Apollos at Corinth
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understanding of the Lord’s will; for the promise is, “The meek will
He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.”
Psalm
25:9
.
In the early Christian church there were some who refused to
recognize either Paul or Apollos, but held that Peter was their leader.
They affirmed that Peter had been most intimate with Christ when the
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Master was upon the earth, while Paul had been a persecutor of the
believers. Their views and feelings were bound about by prejudice.
They did not show the liberality, the generosity, the tenderness, which
reveals that Christ is abiding in the heart.
There was danger that this party spirit would result in great evil
to the Christian church, and Paul was instructed by the Lord to utter
words of earnest admonition and solemn protest. Of those who were
saying, “I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of
Christ,” the apostle inquired, “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for
you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” “Let no man glory in
men,” he pleaded. “For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things
to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”
1
Corinthians 1:12, 13
;
3:21-23
.
Paul and Apollos were in perfect harmony. The latter was disap-
pointed and grieved because of the dissension in the church at Corinth;
he took no advantage of the preference shown to himself, nor did he
encourage it, but hastily left the field of strife. When Paul afterward
urged him to revisit Corinth, he declined and did not again labor there
until long afterward when the church had reached a better spiritual
state.
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