Faithful Leaders
June 9, 2024
1 Corinthians 4:14-21
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Read 1 Corinthians 4:14-17
1. Recall that Paul’s previous verses to the Corinthians were dripping with sarcasm. Discuss Paul’s rapid change of tone in these verses. What is he trying to accomplish?
2. When have you had someone intentionally shame you? When have you had somebody warn you in love? How were those experiences similar? How were they different?
3. Why must we be cautious about verse 16? Gain some context by reading 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Peter 2:21.
4. Why is it important that Paul presented a consistent way of life in Christ in all of the churches he planted? How consistent is your way of life in Christ? Where does your way of life in Christ occasionally become inconsistent? What can/will you do about that?
Read 1 Corinthians 4:18-21
5. Did you ever have any “Wait till your father gets home” moments growing up? How do these verses function in much the same way?
6. Discuss verse 20. What does it mean? What does Paul mean by ‘talk’? What does he mean by ‘power’?
7. What is Paul implying in verse 21? Which option do you think Paul will bring in the coming chapter? (Hint: read the first few verses of chapter 5). How does verse 21 here prepare the Corinthians for what is coming in the next chapter?