We all have favorites. We have our favorite music and singers, our favorite foods and drinks, and favorite books and movies. Sometimes, if we’re stubborn, we think that our favorites are better than those of others. We think we know better than they do, and that our opinions are more like facts. This problem was one that the Christians in Corinth had in their church, and one that Paul felt needed to be confronted and dealt with. Let’s take a quick look at what he said.
As we read the letters that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, we become very aware that they had several problems that the Apostle sought to correct. One problem was that the church was becoming divided into different groups, different factions. Each group felt that their opinion was the right one, and things were becoming contentious (vs. 10-11). Paul was urging the believers there to put an end to their divisions. He pleaded for this in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he felt this was that important. Jesus had prayed for unity among His followers (John 17:21-23), and Paul wanted to see one of His early groups of believers heeding that prayer.
Doctrinal unity, clearly and completely based on Scripture, must be the foundation of the Church. God’s Word establishes the standard of truth on which true unity rests. On essentials, on the fundamentals of the Faith, such as Jesus’ atoning death on the cross, His resurrection, the inspiration of the Scriptures, there can be no compromise. However, on other non-essential issues, such as when in the service the offering is taken, or whether there should ever be candles and incense or not, there should not be fighting. Churches have split over issues such as the color of carpeting, and Paul says this is not right.
One thing that the Corinthians were squabbling over was their favorite preachers (vs. 12-13). It seems that there were at least three different groups, each one claiming that their favorite preacher was the best. One group was backing the Apostle Paul, another the Apostle Peter (called Cephas here), and another Apollos. Apollos was a young man that Paul had met in Ephesus, and had been discipled and mentored by Paul’s companions Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:24-28). He then moved to Corinth, and by this time was one of the leaders and preachers there. There also seems to have been another group in Corinth, who rightly were giving their allegiance to no one but the Lord Jesus.
We sometimes find the same problem in churches today, where believers become so enamored with charismatic personalities, and blindly follow them, no matter what. Our allegiance should be to Jesus and His Word alone, not some gilded-tongued orator, no matter how many books they publish. No human leader should be given the loyalty that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Preachers should not be making disciples for themselves, but only for Jesus.
It seems, too, that the church members in Corinth were also placing importance on who had baptized each of them, as if there were some greater honor if one was baptized by this preacher rather than that one. Again, Paul states that this was not right, and then told them he was thankful that he had only baptized a very small handful of them (vs. 14-17).
Baptism is important, and because Jesus told His followers that they should be baptized (Matthew 28:19), every believer should be baptized. However, it is not an essential for salvation. We can see that through taking a closer look at the final few verses of our Scripture passage. If water baptism were essential to salvation, which it is not, then Paul would not have blatantly stated as he did here that he had only baptized these few. If baptism was essential for salvation, then in giving thanks for having baptized so few, Paul was giving thanks for so few having been saved through his ministry. In our Scripture Paul openly thanks God that he only baptized Crispus, Gaius, and Stephanas’ household, so possibly 5-10 people. Paul would not have been so openly thankful that these were all that were saved in over 1 ½ years of ministry in Corinth, so we can see that baptism is not essential for salvation.
Salvation is not through baptism, but through the preaching of the Gospel. We are saved by the Blood of the Crucified One, the Lord Jesus Christ, putting our faith in Him alone, and nothing else.
No comments:
Post a Comment