Saturday, November 7- 1 Corinthians 4:18-21

18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
-These Corinthians must've been bad boys/girls if Pauls is coming down so hard on them. But it's probably better to stop the fire before it grows bigger. Arrogance can create a lot of problems if it's not contained quickly.

19But 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.
-Paul will come and see himself. This is good motivation for these people to change quickly.

20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
-These people talk, but there needs to be action. What is done is powerful. Words are just words. There are a lot of words in church and not so much action. We need to focus not just on the words, but also on how we can do it.

21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
-Scary.
-Pride creates all kinds of problems. Paul does a good job of dealing with it here. Hopefully it humbled those who were thinking to much of themselves. We must be humble in our positions as well. To much talk is no good if not accompanied by good action.