SERMON: “Needed: Faithful Gospel Ministers” (1 Cor. 4:1–5)
“Needed:
Faithful Gospel Ministers”
(1 Cor. 4:1–5)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #14 Text: 1
Corinthians 4:1–5
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: January
11, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
Sometimes, pastors can be without churches, and so, they may
begin to check to see if churches wanted ads.
That can lead to some interesting finds.
One classic one goes something like this:
Wanted: Senior Pastor Our growing
congregation of 150 (on Easter) seeks the ideal shepherd. Must be able to:
·
Preach exactly 12–20 minutes (but make it feel
like 8).
·
Condemn sin boldly while offending absolutely no
one!
·
Work full-time from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (including
custodial duties, youth group, senior luncheons, and occasional plumbing)
·
Have a burning passion for teenagers while
spending 90% of time with senior adults.
·
Own a nice car, nice clothes, and nice books
while living on a modest salary and donating generously back to the church.
·
Be young (energetic) yet experienced (20+ years
in ministry)
·
Keep everyone happy at all times (including the
deacons, the choir, the treasurer, and that one lady who hates change).
Of course, we can laugh at something like this because of
the exaggerated requirements! Yet, the
truth is that there are Christians who have these kinds of expectations, perhaps
without even realizing it. There are
also ministers who may feel pressure to operate in this way — prompted by the
congregation or not. Maybe the pastor inclines
toward people-pleasing, or he just doesn’t want to feel lazy, but he may take
on impossible expectations. Whatever the
case, sadly, this leads to burnout, where some, discouraged, even abandon the ministry.
The issue underneath this is how we evaluate ministers.
What standards do we use? Who gets to decide whether a pastor is doing
well? And how should ministers think of
themselves?
Well, last time, we considered wisdom concerning our
leaders. There were those in Corinth measuring
their teachers like Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, wanting “to be judged as wise in
society’s eyes.”[1]
Some use such worldly wisdom today — evaluating
ministers, not on Scripture, but on eloquence, charisma, social engagement, and
cultural impressiveness. Paul calls the
church to reject those notions and use heavenly wisdom. They should see leaders as gifts from God
that are given to the whole church.
What we see this morning flows from that correction. In this passage, Paul tells us how to regard our
ministers, and we also see there how ministers should regard themselves,
too. In other words, he tells us what we
need in ministers. First, the church
needs ministers who see themselves as the Lord’s servants and stewards (vv. 1–2). Second, the church needs ministers who see
themselves as answerable to the Lord (vv. 3–5).
II.
First, the Church Needs Ministers Who See Themselves as
the Lord’s Servants and Stewards (Vv. 1–2)
Let a man consider
us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of
stewards that one be found faithful.
Paul explains here that the church needs to shift its
thinking about its leaders, and they likewise should consider their position. Of course, on the primarily level, he is referring
to “us” — to himself, to Apollos, and to Cephas (3:22).[2] Yet, this applies to all who take on the
ministerial role.
He tells the church to “consider” such individuals in a
particular manner. Now, this verb Paul
uses here is a bit stronger than a casual “regard” or “think about,” referring instead
to an accounting process (as the LSB translation notes record). Paul is calling the church to recheck the
numbers, as it were — they need a biblically-informed conclusion about what
ministers are.
Now, before we get further, this is important for anyone in
a shepherding role, as well. Paul says
he applies this to himself (v. 6), and pastors and evangelists need to know
what they are. All believers get their
identity from God, not from those around them.[3] Any person who forgets this will be tempted
to begin seeking to please people rather than God.
Paul calls for biblical evaluations, and he says that first,
ministers are to be regarded “as servants of Christ.” Note that they are primarily not servants of
the church, but of Christ. Their identity
is not their own, nor is it anyone else’s.
The word he uses for servants is a term that
originally referred to “under-rowers” on a galley ship.[4] This was the lowest, most menial post. These men sat below deck, pulling oars in
rhythm at the command of another. The
image is humbling by design, and it places their service as directly under
Christ.[5]
This means that Paul strips away any notion of celebrity and
prestige. He is saying that apostles are
not masters, nor are they lords.[6]
As Paul has already said, “What then is
Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed” (1 Cor.
3:5). They are simply Christ’s servants.
This doesn’t mean that their ministry was unimportant, for
it is Christ’s mission.[7] In other words, they are not servants of
public opinion or the congregation’s preferences. They don’t hold church votes to see what
doctrine they will teach. And they are
certainly not servants of worldly standards of success. They’re Christ’s servants, and something else.
Second, Paul says ministers are to be regarded “as
stewards of the mysteries of God.” This
is a different image. A steward wasn’t
someone on a ship.[8] Rather, in the ancient world, a steward was a
household manager entrusted with overseeing his master’s estate.[9]
Though a kind of servant, he carried
significant responsibility, such as “buildings, fields, finances, food, other
servants, and sometimes even children of the owner.”[10] He managed resources that did not belong to
him, and he was accountable directly to the master.
Paul applies that image to gospel ministry. For instance, elsewhere, this applies to the administration
of elders, who are supposed to be managers over the household of God (cf. 1
Tim. 3:4–5). Here, he says that ministers
are entrusted with “the mysteries of God,” a reference to teaching. In Paul’s writings, a mystery is not
something unknowable but a divine truth that could not be discovered by human
wisdom. It’s revealed by God — especially
the gospel of Jesus Christ.[11]
This brings us back to what Paul has been talking about
since the first chapter. Worldly wisdom
might have ministers preaching a different message, but we should preach Christ
crucified. This includes the message of salvation
by grace through faith, the inclusion of the Gentiles, the indwelling presence
of Christ, and the future consummation of God’s redemptive plan. All this mystery centers on Christ and Him
crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). And this is the message
with which the church has been entrusted for stewardship.[12]
Ministers do not invent this message. Nor do they do not edit it because they think
certain parts will be unpopular. They need
not improve upon it, rebranding it “for modern audiences.” They are merely stewards — entrusted with
something infinitely valuable that belongs to the Master.
And that brings us naturally into the next verse: “In this
case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful” (v.
2).
Paul now draws an obvious conclusion. If ministers are stewards, then their
essential requirement isn’t how many people they can pull into the doors or
keep in the seats. Rather, it’s faithfulness
to the message.
A faithful steward is one who can be trusted to conduct his
master’s will without distortion or self-interest. This means “imparting the truth which the
Spirit reveals without tainting it with the wisdom of people (1:17; 2:1).”[13] Faithfulness means delivering what the Lord has
entrusted — nothing more, and nothing less.
This is a radically different standard than the one the
Corinthians were using. They were
assessing leaders like the Greek sophists, based on rhetorical skill and
outward impressiveness.[14]
It’s not just then, though — as one study
notes, “The contrast with much religious practice today is marked.”[15] We need faithful gospel ministers!
We must also remember that God assesses His servants based
on fidelity to His trust. That brings us
to the next point. Let’s now consider
the remaining verses.
III.
Second, the Church Needs Ministers Who See Themselves as
Answerable to the Lord (Vv. 3–5)
But to me it is a
very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself,
yet I am not by this acquitted. But the
one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore
do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes
who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and make
manifest the motives of hearts. And then
each one’s praise will come to him from God.
Paul now addresses the matter of judgment: Who gets to
decide whether a steward is faithful? His
answer may be startling to you. He says
that human evaluation is of little importance to him! He literally says their examination of him is
a “very small thing.”[16]
Now, we might mistake this for arrogance. Paul was under attack in Corinth. You might think he screwed up his face, waved
his hand, and said “whatever” to their complaints.
However, he is giving them theological clarity. In that day, only a master had the legal right
to judge his servant.[17]
Since Paul is Christ’s servant, only
Christ is competent to render the verdict, not other people.
This throws out the temptation for people-pleasing. As one commentary notes,
A word of helpful criticism can be
a needed corrective and even a blessing. But no minister can remain faithful to his
calling if he lets his congregation, or any other human beings, decide how true
his motives are or whether he is working within the Lord’s will. Because their knowledge and understanding of
the facts are imperfect, their criticisms and compliments are imperfect. In humility and love, God’s minister must not
allow himself to care about other people’s evaluations of his ministry.[18]
Those church leaders who want to imitate Paul could take a
note here. It’s good for an elder to
humbly consider himself before God and receive instruction from others. However, it’s not healthy to become fearful
of the opinions of others, especially if those opinions become more important
than what God has said. We are serving
God, not man.
This means that Paul isn’t a slave even to his own
assessments about himself. This is a
tricky aspect for leaders to grasp, especially in a day where we value things
like self-love and self-forgiveness. It’s
not that he doesn’t care whether he does right and wrong — Paul says in the
next verse that his conscience is clear, meaning that he does evaluate himself
on some level. However, he doesn’t get
stuck trying to please himself. He doesn’t
make himself his own judge.[19]
Paul explains this further in v. 4 by stating his conscience
is clear. Now, don’t mistake this as a
statement of sinless perfection; in 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul says, “Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.” In fact, in the context here, he’s not referring
to sin in general — he’s talking about his stewardship. So, Paul is saying he’s not aware of
unconfessed or habitual sin regarding his service to Christ as an apostle.[20]
Now, whether we are talking about sin in general or sin in the
execution of an office, it is important that we have clear consciences. If we believe in Christ, we know we have
atonement for sin. As 1 John 1:8–9 says,
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” It is through the
gospel and faithfulness to Christ that we can have a clear conscience.
But a clear conscience is not the same thing as innocence.[21] First, the human conscience is limited. It can be misinformed, blind, or calloused. As such, Paul refuses to treat his own
self-evaluation as the final word.
Whether we can see something against ourselves is not the
basis by which we are judged. We can
apply this by implication to our justification by faith — we are not acquitted
from sin based on what we do or do not know about ourselves, even if it’s correct. Moreover, just as we are not justified by works
or even knowledge, neither is our work.
Paul’s evaluation of his service doesn’t make him a faithful
steward. This goes against culture, because
“Greek and Roman philosophers (e.g.
Plato and Seneca) regarded conscience as passing final judgment on a man. For Paul, only God can do this.”[22] Only the Lord can judge faithfully because
only He sees perfectly.
So, ministers need to see themselves as accountable to God,
not man. That means that the church must
run according to that knowledge, too. As
such, Paul turns from ministers to the church in v. 5.
His command is clear: stop passing premature judgment. There is a time for judgment, of course.[23] This isn’t a command that means we can’t evaluate
the fruit of a ministry; Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matt.
7:21). However, no one can give a full
and right assessment of a teacher and his heart at this time.
There is a time of final evaluation, and that ultimately
belongs to the Lord. It will occur when
Christ returns. On that day, everything
hidden will be revealed — not just actions, but motives.
This is why human judgment is always partial, and the
Corinthians were judging ministers based on limited sight. We can see results, but not hearts. We can see methods, but not intentions. As such, we need to wait.
Now, we might think that this is given as a subtle threat,
but that is not the case. The passage
ends with hope: “Then each one’s praise will come to him from God.” God is not a harsh Master, looking for
reasons to condemn faithful servants. He’s
gracious, delighted to commend those who have served Him faithfully.
This is a message of good news for ministers like the Apostle
Paul. He was slandered, but he humbly
awaits a time when the Lord will correct the record. All who have their service was misunderstood
or undervalued by others will have their praise from God.[24]
IV.
Conclusion
Faithfulness is the measure for ministry. As such, this passage opens a door to true
freedom for both ministers and churches.[25] Ministers are freed from the crushing burden
of people-pleasing. Churches are freed
from destructive comparison and division.
The Lord’s standard is simple: faithfulness. May God grant us ministers who embrace that
calling. And may we always be a church
which rejoices in it.
[1] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The
Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 169.
[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 4:1.
[3] Ciampa and Rosner.
[4] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1733.
[5] A. T. Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Co
4:1.
[6] Matthew Henry, Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume,
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2250.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 246.
[9] Barry, et. al.
[10] MacArthur.
[11] Barry, et. al.
[12] Robertson.
[13] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 4:2.
[14] Ciampa and Rosner, 171.
[15] Ibid., 171–172.
[16] Naselli.
[17] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 4:4.
[18] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1984), 101.
[19] Robertson, 1 Co 4:3.
[20] Ciampa and Rosner, 172–173.
[21] Naselli.
[22] David Prior, The
Message of 1 Corinthians: Life in the Local Church, The Bible Speaks Today,
(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 63.
[23] Naselli.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Prior, 63–64.