Devotional 4 November 2025

November 04, 2025 • Steve Torres

1 Corinthians 4:15.jpg

“For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Corinthians 4:15–21, ESV)

The Corinthian church had begun to admire eloquent teachers and spiritual “experts.” They prided themselves on belonging to certain leaders, thinking that sounding wise proved maturity. But Paul reminds them that guidance is not the same as love. There are many instructors, but few who labor for your good. A true spiritual father does not speak to be admired; he sacrifices himself so that Christ may be formed in others (Galatians 4:19; 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12).

Paul’s claim to be their “father” is not a demand for authority, but a reminder of his relationship to them through the gospel. He was the one who preached Christ to them, giving them spiritual life, and he continues to care for their growth. This is not a contradiction of Jesus’ command to “call no man your father on earth” (Matthew 23:9); rather, Paul’s use of the word shows the difference between worldly hierarchy and godly affection. True fatherhood in Christ is not about status but stewardship: a willingness to tell the truth even when it wounds, because love seeks holiness, not approval (Hebrews 12:5–11).

When Paul sends Timothy, his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (v. 17), he is giving them another living example of humility and faithfulness. Timothy does not bring new revelation or secret knowledge but the same message Paul teaches “everywhere in every church.” The gospel is not advanced by novelty or charisma, but by consistent truth spoken in love.

Finally, Paul warns that the “arrogant” may speak confidently, but the kingdom of God “does not consist in talk but in power” (v. 20). The power he refers to is not rhetorical or political, but the transforming work of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5; Romans 14:17). Words alone can impress, but only the Spirit gives life. Like the Corinthians, we must test not only what people say, but the fruit of their lives. Do they love as Christ loved? Do they correct as a father corrects his children? For the kingdom of God is known not by boasting, but by the power of truth working through love.