Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
Do not boast in human leaders and divide into rival parties around them, for such envying, strife and jealousy is carnal and weakens the church. Paul, Apollos and Cephas are only servants through whom people believed, one planting and another watering while God alone gives the increase, so they are nothing in themselves and are one in purpose. All things are given to believers for their good, including ministers and the world and life and death and things present and things to come. This is so because believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God, who gave Christ to be head over all things to the church, leaving no ground to boast as though anything came from self. No one is therefore to glory in human wisdom or might or riches, but to be humbled before God and glory only in knowing the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness.
Do Not Glory in Men
The command forbids boasting in human leaders and splitting into rival parties crying I am of Paul and I am of Apollos. Envying and strife and prejudice and jealousy and evil surmising, binding up with some while withdrawing from others for reasons existing only in the imagination, is carnality and walking as men. Such a course fails to show Christ's generosity and tenderness and Spirit, weakens the church, and hinders the manifestation of God's Spirit. Ministers are only servants through whom people believed, each working as the Lord appointed to every man.
One planted and another watered, but God gave the increase, so he who plants and he who waters are nothing in themselves. They are one in object though their work differs, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Therefore a minister who emphasizes a different phase of truth or presents the Word in a different way is not to be condemned, and no minister is to fear his brethren or cherish discord against them. Paul and Apollos and Cephas are given for the good of believers, not set against one another.
The prohibition closes the teaching that believers are God's building on the foundation Jesus Christ, that the day will test every man's work by fire, that believers are God's temple indwelt by His Spirit, and that worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. It means let no one deceive himself by glorying in men or in worldly wisdom and skill and leadership. Anyone who seems wise in this world must become a fool in worldly estimation in order to become truly wise, willing to be called a fool by the world when doing what is right. The reason is that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, the thoughts of the wise are vain, and He takes the wise in their own craftiness.
No wise man is to glory in his wisdom, no mighty man in his might, and no rich man in his riches. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and base and despised things and things which are not to bring to nothing things which are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. Not many wise after the flesh and not many mighty and not many noble are chosen, because men given to worldly pursuits and sharp business traits count the preaching of the cross as foolishness. Of Him believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so he who glories must glory in understanding and knowing the Lord who exercises lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth.
The verse requires humbling the heart before God, not thinking of men above that which is written, and not being puffed up for one against another. It forbids showing and talking preferences and comparing one with another to the detriment of the one not preferred. It forbids judging brethren because they do not consider all words and spirit and actions perfection. No one makes himself to differ from another, and everything possessed was received from God, so no one can glory as if he had not received it.
It forbids linking up exclusively with the one man under whose labors the light of present truth was received, cementing to him and tying up in separate bundles and parties and refusing to be in harmony with brethren, or standing as an independent atom. Such division shows want of meekness and humility and wholehearted kindness and failure to be sanctified through the truth, and marks carnality and babyhood in Christ. Those who take this course need reconversion, or their claimed conversion becomes a stumbling block to sinners. Those who receive the truth in love of its principles live in love and unity and make straight paths for their feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, each strengthening the other while taking diligent heed to his own course in presenting sanctifying truth to souls ready to die.
The whole chapter is education to professed believers possessed by a strong divisive spirit, not given up as irreclaimable but brought to a better understanding of the spirit that should control their actions as believers in Christ Jesus. The verse warns against glorying in human leaders, relying on human approval, or seeking the world's favor and influence. Standing before God is not determined by what other people or the church think. Human wisdom and influence gained apart from God are worthless, because everything needed is given through belonging to Christ.
It means let no one lord it over God's heritage by binding other people to himself and controlling them with commanding and forbidding and dictating like an officer over soldiers. No finite mind is to compel others to obey its dictates, impose yokes, decide another person's duty, or demand a church that does his bidding and is ruled by his wisdom. Depending on human authority obscures God and places a veil between God and man so that He who is invisible is not seen. God gives each person a work and freedom to seek His guidance and develop gifts, each is to be taught directly by God and energized by the Holy Spirit, and after truth impresses hearts those who accept it belong to Christ and not to any man.
All Things Are Yours
For all things are yours means Paul and Apollos and Cephas, together with the world and life and death and things present and things to come, are all given to believers for their good and for the advantage of God's work. Ministers belong to believers as servants who serve them, not as masters to be boasted in or set against one another, and no one has ground to boast as though anything came from himself, since whatever anyone has was received. This inheritance holds because believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God, so every gift and achievement depends on God rather than human ability. God gave Christ to be head over all things to the church, which He loves with an everlasting love and gave Himself for in order to present a glorious church holy and without spot or wrinkle or blemish, giving power to become sons of God to as many as receive Him and believe on His name, and the church's blessings rest in this order of belonging and headship.
Through Christ this gift comes in addition to His giving of Himself as sacrifice for the guilty and Redeemer for the lost. It is the charter of inheritance that puts those who have chosen Christ as their portion on vantage ground. Those who have faith in Christ and are obedient to His instruction know by experience the boundlessness of the power that gives constant witness that they belong to Christ and Christ belongs to them. When a person gives heart and soul and strength and capabilities, all to God, then Christ will be his and heaven will be his and eternal life will be his and all things through Christ will be his. Those who belong to Christ have all things as members of God's family: the treasures of this world and the world to come, the ministry of angels, the gift of God's Spirit, and the work of His servants. The world is theirs insofar as it can do them good, and even the enmity of the wicked can bless them by disciplining them for heaven. This inheritance is not yet placed fully in their control; Christ keeps it safe, while God supplies each day what is needed for that day.
All things being believers' means God gives wisdom and power and success only to those who will use them best for Him. He strengthens the minds of His servants to devise and plan and execute where wisdom will do the most good in the closing scenes of earth's history, with Christ holding all power in heaven and earth. He knows who is prepared to act as His helping hand, and true success and wisdom and power and efficiency and praise and glory belong to God alone. Workers remain His cultivated field and building under Christ's leadership in living connection with Him, with every particle of praise and glory belonging to Him and no worker weaving selfishness into the pattern or exalting human leaders.
Humble Unity in Practice
Let no one depend on or exalt supposed wise financial men and their business wisdom for devising plans and suggesting methods for the advancement of God's work at this solemn period of earth's history. When those men utterly fail to give the benefit of their wisdom, the work must depend on those of less business ability and more limited experience, for all things are believers' because they are Christ's and Christ is God's. Men who have given their lives to worldly pursuits and cultivated sharp business traits in worldly lines do not come into the truth in large numbers because they are too worldly-wise and count the preaching of the cross as foolishness. God has chosen not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but the foolish things to confound the wise and the weak and base and despised things to bring to nothing the wisdom of the wise, so that no flesh should glory in His presence, and Christ is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so he who glories is to glory in the Lord, and the first, second, and third chapters of 1 Corinthians are to be read with much prayer to learn this.
No one is to glory in men or take glory to self, no matter how responsible the position occupied, weaving no selfishness into the pattern and exalting no human leaders, because the thoughts of the wise are vain and every man's work will be revealed. True success, wisdom, power, efficiency, praise, and glory belong to God alone, who gives wisdom, power, and success only to those who will use them best for Him, strengthening His servants to devise, plan, and execute where wisdom will do most good in the closing scenes of earth's history, with Christ holding all power in heaven and earth. For workers carrying the work forward in a great city this requires not getting above its simplicity but keeping humble, holy, and dependent on God, not trusting self, laboring with His Spirit, depending wholly on Him for the increase, hiding self in God, and returning to Him all praise and glory. No one is to take credit or praise to himself, exhibit himself, become exalted, or wrestle to become first, for feeling and acting in self-exaltation because one's gift is not recognized and preferred is absurd and offensive to God. Every man has his own appointed work from God and not the same gifts or power to present a subject, so when another minister is chosen to speak because he can meet the need more clearly and powerfully, no one should feel offended, envious, or jealous, blame brethren, seek sympathy, or cast reflections, but each is to do his best steadily in humility, reveal Christ, give up his will, praise the Lord and not himself, and let God do all the exalting.
Believers must not boast in or idolize human ministers, who may be loved and respected for their work as God's servants, while glory and deepest affections belong to God who gives the message its power, since exalting a minister above the Redeemer harms both people and minister by obscuring Jesus. True conversion presses believers together in unity with no wrangling, strife, division, or separate parties, and all said and done toward believers must show the meekness and lowliness of Christ rather than binding people to self or controlling them with commanding and forbidding and dictating like an officer over soldiers. All who are truly converted must receive sanctifying truth in love of its principles and present unity, prepared by one Agency and supplied with love from one Source to be channels of grace, each strengthening the other while taking heed to his own course in presenting truth to souls ready to die and making straight paths lest the lame be turned out of the way. All things are believers' because they are Christ's and Christ is God's, God having given Christ to be head over all things to the church, which requires consecrating to Him who has first right all abilities and all learned from the Book of books, living the Word in dealings with others, and receiving to give as channels through which God's goodness, mercy, and truth flow as co-workers with Christ. Those who do so continually increase in power, wisdom, and knowledge and feel life's greatest satisfaction, while those who live for self and shut sympathy in selfish hearts are always in want and never satisfied.
The verse with the rest of 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 is to be thought over at home and given personal application, testing readiness for the Lord's coming since many who think they are prepared are not. Applied, it leads to bearing testimony, separating from hindrances, knowing God's will, becoming free and all light in the Lord, confessing Christ, coming out of darkness into marvelous light, examining how faithfully God is served as His cultivated field and building, using life and means to honor Him, and improving self rather than finding fault with another's work, since Christian work is individual. It forbids boasting in human beings and calls students to sincere conversion honoring the Creator by restoration of His image, becoming the holy temple where the Spirit dwells where defiling brings destruction as cause produces effect. It requires letting no one deceive himself by worldly wisdom but becoming a fool in worldly estimation to become truly wise, because worldly wisdom is foolishness with God who takes the wise in their craftiness and knows their thoughts are vain, and it rebukes treating a truthful, refined, uplifted life as bondage, refusing conversion and forgiveness, refusing to bow the will, yielding to lower appetites that nullify blessings and plant evil for others, and directing the mind into wrong channels, its meaning learned more fully by careful study of 1 Corinthians 2. It forbids pride in human beings and turns glory from men and self to the Lord, to be studied and practiced as part of the cure for addiction to alcohol and stimulating drinks calling for total abstinence, cooperation, aroused moral powers, looking to Jesus and trusting grace to overcome craving, keeping body healthful and intellect clear, recognizing one is not his own but God's purchased property, presenting the body a living sacrifice, thinking soberly and not more highly of self than ought, and seeking the Lord's approval rather than commending self.
Do not boast in human leaders and divide into rival parties around them, for such envying, strife and jealousy is carnal and weakens the church. Paul, Apollos and Cephas are only servants through whom people believed, one planting and another watering while God alone gives the increase, so they are nothing in themselves and are one in purpose. All things are given to believers for their good, including ministers and the world and life and death and things present and things to come. This is so because believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God, who gave Christ to be head over all things to the church, leaving no ground to boast as though anything came from self. No one is therefore to glory in human wisdom or might or riches, but to be humbled before God and glory only in knowing the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness.
Do Not Glory in Men
The command forbids boasting in human leaders and splitting into rival parties crying I am of Paul and I am of Apollos. Envying and strife and prejudice and jealousy and evil surmising, binding up with some while withdrawing from others for reasons existing only in the imagination, is carnality and walking as men. Such a course fails to show Christ's generosity and tenderness and Spirit, weakens the church, and hinders the manifestation of God's Spirit. Ministers are only servants through whom people believed, each working as the Lord appointed to every man.
One planted and another watered, but God gave the increase, so he who plants and he who waters are nothing in themselves. They are one in object though their work differs, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Therefore a minister who emphasizes a different phase of truth or presents the Word in a different way is not to be condemned, and no minister is to fear his brethren or cherish discord against them. Paul and Apollos and Cephas are given for the good of believers, not set against one another.
The prohibition closes the teaching that believers are God's building on the foundation Jesus Christ, that the day will test every man's work by fire, that believers are God's temple indwelt by His Spirit, and that worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. It means let no one deceive himself by glorying in men or in worldly wisdom and skill and leadership. Anyone who seems wise in this world must become a fool in worldly estimation in order to become truly wise, willing to be called a fool by the world when doing what is right. The reason is that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, the thoughts of the wise are vain, and He takes the wise in their own craftiness.
No wise man is to glory in his wisdom, no mighty man in his might, and no rich man in his riches. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and base and despised things and things which are not to bring to nothing things which are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. Not many wise after the flesh and not many mighty and not many noble are chosen, because men given to worldly pursuits and sharp business traits count the preaching of the cross as foolishness. Of Him believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so he who glories must glory in understanding and knowing the Lord who exercises lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth.
The verse requires humbling the heart before God, not thinking of men above that which is written, and not being puffed up for one against another. It forbids showing and talking preferences and comparing one with another to the detriment of the one not preferred. It forbids judging brethren because they do not consider all words and spirit and actions perfection. No one makes himself to differ from another, and everything possessed was received from God, so no one can glory as if he had not received it.
It forbids linking up exclusively with the one man under whose labors the light of present truth was received, cementing to him and tying up in separate bundles and parties and refusing to be in harmony with brethren, or standing as an independent atom. Such division shows want of meekness and humility and wholehearted kindness and failure to be sanctified through the truth, and marks carnality and babyhood in Christ. Those who take this course need reconversion, or their claimed conversion becomes a stumbling block to sinners. Those who receive the truth in love of its principles live in love and unity and make straight paths for their feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, each strengthening the other while taking diligent heed to his own course in presenting sanctifying truth to souls ready to die.
The whole chapter is education to professed believers possessed by a strong divisive spirit, not given up as irreclaimable but brought to a better understanding of the spirit that should control their actions as believers in Christ Jesus. The verse warns against glorying in human leaders, relying on human approval, or seeking the world's favor and influence. Standing before God is not determined by what other people or the church think. Human wisdom and influence gained apart from God are worthless, because everything needed is given through belonging to Christ.
It means let no one lord it over God's heritage by binding other people to himself and controlling them with commanding and forbidding and dictating like an officer over soldiers. No finite mind is to compel others to obey its dictates, impose yokes, decide another person's duty, or demand a church that does his bidding and is ruled by his wisdom. Depending on human authority obscures God and places a veil between God and man so that He who is invisible is not seen. God gives each person a work and freedom to seek His guidance and develop gifts, each is to be taught directly by God and energized by the Holy Spirit, and after truth impresses hearts those who accept it belong to Christ and not to any man.
All Things Are Yours
For all things are yours means Paul and Apollos and Cephas, together with the world and life and death and things present and things to come, are all given to believers for their good and for the advantage of God's work. Ministers belong to believers as servants who serve them, not as masters to be boasted in or set against one another, and no one has ground to boast as though anything came from himself, since whatever anyone has was received. This inheritance holds because believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God, so every gift and achievement depends on God rather than human ability. God gave Christ to be head over all things to the church, which He loves with an everlasting love and gave Himself for in order to present a glorious church holy and without spot or wrinkle or blemish, giving power to become sons of God to as many as receive Him and believe on His name, and the church's blessings rest in this order of belonging and headship.
Through Christ this gift comes in addition to His giving of Himself as sacrifice for the guilty and Redeemer for the lost. It is the charter of inheritance that puts those who have chosen Christ as their portion on vantage ground. Those who have faith in Christ and are obedient to His instruction know by experience the boundlessness of the power that gives constant witness that they belong to Christ and Christ belongs to them. When a person gives heart and soul and strength and capabilities, all to God, then Christ will be his and heaven will be his and eternal life will be his and all things through Christ will be his. Those who belong to Christ have all things as members of God's family: the treasures of this world and the world to come, the ministry of angels, the gift of God's Spirit, and the work of His servants. The world is theirs insofar as it can do them good, and even the enmity of the wicked can bless them by disciplining them for heaven. This inheritance is not yet placed fully in their control; Christ keeps it safe, while God supplies each day what is needed for that day.
All things being believers' means God gives wisdom and power and success only to those who will use them best for Him. He strengthens the minds of His servants to devise and plan and execute where wisdom will do the most good in the closing scenes of earth's history, with Christ holding all power in heaven and earth. He knows who is prepared to act as His helping hand, and true success and wisdom and power and efficiency and praise and glory belong to God alone. Workers remain His cultivated field and building under Christ's leadership in living connection with Him, with every particle of praise and glory belonging to Him and no worker weaving selfishness into the pattern or exalting human leaders.
Humble Unity in Practice
Let no one depend on or exalt supposed wise financial men and their business wisdom for devising plans and suggesting methods for the advancement of God's work at this solemn period of earth's history. When those men utterly fail to give the benefit of their wisdom, the work must depend on those of less business ability and more limited experience, for all things are believers' because they are Christ's and Christ is God's. Men who have given their lives to worldly pursuits and cultivated sharp business traits in worldly lines do not come into the truth in large numbers because they are too worldly-wise and count the preaching of the cross as foolishness. God has chosen not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but the foolish things to confound the wise and the weak and base and despised things to bring to nothing the wisdom of the wise, so that no flesh should glory in His presence, and Christ is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so he who glories is to glory in the Lord, and the first, second, and third chapters of 1 Corinthians are to be read with much prayer to learn this.
No one is to glory in men or take glory to self, no matter how responsible the position occupied, weaving no selfishness into the pattern and exalting no human leaders, because the thoughts of the wise are vain and every man's work will be revealed. True success, wisdom, power, efficiency, praise, and glory belong to God alone, who gives wisdom, power, and success only to those who will use them best for Him, strengthening His servants to devise, plan, and execute where wisdom will do most good in the closing scenes of earth's history, with Christ holding all power in heaven and earth. For workers carrying the work forward in a great city this requires not getting above its simplicity but keeping humble, holy, and dependent on God, not trusting self, laboring with His Spirit, depending wholly on Him for the increase, hiding self in God, and returning to Him all praise and glory. No one is to take credit or praise to himself, exhibit himself, become exalted, or wrestle to become first, for feeling and acting in self-exaltation because one's gift is not recognized and preferred is absurd and offensive to God. Every man has his own appointed work from God and not the same gifts or power to present a subject, so when another minister is chosen to speak because he can meet the need more clearly and powerfully, no one should feel offended, envious, or jealous, blame brethren, seek sympathy, or cast reflections, but each is to do his best steadily in humility, reveal Christ, give up his will, praise the Lord and not himself, and let God do all the exalting.
Believers must not boast in or idolize human ministers, who may be loved and respected for their work as God's servants, while glory and deepest affections belong to God who gives the message its power, since exalting a minister above the Redeemer harms both people and minister by obscuring Jesus. True conversion presses believers together in unity with no wrangling, strife, division, or separate parties, and all said and done toward believers must show the meekness and lowliness of Christ rather than binding people to self or controlling them with commanding and forbidding and dictating like an officer over soldiers. All who are truly converted must receive sanctifying truth in love of its principles and present unity, prepared by one Agency and supplied with love from one Source to be channels of grace, each strengthening the other while taking heed to his own course in presenting truth to souls ready to die and making straight paths lest the lame be turned out of the way. All things are believers' because they are Christ's and Christ is God's, God having given Christ to be head over all things to the church, which requires consecrating to Him who has first right all abilities and all learned from the Book of books, living the Word in dealings with others, and receiving to give as channels through which God's goodness, mercy, and truth flow as co-workers with Christ. Those who do so continually increase in power, wisdom, and knowledge and feel life's greatest satisfaction, while those who live for self and shut sympathy in selfish hearts are always in want and never satisfied.
The verse with the rest of 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 is to be thought over at home and given personal application, testing readiness for the Lord's coming since many who think they are prepared are not. Applied, it leads to bearing testimony, separating from hindrances, knowing God's will, becoming free and all light in the Lord, confessing Christ, coming out of darkness into marvelous light, examining how faithfully God is served as His cultivated field and building, using life and means to honor Him, and improving self rather than finding fault with another's work, since Christian work is individual. It forbids boasting in human beings and calls students to sincere conversion honoring the Creator by restoration of His image, becoming the holy temple where the Spirit dwells where defiling brings destruction as cause produces effect. It requires letting no one deceive himself by worldly wisdom but becoming a fool in worldly estimation to become truly wise, because worldly wisdom is foolishness with God who takes the wise in their craftiness and knows their thoughts are vain, and it rebukes treating a truthful, refined, uplifted life as bondage, refusing conversion and forgiveness, refusing to bow the will, yielding to lower appetites that nullify blessings and plant evil for others, and directing the mind into wrong channels, its meaning learned more fully by careful study of 1 Corinthians 2. It forbids pride in human beings and turns glory from men and self to the Lord, to be studied and practiced as part of the cure for addiction to alcohol and stimulating drinks calling for total abstinence, cooperation, aroused moral powers, looking to Jesus and trusting grace to overcome craving, keeping body healthful and intellect clear, recognizing one is not his own but God's purchased property, presenting the body a living sacrifice, thinking soberly and not more highly of self than ought, and seeking the Lord's approval rather than commending self.