Read 1 Corinthians 4:14–21
The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1 Corinthians 4:20
Pride is a terrible thing in the Christian life and in the church. The
yeast of sin (5:6–8) had made the Corinthians “puffed up,” even to
the point of saying in essence, “Paul will not come to us! His bark is
worse than his bite!” (see 2 Cor. 10:8–11).
In the past Paul had been patient with their disobedience, but in
this letter he warned them that the time had come for discipline. Paul
was not like the tolerant modern mother who shouted at her spoiled
son, “This is the last time I’m going to tell you for the last time!”
Faithful parents must discipline their children.
Paul would have preferred to come to the Corinthians with
meekness and deal with their sins in a gentle manner, but their prideful attitude made this approach difficult.
The contrast in this paragraph is between speech and power,
words and deeds. The arrogant Corinthians had no problem “talking
big,” the way children often will do, but they could not back up their
talk with their “walk.” Their religion was only in words. Paul was
prepared to back up his “talk” with power, with deeds that would
reveal their sins and God’s holiness.
Something to Ponder
In what specific area(s) is it hardest to discipline yourself? How can
you persevere even though it is difficult?