v1-5: Paul continues the theme of personal accountability. This is no more popular today than it was in the first century. Man naturally wants to cover his sins, and to live life his own way. Our confidence is in the Lord who always judges rightly; and our motivation is to have a clear conscience, Acts 24.16; 1 Thess 2.4-6; 2 Tim 4.7-8.

Paul's plea was that the Corinthians realised his role properly, and that they didn't exalt him or despise him. This becomes a major theme in Paul's second letter.

v1: The calling of the Christian; as a servant and a steward. We are entrusted with a work from God.

v2: The expectation is that we be found faithful.

v3: The Corinthian Christians had evidently "judged" or criticised Paul, but that mattered little to him. The pride and strife in their attitudes had meant that they criticised the godly. Any human judgment is flawed; by the Corinthians, by a human court (and Paul had stood before those), and by himself.

v4: The fact that my conscience is clear is not a perfect guide, since my conscience is flawed. But I can only look to the Lord, that He would judge me; Ps 139.23-24 is a prayer which reflects the same confidence. The Lord sees and knows all things, and our part is to find His will, and be submissive to it.

v5: We look to God alone for praise and reward; human praise is transient and deceptive; The Lord Jesus spoke of seeking praise from God (John 5.44).

v6-7: Paul and Apollos were examples to the Corinthians (3.5-7); Paul uses those examples to encourage the Corinthians to understand the meaning of the phrase, "Do not go beyond what is written"; they were not to take pride in one man over another. This was to do with pride and strife. The phrase "took pride" means 'filled with hot air'! The questions that follow were designed to prick that bubble!

There is no room to boast except in what God has given. We cannot think of ourselves as having been rewarded for any goodness in ourselves. The Corinthians had much (v8; 1.5-7), and had perhaps thought that God had rewarded them. There is also an implication of inconsistency, as they had criticised Paul and Apollos, but had neglected their own spiritual maturity.

v8: The Corinthians reigned as kings, or so they thought; they had missed out on so much more, and had tolerated party spirit and immaturity, selfishness pride and greed. Such things could not be covered up by excessive use of ecstatic spiritual experiences.

v9-13: The lot of the apostles contrasted with the experience (or claimed experience) of the Corinthians. Paul uses the picture of the victorious emperor returning with his booty and slaves; the apostles were weak, fools, dishonoured, at the end of the procession, condemned to die; the Corinthians, looking on were strong, wise, honoured, cheering the emperor. The Corinthians had misunderstood what it was to know Christ; Paul is clear, that they were missing out (v8).

Paul and the other apostles had suffered, and later he uses suffering as a proof of his calling and apostleship, 2 Cor 11.21-33; the Corinthians had assumed that they were exempt from suffering; they had certainly misunderstood the promises of Christ.

v14-16: Paul's motive was pure and compassionate; he was a father to the Corinthians, and was writing to warn them about their attitudes. He has every right to do so. Life comes through the gospel of Christ, but our way of life thereafter must reflect Him.

v17: For this reason Paul was sending another son of his, Timothy. Timothy was therefore a brother to the Corinthians, and should be accepted as such. Paul had every confidence in Timothy, that he shared the same concerns (Phil 2.20), and that he would teach the same things.

"My way of life in Christ Jesus"; Paul taught this, and Timothy also. The N.T. explains this way of life, and we are commanded to live it. This is something distinctive, and different from the world. We should be recognised by how we live.

v18-21: The problem of words, especially from those who are proud, perhaps by knowledge (8.1), certainly not by love. Such people have many words, but live lives devoid of power. Paul challenges the Corinthians to deal with their attitudes before his visit.