Judgment

1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 (February 27, 2011)

1) The Text

Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.

2) The Context

This short passage falls within the opening section of Paul's letter, a section which addresses the divisions in the church and also serves as a defense of Paul's standing as an apostle. Paul speaks positively abut God's judgment and warns those who would judge others within the Christian community. Behind Paul's comments lies a strong concern for unity. Paul emphasizes that Christian ministry and corporate existence must reflect a unity formed by the gospel, a unity threatened by an atmosphere in which people usurp or deny God's right to judge. Keep in mind that Paul's comments come in a letter that tries to mend divisions and call Christians back to a proper understanding of their place in God's scheme. The Corinthian church was beset by petty rivalries and widening divisions (see 1:10–11; 3:1–4), and one of the ways in which disunity manifested itself was through the distinctions that the Corinthians were drawing among themselves. Moreover, it also seems that some in Corinth were dismissive toward Paul and all too eager to make judgments of their worth relative to him (see also 9:3). In response, Paul defends himself from their attacks and attempts to reorient the Corinthians' views of themselves.

3) Interpretation

There is much confusion in our congregations about "judgment." The church at Corinth was also wrestling with the issue of judgment. Some of it became personal when they challenged Paul's leadership role in the church (4:3). In response, Paul frames the issue within a much larger horizon. He reminds the community that they are living in between the times. Not only has Christ come, he is coming again. Christ's return has significant implications for how the community acts in the present and thinks about the future. In our text we can glean at least three lessons on judgment from Paul:

You can't judge yourself. In a remarkable statement, Paul scoffs at the criticism of the Corinthian church, declaring that "it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you" and then goes on to say "I do not even judge myself" (4:3). Paul's dismissal of our ability to accurately judge ourselves can be liberating. He insists we simply lack the lenses to gain an objective picture of who we are. In the Bible, the truth about ourselves only emerges from our relationship with God. We cannot get an accurate picture on our own because we tend to over or under estimate. Like Paul, it is the Lord who judges us (4:4). That may mean we need reminding that we are fundamentally here because God wants us here-we are created in God's image. Or for some it entails hearing that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Judgment must be leavened with love. The notion that Christians should not be judgmental of others is completely unrealistic. It is obvious that Paul feels it is important to judge matters here on earth. After all, most of his letter to the church at Corinth is taken up with criticism of their actions! But we need to pay attention to the way that Paul "judges" the church. The guiding norm for him is the love that has been revealed in Jesus Christ (12:31). This love is not sentimental. It is rather a love that has been forged in the crucible of a crucifixion. Its goal is not self-glorification (1:13) but rather the building up of the community.

In the name of this love Paul can utter harsh judgments. However, at the same time Paul can say this church is holy (1:2) and he even identifies it with God's temple (3:16). Paul's judgments of the community at Corinth are not meant to drive people away but to encourage them to reflect the fact that they are the body of Christ (12:27).

Our judge has been judged. There is also a wider horizon within which Paul is operating. Beyond the necessary judging that takes place on the earth, Paul reminds us that there is a Day coming when the Lord will return and "bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God" (4:5).

There can be little doubt that Paul saw a day of judgment coming in the future (see Romans 2:16 and 2 Corinthians 5:10). For many of us this day of judgment has been imagined as a time of terror and doom. Michelangelo's great painting in the Sistine Chapel in Rome remains the enduring image: Christ coming at the end of time and separating the saved from the damned.

However, Paul does not seem to share the feelings of dread and despair that accompany many Christian reflections on the second coming of Christ. It is true that God "will bring to light things now hidden" (4:5). All of our secrets will be revealed. That might be a cause for fear and trembling, but it is noteworthy that Paul does not regard the last day with trepidation. Rather, there is a buoyant confidence that God will strengthen his saints to the end, so that they might be blameless (1:8) as they are met by Christ.

What is going on here? Paul's confidence is rooted in the fact that the end of time is in the hands of one who was crucified for his sins. The coming judge himself has been judged: "For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Christ coming to meet us has already died our death. No songs of doom on the last day. There is joy in the air as earthly shadows give way to a blinding light.

4) Thought Exercise

What truths about yourself have emerged from your growing relationship with God?

Do you believe there will be a day of judgment? If so, what will it look like?