I’m trying to listen to all sides (Catholic and Protestant) to
- “Do not go beyond what is written. (1Cor 4:6, NIV)" Seems to teach that Christians shouldn’t go beyond the written word of God. My Protestant friends quote this verse often and I don’t know how to interpret it.
Here’s the verses before and after 1Cor 4:6 so you can see the context. It appears Paul is quoting a saying that he heard from somewhere (I couldn’t find it in the OT or anywhere else in the Bible):
1Cor 4:1-7 (NIV):
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
aul quoted in support of Jesus being the Messiah.
1Cor4:6…explanation…courtesy of Eric Filmer…
If an examination of 1Corinthians 4:6 is done in the full context of the entire epistle then we see that it does not teach Sola Scriptura. I will now present some passages from 1Corinthians to be considered, and I will highlight the various “it is written…” statements in blue text to help one understand what Paul means in the broader context of this epistle. As a side note, I am using the RSV translation.
We start with 1Cor 1:10-17. Herein we see the first topic that 1Corinthians addresses. Paul is concerned over divisions that have occurred among the Christians in Corinth.
1Corinthians 1:10-17
[10] I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
[11] For it has been reported to me by Chlo’e’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren.
[12] What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apol’los,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
[13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
[14] I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Ga’ius;
[15] lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name.
[16] (I did baptize also the household of Steph’anas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.)
[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Next we should consider sections of 1Corinthians where Paul teaches how to overcome prideful behavior so that unity can be restored.
1Corintians 1:18-25
[18]For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
[19] For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.”
[20] Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
[21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
[22] For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
[23] but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
[24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
[25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
(1Cor 1:19 quotes Isaiah 29:14)
1Corinthians 1:26-31
[26] For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth;
[27] but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,
[28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
[29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
[30] He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption;
[31] therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”
(1Cor 1:31 concludes Chapter 1 and it quotes Jer 9:24. Paul also uses this same quote from Jeremiah in 2Corinthians 10:17 wherein he tells the Corinthians to only be boastful within the limits God has apportioned.)
1Corinthians 3:18-23
[18] Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
[19] For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
[20] and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
[21] So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours,
[22] whether Paul or Apol’los or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours;
[23] and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
(1Cor 3:19 quotes Job 5:13 and 1Cor 3:20 quotes Psalm 94:11. Moreover, Paul’s opening statement of “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God” is a paraphrase of what he said in 1Cor 1:20, indicating that he is still addressing the disunity among Corinthians problem.)
1Corinthians 4:1-13
[1] This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
[2] Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
[3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself.
[4] I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
[5] Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.
[6] I have applied all this to myself and Apol’los for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
[7] For who sees anything different in you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
[8] Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!
[9] For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.
[10] We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
[11] To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless,
[12] and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
[13] when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things.
The question at hand is: What does Paul mean in 1Cor 4:6 when he tells the reader “not to go beyond what is written”? If you take a moment to read the above passages from 1Corinthians highlighted in blue text you will see that Paul writes, “It is written…” three times as an introduction to four quotes from the Old Testament. Each quote cautions people against the sin of pride. After making these statements, Paul states, in 1Cor 4:6:
“I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren…” (i.e., The teachers follow the same rules given to students)
“…that you may learn by us…” (i.e., “Follow our example”)
“…not to go beyond what is written,…” (I’ll come back to this in a minute)
“…that none of you may be puffed up…” (“Puffed up” means to be prideful)
“…in favor of one against the other.” (The ramifications of prideful behavior is division in the community)
In light of all this, I believe that when Paul tells the reader “not to go beyond what is written”, he is simply reminding them to adhere to the warnings about prideful behavior that he expressed earlier with the “it is written…” preludes (i.e., 1Cor 1:19, 31; 3:19, 20). After all, when we examine the entire verse from 1Cor 4:6, right after he tells the reader “not to go beyond what is written” he says the reason why: “…that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against the other.” In other words, pride causes people to mistreat others (by favoring certain people over them), and this mistreatment results in divisions. Hence, we are to heed the warnings of the Old Testament against pride, treat people with the respect they deserve, and this will allow unity rather than disunity. Simply put, these various passages from 1Corinthians address the behavior of the Corinthians – Paul wants them to conduct in proper Christian behavior (the virtue of humility) in order to correct the dissension caused by their previous bad behavior (the sin of pride).
In light of all this, the context of 1Corinthians does not involve Paul teaching a general principle that people are not allowed to formulate doctrine outside of Scripture, and therefore he is not teaching Sola Scriptura. An attempt to read a Sola Scriptura statement into 1Corinthians 4:6 ignores the entire context of the rest of the epistle.
I think the two were held by both east and west…for these were held and conducted by a church council.
