I read through 1 Corinthians 3-4 this morning and in chapter 4 Paul talks about the reality of how himself and the other apostles live. He says in verses 11-13:
“To this present hour we [the apostles] are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, and the dregs of all things, even until now.”
It takes some serious conviction and dedication to willingly live a lifestyle like that. This is so radically different than anything we see in America. I can’t think of a single person that I know in Christian ministry that does not live a very comfortable lifestyle.
I don’t think that Paul is giving this example to say that everyone in Christian ministry must live like that, but I think it is worth asking the question: Why does nobody I’ve ever known or crossed paths with in America have even remotely close to this level of dedication and commitment to God?
