1 Corinthians 4:14-21 Many Guides but Only One Father
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 6, 2020 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 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. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 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. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 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. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
(Understanding the Text) Paul tells the Corinthians that he is writing to them because he loves them. They are like children to him. He tells them that he is not speaking out of judgment in order to shame them, but instead, he is speaking out of his longing for them to grow and develop well. He says that he has a right to do this because he is their father in Christianity. He was the first to bring them the news of Jesus and to teach them the ways of the kingdom of heaven. He says that they will have many others who will help them develop along the way, but that those others are not the ones who led them from death to the source of life.
Then Paul tells them to imitate him and his ways and that he sent Timothy to them so that they would be reminded of what those ways were. Paul says that he is consistent in teaching the ways of Christ everywhere he goes, so Timothy has learned the same lessons that Paul taught the Corinthians. Then Paul switches from humility to authority, reminding the Corinthians that he represents a powerful God and contrasting that with those who were speaking arrogantly among the Corinthians. He gave them a choice of repenting before he arrived or after. He confidently assumes that his presence will end the problem if it is not ended before he comes. Either way the problem will be ended.
I have always been a little bothered by his threat here. “What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” I’ve never been a fan of the Dad thing “Don’t make me get up” or “Shall I get out the belt?” Paul’s words here remind me of that kind of threat. After speaking of being humble, it almost seems like an arrogant and useless threat trying to inspire fear. On the other hand, part of me wonders if it was tongue-in-cheek. Was Paul making a joke? But the next part of the letter is deadly serious, so it cannot be a joke. I just don’t know how to take this comment. Robertson’s word pictures for chapter 5 points out that Paul actually had power to do something. In Acts 13, he struck Elymas with blindness. Peter also had that authority pronouncing judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. Thus, Paul’s threat was not an empty threat.
(Revelation of God / Application) Paul makes an interesting statement. “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” Too often we think that we are only speaking words. We forget that the words are only a tool that the Spirit uses to reach into the hearer. The Spirit has other tools also. We forget that our words are different from ordinary words. The words spoken by the believer who is doing God’s work are more than simple sounds with meaning. They are powerful. It is God’s power that works, not our words. We forget that we have the power of God with us always to handle every situation.
(Prayer) I pray that I will remember that You are with me and that You are powerful and willing to use that power through me to change the world. I pray that Your ways will be done here on earth and that Your will will be carried out everywhere, but especially in my life.