As we move on in our study, Paul seems to become a little more direct in his confrontation with the church at Corinth. Here's an outline of chapter four:
v. 1-5 ~ Having opened the letter by pointing out that the wisdom of this world would judge the message of the cross as foolishness, Paul now warns the young church not to concern themselves with human judgment of their devotion to the Lord. Having mentioned building into the lives of others with materials that would stand the test of time, or in other words that were of an eternal rather than temporal nature, he now asserts that nothing should be judged before its time--that these judgments belong to the Lord and His timing.
v. 6-13 ~ Paul speaks of himself and Apollos as examples. He reminds the church that all the possess in the way of gifts and abilities are from God, and that they possess the "secrets of God" for a purpose--they are a part of what God is building (from chapter three). Paul becomes very direct in this section of the chapter. It could not have been comfortable for the young church to hear such words of comparison leveled at them.
v. 14-21 ~ Paul sums up the difficult section by assuring them he's meaning this as a warning. Their role is critical. God has given them all they need to be effective. Paul himself will come back to check their progress. This is a shared journey.
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