"The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty."
(Prov. 10: 15)
The rich and powerful need the poor and needy (pun intended). It is ironic. It has well been said that "to be equally rich is to be equally poor." If the poor were suddenly to disappear, then who would be poor? Who would do the jobs that the poor do? Who would be present to serve the rich? Most of the rich ruling elite know this, although some are, ironically, stupid for not knowing this. The rich ruling elite, the world's best, or "select" (or elect), have cleverness in population and mind control over the poorer classes. They want the poorer working classes to believe that they need the rich and learned elite for their existence and well being. Solomon asserts that it is really the rich who need the poor for their existence and well being. It is at least a case of mutual dependence.
In the opening words of first Corinthians the apostle Paul, with heavenly inspired wisdom and power, demonstrates how the world's favorites, its rich elites, its select of humanity, its best specimens, have in the highest sense "missed the mark" and "come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3: 23) As most bible students know, "sin" is the translation of the Greek "hamartia," which means precisely that.
"Harmartia arose from the Greek verb hamartanein, meaning "to miss the mark" or "to err." Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics to describe the error of judgment which ultimately brings about the tragic hero's downfall." (Merriam-Webster)
Paul is showing how the world's wise men, in rejecting God's revelation and the gospel of Christ, have superlatively missed the mark in regard to what is their chief aim in life and that this seals their everlasting doom. It is indeed a case of "tragic downfall," the result of his "tragic flaw" in character and error in judgment. The word in the bible denotes every disobedience that anyone, believer or unbeliever, commits each day, but it also denotes that one great missing of the mark, the failure to believe the revelation he has given in the holy scriptures and of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the failure to make the glory of God the chief aim in life.
The secular unbeliever does not see his purpose in life as does the believer. The goal of all men should be to live a life that is pleasing to God their Creator. All exist to glorify God. He is the "chief end" for all men. So the Christian confesses as Paul:
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3: 13-14)
At what does the unbeliever "aim"? What is life's goal and chief end, according to the secular elite? Their aim or goal should be the glory of God, but tragically it is not. The fulfillment of their own hedonistic and narcissistic lusts is the thing chiefly pursued by unbelievers. They thus "miss the mark" in the highest sense.
Ironically, the rich man who dies rejecting the gospel becomes forever a man of the deepest poverty, losing everything. Likewise the wise man forever becomes marked as a fool, imprisoned in Hades and Gehenna without possibility of parole. Likewise the man of power on earth becomes a truly nobody in the eternal prison. This is described in Isaiah, where the unrepentant rich and noble, upon death, enter Sheol's place for the wicked dead, and receive the following welcome by its wicked inhabitants.
"Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?" (14: 9-10)
Note how the elite of the world are titled as "chief ones of the earth," and "all the kings." Though powerful and wealthy on earth, in their lifetimes, they become impotent and desperately poor in hell.
The rich of this world, as we have already observed, rarely receive the gospel message. Many of them in fact despise and look down on Christians and say of them as the worldly wise said of the apostles Peter and John. Wrote Luke:
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4: 13)
Again, this is similar to the incident in the life of Christ, mentioned in the previous chapter, where the snobbish elite asked of Christ - "how knows this man letters having never learned?" His answer was that the Father had taught him. In the above incident, Peter and John were judged as "unlearned and ignorant," but again the observation is made that they had been in the school of Jesus, the teacher who knows all things.
The truth is, they were neither ignorant nor unlearned by an honest appraisal and fair criteria. It was only so by using the false measurement or definition of the Jewish elite (which equates learning and knowledge with formal instruction in elite schools).
Enriched In Everything
Lacking Nothing
"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming (apocalypse) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1: 4-8)
Christians are the truly "set apart" (sanctified), distinguished from others. They are also "favored" of heaven and of the Deity. Grace involves divine favor in its very meaning. This setting apart and favoring is what constitutes them as God's elect, his chosen ones. They are not chosen because they are elite in any way, but God's election of them truly makes them elite, and superior, and that forever.
He specifically mentions a few areas of enrichment (but they are not limited to those mentioned in the above words). He mentions this "enrichment" again in his second letter. (II Cor. 9: 11)
This enrichment is "in everything." Two areas of this enrichment are specifically named, i.e., "knowledge" and "utterance." But, the other areas are implied by the words "in everything." Also, when he says that the believers "come behind in no gift," he is again affirming the other areas of enrichment.
Christians, in believing the gospel and in receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, have become God's children and therefore have acquired a status that far exceeds the social status of worldly men, many of whom have been among the earthly elite in knowledge and riches.
In all the areas of boasted status by the world's elite, by its select specimens, the believer obtains a superior status in Christ, with an enrichment in superior gifts and abilities. In other words, this enrichment includes not only knowledge and utterance, but every other thing, such as wealth and power, nobility and royal heritage, right and just character, etc. Upon these ingredients of status Paul will have much to say in his comparing of the status of believers versus the status of elite unbelievers.
The Christian is being perfected, now progressively in soul, mind, and spirit, and in the day of redemption fully in body and spirit. In being converted and born of God the believer even now bears the image and likeness of God. Being "in Christ," that is, in union with Christ by faith, the believer even now is partaking of all the virtues of Christ, being "enriched in every way."
"That in every thing - In every respect, or in regard to all the favors conferred on any of his people. You have been distinguished by him in all those respects in which he blesses his own children." (Barnes)
Grace bestowed in numerous favors, and believers set apart and distinguished; That is evidence of being of the truly elite, of being chosen and favored by God!
The world's elite, who predominantly reject the gospel and divine revelation, and who are thought of as being earth's and humanity's best specimens, the veritable favorites of the gods, are not what they seem or profess to be.
Truly, in regard to character, we must not "judge the book by its cover," to not judge a person's character by his outward circumstances, as we have previously taken note ("a man's life consists not in the abundance of possessions"). To do so would find us erroneously making the rich and learned to be humanity's best characters (which many people actually do, such as the Pharisees who equated abundance of riches with being righteous and approved of God). Such a measure or criteria certainly would not make the poor and uneducated to be recognized as earth's best and heaven's favorites!
Believers, coming mostly from the poorer classes, demonstrate that they are "God's elect" by their reception of the gospel and gift of the Spirit. They obtain a better character through Christ. Recall these words of James:
"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" (2: 5-7)
Notice that God's elect are almost universally taken from among "the poor of this world," but are "rich in faith"; And, notice that "rich people," the world's elite, not only reject the gospel of God but actually despise and persecute those who do believe it. In the eyes of God the rich of this world (who are also generally the most educated) are the real fools, the ones destined for irrecoverable bankruptcy in Hell.
It is indeed ironic that the world's elite, who have taken poor believers into court before "the judgment seats," will themselves be drawn or dragged before the judgment seat of Christ!
Enriched In Christ
Both the English word "enriched" and the Greek word from which it comes denote a "being made rich." Christians are the truly rich. In affirming this, several things need to be said. First, Paul wrote:
"As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (II Cor. 6: 9-0)
On this text Barnes wrote:
"Yet making many rich - On the meaning of the word rich see the note, Romans 2:4. Here the apostle means that he and his fellow-laborers, though poor themselves, were the instruments of conferring durable and most valuable possessions on many persons. They had bestowed on them the true riches. They had been the means of investing them with treasures infinitely more valuable than any which kings and princes could bestow. They to whom they ministered were made partakers of the treasure where the moth doth not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." (Notes)
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (II Cor. 8: 9)
Oh how rich is the believer!
What can we say about how salvation in Christ is a being made rich?
Two kinds of riches
1) Physical possessions (financial assets)
2) Personal attributes and assets
Upon these we will enlarge in the next chapters. In them our focus will be how the believer in Jesus is superior in
1. Physical and material wealth, riches, treasures, and inheritance
2. Spiritual riches involving gifts, powers, and character assets
3. Power and might, both in the physical and spiritual realms
4. Wisdom, knowledge, and intellect
5. Power of speech and communication (in word of mouth)
6. Birth and heritage, and inherited talents and abilities
7. Right standing with the Deity, or in divine favor and blessing
8. In worthiness for salvation
"The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all."
(Prov. 22: 2)
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