I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
This verse carries instruction of the greatest importance to all who have entered the Lord's army about the weakness brought on the church when members cherish envy and strife. It belongs to a plea that all speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment. That plea answered contentions reported by the house of Chloe, in which believers were aligning themselves behind Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, each saying I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
In the verse Paul thanks God that he baptized none of the Corinthians except Crispus and Gaius, with the household of Stephanas added as a further exception. He avoided baptizing many so that no one could say they were baptized in his own name and gather a party around him. It teaches that Christ is not divided, that Paul was not crucified for believers and they were not baptized in the name of Paul. Christ sent Paul not to baptize but to preach the gospel without worldly wisdom in speech lest the cross of Christ be made ineffective.
The first two chapters to which it belongs teach reliance on God's wisdom rather than human wisdom, strength, or status, so that no one boasts in human achievement. Christ is made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for believers, and true wisdom and knowledge come from God and lead to holiness. Party slogans exalting one leader over another are living in a merely human, fleshly way, and the verse condemns withdrawing from some brethren for no reason but imagination while binding up exclusively with others. Paul and Apollos are only ministers through whom people believed as the Lord gave opportunity to each, one planting and another watering while God gives the increase, so neither the planter nor the waterer is anything in himself. The one who plants and the one who waters are one in purpose though their work may differ, and each will receive reward according to his own labor, so a minister who emphasizes another phase of truth or presents the Word in a different way is not to be condemned.
Cherishing discord, prejudice, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising against brethren separates a person from brethren and from God and hinders the manifestation of the Spirit of God. He will not come as Comforter and Strengthener until His people obey the call to be of one mind, love as brethren, and be compassionate and courteous. Applied now, it warns that similar experiences will be met, where lack of self-denial and self-sacrifice in the ministry lets the church become leavened with selfishness in which some are unduly praised and others are disparaged, and such unsanctified selfishness produces spiritual disease. For workers, reading and studying the first chapter shows how to get back into right lines of work, since God is leading out a people and preparing them for translation. Those acting a part in this work must stand as sentinels for God, seek to labor unitedly, be willing to be servants of all, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus as the great Exemplar. It calls every soul to earnest self-examination and to humble earnest prayer as the remedy for contention, faultfinding, and mischief-making, to seek cleansing of heart and mind from all unholy leaven in this time of atonement, and to have more of Christ and less of self.
This verse carries instruction of the greatest importance to all who have entered the Lord's army about the weakness brought on the church when members cherish envy and strife. It belongs to a plea that all speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment. That plea answered contentions reported by the house of Chloe, in which believers were aligning themselves behind Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, each saying I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
In the verse Paul thanks God that he baptized none of the Corinthians except Crispus and Gaius, with the household of Stephanas added as a further exception. He avoided baptizing many so that no one could say they were baptized in his own name and gather a party around him. It teaches that Christ is not divided, that Paul was not crucified for believers and they were not baptized in the name of Paul. Christ sent Paul not to baptize but to preach the gospel without worldly wisdom in speech lest the cross of Christ be made ineffective.
The first two chapters to which it belongs teach reliance on God's wisdom rather than human wisdom, strength, or status, so that no one boasts in human achievement. Christ is made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for believers, and true wisdom and knowledge come from God and lead to holiness. Party slogans exalting one leader over another are living in a merely human, fleshly way, and the verse condemns withdrawing from some brethren for no reason but imagination while binding up exclusively with others. Paul and Apollos are only ministers through whom people believed as the Lord gave opportunity to each, one planting and another watering while God gives the increase, so neither the planter nor the waterer is anything in himself. The one who plants and the one who waters are one in purpose though their work may differ, and each will receive reward according to his own labor, so a minister who emphasizes another phase of truth or presents the Word in a different way is not to be condemned.
Cherishing discord, prejudice, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising against brethren separates a person from brethren and from God and hinders the manifestation of the Spirit of God. He will not come as Comforter and Strengthener until His people obey the call to be of one mind, love as brethren, and be compassionate and courteous. Applied now, it warns that similar experiences will be met, where lack of self-denial and self-sacrifice in the ministry lets the church become leavened with selfishness in which some are unduly praised and others are disparaged, and such unsanctified selfishness produces spiritual disease. For workers, reading and studying the first chapter shows how to get back into right lines of work, since God is leading out a people and preparing them for translation. Those acting a part in this work must stand as sentinels for God, seek to labor unitedly, be willing to be servants of all, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus as the great Exemplar. It calls every soul to earnest self-examination and to humble earnest prayer as the remedy for contention, faultfinding, and mischief-making, to seek cleansing of heart and mind from all unholy leaven in this time of atonement, and to have more of Christ and less of self.