Planting and Building

At some point in their life, everyone is in a group or on a team where there is one person who loves to take credit for things to which they haven't really contributed. Whether it was in school, on the sports field, or in the workplace, we've all experienced that person who doesn't do much at all but still manages to get the credit. No one likes to be around these sorts of people.

The Corinthian church suffered this kind of problem... but in an unusual way. Paul and Apollos had both been influential teachers in the beginnings of the Corinthian church. While neither of them was seeking to take credit for himself the church had become divided between people who wanted to give Paul all the credit and people who wanted to give Apollos all the credit.

When Paul writes to them he makes it abundantly clear that neither he nor Apollos can take credit for the Corinthian church. He says, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

Following certain theologies or teachings of certain people has never stopped being a huge source of division in the Church. It's important to remember that none of these theologies or teachings have it all right and being Christian isn't about having the best theology. These theologies don't grow the Church, God does.

However, Paul goes on to use the image of a builder to explain that, while all of these teachings have Jesus as their foundation, there are different qualities of teaching. The foundation is what unites us; it's the most important part of our faith and everything else is just surface level. However, there will come a time when our work is tested. We cannot be careless and just follow or promote any sort of teaching; we must evaluate and discern the quality of the materials with which our church is being built.

Theology shouldn't become a source of division in our church but neither should it be ignored and left unevaluated otherwise, when the Day comes, we might be saved but it may be "as one escaping through the flames".

Thought Point

How do you respond to teaching you disagree with? How can you be helping your church evaluate the quality of teaching while maintaining unity?

Prayer Point

Submit yourself once again to Jesus as your foundation. Invite the Spirit to convict you about any other teachers or theologies that you might have placed as your foundation rather than Him.