From 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Later in Corinthians we will read about the challenge and call for the church to be holistically unified, a similar topic as these verses if you only look at the heading for the section. Paul’s instruction here is slightly more specific in scope.  In these verses, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for being divided according to their human leaders.  Some claim to follow Paul or Apollos or Cephas or Christ, and Paul rhetorically asks if he was the one crucified for them or if they were baptized into his name. The obvious answer is “no,” because Christ was the one crucified for them – and He is not one among many.  In fact, God has a long history of suffering no rivals.  The Corinthians have fallen to the temptation to elevate human leaders, human leaders who were undoubtedly excellent in their roles, to a status higher than was appropriate.

This temptation is not something that we are exempt from in modern times.  If anything, the advent of different communication technologies has made celebrity pastors more common.  Now, Christians might not fight over the different pastors or leaders they prefer in the church (they might, but it’s not something I’ve personally experienced), but they will still leave one church to follow a pastor to another or refuse to engage with their community because of one leader.  These are just to ways that we still elevate leaders higher than they ought to be at the expense of our Christian communities and what they are called to be.  It is appropriate to be thankful for leaders in your church and to appreciate them for the things they do well, but we always need to remember that they are only humans, and they are ultimately servants alongside us.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously blesses His church with good leaders.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to not put leaders in the church on a pedestal.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

  • Thank God for your church and its leaders.
  • Confess to God the times where you elevate leaders higher than they should be.
  • Ask God to bless His church with faithful and humble leaders.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious