1 Corinthians 4 is a profound passage in which the Apostle Paul confronts the spiritual disease of division and pride within the Corinthian church. He powerfully reaffirms his apostolic identity, yet at the same time displays the utmost humility of a servant of Christ. This chapter offers one of the clearest and most fundamental answers to the problems of secularization and identity confusion that the modern church continues to face. Drawing from this text, Pastor David Jang (founder of Olivet University) emphasizes two core roles believers must recover: being “servants of Christ” and “stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.” He teaches that these are not honorary titles but a path of absolute obedience—following Christ even unto death. Just as Paul urged the Corinthians not to turn himself and Apollos into objects of human judgment, but to behold their true nature before God, Pastor David Jang insists that every office and ministry within the church must never become a tool for human boasting or competition. Rather, it must function solely as a channel through which God’s sovereign providence is revealed.
The phrase “servants of Christ” used by Paul is rooted in the word hyperetēs, which referred to an under-rower—a slave who pulled the oar in the lowest part of a ship’s hull. It symbolizes someone who, unseen and unpraised, steadily moves the vessel forward according to the master’s command. Pastor David Jang points out that many believers today, thirsty for worldly success or recognition, have lost the spirituality of this lowly position. In his view, genuine apostolic character is not about sitting on a high throne and ruling over others, but about preserving and proclaiming the mysteries of God—namely, the essence of the gospel in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ—from the lowest place. Here, the phrase “those entrusted with the mysteries of God” clearly defines a stewardly calling. And Paul firmly states that the one absolute virtue required of a steward is none other than “faithfulness.” This faithfulness is the posture of a spiritual solitary—one who does not rise and fall with human opinions or worldly evaluations, but lives with a holy fear of God alone.
In Pastor David Jang’s preaching, a stewardly life begins with an uncompromising acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. Paul’s confession—“I do not even judge myself… it is the Lord who judges me”—is a piercing insight into the limitations and subjectivity of human judgment. Many conflicts and divisions that erupt within modern churches typically arise because people assess and criticize one another not through God’s perspective, but through human standards. Pastor David Jang exhorts believers to refrain from exposing each other’s faults. Instead, he urges them to suspend judgment until the time of God’s righteous verdict, and to devote themselves to serving faithfully according to the measure of faith each has received. This approach becomes a practical foundation for healing conflict within the church and achieving unity in the Holy Spirit.
From verse 9 onward, Paul portrays the apostles’ situation as those “sentenced to death” and as a “spectacle” to the world. This imagery draws from the historical backdrop of the Roman Triumph. When the Roman army returned victorious from war, the triumphant general stood at the front of a magnificent procession. Yet at the very end of that parade were prisoners condemned to die—dragged in chains, mocked and jeered by the crowd. Paul declares that he and the other apostles stand precisely at the back of that procession.
This historical analogy sharply reveals that the life of a gospel minister runs in the opposite direction of worldly glory. Pastor David Jang connects the apostles’ suffering to “the message of the cross.” The world exalts wisdom and power, but the gospel works through what appears foolish and weak; therefore, the suffering of a servant becomes, in itself, a powerful testimony to Christ’s cross. The founding spirit of Olivet University is also rooted in the continuation of such sacrificial mission and apostolic living. Pastor David Jang stresses that Paul’s willingness to embrace hunger and thirst, homelessness and instability for the sake of the gospel must become a living model for every Christian today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZYhwjWz3rU
To address the problems of pride and division, Paul prescribed a clear remedy: “Do not go beyond what is written.” This is a solemn warning that human wisdom or philosophy must never outrun God’s revelation. Pastor David Jang cautions that the modern church can easily become soaked in humanistic thinking and secular values, thereby damaging the purity of the gospel. He teaches that the church must recover a posture of humble submission under the authority of Scripture alone. Although the Corinthians had received everything from God, they acted as if they had achieved it by themselves—and this remains a sobering alarm for us today. Pastor David Jang observes that the moment believers attribute their gifts and accomplishments to their own merit, the seed of pride begins to sprout, and that seed soon grows into the division that destroys community. Therefore, everything is grace. The true attitude of a steward is to give thanks for what has been received and to serve one’s neighbor with humility.
Paul did not write this letter merely to punish or condemn; he wrote with the heart of a father addressing “beloved children.” He reminds them that though they may have countless instructors, they do not have many fathers, and that he became their father through the gospel. Pastor David Jang preaches that this “spiritual father’s heart” is one of the most essential qualities modern pastors and leaders must possess. Authority does not come from position, but from a relationship marked by love and sacrifice. What truly transforms believers is not sharp criticism, but a father’s agonizing concern and a life that sets an example. Paul could boldly proclaim, “Imitate me,” because he lived as one who thoroughly imitated Christ. Pastor David Jang teaches that when leaders first take up the cross and walk the path of suffering, believers finally gain the courage to follow. He calls the church not to rely on eloquent speech, but to pursue a faith proven by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s declaration—“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power”—forms the culminating thesis of 1 Corinthians 4. The “power” here is not limited to miracles or signs; it refers to the explosive force of the gospel that transforms sinners, enables love for enemies, and sustains peace even in the face of death. Pastor David Jang emphasizes that the modern church must not become a mere festival of words. It must become a “community of power” that demonstrates real-life transformation and carries social responsibility. When each believer renewed by the Holy Spirit becomes Christ’s letter and fragrance in the place where they live and work, the world will finally see the living God through the church.
In conclusion, 1 Corinthians 4 commands us to recover our identity. We are servants who carry out the Master’s will; stewards entrusted with the mysteries; and apostolic witnesses who proclaim the cross to the world. Pastor David Jang gathers all these teachings and proclaims that only when we fully trust God’s sovereignty and providence are we set free from human pride and able to enjoy true freedom and unity. The apostles’ suffering cannot be compared with the glory that is to come, and the small sacrifices we endure today will become precious soil for building the kingdom of God. Through this integrated message, believers must learn to turn their roles from pride into devotion, their criticism into understanding and love, and their arrogance into humility. Paul’s tear-soaked exhortation and Pastor David Jang’s theological insight together become a compelling force that calls us back to the essence of the gospel—so that we may live as true workers who are faithful to God alone.