Paul Vindicates Himself

Self-justification is justified only in rare instances, and Paul’s message to the Corinthians is one of those times. The apostle used it on this occasion because of his self-sacrificing love and affection for his converts. His argument could be questioned by those who did not think as highly as they should of the apostle. However, his uncompromising stand and dedication to God’s call as a bond-servant for Christ were without question. His “folly”—as it would be called by his opponents—was prompted by the kind of jealousy which a lover feels for his beloved. Such jealousy is Godly because it is felt by God Himself, when His people are described as giving their allegiance to others. Paul did not defend himself when he preached the gospel, but he did when he wrote letters to those under his care (II Cor. 11:28).

The Corinthians were Paul’s work in the Lord. Paul said, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas. Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING. God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share with the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things that it may be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel” (I Cor. 9:1-18 NASB).

The meekness and gentleness of Christ is the accepted standard among Christians. What is more meek and gentle than a lamb? Christ’s meekness was not amiable. He was gentle because He was strong. He had power to drive demons into the deep and gentleness to gather children into His arms. He was not indifferent to justice and purity. We too often overlook sin. When someone has been apprehended for some sin, there are many who will say, “Let him go; he could not help it.” Should these people get credit for goodness? This would be a manifestation of indifference to righteousness. People, apart from grace, are not gentle. Men of power, apart from grace, are ready to push their political agenda beyond imagination, a fact which has been proved by history. The meekness and gentleness of Jesus Christ is manifested by His love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity.

Paul vindicates himself, but such acquittal does not resemble what we see in religious institutions today. Paul was the victim of ill treatment. He was writing to an assembly where the party spirit was raging. Prospects of great fellowship are often turned into bitter experiences. Great expectations often become the bitterest of experiences. Paul’s authority was questioned. He admitted that his apostleship in no way made him superior to human infirmity. He was not super-human, but he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out his responsibilities.

The approval of God should be our chief concern. Therefore, our lives need inspection and introspection—without and within. We should desire God’s approval above everything else in life. Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15 NASB). The word of God must be dealt with in a straight forward way to the exclusion of fanciful deviations. Jeremiah explained the statement “handling accurately” when he said, “Cursed be the one who does the LORD’S work negligently…” (Jer. 48:10 NASB). God’s approval is the servant’s chief concern. Service is not self-effort; it is the out-living of the in-living Christ. The fountain of service is the inward urge of the spirit motivated by the knowledge of justification, sanctification, and glorification.

“Therefore” is the link between doctrine and service in Romans 12:1-2—“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB).

Paul appealed to God’s mercy. Gratitude in the soul becomes an inexhaustible and irrepressible fountain of service. His exhortation presupposes the ability to carry out the exhortation. Service is the action of intelligent affection brought about by the knowledge of God in grace. We work from, not for, salvation. The divine order of election, redemption, regeneration, appropriation, and application must be understood.

Jesus Christ was the “dying sacrifice” that makes the “living sacrifice” possible for the elect. Condemnation (Rom. 1:18-3:20) and justification (Rom. 3:21-5:21) constitute the Christian message. Sanctification (Rom. 6:1-8:18, 28-39) and glorification (Rom. 8:18-25) interpret the Christian life. The first two tell of Christ’s work “for” the elect; the second two explain Christ’s work “in” the elect. The Christian message must be believed before the Christian life can be lived. There can be no fruit where there is no root, but the proof of the root is the fruit. Sanctification is the present process, and glorification is the final issue.

Meekness is an inward virtue in a Christian that draws injuries. That is what Paul is dealing with in II Corinthians 10. He is willing to accept the discipline of God without dispute or resistance, remembering that He often uses the insults and injuries of evil men for the chastening and purifying of His own people. The people admit that Paul’s apostleship in no way made him superior to human infirmity. He was not super human, but he was empowered by the Holy Spirit for the accomplishment of all things related to the Divine call.

The weapons of the Christian’s warfare are not mighty in themselves. If they were, they would always be successful. According to Paul’s own inspired testimony, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which he brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come” (Eph 1:18-21 NASB).

Natural philosophers agree that everything that is necessary for the growth and improvement of the vegetable kingdom is of God. He is the Author of nature and gives the seed, the moisture, and the enlivening rays of the sun. But what about the carnal Christians?

There is a great misunderstanding in I Corinthians 3:1-3 concerning the subject of carnality. What is the difference between the Greek words sarkinos and sarkikos in verses one and three. The difference is like that between “fleshy” and “fleshly” in the English language. The word sarkinos is a more all-encompassing adjective, but there is no blame attached to it because it applies to the young in the faith. However, in verse three sarkikos is characterized by flesh because they had been subjected to more teaching. Therefore, they were worthy of blame.

The mature believer is characterized by the spirit, and the adjective for that is pneumatikos. To be characterized by the flesh is sarkikos, and that is the opposite of what should have been. That is why Paul said, “For you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (I Cor. 3:3 NASB).

Paul used sarkinos in Romans 7:14 when speaking of himself as a regenerate person who was immature. The carnal brethren of I Corinthians 3:1 are not compared to the natural man, psuchikos, because the adjective psuchikos means natural, does not possess the spirit of God, or non-spiritual. This adjective is used in the following verses: I Corinthians 2:14; 15:45 and 46; James 3:15; and Jude 19.