Good morning. Last time Paul said that it was no big deal if
he were examined by them or anyone else, and that he was conscious of nothing
against himself. It was the Lord who was to examine him. And so what should we
do? Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the
Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and
disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to
him from God. Ultimately, God is the one who will judge. However, as the old
saying goes: we are to be fruit inspectors. Is the one ministering bearing the
fruit of the Spirit? If not, then their ministry is suspect. Now these things I
have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us
you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become
arrogant in behalf of one against the other. Sometimes Christians who follow
certain “evangelists” think that theirs is better than others’, which makes
them feel that they themselves are better than the ones that prefer the other
evangelist. They become arrogant. Father thank You that You love the reader and
his/her family so much. Give them divine health and meet all of their needs.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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