CORINTHIAN ISSUES – MESSAGE 3
June 29, 2003

“No Superstars”

1 Corinthians 1: 12 – 17
1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 5
1 Corinthians 3: 4 - 15
1 Corinthians 4: 1 - 6

I read a story about a boy who was praying the Lord’s Prayer.  When he got to the middle part, he said, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from e-mail.”  Some people don’t like e-mail because it tends to be short and to the point.  I want to give you an e-mail version – short and to the point – of the first two messages we’ve already covered in this series on 1 Corinthians. 

The Apostle Paul spent a year and a half ministering in the city of Corinth.  While he was preaching the Gospel there, many people turned from their pagan religions and began trusting Jesus Christ for salvation.  Paul helped them establish a church.  Three years after he had left Corinth, he began to hear by word of mouth and by letter that the congregation had a number of serious issues.  Thus, we have the letter we call 1 Corinthians, in which the Apostle Paul addressed those serious issues. 

The first issue – divisions in the church – is covered in Chapters 1 through 4.  We began to look at it last week.  According to verse 12 of Chapter 1, the Corinthians as a church had divided into four groups, based on which spiritual leader or teacher they were loyal to and followed.  Some said, “We are of Paul.”  Some said, “We are of Apollos.”  Others said, “We are Peter’s people.”  Still others said, “We won’t listen to men, we are of Christ.”  They had divided four ways, and in verse 10, we learned that those divisions had created quarreling and strife.  In the first four chapters, the Apostle Paul addressed the problems the divisions had created. 

Today, I want us to look at Paul’s personal response to the divisions.  Did he play the game with the various factions?  Did he grab on to the fact that there was a loyal group following him, and did he encourage those supporters?  Did he say things that would fuel the divisions and disagreements?  Those questions provide our subject for today. 

What we learned from the Norwegians and their chickens

I have a soft spot in my heart for my ancestors, the Norwegians.  It was a group of Norwegian naturalists that, years ago, first came up with the concept of a pecking order.  The group did a study of chickens in the barnyard.  By counting and recording the number of times each chicken gave or received pecks over a period of time, the naturalists were able to determine that there is a pecking order.  Even among chickens, there was competition for the Number 1 position.  Over time, each chicken would fall into place.  We know that a pecking order exists in many other situations as well.  Junior high school girls have their own pecking order, for example. 

In Christian circles, there is also a tendency toward a pecking order.  There are Christian leaders and teachers who are tempted to vie for prominent positions in the Christian pecking order.  Unfortunately, sometimes there actually is a spirit of competition. Right in the church, different people compete for prominence and position.  And a lot of times the people in Christian circles and churches will begin to pick their favorites – teachers, spiritual leaders, ministries, worship leaders.  Pretty soon, if they are not careful they will form a pecking order:  “The ones we have picked are better than the ones others have picked.”  It can lead to quarreling, debating, and divisions.

What we learned from Lincoln and Stanton

Abraham Lincoln was involved in something similar to a pecking order.  He had a political enemy named Edwin Stanton.  Stanton used to say some very terrible things about Abraham Lincoln.  In fact, he called Lincoln “the original gorilla.”  There were people at that time who chose sides – “we are Lincoln’s people.  We are loyal to him and we will stand with him.”  They had terrible things to say about Stanton.  But there were also Stanton’s people.  He was their favorite.  They stood with him and were loyal to him, and they would say terrible things about Lincoln.

We are told that Abraham Lincoln never entered into that.  When he became president of the United States, one of his first appointments was Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War.  When asked why he chose Stanton to serve in his cabinet after all the horrible things he had said, Lincoln’s response was, “I chose him because he’s the best man for the job.”

At Abraham Lincoln’s funeral, Edwin Stanton stood by the coffin.  He made this statement:  “Here lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever known.”  Abraham Lincoln was not willing to enter into the competition.  He was not willing to play the game Stanton was playing, or that the people around him were playing.  He was above that.  Eventually Stanton saw that and changed his view about Lincoln. 

The question before us today is this.  Did the Apostle Paul choose to play the game and to be a part of what was happening in Corinth?   After all, one of the groups had picked him.  There would be a strong temptation to compete for prominence.  Let’s find out how Paul personally responded to that issue and if he gave in to the temptation.  

Overview

I want to walk you through parts of the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians, pointing out one text in each chapter that will help us see how Paul responded when people had singled him out as their chosen teacher and leader.   In Chapter 1, verses 12 through 17, he wrote:

“Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas’ (Peter), and ‘I of Christ.’  Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, that no man should say you were baptized in my name.  Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ would not be made void.” 

The first of three questions Paul asked here was, “Has Christ been divided?”  The New Living translation does a really good job of presenting the meaning of this phrase.  It says something like, “Has Christ been divided into pieces?”  That’s the idea of the phrase.  It’s breaking something apart into pieces.  So, Paul’s first question was whether Christ had been divided into pieces by what the people were doing. 

Paul then asked the people if he had been crucified for them.  The obvious answer was that he had not.  Then Paul asked them whether, when they proclaimed their faith and were baptized, it was done in his name.  Again, the obvious answer was “no.”  They were baptized in the name of Christ.

Does this sound like a man who was encouraging the “Paul” people?  Does it sound like someone who was going to play along and encourage divisions?  Right from the start, he was saying, “Wait a minute, you can’t divide Christ into pieces.  I didn’t die for you; you weren’t baptized in my name.”  We already have an indication that Paul was not going to play the game and encourage what was going on. 

In the first five verses of Chapter 2, Paul said:

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

Does that sound like a man who came into Corinth looking for followers, a man who was applauding those who had chosen him, saying that he was the only one they would follow and listen to?  There are better ways to get a following than to say those kinds of things about yourself.  What he did focus on was the Lord Jesus and Him crucified, the work of the Spirit, and the power of God.  Paul diverted attention away from himself and from Peter and Apollos as well.  He did not applaud what had happened in Corinth.  

Paul wrote in Chapter 3, verses 4 through 15:

“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.  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it.  But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.  If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Let’s notice some of the things Paul said.  “What then is Apollos?  What then is Paul?”  He answered his own question, saying that they were just servants.  That doesn’t sound like a man who was encouraging what was going on.   Paul said he planted the Gospel first and got the church started, but Apollos did the watering.  (In Acts 18, we see that after Paul had left, Apollos came in and spent time teaching and helping the new Christians grow.)   One planted, one watered; each had his own role.  But notice what Paul said next:  “Neither the one who plants (Paul) nor the one who waters (Apollos) is anything, but God is everything.”  It was God who did all the work and made it all happen.

Then, Paul used some team language:  “He who plants and he who waters are one.”  He and Apollos were on the same team:  They were one; God’s fellow workers.  That’s team language, not competitive language that would encourage choosing sides.  He went on to talk about how God would hold each of them accountable for the roles they played.  Paul stated that he and Apollos each had a role. They were fellow workers for God, and God would reward them according to how they did their job.  That doesn’t sound like a man who was applauding the “Paul” people, or a man who played the game and was competing.    

Finally, let’s look at the first six verses of Chapter 4:

“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.  I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.  Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.  Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.”

Paul was referring to himself, Apollos, and the other spiritual leaders as servants of Christ.  It’s interesting that the Greek word “servants” he used referred to the under-rowers on ships.  As you’ve probably seen in movies, ships at that time were powered by slaves manning the oars down below.  Those slaves were called under-rowers.  Paul was saying that he and the other servants should be regarded as the lowest level of servants, under-rowers for Christ. 

He also said to regard them as “stewards of the mysteries of God.”  A steward was a house manager, someone who was given charge of something he didn’t own and had no right to, even though its owner had entrusted him to manage it.  God entrusted them to share His message.  They didn’t own it, they weren’t the bosses, they weren’t superstars – they were just stewards.   Stewards were required to be faithful – that’s all.  “Don’t look at us as superstars, don’t look at me as better than Apollos; don’t look at Apollos that way just because he’s eloquent and dynamic.  We are both servants of Christ and stewards of God’s word.  That’s how you should regard us.”  

Paul didn’t get into examining, judging, and comparing to determine who was better, as the Corinthians were doing.  It wasn’t important.  He said that the only one to examine him and the other teachers was the Lord.  That was the only judgment he cared about.  Next, he warned against passing early judgment.  Paul said that God would give the praise that was due.  God would check motives, examine what His servants had done for Him, and praise them accordingly.

The figurative things Paul applied to himself and to Apollos included the activities he had spoken of, such as planting and watering God’s fields or laying a foundation and putting a building on it.  He told the Corinthians that they must stop being arrogant in behalf of either him or Apollos, pitting one against the other.  Both the Paul people and the Apollos people had become prideful of their loyalty to their leader, and looked down on the other group.  Paul told them to stop feeling superior over each other.  That doesn’t sound like a man who wanted to play the game or one who was glad some people had picked him as the only leader they would follow.  He did not applaud what they had done – he was appalled by it.

Observations

Now, let me share with you some observations I made as I looked at the four sections of Scripture and Paul’s response to the divisions.  First, in those passages I saw no self-promotion.  Paul did not promote himself, put himself up, or encourage what his followers were doing.  It would have been tempting to do so.  It would be a good feeling to know that there are people who would pick him as their favorite – “He’s our man; he’s better than Apollos or Peter.”  It would be enjoyable to fuel that kind of attitude, but there’s no evidence that Paul did. 

Paul had no need to be in the limelight and be Number 1; he had no desire to have his own followers.  Paul understood that it was not about him.  I can’t see Paul allowing his picture to appear on a billboard as you enter Corinth:  “The Apostle Paul Ministered Here.”   I can’t see Paul’s name emblazoned in gold on the front of the Corinthians’ Bibles.  There is no evidence that he was promoting himself.

Second, Paul had a good understanding of roles, both his own role and the roles of the other teachers and spiritual leaders.  He understood that they were all part of the same team, working for the same end, and that God had given each of them a particular role.   He knew that they all needed to be faithful in their role, and to see the value in the other guys and the roles they played.  Paul really understood the importance of teamwork among fellow workers.  “Apollos is as valuable to the work of God as I am.  Peter is as valuable to what God is doing as I am.” 

My third observation is that there is a strong emphasis on the Lord in these chapters.  Look at the questions Paul asked in Chapter 1:  “Are you going to divide Christ into pieces?”  “Did I die on the cross for you?”  “Were you baptized in my name?”  In Chapter 2, he downplayed his own wisdom and ability, refocusing the followers on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the power of the Spirit, and the power of God.  In Chapter 3, Paul talked about him planting and Apollos watering, but the focus was on God who caused the fields to grow.  “You are God’s field, not mine.”  “You’re God’s building, not mine.”  All the focus was on God.  He said he was able to do this by the grace of God.  Again, he diverted the focus of attention to the Lord.  In Chapter 4, Paul said, “Regard us as servants of Christ, stewards of God’s mystery.  God will praise us if there is room for praise.”   Again, he diverted attention to the Lord. 

Finally, there is clear reproof of the Corinthians.  Paul did not beat around the bush, nor was he subtle.  He clearly told them that what they were doing was wrong.  In Chapter 1, verse 10 he said, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you….”  That’s a clear reproof of what was going on.

In Chapter 3, verse 3, Paul said the Corinthians’ behavior was immature and not spiritual.  “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”  He said they were people who belonged to Christ, but acted like people who didn’t.  That’s not subtle; it’s a clear reproof of what was going on.  “Don’t go on passing judgment….so that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against another.”  He reproved them.  He knew their behavior would harm them, the church, and the cause of Christ.  He was very clear and to the point in his reproof:  You don’t pick sides and you don’t divide over leaders. 

So, I say, “Bravo, Paul.”  He is an example for me, and he should be for all of us. 

Applications

Now, how do we apply this to ourselves?  I think we can do it from two directions in the form of two warnings.  First, beware of self-promotion.  If you’re a spiritual leader or a teacher, or if you’re involved in a ministry that God has called you to, beware of self-promotion.  It’s really tempting.  When someone is really affected by your worship leadership, ministry, or teaching, there is something in your flesh that likes it when you find out about it.  Beware of playing the game and encouraging that to go any further.   Let Paul be your example.  There are no superstars and there is no pecking order in the body of Christ.  You’re on the same team with fellow workers, and you all have valuable roles to play.  Do not do anything that would encourage choosing teams and, down the line, divisions.  Don’t demand loyalty, even in subtle ways.     

Second, beware of divisive loyalties.  It’s very easy to choose teams, because we have preferences.  Different people work in our lives and touch our hearts, but remember that it is really God who causes it to happen.  People are only servants and stewards.  Be careful of divisive loyalties and avoid saying, “I am of that person.  He or she says this, and is the only one I will listen to.” 

I’ve been in situations where loyalty got to the point of someone saying, “I don’t care what the Bible says, because he or she says this.”  I had to struggle through a lot of Bible studies in our last church because everyone had a Scofield Bible and Scofield Notes.  Every time I interpreted a Scripture in a way that didn’t go along with what Scofield said at the bottom of the page, I got criticized:  “But Scofield says….”  There was no convincing them that there might be another way of looking at it.  

That’s taking loyalty a little far, and you need to be careful about that.  Don’t make someone a superstar.  Leaders might not want to be superstars and recruit followers for themselves, but sometimes others try to do it for them.  When that happens, they end up in quarrels with people who picked somebody else.  They end up comparing, and pretty soon excluding. 

It’s fine to appreciate someone’s ministry because God used that person in your life, and I think the Scriptures even say it’s okay to let that person know.   It encourages those who are being faithful to their call and their role.  But don’t let that move into an extreme divisive loyalty that brings strife, comparisons, competition, and quarrels.  In our day it’s easy to get caught up in the superstar mentality because of TV, radio, books, and megachurches.  It’s easy to get caught up in the competition of comparing, and picking where our loyalties will go.  We need to be careful about that. 

The Apostle Paul didn’t want to be a superstar, so he refused to play the “game.”  You and I would do well to follow his example. 

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