“Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15).

Paul’s concern for the believers who were part of the churches he founded was not just professional. It was personal. He certainly didn’t believe that he was in the place of God. He did want those believers to know that he cared for them as a father would care for his own family.

I have been disciplined by many individuals in my lifetime. They have frequently helped me deal with weaknesses that weren’t easy for me to see. I have blind spots and need help seeing them just as everyone does. One person, though, had the most influence on me—my father. I knew one thing about him. He wanted what was best for me and loved me unconditionally.

That is what Paul was conveying to the Christians in Corinth. He wasn’t exercising professional, ecclesiastical authority as he corrected them. He loved them and wanted what was best for them—just like a father. That kind of discipline should be welcome to all of us. It comes out of the deepest kind of love.