Paul has been teaching about the foolishness of human wisdom and the power of God’s wisdom. He celebrates how God uses the weak to confound the strong, and shares that he didn’t come to the Corinthians with clever speech or persuasive words, but with fear and trembling, wanting them to know only Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Now he addresses their focus: Should they follow Paul, Apollos, or Cephas (Peter)?
“For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? For whenever someone says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not acting like mere humans?”
Wow! Paul couldn’t speak to them as mature believers—he could only give them milk, not solid food. Why? They were worldly, full of envy and strife, comparing themselves and finding value by claiming, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos.” This was carnal, not godly. Paul says chasing spiritual status or “rightness” through human teachers is immature. Today, we too can get caught up following popular teachers or boasting about historical figures, but God calls this immaturity.
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
Paul and Apollos are merely God’s servants, each with a role—planting or watering—but God gives the growth. When we elevate human teachers, finding our value in following one over another, we show our immaturity, stuck in envy and strife. We’re only able to handle milk, not solid food, because our focus is on the wrong thing.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test each one’s work—of what sort it is. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.”
Christ is our foundation, and we must build on Him—His death and resurrection. We need to build carefully, not judging each other, because God will test our work with fire. Work built with gold, silver, or costly stones will endure, bringing reward, but work of wood, hay, or straw will burn up, leaving nothing to show when we stand before God. Paul’s point is clear: our focus should be on Christ, not human leaders, as we build our lives for eternity.
So let’s not jockey for spiritual status on earth, claiming one teacher over another as if they’re the true foundation. Instead, let’s fix our eyes on Christ, building on Him with humility. Like Paul, may I come with fear and trembling, knowing nothing but Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2-3). I thank God for teachers who plant and water, but I’ll keep them in their rightful place—not dividing over them, but uniting in Christ. Am I building on Christ alone, or am I distracted by human teachers? Let’s grow in maturity, focusing on Him who gives the growth.
