4:3 "I am judged by you or by others, and I think it is a very small matter; I don't even judge myself. "
[Original meaning] "Judge" judges, interrogators and judges; "tiny", the smallest.
[Text Note] "I think it is a very small thing to be judged by others." A loyal housekeeper (see section 2) doesn't need to care about what others think of him, just wants to win the praise and trust of his master (see section 4-5).
"Even I don't judge myself." Paul may think that his judgment is only a personal judgment, and his conscience may be wrong (see verse 4), so he doesn't judge himself.
(1) The main workers should not care about the rise or fall of others, nor should they evaluate their own work performance, but only seek a conscience that is innocent to God, people and things (Acts 24:16; Lai 13: 18).
(2) As long as there is no mistake in the truth, the workers of the Lord do not need to pay attention to the criticism and judgment of others, and at the same time they do not need to judge themselves.
(3) Criticism and judgment are the most hurtful; But for those who are criticized and judged, it is a good test to measure whether his service is completed before God.
(4) The more you serve the Lord in the church, the easier it is to be judged; When you don't take other people's judgments to heart, it proves that you are willing to bear the cross and that your life has really grown up.
(5) A person who lives in front of others often haggles over what others think of him; But a person who lives before God will think of what God thinks of him.
(6) The secret of church life is not to be drawn by other people's criticism or one's own good or bad, but to look to Christ.
4.4 "Although I don't feel wrong, I can't justify myself; But it is the Lord who judges me. "
Trial, judgment and interrogation.
"I don't think I'm wrong" means that even if a person's own conscience is not blamed (Job 27:6), it is still not enough to prove that he is completely right.
"But it can't be justified." "Justification" here does not mean redemption, but reward. Because people's views are subject to various restrictions, they are not comprehensive and fair enough, so they cannot be justified.
"But it is the Lord who judges me" means that only the judgment of the Lord is accurate and final.
(1) Just because I don't feel wrong doesn't mean I'm completely wrong.
(2) Believers should not be too confident about their feelings and opinions, nor should they act only on what they think is right (Shen 12:8), because people's feelings and opinions will be wrong.
(3) If people really know the sovereignty of the Lord-"It is the Lord who judges me"-they can neither care about other people's trials nor judge themselves (see section 3).
(4) Those who serve the Lord only obey the will of the Lord and are not subject to the Lord.
So, don't judge anything before time, but wait for the Lord, who will reveal secrets and people's thoughts in the dark. At that time, everyone will be praised by God. "
"Therefore, the time has not arrived." "Time" refers to the time when God judges believers. 3: 13).
"Don't judge anything, just wait for the Lord." "Don't judge" is a present verb, which means that many Corinthians were still judging before Paul wrote a letter.
"He wants to reveal the secrets in the dark." "Secret" refers to unknown motives and behaviors. Light shines on everything in the dark (Ephesians 5: 12- 13).
"Revealing people's thoughts", when Christ judges people, he should not only look at their external behavior, but also look at their internal motives. Even things that people can't perceive can't escape his eyes.
"At that time, everyone will get praise from God", which means that after the judgment of the Lord, everyone who deserves praise will be praised.
(1) This section talks about the secret of not judging others and not being angry when being tried, that is, knowing the Lord Jesus when the second time comes, and finally being enlightened, and then everything will come out.
(2) Whether the workers of the Lord can get the praise of the Lord depends on their motivation, "human mind" and loyalty (see section 2) or laziness.
Hallelujah!