“For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles last [at the end of the procession,] like prisoners appointed for death. We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men.

We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the wiped off filth of the world.” vs9-13

The Apostle Paul shows us that the true ministry of the gospel is far different than people imagine. Grace made us to differ, and God is glorified in our sufferings.

First, the ministry of the gospel is a call to suffer. “For I think that God has displayed us, the Apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men...To the present hour we both hunger and thirst,and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands.”

When Paul was first called, the Lord said, “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake [Acts 9:16].”

Suffering is part of the kingdom, because men hate Christ, and they will not receive you.

In America, there is almost no violence, but there is a lot of peer pressure. Satan uses different tactics to attack our covetousness and vanity. In other cultures, like Northern Nigeria, you can easily lose your life for converting from Islam.

The Apostles suffered as an example to us, so that we wouldn’t look at sorrows with long faces. They had the greatest gifts and usefulness, but they also carried the greatest burden, because the greatest is the servant [Matt 20:26-27].

This is different from the “big man” in Africa and America’s call to ease. People actually think that Christianity is a call to pamper the flesh, rather than resist it! They think that God owes us health and wealth because we follow Him. No, that’s not the call! The call is to GET THE GOSPEL OUT at all costs… not a life of comfort in this world but of spiritual obedience.

We have been misled, and we mislead ourselves!

Secondly, we are saved by grace, so we owe Him our lives. Vs6-7, “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

There is no boasting! When men truly learn salvation by grace, then we become His willing servants. We recognize that we did nothing, and all was given to us freely!

Do we have comfort? Christ did that by the Spirit. Do we have forgiveness, joy, and obedience? It is only because the Spirit has enlightened our eyes and subdued our flesh. Do we know the gospel? Electing mercy predetermined you for salvation.

When the truth sinks in, then we are humbled and willing to die for Him. Until then, we are proud of what we know and carnal Christians at best [1 Cor 3:1-4].

Thirdly, Paul calls himself the scraped off filth of the world. “We have been made as the filth of the world, the scraped off filth of all things until now.”

What are you? Are you seeking to be honored or to serve? How do you respond to mistreatment?

Paul says, “Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we encourage.”

We complain in the USA about everything that doesn’t go our way! We hate those who differ with us, which shows that our understanding of the gospel is skin deep. We have forgotten the call of the kingdom and have wearied ourselves to build and promote America, but it must not be!

The richest country in the world does a lot, or rather a little, considering all of our wealth, but we could do so much more. Why are missionaries undersupported? Why did we give up Africa to the prosperity gospel by barely sending out evangelists and teachers?

We have turned a blind eye to the world, complaining about our own culture wars, while the gospel is unheard in many parts of the earth. Someone recently mentioned the 3+ billion people who’ve never heard the gospel, while we argue among ourselves. I submit, dear saints, that we are far off from the spiritual power that we think we have. This is what was wrong with Corinth.

Paul says, “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored.”