For I desire that you become kings

 

For I desire that you become kings

 

1 Corinthians 4:7-8: "Who distinguishes you from others (diakrinei)? What do you have that you did not receive? Since you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? You are already full, you are already rich, and you have become kings without us. For we desire that you become kings, that we may reign with you."

Paul points out the pride of the Corinthian church. Diakrinei (διακρίνει) refers to the belief (of ministers) that they are superior to others. Paul is asking them, "Do you boast that you alone received the gift while others did not?"

It implies that the leaders of the Corinthian church were wealthy and reigned like kings. Paul praises the leaders for fulfilling their role as royal priests well, but he is telling them to reign with the saints. It is saying that not only ministers are royal priests, but that all believers, including Paul himself, must serve as royal priests.

1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Today, within the church community, there are many who consider only ministers to be royal priests, while ordinary believers do not. The reason is that they do not believe that believers, as those who are in Christ, possess the power of God.

Jesus was a royal priest. The Bible states that Jesus played the role of King, Priest, and furthermore, Prophet. However, those who are in Christ also become royal priests and prophets through Christ. God regards those who are in Christ in this way. It is not something obtained through diligent effort, but rather something achieved through the belief that it is made that way through Christ. Therefore, it is said that we must always give thanks in our hearts and accept it with a joyful heart.

Hebrews 8:1-5: “The point of what we are saying now is that we have such a high priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Most High in heaven, and who ministers in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, not man. Every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, so he also needs to offer something. If Jesus had been on earth, he would not have been a priest, for there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve as a copy and shadow of the things in heaven, just as Moses was instructed when he was about to build the tabernacle, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.’”

Jesus’ role as a priest is not that of a priest on this earth, but that He is performing the priestly office in the Kingdom of God. In the Old Testament era, because the people of Israel could not keep all the laws, they had to offer sacrifices to fulfill God’s righteousness. And just as the High Priest had to approach the Most Holy Place carrying the blood of a slain animal, and just as God forgave the sins of the people of Israel at that time, Jesus shed the blood of the cross, bore all the sins of those who repent, and approached God's throne as High Priest.

Since Jesus fulfills His final role as High Priest, those who are in Jesus Christ become the righteousness of God. After fulfilling His role as High Priest, Jesus Christ sat at the right hand of God's throne. And the saints who are in Jesus Christ also sit with Him. Although they are not physically with Jesus Christ, being in Jesus Christ constitutes righteousness.

Jesus is the King of Kings. Colossians 1:16-17 states, "For through Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

The word "King" signifies a ruler, and His kingdom is Heaven. Heaven is the Kingdom of God within the soul; for a saint who believes in having died and resurrected with Jesus, a temple is built within their heart, and Jesus Christ dwells within it. This is precisely what Heaven means, and the saint is living under the rule of Jesus Christ, the King.

If Jesus Christ dwells as King within the saint's heart, the saint must put on the garments of Christ. The garments of Christ are also called the garments of righteousness, signifying a spiritual body possessing resurrected life. To put on the garments of Christ, the saint must be united with Jesus, who died on the cross, and become one who has died. The death of one's old self and being born again as a new self is expressed as putting on a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:22-25: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: first Christ, the firstfruits; then those who belong to Christ at his coming; then the end, when he will destroy all dominion and all authority and power and deliver the kingdom to God the Father. He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

Jesus played the role of a prophet. The office of prophet refers primarily to those who were active in the Old Testament era as messengers of God’s word; these were the ones who prophesied the appearance of the Messiah. Although Jesus was born into the world as the Messiah and spoke about the Kingdom of God and salvation, the leaders of Israel did not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and had him put to death on the cross.

What Jesus did in the office of prophet was to prophesy what would happen after his death on the cross. He prophesied that he would die and be resurrected after three days, and he also prophesied that the Jerusalem Temple would be completely destroyed, leaving not a single stone standing. And the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples just as He had prophesied. He also announced His ascension and His second coming; when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, Jesus returned and was present in the hearts of the disciples.

Jesus told the disciples that as they preached the gospel, amazing things would happen. He prophesied that the spiritually dead would rise, demons would depart, sins would be forgiven, and the sick would be healed, while also foretelling that there would be much persecution. He also prophesied that there would be judgment upon unbelievers and that in the last days, faith would disappear from people's hearts.

This indicates that those who are in Jesus Christ are fulfilling the same role that Jesus performed. Since a believer is in Jesus Christ, they become identical to Jesus in His role; to disbelieve this is tantamount to not believing the words Jesus spoke.

When a believer is in Jesus Christ, Jesus also enters into the believer. Thus, a perfect union is achieved. God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, the power to forgive sins and the power to judge the world. Likewise, in Matthew 16:19, Jesus said to His disciples, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."