothy to function as an evangelist, as stated in 2 Timothy 4:5:
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
In any case, we have stated the first two of the four facts in the passage we are studying that will enable you to maintain proper perspective about those who minister God’s word to you. The third fact is given in verse 8, which is that there is oneness among those who minister the word of God. As we indicated previously, we are not following sequentially the verses of the passage we are considering in this study but are governed by the facts we want to present. Therefore, we move from the first sentence of verse 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it to verse 8.
We proceed to consider verse 8 because it is here the apostle resumed his presentation of the facts that will enable believers to maintain proper perspective about those who minister God’s word to you that he started in verse 5. There are two reasons for asserting that the apostle in verse 8 resumes his presentation of the facts we should know to maintain proper attitude about those who minister God’s word to us. A first reason is that the second clause of verse 6 but God made it grow begins the apostle’s focus on God and not His ministers, implying he had temporarily stopped stating of facts about them in order to focus on God. A second reason is because of the word that the apostle used in the beginning of verse 8 (although it is the third word in the Greek because of Greek rule where the word is not usually the first word in the Greek sentence) that is not reflected in the NIV and majority of our English versions. However, the Greek word is translated “now” in some English versions such as the NASB and the HCSB. That notwithstanding, it is not clear in what sense the English versions that used the translation “now” did so since there are several meaning in the English associated with the adverb “now.” It could mean “at the present time” or it may be used to draw attention to something or used in a request or instruction. Hence, it is not clear what the translators had in mind.
Anyway, verse 8 of 1 Corinthians 3 has a Greek particle (de) that in certain occurrences may be left untranslated but, in most occurrences, it is to be translated. It may be translated “and, as for” when it is used as a marker that connects a series of closely related data or lines of narrative as it is used to connect the various virtues that should be present in believers that are certainly controlled by the Holy Spirit in 2 Peter 1:5–8:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek particle may be translated “now, then, and, so, that is” when it is used as a marker linking narrative segment. Thus, the apostle used it to link his commendation of the Corinthians to that of the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8:1:
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
Here the translators of the NIV rendered our Greek particle with “and now.” As we have indicated, sometimes, our English versions do not translate it when it is used to indicate a continuation of a narrative or to resume a discourse that has been interrupted by a parenthetical discourse. We see this approach in the NIV regarding the narrative of Jesus’ activities recorded by Luke, as we read in Luke 4:1:
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
The translators of the NIV or even the NASB that is often literal in their translation did not translate the Greek particle here in Luke but the ESV translated the particle with the word “and” while the NET used the word “then” in their translation with a footnote that says it is used for continuity with a “previous topic.” Although the previous topic may not be easy to identify for the average English reader, but the translators of the NET recognized that our Greek particle should be translated to indicate a continuity. Actually, the Greek particle is used to resume a discourse that was interrupted. Luke started narrating about Jesus’ baptism and the Holy Spirit descending on Him, as we read in Luke 3:21–22:
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
But then he digressed beginning in verse 23 and continued to verse 38 with the genealogical record of Jesus. After that digression, Luke continued to say something related to the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the first verse of the fourth chapter. This requires that verse 1 of the fourth chapter should begin with a word that indicates Luke was returning to the narrative concerning Jesus and Holy Spirit that he started in verse 21 of the third chapter but digressed to genealogical matters. Thus, the English versions that began the verse with “and” or “then” recognized this, but it is still up to the teacher of Luke 4:1 to explain what such usage means. Another example of where our Greek particle should be translated with a connective but was not is in 2 Corinthians 10:2:
I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
Again, the NIV and majority of our English versions did not translate our Greek particle but the NKJV translated it with “but” while the NET and the LEB used the word “now” to begin verse 2. To leave the particle untranslated may give the impression of a transition to something else but that is not the case. Apostle Paul used our Greek particle to indicate he has resumed his plea to the Corinthians that he started in verse 1 but digressed to say something about himself, as we read in 2 Corinthians 10:1:
By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!
The apostle wrote I appeal to you so, one would expect him to say something about the appeal; instead, he proceeded to say something about himself. After the apostle said something about himself, he resumed his plea in verse 2. Thus, our Greek particle can be used to indicate a resumption of narrative that has been interrupted. This aside, our Greek particle may be translated “but, on the other hand” when it is used as a marker of contrast as in Colossians 1:22:
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:8, it is used to resume a discourse the apostle began in verse 5 regarding ministers of God’s word, specifically he and Apollos, that was interrupted temporarily by his focus on God that we will get to later. Hence, verse 8 is used to resume the third fact about ministers of God’s word that we should know to help maintain proper perspective about such men.
Be that as it may, we indicated that the third fact the apostle stated regarding ministers of the word of God is that of oneness because Apostle Paul state in 1 Corinthians 3:8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose. Again, in the context, the man who plants is Paul, and the man who waters is Apollos. In application, the two clauses refer to evangelists or missionaries who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and plant churches and pastors whose primary function is to bring believers to spiritual maturity through the teaching of the word of God. That aside, we stated that there is oneness among those who minister God’s word because of the verbal phrase have one purpose in the NIV of verse. Literally, the Greek reads are one. So, the question is to determine what the apostle meant by stating in the context that he and Apollos are one. To answer this question, let us examine the Greek words used.
The word “have” in the NIV or “are” in the literal translation is from a Greek verb (eimi) that basically means “to be” with several nuances. It may mean “to live”, that is, to be alive in a period of time, as it is used by Jesus to put words in the mouth of the Jews of His time regarding their attitude towards the prophets of the past in Matthew 23:30:
And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
The clause If we had lived in the days of our forefathers is more literally If we had been in the days of our forefathers. The word may mean “to come from somewhere” as it is used in questioning if anything good could originate from Nazareth in John 1:46:
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
The question Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? is literally Out of Nazareth is any good thing able to be? The meaning “to be” may mean to exist, as it is used by Apostle Paul to state the existence of many gods and lords in 1 Corinthians 8:5:
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),
Of course, it is used in this sense of existence to describe the absolute existence of the true God in Hebrews 11:6:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
The Greek word may mean to exist in the sense of “to be present, available, provided” as it is used in Acts 7:12:
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
The clause there was grain in Egypt may be fully translated as that grain was available. The meaning “provided” probably fits the use of our Greek verb in John 7:39:
By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The sentence the Spirit had not been given is more literally the Spirit was not yet since the word “given” is probably not in the original although some few Greek manuscripts have it but it is supplied in many of our English versions to avoid creating the impression that the Spirit did not exist prior to the point in view in the passage. The problem of it appearing that the Spirit was not in existence at the time involved may be avoided if the Greek word is translated “provided” so that the sentence will read the Spirit not provide yet in the sense of living in the believer as today. In some usages, the Greek word may have the sense of “to be of relative significance, be of moment or importance, amount to something” as in Galatians 2:6:
As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message.
The verbal phrase to be important is more literally to be something. The word may mean “to belong”, as in Romans 8:9:
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
The word figuratively may mean “to be controlled” as that is the sense in Romans 8:8:
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
The clause Those controlled by the sinful nature is literally those who are in the flesh. The Greek word may mean “to devote” as that is the sense Apostle Paul used it in his instruction to Timothy regarding devotion to God’s word in 1 Timothy 4:15:
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
The expression give yourself wholly to them may be alternatively translated devote yourself to these things. The word may mean “to represent, stand for” as in Galatians 4:25:
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
There are other possible meanings of the Greek word, but we have provided sample meanings to indicate the Greek word has several meanings.
We have considered the range of meanings of our Greek verb (eimi) so the question is to determine in what sense it is used in 1 Corinthians 3:8. There are two possibilities. It may mean “to belong” because that is the sense Apostle Paul used it in 1 Corinthians 3:4:
For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
The sentence I follow Paul is literally I am of Paul that is, I belong to Paul. Another meaning is “to be” in the sense of having the quality of being something. It is, of course, possible that it could mean “to have” used in the NIV since that is the meaning of the word in the Septuagint of Job 1:12:
The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
These possible meanings would be considered in the interpretation of the literal verbal phrase are one of 1 Corinthians 3:8.
The second word in the literal phrase are one or have one purpose in the NIV is “one.” It is translated from a Greek adjective (heis) that may mean “one” in the sense of a single person or thing, with focus on quantitative aspect. However, the meaning “one” has different senses. It may mean “one” in contrast to more than one as Apostle Paul used it as an adjective in describing Adam as being responsible for sin entering the world in Romans 5:12:
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
The word may mean “one” in contrast to the parts, of which a whole is made up and so it is used to indicate that although there are many believers they form one body of Christ, as stated in Romans 12:5:
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
It is in the same sense that the word is used to indicate the oneness of believers in Christ in Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The word may mean “a single entity, with focus on uniformity or quality” and so the word may mean “alone” in some context, as it is used when the Pharisees charged Jesus of blasphemy because He claimed to forgive sins in Mark 2:7:
“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Under this meaning of “a single entity, with focus on uniformity or quality” is the meaning “single, only one” as it is used to describe the commandment of love in Galatians 5:14:
The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The phrase a single command is literally one word. The word may mean “someone, anyone” as in Matthew 18:24:
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
The phrase a man is literally someone. The word may mean “the first” as a marker of something that is first, as it is used to describe the day of the week of the trip of some women to the tomb of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:1:
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:8, the word is used with the meaning “one” in the sense of a single thing.
We have examined the key words used in the literal phrase are one, so the question is to determine what the apostle intended. Based on the key words we examined, there are two fundamental ways of translating the Greek verbal phrase. It could be translated either belong to one or are one. A major problem in the interpretation is that the apostle did not elaborate what he means in his use of the word “one” in the passage. However, the context helps us to determine what the apostle meant. The context is the ministry task of both Paul and Apollos. Therefore, the apostle meant that he and Apollos are in or belong to the same ministry of the word of God. In effect, he meant to convey there is only one ministry of the word of God although each one has his specific function in the ministry. Hence, the apostle meant to say that there is one ministry of the word of God that they advance so it could be interpreted that they have same goal or purpose in the ministry which is to advance God’s word. This notwithstanding, the apostle simply wanted the Corinthians to know that he and Apollos are not involved in different ministries of the word but one ministry of the word of God that is concerned with advancing God’s purpose or will. The implication is that it is wrong to pitch Paul against Apollos and so that it is wrong to view them as being in competition with one another. Believers everywhere should understand this truth that those who are involved in ministry of the word of God are not rivalries since they are in the same ministry of God’s word. The interpretation that the literal verbal phrase are one refers to one ministry of the word that both Paul and Apollos are involved is supported by the concept of reward in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 3:8 that we will get to shortly. In any event, the third fact that will enable believers to maintain proper perspective about those who minister God’s word to us is that there is oneness among them. In other words, those who minister the word of God are all in the same ministry of God’s word with the common goal of advancing God’s plan or will.
A fourth fact that that will enable believers to maintain proper perspective about those who minister God’s word to us is that each minister of God’s word will receive reward that reflects his service in the ministry of the word of God. It is this fact that is given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 3:8 and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. A literal translation is but each will receive his own reward according to each his own work.
The primary difference between the literal translation we have given and that of the NIV is our use of the word “but” instead of “and” in the NIV. Both translations are permissible since the Greek particle (de) used has both meanings. However, we believe that it is the meaning “but” that is intended because the apostle wants to convey that although he and Apollos are involve in the same ministry of the word of God that each will be rewarded differently. Thus, it is better to use the meaning “but” to indicate that there will be a distinction in the reward he and Apollos will receive.
It is the effort of each minister of God’s word that will determine the future reward each will receive. A minister will receive his own reward not that of another. It is this fact that is conveyed in the NIV that paraphrased the Greek sentence in their translation each will be rewarded since the literal Greek reads each will receive his own reward. The apostle indicates that each minister will participate in the receiving of his reward because he used what is known as middle voice in the Greek that calls attention on the subject as participating in the action specified for his benefit. Thus, each minister will receive personally his reward not that of another.
The word “reward” is translated from a Greek word (misthos) that may mean “wages” or “pay for work done” as it is used in the charge against the wicked, wealthy person, as stated in James 5:4:
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
The word may mean “recompense” in the sense of recognition, mostly by God for the moral quality of an action. Thus, it may mean “reward” in the sense of affirmation of praiseworthy conduct as it is used in Matthew 10:41:
Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
The word may mean either “punishment” or “reward” as the case may be, as in the declaration of the Lord in Revelation 22:12:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:8, it is used in the sense of “reward” for service rendered in the ministry of God’s word. This reward is directly from God in the eternal state.
Why do we state what seems to be obvious when we asserted that the reward will be from God? It is because we need to emphasize the difference between reward from God and wages or compensation ministers receive from their fellow believers. You see, the Greek word that we examined also has the meaning of “wages” or “pay for work done.” Those who are ministers of the word are compensated by those who are the beneficiary of their work in the ministry. Apostle Paul makes this point in several passages. To the Corinthians, he indicated that those who preach the gospel should make their living through it, as he stated in 1 Corinthians 9:14:
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
To the Galatians, he made the same point in a different way in Galatians 6:6:
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
The apostle makes the same reference in 1 Timothy 5:17–18:
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
The phrase double honor is a reference to proper respect due to the office of elder and adequate pay for his work in preaching and teaching the word of God. Those who teach the word or preach it receive wages or pay that is not part of what is meant by reward in the clause each will be rewarded. Thus, it is important we understand that it is the reward that God will give in the future that is the concern of our clause not the pay given to ministers of God’s word.
Reward as a concept is presented in the Scripture as that which all believers will receive for faithful service. The Lord introduced this truth using the showing of hospitality to another believer in Matthew 10:42:
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
The giving of cold water was an act of hospitality in the ancient time so that the Lord Jesus is saying that those who show hospitality to others, especially believers will be rewarded in eternity. Thus, it is not surprising then that the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul encouraged the practice of hospitality in Romans 12:13:
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
The Holy Spirit states through Apostle Paul several times regarding rewards that believers will receive. To the Ephesians, the apostle mentioned reward for doing what is good, as stated in Ephesians 6:8:
because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
To the Colossians, the apostle referenced reward believers will receive when they carry out their activities in a manner that will glorify the Lord in Colossians 3:23–24:
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Therefore, we should recognize that every believer who serves the Lord faithfully will be rewarded but when the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:8 each will be rewarded, it is not the general reward for any believer that is faithful that was his concern. Because he focused on himself and Apollos as ministers of God’s word, the reward he was concerned is that special reward that will be given to faithful ministers of God’s word.
The truth that faithful ministers of the word of God would be specially rewarded in the eternal state is one that was introduced through Prophet Daniel in Daniel 12:3:
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
The wise in this passage refers to those who are faithful in instructing other Israelites, as mentioned in Daniel 11:33:
“Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.
The special reward of such persons is described as participation in the God’s blessings and special honor in the verbal phrase will shine like the brightness of the heavens. This special reward for faithful ministers of the word of God is referenced by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Peter using the term “crown of glory” in 1 Peter 5:4:
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
The crown of glory reflects not only praise for a job well done by faithful ministers of God’s word but honor on the part of the faithful. Of course, no pastor/elder should be concerned with fame or honor rather his primary concern should be to discharge his duty faithful before the Lord. For in the end, it is our Lord who will honor such persons since eternal honor is superior to human honor. You may think it is unfair for God to give special reward to faithful ministers of the word of God but it is not since in His plan He had already determined those who will be specially reward in this way. This understanding will be in keeping to what our Lord Jesus indicated that there are those whom the Father has prepared a special position in the eternal state, as we read in Matthew 20:23:
Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
Anyway, we contend that when Apostle Paul wrote in the clause of 1 Corinthians 3:8 each will be rewarded, he was concerned with special reward that God will give to faithful ministers of His word.
The reward ministers of the word will receive, as we have stated ,will be in keeping with their service as conveyed in the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 3:8 according to his own labor. The word “labor” is translated from a Greek word (kopos) that may mean “trouble, difficulty” as Apostle Paul used the word in his final appeal to the Galatians not to cause further trouble to him because he bears the scars brought about by suffering and beating because he was a faithful minister of God’s word, as we read in Galatians 6:17:
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The Greek word may mean “work, labor, toil” as an activity that is burdensome as the word is used in describing the activities of the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 1:3:
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no doubt that each minister of the word of God faces his unique difficulties or challenges, but the Greek word is used in the sense of “work” or “labor” involved in the ministry of the word of God. Thus, the apostle was concerned with his work and that of Apollos. By implication, he was concerned with the labor or work of each minister of the word of God. No two ministers of the word of God work hard in the same way. There are those who work harder than others as Apostle Paul mentioned in his narrative of his activities and suffering for the gospel of Jesus Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:23:
Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
Because ministers of the word of God labor differently, some intensely and not others, it makes sense for each one to receive his reward in accordance to his service hence the phrase of 1 Corinthian 3:8 according to his own labor. Again, this phrase reminds us that God is just and so will provide rewards that are commensurate to the service each minister rendered while on this planet. Anyway, if we understand that each minister will be rewarded by God then we will not be concerned with comparing one minister to another but of praying for them so that each will function according to the gift and task the Lord assigned the person. In any event, the first responsibility we have considered that you have, based on this passage, is that you should understand the position of pastors and teachers of the word to God in their roles in divine work as that will enable you to have right perspective about them and their relationship to God. This brings us to the second responsibility we need to consider and that is where we begin our next lesson.
09/28/18