Faulty Judgment
Faulty Judgment
1 Corinthians 4:6-7
October 26, 2008
Last Sunday night Paul addressed a very personal, yet important issue.
He talked about the way that he and Apollos and Peter
Were being evaluated by the people.
Paul addressed the issue by reminding them first
What the requirements of God’s messenger are,
And then by reminding them that God is the One who will hand out the final evaluation.
And so we learned a little about
How we look at those men who bring the word of God to us.
But it seems, when you read on, that this wasn’t Paul’s only concern.
In fact, in verse 6 Paul immediately says:
“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and to Apollos for your sakes”
So while Paul did make a very important point about judging those men whom God sends, it seems that THAT WAS NOT HIS MAIN POINT.
He was using that point more so as an illustration.
He used the judgment of he and Apollos that was taking place
To reveal that Corinth had a judgment problem.
Now he reveals the REAL JUDGMENT PROBLEM was not in how they viewed the pastors, but HOW THEY VIEWED EACH OTHER.
The judgment being used on Paul and Apollos did not stop with them.
It was widespread.
And so tonight, in these two verses,
Paul will confront the judgmental attitude of the Corinthians
We have called it “Faulty Judgment”
Now in saying that,
I do think it is important to give both sides of any coin.
There are many who only view judging in a negative light.
They hear a statement like “Faulty Judgment” and say, “But isn’t all judging faulty?”
And the answer to that is no.
Jesus Himself said:
John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
It is not judging that is wrong, but faulty judging that is wrong.
Even take his passage in Matthew 7, that is so well known.
Matthew 7:1-5 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
It seems that everyone who quotes that passage stops after verse 1,
And they see every form of judgment as completely unscriptural.
But that is not true.
In fact, when you read the entire passage,
You quickly learn that it is not judging that Jesus condemns,
But rather self-righteousness.
The passage ends with you actually doing what you set out to do, which is removing the speck from your brothers eye.
Jesus just wanted to make sure you were seeing clearly when you did it.
In fact, here in a couple of weeks we will get into 1 Corinthians 5.
And Paul is very clear about the importance of judging.
1 Corinthians 5:1-3 “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.”
1 Corinthians 5:12 “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?”
There is a justifiable and even necessary judgment that we are to perform.
It is when the church, under the authority of the word of God,
Enforces God’s judgments.
When a brother or sister in the church persists in sin that is clearly forbidden in Scripture, then we are required to confront, rebuke, and correct such a one.
Granted that before we do it we must examine ourselves to make sure we are seeing clearly, but if we are, then God’s judgment must be handed down.
That is Biblical, and furthermore it is necessary.
So I don’t want you to just think that Paul is condemning judging,
He is not.
Rather in this text, Paul is condemning faulty judgment.
Judgment that is not based upon God’s judgments,
And judgment that is not done in God’s Spirit of humility.
The Corinthians were exercising faulty judgment,
Paul confronts them here.
There are three things we see tonight in our text:
#1 THE FOUNDATION OF FAULTY JUDGMENT
1 Corinthians 4:6a
“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written”
If there is a judgment that we are called to enforce and a judgment that we are called to reject. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?
How do I know if when I confront someone else, that it is Scriptural or just sinful?
The difference is in the foundation of the thing.
ON WHAT DOES THE JUDGMENT REST?
In other words, where are you getting your authority?
True judgment rests upon the truths of Scripture.
We take our authority, which is the word of God,
And we enforce it the life of a brother or sister.
That is why Paul told Timothy
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
True judgment has a sure and righteous foundation.
Faulty judgment is just the opposite.
Faulty judgment occurs when we pass judgment on a different foundation.
When we correct someone on our own authority,
Rather than by Scripture.
Which is what Paul points out here.
“so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written.”
That is a great way to define faulty judgment.
It exceeds what is written.
It enforces a standard on another person that the word of God does not.
It requires something of a person that the word of God does not.
It rejects something in a person that the word of God does not.
One example of this is the example that Paul used.
He gave us that example in verses 1-5 so we would learn this.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
It was obvious that some of the Corinthians were requiring more of Paul
Than for him to serve Christ and preach the truth.
They were imposing on Paul a standard that God did not.
That is what faulty judgment looks like.
When we move beyond the pages of Scripture to give our own rules
And when people don’t follow them, we judge them.
The masters of this were the Pharisees.
Matthew 12:1-8 “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent. "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
We certainly don’t have time to fully explain this text,
But some point must be made.
The Scripture teaches that man must not work on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees took it upon themselves to decide what was work.
The list was both absurd and extensive.
They exceeded what was written and used it to judge others.
Jesus confronts them by revealing that:
1) God didn’t condemn David for fulfilling a personal need. (deeds of necessity)
2) God didn’t condemn the Priests for working on the Sabbath (acts of worship)
And if God didn’t condemn men for such things, who are they to do so?
That is precisely what the Corinthians were doing,
And it is precisely what Paul is confronting them about.
You and I must learn the lesson as well.
It IS necessary for us to stand upon the word of God,
And after examining ourselves, to help others be obedient.
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
But there is NEVER A TIME when we are allowed
To exceed the commands of God by enforcing on another person
Something God has not required.
That is faulty judgment, and it must be removed.
First, the Foundation of Faulty judgment
#2 THE FUTURE OF FAULTY JUDGMENT
1 Corinthians 4:6b
“so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of on against the other.”
Here Paul explains why it is so dangerous
To exhibit faulty judgment on others.
When you exceed the word of God with your own standard,
And then use that standard to judge another,
It inevitably leads somewhere.
WHERE DOES IT LEAD?
To arrogance
Paul said, I don’t want you to exceed what is written “so that no one of you will become arrogant”
And this makes perfect sense.
If you go home tonight and determine to exceed the word of God,
And create a standard or requirement that God has not issued:
Are you more likely to create a requirement that you already fulfill, or a requirement that you are struggling with?
Obviously, you are going to create a requirement
That you already have a handle on.
You’d invent a standard that you meet
And then apply it to others to find out who is worse than you.
EXAMPLE: Rather or not to watch TV
Faulty judgment would be if I told you that to be pleasing to God
You have to turn off your TV,
And then used that as the standard for whether or not you love Jesus.
It is judgment that exceeds what is written
And it leads only to arrogance.
BUT WHY IS ARROGANCE SO BAD?
Humility is the grease
That causes the gears of the church to run smoothly.
When humility is replaced with arrogance, the whole thing goes to pot.
LOOK AT THE EFFECTS THAT ARROGANCE HAD IN CORINTH.
1) IT DISREGARDS JUDGMENT
(4:18) “Now some of you have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.”
People who are arrogant live in “Never-Never Land”.
If judgment is coming, surely it won’t come for them,
And so they completely disregard it.
2) IT DELIVERS JUDGMENT
(4:21) “What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?”
Those who are arrogant disregard judgment so long,
That inevitably they are NOT READY FOR IT AND ARE VICTIMS OF IT.
James 4:6 "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
3) IT DISTORTS JUDGMENT
(4:8) “You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.”
Paul is obviously speaking sarcastically there,
Their arrogance caused them too high of themselves.
But that is not the only way it distorts judgment.
(5:1-2) “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”
Here, there arrogance actually acquitted someone God had condemned.
LOOK, ARROGANCE IS BAD
And the Corinthians had it.
They invented their own faulty judgments
And used them as a means to exalt themselves.
And that type of arrogance leads to ruin.
Luke 18:9-14 “And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 14:7-11 “And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
That is why Solomon said:
Proverbs 25:6-7 “Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.”
And so you get the point.
Faulty judgment is when we exceed what is written and use that as our standard for judgment.
That type of judgment only leads to arrogance which is dangerous for ourselves and for others.
And that brings us to Paul’s third point
The Foundation of The Future of
#3 THE FOLLY OF FAULTY JUDGMENT
1 Corinthians 4:7
Now you already noticed that Paul is mocking them here.
He asks them a series of easy to answer questions.
1) “For who regards you as superior?”
And of course the answer is no one, but themselves.
2) “What do you have that you did not receive?”
And again, the answer is nothing.
James 1:16-17 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Everything was given to you by God.
Of course Paul is mostly referring to those spiritual benefits we possess.
Justification
Sanctification
Eternal home
Spiritual gifts
Everything you have that you use to exalt yourself was given to you.
And that leads to Paul’s big question.
“And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”
If God gave it to you, then why do you act like
You are special because of it?
DO YOU SEE THE POINT?
The Corinthians had invented their own standard for greatness.
They picked one that they were good at
(only because God allowed it)
And then used that as a means to think they were better than someone else.
PICTURE A TEENAGER HERE.
Teens will go to school. Some will go in designer jeans, others will go in hand-me-downs.
Inevitably then the kids with the nice clothes will exalt themselves over the kids with the old clothes and distinguish who is better by that.
AND I BET NOT A SINGLE TEEN IN HERE PAID FOR THE JEANS
And if they did, it is only because they were able to use the money they had on the jeans since they don’t have to pay rent, buy groceries, or pay for utilities.
Yet they walk with their nose in the air like they are something special.
That is what the Corinthians were doing, and Paul says it is foolish.
BUT FURTHERMORE, IT IS DANGEROUS.
You see it has a “folly” - it has a major problem.
When we exalt ourselves by our own standard,
Not only are we scoffing at God’s divine standard,
But we are also stealing the glory that only God deserves.
Isaiah 48:11 "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.”
If you exalt yourself because of something you have done,
You are stealing the glory from God, for it was He who allowed you to do it.
If you boast in your ability…
If you boast in your possessions…
If you boast in your gifts…
It doesn’t matter, you are stealing from God.
THE POINT HERE IS SIMPLE.
The Corinthians were exceeding what was written to judge others and exalt themselves.
The whole time they missed the point that only God gets to set the standard and all the glory is His.
Although they thought they were close to God,
In reality they were miles away.
Their arrogance had separated them from Him.
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Psalms 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
Tonight our only option is to determine not to use faulty judgment.
To only expect from others what the word of God expects from them.
For anything beyond this only leads to arrogance,
And arrogance separates us from God.
None of us desire that.
I want to leave you with this one last picture:
Matthew 23:1-12 “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
Are you expecting from others more than God expects from them?
Are you overly proud of how good you are forgetting that it is God who has done it?
The call tonight is to let faulty judgment go,
And humble ourselves before God.
“For whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”