Man-centeredness is counterproductive to God-honoring ministry

1 Corinthians 3:5–6 5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Becoming followers of Jesus does not put an end to self-centeredness, even in Christian ministry. Praise God for calling people out of darkness into His marvelous light. Salvation brings such relief and satisfaction. However, the gospel grace of God in Jesus is not finished with us yet. As the light of gospel truth continues to shine on our lives, we are made aware that sin and selfishness continue to exist. So, gospel grace continues its work to progressively refine believers all the days of their earthly journey.

Through the mission ministry of the Apostle Paul, gospel truth came to the city of Corinth. Those coming to saving faith in Jesus are organized by Paul to become a church. With their spiritual eyes now open, their lives on earth experience a redirection. The domination of self-centeredness is now finding Christ-centeredness as a growing characterization. However, this does not mean the battle sin and self-centeredness ends.

In chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul directly addresses sin in the church. This sin problem relates to rival groups developing in the church around popular personalities (e.g. Paul, Apollos, Cephas – Peter). The partisan spirit surfacing in the church is not the promotion of Paul, Apollos, or Peter. It is the result of sin and selfishness in the hearts of believers producing competitive comparisons concerning the leadership personalities that each group favors.

Comparative condemnation in a variety of arenas is an ongoing battle in the hearts, lives, and churches of the present day. Thank God, people are coming to saving faith, but continuous purification is still a need in hearts, lives, and churches.

As the Apostle Paul instructs the believers in Corinth, one of the ways the people of God can experience purification from a partisan spirit is to remember that the power and presence of God are behind every genuine gospel minister and ministry. Since the power is the result of the presence and work of God, the focus praise and appreciation need to be on Him as well. The only personality we are to worship and adore is the Lord of glory. Praise God for the growth and refinement He empowers His people to accomplish!