SERMON: “Self-Glory or the Cross?” (1 Cor. 4:6–13)
“Self-Glory
or the Cross?” (1 Cor. 4:6–13)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #15 Text: 1
Corinthians 4:6–13
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: January
18, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
How do you approach discomfort in life?
My reading this week reminded me of a moment in Reformation history. On April 26, 1518, in Heidelberg, Germany, a
meeting of the Augustinian Order led to a famous dispute with the monk Martin
Luther. Following Luther’s nailing of
the famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, his superior, Johannes
Staupitz, invited him to defend his views.
During this Heidelberg Disputation, Martin Luther presented multiple
points for debate — not focusing on indulgences or the pope, but instead on issues
of sin, free will, grace, and works.
Luther argued for our complete dependence on God’s sovereign grace.
Central to his argument was the famous contrast between the theology
of glory and the theology of the cross. While both may sound positive to the
uninitiated, he stated that a theologian of glory seeks to know God through
visible human achievements, reason, wisdom, and success — leading to pride,
self-reliance, and ultimately a calling of “evil good and good evil.” In contrast, a theologian of the cross
comprehends God through Christ’s suffering and humiliation on the cross, where
God conceals His true power and wisdom in what appears foolish and weak. While the theologian of glory prefers works
to suffering and glory to the cross, the theologian of the cross calls things
what they truly are, directing all trust to God’s grace in Christ alone.
There are unregenerate, false teachers in the church that
push a theology of glory. Paul sees that
in Corinth, but he is far more concerned with the believers who adopt some of
that thinking. They want to avoid
discomfort, like anyone would, but they adopt worldly thinking. They wanted their glory now, avoiding any
distress. Some were, in fact, quite
proud of what they had achieved, so Paul must deliver this corrective.
Believers need to be reminded of the need to humbly follow
Scripture, especially if they are seeking and exalting in self-glory over the
way of the cross. Just as Jesus humbled
Himself, laying aside His glory and experiencing humiliation before exaltation
(Philip. 2:6–8), we must not avoid the cross.
Future glory will come, but only after we go through the pains of this
life God allows.
As such, we should exalt in the cross, not self-glory. Paul shows that in three points: First, self-glory leads to pride (vv.
6–7). Second, self-glory leads to
delusion (vv. 8–10). Third, the cross
leads to right responses (vv. 11–13).
Let’s consider the issues with seeking a theology of glory first.
II.
First, Self-Glory Leads to Pride (vv. 6–7).
Now these things,
brothers, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us
you may learn not to go beyond what is written, so that no one of you will
become puffed up on behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as
if you had not received it?
Paul is summing up his teaching of chapters 3 and 4 in these
words.[1] He’s used metaphors throughout these chapters
of farmers, builders, and stewards to describe Christian ministry. He is lovingly correcting them, even saying
here that it is “for your sakes.” He
provides some pastoral restraint in what otherwise could be harsh words, saying
in v. 14 that it is not his intent to shame them. Yet, believers would feel a sting as they
read these words.
First, Paul says, “I have applied these things to myself and
Apollos.” This verb is interesting,
arising from rhetoric and refers to a changing of state.[2] He explains that he was using these metaphors
to describe the farming, building, and stewarding work in which he and Apollos
were engaged. While Paul could have
called out the misguided and arrogant among the Corinthians, he chose to give
them a positive example in the apostolic ministry.[3] In this way, he avoided publicly humiliating
possibly many people in the congregation.
They needed that positive example, because they were
transgressing scriptural boundaries.
It’s not that they were denying God’s Word, of course. Yet, the Corinthians exceeded the call of
Scripture in their supplementing of worldly wisdom, and some may have been
using some version of the phrase “beyond the Scripture” as a slogan of pious
pride.[4] They added to the Bible their own assumptions
about their teachers, and this is not unlike how the traditions of man began
with the Pharisees. Because of their
unbiblical thoughts, they had taken God’s gifts and turned them into grounds
for boasting.
There is a greater principle at play, and it’s worth a
moment or two of more thought. People
should take God’s Word and seek to apply it to practical situations and to draw
theological conclusions, of course. Yet,
where Scripture isn’t clear, we must be careful to avoid being too dogmatic. We also must beware elevating personal
convictions to the level of divine command.
There may even be unbiblical conclusions that lead to beliefs and
practices God would not sanction. We
must take care not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.
Understand, there’s a certain pietism that causes people to
look down their noses at others because of a particular list of scruples;
Ecclesiastes 7:16 warns, “Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly
wise.” Those who add to Scripture and
shame other believers for not holding to their personal traditions create
problems in the church, and they will gravitate toward false teachers who will
take advantage of them if they don’t repent.
Mythology, no matter how biblically-aligned it seems, must be
rejected. When a person elevates
opinions and personal convictions to the level of biblical requirements, this
will result in pride, causing factions and divisions. It is best for all of us to “learn not to go
beyond what is written.”
We’ve already seen the problem Paul highlights with the rest
of v. 6, then. They were filling
themselves with empty pride “on behalf of one against the other.” Of course, those who go beyond Scripture
often become puffed up against one another, but Paul highlights again party
divisions. They were getting proud in
the names of Peter, Paul, and Apollos and forming factions.
Even faithful servants of God can become idols when people
use them to measure their own superiority. Moses rebuked Joshua for this very thing in
Numbers 11:29: “Are you jealous for my sake?” Misplaced loyalty fractures unity.[5]
Thus, they were partisan.
We spent a while on verse 6, but it was important to
untangle before we could understand the rest.
Now, v. 7 should be a bit clearer.
Paul asks three rhetorical questions to help destroy their pride. They must remember that everything they have
is from God, so it is foolish to boast.[6]
First, he basically asks, “Who made you superior to
others?” The implied answer, of course,
is no one.[7] Their groups may have imagined themselves as
above others. Yet, just as salvation
does not elevate one believer over another, neither does ability or position.
Second, he asks, “What do you have that you did not
receive?” If they consider this, the
reality is that everything — life, intellect, opportunity, and spiritual gifts
— comes from God. Paul just said near
the end of the previous chapter that “all things belong to you” (3:21). Well, John the Baptist said it plainly: “A
man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven” (John
3:27). So, because there’s nothing we
have that we haven’t received from God, no one can take glory unto himself
(Heb. 5:4).
Third, coming from the second question, Paul asks, “Why do
you boast as if you had not received it?”
Boasting over gifts is just silly, for grace, by definition, excludes
pride. As one study says, “He who
receives a gift by grace has no grounds for boasting.”[8] As another author explains,
If we have a good pastor, God gave
him to us. If we have good parents, God
gave them to us. If we live in a good
country, God gave it to us. If we have a
good mind or creative talent God gave it to us.
We have no reason to boast either in people or possessions. Not only ministers, but all Christians, are
but God’s stewards. Everything we have
is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for a while to use in serving Him.[9]
Pride forgets God’s grace.
However, when we turn our eyes back to God’s gifts in our lives, we
forget any reason to boast. There’s no
need to seek self-glory when the favor of God is fresh in your heart. If you fail to dwell with thankfulness,
though, you may develop an inflated sense of self, leading to the next point.
III.
Second, Self-Glory Leads to Delusion (vv. 8–10).
You are already
filled, you have already become rich, you have ruled without us — and how I
wish that you had ruled indeed so that we also might rule with you. For, I think that God has exhibited us
apostles last of all, as men condemned to death, because we have become a
spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you
are prudent in Christ! We are weak, but
you are strong! You are glorious, but we
are without honor!
Having exposed their pride, Paul now exposes their
self-deception. He does so with biting
irony here. Remember, again, he isn’t
writing to simply shame them, but sometimes, the serrated edge is needed in
love.
They deluded themselves with the illusion of having
“arrived.” Consider three words which define
the Corinthians’ self-perception: filled, rich, and ruling. By their own markers, they were a success as a
church, but that is not based on a biblical evaluation. Like the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:17, they
believed they needed nothing, when in reality they were spiritually
impoverished.[10]
As one study explains,
The posture of humility should be
taken by all Christians. Paul set forth
the pattern of Christ’s life to the Philippians (Phil. 2:5–11). It was marked first by humiliation and then
crowned by exaltation. The Corinthians
had apparently dispensed with the first half.
They wanted their exaltation immediately — no more sickness, no more
suffering, no more pain. This is no more
possible today than it was when Paul wrote to these self-deluded Corinthians,
but nonetheless many follow in their train.[11]
The Corinthians had embraced a theology of glory without a
theology of the cross. The problem is
the repeated word “already.”[12] They had collapsed future glory into present
experience. These are kingdom categories
— appropriate to the future reign of Christ[13] —
but misplaced in the present.
Paul does not deny that believers will reign with Christ. In fact, he says he wishes they were
right! Why? Because if the kingdom had fully come, Paul
and the apostles would be reigning too.
Their suffering would be at an end.[14]
But that is not what their lives look like. In v. 9, Paul says, “For I think that God has
exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death.” Paul draws on imagery from Roman triumphs and
gladiatorial games. The condemned
criminals were brought out last — the final, theatrical spectacle of those
doomed to death.[15]
That is how Paul understands apostolic ministry in this
age. It’s not celebrated by the world,
but displayed for its amusement. It
isn’t honored, but rather, humiliated. Remember
that it’s the lowly that God has chosen (1:27–28).[16]
And that spectacle is for the whole created order, angels
and men. Remember, even angels observe
the wisdom of God in the suffering church (cf. Eph. 3:10). The cross is not merely historical, then. It’s theological theater for the cosmos! It displays God’s wisdom through the “weakness”
of the cross.[17]
Yet, the Corinthians didn’t understand. So, he gives three sarcastic contrasts in v.
10. He says, “We are fools for the sake
of Christ, but you are prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are glorious, but we are without honor!”
Measured by worldly standards, the apostles might look like
failures. The Corinthians, however, are
trying to make themselves look successful. As one study notes, “The Corinthian believers
assume they have wisdom, but in reality they have acted like fools (1 Cor
4:7). In contrast, the apostles endure
humiliation for the sake of Christ and the Church, yet the Corinthians consider
them foolish.”[18] They had deluded themselves, and Paul
satirizes them.
Paul is not giving them false humility — he doesn’t deny
he’s imperfect and weak. However, they
are on the edge of just that, so he’s exposing their misplaced values. In doing so, he calls them back to the cross,
bringing us to the third point:
IV.
Third, the Cross Leads to Right Responses (vv. 11–13).
To this present
hour we hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed, and roughly treated, and
homeless; and we labor, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we
bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to
plead; we have become as the scum of the world, the grime of all things, even
until now.
There’s no irony now in Paul’s words. He describes his lived experience by listing
deprivation after deprivation: hunger, thirst, inadequate clothing, physical
abuse, and constantly on the move. This
is what faithfulness looks like in a fallen world, and there have been times
when Paul was in this state (2 Cor 11:23–27).
Yet, how does he respond?
In v. 12, he says, “we labor, working with our own hands.” In Greek culture, manual labor was despised.[19]
But Paul embraced it, working as a
tentmaker. He saw the gospel as worth
personal sacrifice. Many pastors engage
in bi-vocational ministry today, and they follow Paul’s example here. We don’t always have glory today!
Moreover, look at how the cross shapes the next three
circumstances in these verses. We read
that they met their reviling with blessing, their persecution with endurance,
and their slander with gracious appeal. These
are not natural responses but fruit of the Holy Spirit. They reflect the character of Christ Himself
(cf. Matt. 5:44; 1 Pet. 3:9), as should all Christians.
These are the kinds of responses we should have with the
world. Yet, note how low the world
esteems us. He says, “We have become as
the scum of the world, the grime of all things, even until now.” The terms refer to trash and refuse — what is
swept away and discarded.[20]
Yet, even here, Paul embraces the station
in life, because that is where Christ went first. The cross reshapes everything.
V.
Conclusion
So, which theology shapes you? The Corinthians wanted glory, now. Paul, however, points them to the cross.
Christians will face discomfort, ridicule, rejection, and
even persecution. The question is how we
will respond to it. Genuine believers
should rejoice, seeing it as a sign that we have been counted worthy to suffer
for His sake.
Let us glory, not in ourselves, but in the cross of Christ!
[1] David Prior, The Message of 1 Corinthians: Life in the Local Church,
The Bible Speaks Today, (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1985), 64.
[2] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament,
(Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Co 4:6.
[3] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB
Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1817.
[4] 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 4:6.
[5] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New
Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 107–108.
[6] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study
Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1611.
[7] MacArthur, 108.
[8] Tomlinson.
[9] MacArthur.
[10] MacArthur, 109.
[11] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 513.
[12] Prior, 65.
[13] MacArthur, 109.
[14] Lowery, 513.
[15] MacArthur, 110.
[16] Prior, 66.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 4:10.
[19] Robertson, 1 Co 4:12.
[20] Ibid., 1 Co 4:13.