A psychotherapist once remarked to me that many of his patients, as they were growing up, were told by their parents that they were destined to be high achievers. Inevitably, when that didn't happen, many became disappointed, lost, or crushed. Having realistic expectations can make all the difference.

In today's passage, Paul seeks to correct the Corinthians' expectations of the Christian life and Christian ministry. He explains that he has been using himself and Apollos to illustrate what it means to ″not go beyond what is written″ (1 Corinthians 4:6). It means to humbly follow and keep to the Old Testament Scriptures, and to not act in an arrogant way (see also 1:19, 31; 2:9; 3:19). The Corinthians are the same as any other Christians, and if they are gifted, it is all due to the Giver, so there are no grounds for boasting (4:7).

The trouble is, the Corinthians are behaving as if their gifts and wisdom are perfect and complete. With heavy irony, Paul points out the gap between him and them as believers in the same gospel. On the one hand, the Corinthians have all they want. They are rich and reigning in God's kingdom, and they consider themselves wise, strong, and honoured (vv. 8, 10). On the other hand, Paul and his co-workers are facing death and have become a spectacle to the whole universe (v. 9). They look foolish and are weak, dishonoured, hungry, thirsty, in rags, brutally treated, and homeless (vv. 10-11). They work hard but are cursed, persecuted, and slandered, and have become the scum of the earth (vv. 12-13).

And yet-remember what Paul said back in chapter 1? If the cross of Jesus is considered by many to be ″foolishness″ and a ″stumbling-block″ (1:18, 23), then it is not surprising that Paul and Apollos, who place it at the centre of their lives and ministry, end up being regarded by many as ″scum″ (4:13).

As their spiritual father, Paul writes this way not to shame the Corinthians, but to urge them to model themselves after him and Timothy (vv. 14-17), and to stop being arrogant (vv. 18-21).

If, like the Corinthians, we believe that Christianity is a religion of power, we will expect success and adulation. However, if we understand that the gospel is about weakness and apparent failure, we will expect to encounter suffering.

Heavenly Father, please help me to have the right expectations in my journey of faith. As I seek to follow Jesus, who suffered and died for me, may I be willing to know not only His gifts but also the rejection He faced.