1Corinthians 3:1-23, vs. “11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” NIV
Foundation is the defining moment if anything is expected to succeed. The process and the outcome is traced back to the foundation. How the foundation is laid will determine the basis on which things will stand. Foundation defines what we are made off. Parents try to lay a foundation for their children; husbands and wives try to establish a foundation for their marriage; and are churches, corporations, schools etc. If the foundation is wrong, anything built on it may be crooked, may not survive for long and is very dangerous. This is the whole reason builders take time to lay strong proper foundation. From looking at how foundations are laid especially in buildings, it has to go down first before it comes up.
Paul addressed Christians at Corinth not as spirited men, those who he believed to have matured. He found that the people who should have been growing were not because they were trying to define again the foundation already laid. Instead of building on what was already laid, they were still dealing with petty issues such as jealousies, quarrelling and divisions. Fighting over who to follow Paul or Apollos. I see this same problem even today where people are disputing on whose teaching to go by, who to follow, causing the same problems Paul found at Corinth. If you don’t know and understand the foundation, then like the Corinthians you will try to establish a foundation laid by men. The problem is, men fail everyday and twice on Sunday. What happens when your favorite preacher stumbles and falls, would you fall too if your foundation is laid on him? What will your destiny be based on? What about your mentor, your spiritual leader?
1Corinthians 3:5, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task (NIV). It is interesting to note the “WHAT” used in this verse rather than “WHO”. “WHAT” addressed their laboring service as opposed to “WHO” that addressed their personalities. Those who followed Paul might have chosen him because of his personality and style of doing things and so were those who followed Apollos. He reminds them that he and Apollos were channels through which they believed. Their teaching was not for people to believe in them but the message they brought to them as assigned by God. Here is how he ties himself to Apollos, vs. 6-7, “6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7,So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow”. Paul and Apollos were both laborers, the controlling factor in what they were doing was LABORING and not SUCCESS. Now I can understand why Apollos’ ministry was not a threat to Paul’s, they both understood they were co laborers.
Yes they were different in their ministries but they were building on a foundation already laid. Today we see competition and insecurities among preachers, pastors, leaders driven by who is more successful. And majority want to find out how they succeeded and duplicate that pattern in their ministries hoping it works. This would affect the business, size of congregation, size of budget, facilities. How easily believers get sucked in all these and follow men’s teaching and principles rather than God’s. The key factor in this chapter is God who MADE IT GROW. The planting by Paul and the watering by Apollos was nothing if God did not make it grow. This establishes this fact, “The creation and fostering of faith is God’s work alone”. If a spiritual leader’s message and style is your foundation then you are trading on a very dangerous foundation. Christ is the solid rock on which we stand, all other grounds are sinking sand. They can reveal the foundation already laid, the question is, whose foundation?. To continue, blessings Ev
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