1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 

1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 

1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 

Paul begins his reproof to the Corinthian saints with his desire that they be “enriched” IN EVERY-THING, IN all our Conversation, and most importantly; all knowledge, that means every-single-thing that we do, it ought to be led by the Spirit, (the Living Word Of God) and notice how Paul compares their justification to this perfecting in verse 6? This is showing how we ought to trust that His word will work for us, just like we trusted in the gospel of our justification unto eternal life, but oftentimes, we don’t look at justification the way we ought to. We oftentimes only look at a ‘motivating factor’ to our belief in the hope of our justification is so that we won’t go to hell, so we trust that our heavenly abode is a real thing, but when it comes to our living unto Him, we do not trust that His word alone WILL work for us in our sanctified lives as well.

1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

These Corinthian saints WERE behind in the most important “gifts” that is shown in verse 5, they wanted the less excellent way gifts, instead of what would establish these saints, to the end that they be “blameless,” and established, and mature, and “perfect” in the knowledge of His will in all Spiritual understanding, just like the household of Stephanas was.

1Co 16:13  Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 

1Co 16:14  Let all your things be done with charity. 

1Co 16:15  I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) 

1Co 16:16  That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. 

1Co 16:17  I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. 

1Co 16:18  For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. 

The Household of Stephanas “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,” and this ‘addiction’ to the ministry was committed out of selfless love and charity for the Father, and for the Son, and for the ministry, and for the Corinthian saints as well. And when a person is ‘addicted’ to anything, they become given to its power, but this is done by their own self desire to live unto it, and to actually ‘serve it.’  And these saints in the house of Stephanas, desired out of selfless love to live their sanctified lives unto the Father regardless of the way the rest of the Corinthian saints were living as “babes” in Christ, and after this world. Paul exhorted these saints to be the godly “men” that God intended, as we can see in verse 13, and that they ought to “watch,” and “stand fast in the faith,” because it is His word alone that has to take the effect within the saint that builds his desire to live unto the Father, and unto the ministry, and to labor, and suffer for Christ’s sake.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

The Corinthian Saints were walking like ‘ungodly, carnal men,’ and not the godly “men” that Paul referred to in chapter 16, their “carnal” walk was after their own flesh, and after the “wisdom of men,” and in turn, they were ‘addicted’ unto this world. Their ‘care’ was for “the fashion of this world,” reigning “as kings,” vain glory either in the men of this world,  getting this vain glory and themselves getting this vain glory as well, they were walking, living, and ‘addicted’ unto what their mind, heart, and flesh desired, but the saints needed the “more excellent way” of living their sanctified lives unto the Father, and that was by living their lives by His written word alone.

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 

1Co 4:7  For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 

1Co 4:8  Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 

1Co 4:9  For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 

1Co 4:10  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 

1Co 4:11  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 

1Co 4:12  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 

1Co 4:13  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 

1Co 4:14  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 

1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 

1Co 4:16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. 

Finally, as we see, Paul ‘Beseeched’ the Corinthians to be “followers” of himself, but he just laid out his selfless life, and the suffering, the persecutions that came his way, he desired that the Corinthian Saints follow his selfless example as he lived for Christ, and for the Saints, and for the ministry. We as “sons” ought to not find ourselves on the pages of the book of Corinthians, but when we do, we ought to acknowledge, and be educated by the reproving doctrine found within the books of Corinthians, and the word of God itself, and allow His word to work within our Inward Man, that we may be as the “household of Stephanas” who have “addicted themselves to the Ministry, whereas we can bring forth honor and glory unto the Father through the excellency of His word working within us.

Rod Jones