Arrogance that Invites Discipline

Arrogance that Invites Discipline
Words of Faith 5-15-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Corinthians 4
[18] Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. [19] But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. [20] For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. [21] What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

     There are always some who do not listen and refuse to change. Arrogance is painful and difficult. Paul knew this. He had planned a trip to Corinth in the near future. He certainly did not want that trip to be focused on troublemakers, but that would be the case if necessary.
     Paul anticipated that not all would be moved by the appeal in his letter. Those in the church who had acted arrogantly assumed Paul would not dare come. They had grown complacent in their accountability and bold in their arrogant claims. The arrogance of these "party leaders" and "guardians" was at the heart of the Corinthians' division problem.
     Paul addressed all this, saying that, the Lord willing, he would come without delay and then find out the real power of the arrogant persons who were doing all the talking against him.
     Essentially, Paul says: Talk is cheap! What real power do these people have to promote their unscriptural and derogatory ideas? Paul was not flinching or blinking. If it was a showdown these people wanted, a showdown they would get. Because of the witness of the Spirit in him, he was absolutely confident.
     Some action may have been required on such a visit. Paul knew he was capable of meting out action in the power of the Spirit. He had once called upon the Lord to strike a false prophet blind (Acts 13:9-11). When Paul preached to the Corinthians, he did not depend on his own ability but on the power of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). He would rely on this same power for discipline (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
     This was the authority of God's rule, and the consequence could be swift and decisive if necessary (Acts 5:3-11). Though Paul loved the Corinthians, he knew a loving father did not shy away from discipline (Hebrews 12:7). Hopefully, it would not come to that.
     Paul's final appeal was asked as a question. "What do you prefer?" He posed two alternatives: Do you want me to come "with punishment or in love and with a gentle spirit?" Did they want him to wield a whip (rabdos, a "rod")? From the Greco-Roman point of view, the "rod" was a symbol of discipline executed by one in authority. Did they want a visit characterized by discipline or by a gentle spirit? Both are expressions of love, but the experience is quite different.
     This raises a good question. Was Paul actually threatening and advocating the use of violence or corporal punishment in the church? Actually, there is no evidence that whips or rods were ever employed in the early church's discipline. We will see later that Paul's punishment of an unrepentant believer who continued in sin was to expel him.
     Paul could have been referring to the possibility of punishment like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3-11) or calling upon the Spirit to strike the stubborn party leaders blind as he did a false prophet and sorcerer on the island of Cyprus. It is most likely that Paul was using the image of the whip or rod to symbolize what such a disciplinary visit would be like. We don't know exactly what Paul was capable of, and neither did they. The point was that they did not want to find out what Paul meant by "the whip."
     Paul was clear that these divisive people needed to straighten up because a face-to-face confrontation would not be pleasant. While Paul claimed not to be eloquent in his words, there is no evidence that he failed to be forceful. The sting of a personal rebuke would probably be like that of a whip, but the force of a face-to-face discipline in the power of the spirit might leave one wishing for a "rod." Paul loved the Corinthian believers enough to correct them, rebuke them, exhort them, and, if necessary, discipline them.
     Perhaps the point is to realize that continued arrogance invites discipline. The Lord is patient with us, but there probably comes a time when there is no alternative but to discipline in unpleasant ways. This is true in the church as well.
     We do so much better to respond to the gentle correction of the Lord and the loving exhortation of leaders. If we are divisive, we need to repent. If we have been arrogant, we must turn to the Lord in humility. If we have taken the way of the world over the Mind of Christ, we need to come back to Him. If we have continued in sin, this is arrogance, and we are inviting the strong discipline of the Lord.

     Father God, I confess my sin before You. I come in absolute humility to receive the Mind of Christ. Give me love for those in authority. Give me peace with others in the Body of Christ. Walk with me and give me Your gentle correction. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.