Jonathan Edwards was born in 1703, and he became one of the greatest
preachers in history. He lived in a day when pastors went to a church out of
seminary and stayed there for the rest of their lives. His father was the pastor
of The Congregational Church in the little village of East Windsor, Conn. for
64 years. Jonathan entered Yale at age 13 and graduated at age 17. He
studied theology for 2 years and then became a tutor at Yale. At age 24 he
was invited to be the junior pastor at Northampton, Mass. where his
grandfather was the senior pastor. Two years later his grandfather died and
he was the sole pastor of the church.
Edwards developed a theology that said God can do whatever He wants
with people. They are His creatures and He can do with them as He pleases.
He can take them to heaven or cast them into hell. He has the right and the
power to do anything He wills. He started to preach a series on this theme,
and one became very famous, and it was called Sinners In The Hands Of An
angry God. His fearful messages started a revival that spread until he
became one of the most famous and influential pastors in the nation, and he
was still only in his 30's.
When the winds of change died down, and the emotions of revival cooled,
and apathy set in there was a period from 1744 to 1748 where not a single
new person joined the church. This was a long dry spell, and critics of
Edwards stirred up agitation. After much personal bitterness the church
voted in 1750 to dismiss their pastor. He appealed to the Ecclesiastical
Council to review the church's action, but five of the nine ministers voted to
sustain his dismissal. So Edwards found himself out of a job at 47 years of
age with a wife and 10 children to support. Their financial situation was
pathetic.
After a few months the church found that nobody wanted to come to be
their pastor, and so they did an unbelievable thing: They asked Edwards to
help them out. Most pastors would have refused with indignation, but
Edwards agreed to do it. He started preaching again in the pulpit from which
he had been cast out. He was ministering the Word of God to a people who
had rejected him. He did this for a year before he got a call to another
church. He went on to write 4 theological works that gave him the reputation
of being the most original religious thinker in American history. In 1758 he
was asked to become the President of Princeton. I share this history of one of
the great preachers of our land because it is such a parallel to what we see in
the relationship between Paul and the Corinthian Church.
Paul spent a year and a half getting this church established. It was hard
work, for they were a very godless people, and Paul needed special
encouragement from God to hang in there and not give up. So Paul plugged
away at it and got Silas and Timothy to come and take over his labor of
making tents so he could devote himself full time to preaching and teaching.
You would think that this would be a dream church. The world's greatest
Apostle, who was the most brilliant and devoted man on the earth was their
pastor, but the fact is, it was a nightmare. Paul had more problems with this
church than with all the rest of them put together. These Christians refused
to grow up. They stayed as babes, and the result was they were not really any
different than the pagans around them. Paul, however, never gave up on this
bunch of carnal Christians. He wrote 4 letters to them. We have 2 of them,
but he refers in them to 2 others he wrote. So we have the paradox that the
church, which had the most problems, and which gave Paul the most grief,
have the most written to them of all the churches. They were the worst and
they received the best.
They found every petty fault they could find in Paul to criticize. They
chewed him up and spit him out, and yet Paul keeps coming back for more.
Many who study the issue in depth wonder why Paul did not just write them
off as a hopeless cause. As Paul travels the world he is ever thinking of this
church and how he can help them shape up and stop being so critical. He
wants them to grow up for the glory of God. Most would walk away from a
church that treated them like this, but Paul looks at all their fault finding and
decided he will defend himself against these critics.
This letter is loaded with Paul's self-defense. Some Christians feel it is
not wise to engage in self-defense, for it can sound very egotistical. This is
true, and at times Paul sounds anything but humble in this letter, but we need
to keep in mind that he is not doing this for his sake, or for his reputation.
The truth of God's Word will suffer and all the church will be hurt if he lets
his critics undermine his authority and his teaching. He is defending himself
for the sake of the church. Self-defense is legitimate when it benefits others.
Believe it or not, one of the main criticisms of Paul was that you cannot
trust the man to keep his promises. Paul told the Corinthians that he planned
to come and see them and spend a winter with them after he went through
Macedonia. But that plan did not work out, and Paul did not make it to
Corinth. The best laid plans of mice and men, and even Apostles, do not
always work out, and this one of Paul's fell through. This is just the sort of
thing critics latch onto. They were saying that Paul's word was not worth the
paper it was written on. He says one thing and then does another. He says
yes, but he means no.
It made no difference to the critics that Paul ended his promise to come
to them with these words in I Cor. 16:7, "...if the Lord permits." Paul knew
that life did not always go according to his plan, and so he conditioned his
promise. But this did not stop the faultfinders. Have you ever promised
somebody something and then discovered that life took a turn that you were
not expecting, and you could not keep that promise? Parents have this quite
often with children. You don't have to do this very often before you hear the
words, "You never do what you say you will." This is what the childish
critics are saying to Paul. He is like a mother who placates her crying kids by
promising them the moon, but when it comes to carrying out the promise she
is too tired, or has other plans.
Parents often do make promises to easily, and they do fail to be
consistent with keeping their word. But this is not the case with Paul. He has
valid reasons for his behavior, and much of this letter is his self-defense. It is
hard to deal with Paul's defense in any other way but by a methodical verse
by verse examination of his arguments and statements, and so that is what we
will do beginning with verse 12. Paul begins with, "Now this is our boast."
The Greek word Paul uses for boast is a very common word in the Greek
world. The only problem is that it is almost always a bad word used to
describe a person who trumpets his own renown, and is, therefore, not liked.
We feel the same about a boaster today, and so it does not sound like a
good choice of words for a man trying to defend himself against critics. This
is especially so since James 4:16, using this same word, says, "As it is you
boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." So now he has James against him
too, and he is calling him evil for his boasting. Paul's fist words of defense do
not seem appropriate unless he is trying to hang himself, or unless he is a
master of paradox. That, of course, is what Paul was, and by so being he
teaches us over and over again that the same thing can be both evil and good.
Boasting is primarily evil, for it is a sign of pride. But we all know there is
also a positive pride, which is the foundation for our self-esteem, and without
it we would not be healthy individuals.
Paul had a healthy sense of self-esteem, and he was able to be honest
about how he felt about the gifts God had given him. His pride and boasting
were not self-centered, but God-centered. You will notice that he stresses that
his gifts are from God and according to God's grace. When your boasting
exalts God as the source of what you are proud about it is a virtue. Just
because most boasting is a vice of self-centered pride does not mean we should
avoid all boasting. Paul took this bad word and used it often in a positive
way. In so doing he taught Christians to look for the positive side of the sinful
nature of man. What possible good lurks in the hearts of sinners who behave
so proud and boast of their achievements as if they were self-made and
created all their gifts on their own? That very vice that keeps them
self-centered can become a tool for God-centered service. This negative word
became one of Paul's favorite words. He uses it about 25 times in his letters to
the Corinthians, and it is used only a few times in all the rest of the New
Testament. It is a bad thing that can be good if properly expressed.
Minnie Pearl was famous for saying, "I'm mighty proud to be here." It
was an expression of joy and a compliment to the audience. No one would
ever accuse her of sinful pride in her spirit. Paul says something very similar
when he says, "I am mighty proud to be God's agent in this world. I am
mighty proud to be a child of God and a useful tool for His kingdom." We
sing something like it when we sing, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of
God." Is that pride? Is that boasting? Yes it is, but it's the good kind that
Paul loves to express often. It is that good pride like, "I am proud to be an
American." Paul was proud to be a Christian, and he is going to boast about
being a good Christian by the grace of God.
The first thing Paul boasts about is his clear conscience. His conscience
testifies that he has been blameless in conduct in the world, and especially in
his relationship to them. It is obvious to all commentators that Paul is being
accused by some in the church of worldly behavior and worldly wisdom.
They are questioning his integrity and sincerity. Almost every evangelist is
suspect because there are so many who manipulate people for their own gain.
Paul and all faithful evangelists have to endure this same criticism because it
is so often true. Once you are accused of bad behavior it is very hard to get
rid of the stain and restore your image. It is not enough to be innocent, for
you have to prove it, and this will never convince all the critics.
Some years ago governor Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania sent his black
retriever to the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia for the inmates to
have a mascot. The prisoners loved the dog, and he became a great favorite.
The story got out that he had condemned the dog to prison for killing a cat.
He got letters from all over the world denouncing his inhuman cruelty. He
could not stop the spread of the story, and so through his whole term of office
he kept getting these nasty letters. It is hard to believe that people in total
ignorance of the facts will go off half-cocked and in righteous indignation
blast people as if they had direct access to the omniscient mind of God.
If you read of the hoaxes that have stirred up millions to write letters of
protest over false reports you will discover that Christians are the worst
offenders. They are often gullible and easily manipulated by false reports. It
is nothing new, for Paul had to fight it in his day as all kinds of
misinformation was being spread about him, and it was Christians who were
doing it and believing it. That is why we see his self-defense in this letter, for
if the falsehoods were allowed to stand his ministry would suffer.
His first argument is, "I do not feel guilty for my conduct, for my
conscious is clear." His promise to visit them was made in all sincerity, and
he does not feel any guilt that he could not keep his promise, for that was out
of his hands. He does not control all of life, and so the best he can do is plan
and make a sincere effort to carry out that plan. Some Christians go all to
pieces when plans do not go as they wish. They feel guilt as if they failed.
Paul will have none of this guilt, for he did his best. He moves on to plan B
and does not fret and grieve and feel guilt. Some were trying to make Paul
feel guilty by telling others that if he was really spiritual his plan would have
worked out.
It is a case of Job's friends ride again. They were blaming Paul for the
complexity of his life as if it was his sin that made his life so complex. If he
was more spiritual and less worldly his plans would work out and he could
keep his promises. Christians are notorious for calling other Christians less
spiritual because they don't operate just the same way as they do. In his
defense Paul writes that all he does is characterize by the holiness and
sincerity that are from God. In other words, he operates with a singleness of
heart, and he is not double minded as his critics are saying.
The word sincerity means, "Judged by the sun." When a person bought
a vase they would hold it up to the sun, for if there was a crack in it the sun
would reveal that flaw. Paul is saying, "I am not a fake putting on a show for
my own benefit. I do not deceive you." Some vase makers would cover over
their flaws with wax so you could not see the crack unless you held it up to the
sun. On a cloudy day they could sell these defective vases, for they looked
perfect. Paul is saying, "I am not trying to hide anything and put one over
on you. I operate openly and above board, and gladly submit to a thorough
examination to test my sincerity."
Because Paul is so honest with this self-exposure of his conduct, character
and motives, we have in this letter the most intimate look at Paul's
inner being and emotions. Paul tells us his conscience is a witness for his
defense, for it says to him that he has done the right thing. Paul is the New
Testament authority when it comes to the conscience. John uses this word
only once, and Peter 3 times, but Paul uses it 28 times of the 32 uses in the
New Testament. For Paul conscience is the self-awareness that you are right
or wrong in your attitudes and actions. If you are deceiving people and doing
what you know is not the will of God, you will feel guilty. The ancient Greeks
saw the conscience as an inner witness telling you that you are on the right
path, or that you are going astray. It is a God-given inner voice. It can be a
very effective guide even in the pagan world.
This whole business with the conscience is a major theological issue with
Paul. He writes in Rom. 2:14-15, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have
the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for
themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also
bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them."
Paul is saying that there are pagan people who are guided by their conscience,
and if they listen to this inner voice and obey it, they are as righteous as those
who obey God's written law in His Word. Where there is no Bible people will
be judged according to their conscience.
In Paul's day the conscience was a major subject. The Pythagoreans
stressed the importance of a good conscience, and self-examination each
night. They wrote, "Thou shalt not take sleep to thy gentle eyes until thou has
considered each of the days acts. Where did I fail? What was a right act?
What was left undone? Begin with the first, go through them, and finally
when thou has done wrong rebuke thyself and when thou has done good
rejoice." Socrates left the judgment of his accusers, who gave false evidence,
to their conscience. Seneca the Roman stoic, who was a contemporary of
Paul, wrote, "Every night I examine my life. I open out my conscience to the
gods. For conscience is to every man a sort of inward god. The famous
Roman by the name of Cicero wrote, "There is a law within, diffused among
all men, constant, eternal.... There is one common master and commander of
all, even God who originated this law. If anyone obeys not this law he plays
false to himself and does despite to the nature of man."
Philo was the Greek Jewish theologian who was also a contemporary of Paul.
He wrote of the conscience, "It is born with every soul and makes its
abode with it, nor is it want to admit anything that offends. Its priority is
ever to hate the evil and love the good." We could go on and on, but these are
sufficient to make clear why Paul appeals to his conscience in self- defense. It
was universally accepted by pagans, Jews and Christians that the conscience
was a key witness to any persons motives. A clear conscience was one of the
best testimonies that could be presented. Paul is saying, I am proud to
declare that my conscience testifies I have been holy and sincere in all my
dealings with the world and with the church.
Paul is saying that the charges of him being worldly wise are not true, and
they are based on the critics misunderstanding. He makes it clear in verse 14
that he expects this letter to clear up this misunderstanding so that they can
be proud of him. His self-defense is not just to make him look better, but to
help the Corinthians so they can be proud of their founder and teacher, and,
thereby feel more secure in their faith. Their self-image is going to be
damaged if they think their founder is a con man. The goal is mutual
boasting of each other, and a sense of positive pride about who they are in
Christ.
The critics of Paul are saying that he is deceptive and that he uses words
to cleverly say one thing, but he really means another. Paul says in verse 13
that what he writes to them is not mysterious and ambiguous, but it is easy to
understand, for he is being as open an honest as he can be to convey
transparent genuineness. His opponents are reading between the lines, and
they are reading in things he is not saying. Critics who do not like a person
are easily detected, as are Paul's critics. They find fault very easy because
they read into his words and acts that which is not his intent to convey. Never
take a critics interpretation of the meaning of another person's words, for
there will be distortion. The only valid interpretation of a man's words are
what he gives. If it sounds like a man is saying one thing and meaning
another, don't ask his critics, ask him. He alone can give you an authentic
interpretation of what he means. Paul's critics are saying, "We think he
means something other than what he says." Paul responds, "You are wrong.
When I say yes I mean yes, and when I say no I mean no. I say what I mean
and I mean what I say."
Warren Wiersbe of Back To The Bible fame says he can sympathize
with Paul, for he has made promises too and then had plans changed so that
he had to cancel meetings where he was scheduled to be. Christians can be
very critical when you foul up their plans. Paul's critics are calling him
wishy-washy. He does not care about us, but only wants to get our money.
We will see a lot of criticism and a lot of self-defense as we study this letter.
The major lesson of this letter is that Christians are too critical, and they hurt
the cause of Christ by being that way.
I must confess that I find myself critical of other Christians. We went to
a large Presbyterian Church, and found myself being critical. Their choir
was not nearly as good as ours, and the pastor took 10 minutes giving
announcements, and his message had no central theme. I came away feeling
proud that even though we are smaller we have a better service. Being
critical of others makes us feel superior, and that is why it is popular, and
that is why Christians put others down. It is important for us to be aware
that we have this critical spirit so that we can keep it under control. That is
one of the major goals for studying this letter of Paul.
