How We See Each Other

...All is yellow to the jaundiced eye.

Alexander Pope

Constantly criticized and slandered – that was the life of the apostle Paul. He lived every moment, it seems, under the intense scrutiny of his enemies who searched his every word and action looking for opportunities to embarrass and defame him. The unbelieving Jews accused him of lying as he preached the gospel, slanderously reporting that he was teaching, “Do evil that good may come…” (Romans 3:8). Other times he stood alone before unbelievers in the world who sought to do him great harm as they strongly opposed his message (2 Timothy 4:14, 15).

In another situation, Paul defended himself saying, “But with me it is a very small thing to be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself; but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4). What is disturbing about this defense is not that Paul made it or that he made it before unbelieving Jews or the world. Not this! He was making this defense of himself before Christians! It was Christians who were subjecting his actions and motives to their superficial judgments about his speech and claiming their preference for Apollos, much like we often do with our own personal judgments about each other. When Paul made it clear that it was in fact, the Lord who judges His servants, he is reminding each one of us that our inane judgments about one another are of no consequence to the Lord’s judgment. They do, however, reveal our personal disdain for the very cross by which He was declared to be both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Furthermore, scrutinizing one another for matters that have nothing to do with faithfulness to the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 4:2) is nothing less than arrogance and the empty boasting of those who have over-estimated their own sense of importance (vs. 7). Paul says put away those judgments and let the Lord be the judge, then each one of us will receive His praise! (vs. 5) Let your light shine, be free from such judgments and be faithful to the Lord!