In Gospel work Paul makes it clear that we need to seek to be good and faithful stewards for Christ (v1-2). A steward is someone who has been entrusted with a work on behalf of others. All who serve need to desire to please Christ and be faithful to Him in all they do.

In Corinth there appears to have been a very critical spirit and Paul responds by saying how he doesn’t even judge himself (v3-5). Paul wants the believers to realise that it is what God thinks is what counts and not what they think.

Behind a critical spirit lurks the sin of pride, because in judging, a person is taking the place of God. Paul wants these believers to be humble because anything they have in Christ was not earned but God’s free gift (v6-7).

Paul appears to be quite sarcastic here (v8-13). He is contrasting the high way in which some Corinthians see themselves compared to the lowly way he is seen by some. This hurts because he was a father to them, the one who had been used by God to bring them to faith in Christ (v14-21).

We need to be ready to receive criticisms, yet careful in criticising others.