There was a real problem in the church of Corinth, not that it was the only problem, but it was one that Paul had to address because it was causing division in the church. And this problem is still evident in the church today. The problem Paul was addressing was man getting his eyes on man and not on Jesus who is the head of the church. I knew a pastor who left his church because people thought so highly of him that they lost their real perspective, and that was to keep their focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of the faith.
If you remember Peter when he wanted to walk on the water to go to Jesus in Matthew 14:28–31, Jesus said come so Peter stepped out of the boat and started walking to Jesus, everything was fine until Peter took his eyes off Jesus and got them on the circumstances that were going on around him and then he started to sink. If he would have kept his eyes on Jesus, his faith would not have faltered and he would have been fine. I have said this many times but not in a while and that is this ‘Glimpse at people and gaze at the Lord.’
We need to love and respect people but not lose our balance when it comes to our devotion, the Lord always has to be number one. In 1st Corinthians 3:1–9 Paul addresses this problem, he says, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
I think Paul had a deep concern for the believers at Corinth, plus Paul wasn’t trying to take all the glory. Paul never bowed down to the god of popularity, he understood that each believer had certain gifts and no person was better than anyone else. That is why Paul could say that the one who plants and the one who waters are basically the same. They are both important but the Lord is far more important.
We are privileged to be used of the Lord and that is great but the Word says, “unless the Lord build the house we labor in vain that build it.” No matter what we do we can never fulfill our purpose without the Lord’s intervention. There have been splits in the church in our day over this same problem. Someone becomes more popular than someone else then that person gets a following and decides to leave the church and start their own church. People that should know better leave also then you have a split and Satan has a field day. If we glimpse at people and gaze at the Lord this problem would be avoided.
So let us grow up in the Lord and not be carnal Christians anymore. Let us focus our attention on the author and finisher of our faith. God bless and have a great day.
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