Fools for Jesus

1 Corinthians 4:7-16 (TNIV) -

7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
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.

My thoughts -

This is an intense message, here. The church in Corinth was full of new believers and, apparently they had a little bit of an issue with pride. Paul refers to them as being "puffed up" or full of themselves in verse 6, right before the start of this passage.

We've already seen how the bickered among themselves about who were followers of Paul and who of Apollos. Paul shot that argument down cold. They're followers of Jesus. Period. But what is Paul addressing here? Is that sarcasm? Can you do that to a church?

Paul is pointing out how difficult the life of an apostle is. He is contrasting it with the lives of the people who make up the church in Corinth. I guess this is his way of "putting them in their place", so to speak. If you really want to follow Jesus, according to Paul here, you're going to have to be willing to look like an idiot. You're going to have to work hard, endure ridicule, and bless those that are ridiculing you.

Verse 9 does not paint an encouraging picture: "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings." Sounds awesome! Where do I sign up for that?

And yet, Paul is saying this while encouraging the church in Corinth to follow his lead in this. He is telling them to imitate him. He is encouraging them to become fools for Jesus.

What would our ministries look like if we cast of all concerns for how we are perceived and became fools for Jesus, too?