Paul and Apollos

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His tendermercies towards us. He is indeed faithful!

Primary Text

“Now I have applied all this [about parties and factions] to myself and Apollos for your sakes, brethren, so that from what I have said of us [as illustrations], you may learn [to think of men in accordance with Scripture and] not to go beyond that which is written, that none of you may be puffed up and inflated with pride and boast in favor of one [minister and teacher] against another.” 1 Corinthians 4v6 (AMP)

What are some of the things Paul said? He told them that in them saying they are for Paul or for Apollos, they were acting carnal, like people in the world (1 Corinthians 3v4). He mentioned that they – Paul and Apollos – were just servants of God through whom the Corinthians had come to believe the Good News. He also wrote “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3v6-9, NLT). He mentions too that the work each person has done, building on Jesus Christ as the foundation, will be put through fire, and tested. “If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” (1 Corinthians 3v14-15, NLT). And then he tells them, don’t judge anything before the Lord comes, “… For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.” (1 Corinthians 4v5, NLT). And then in 1 Corinthians 4v6 (MSG) he writes “All I’m doing right now, friends, is showing how these things pertain to Apollos and me so that you will learn restraint and not rush into making judgments without knowing all the facts. It’s important to look at things from God’s point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay.”

Supplementary Text

“So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you – whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3v21-23 (NLT)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word o God. May we not only be hearers but also doers in Jesus name, amen. We pray for ministers, that You will continue to strengthen them as they labour in love in Jesus name, amen.