GOD CAUSES INCREASE "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God GAVE THE INCREASE. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that GIVETH THE INCREASE. " (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) -- Tomorrow:
The Lord has spoken concerning this subject. I am not merely spouting diatribes reflecting a pet peeve. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. "Therefore let no one boast in men. 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 you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor 3:21-23).
It is one thing for a Christian worker to exalt himself, it is quite another for those who hear him to do so. The practice of self-exaltation is not uncommon, nor has it ever been. The Psalmist, viewing things from a heavenly perspective, spoke of men who were crude and brutish -- without sensitivity. He said this of them, "They call their lands after their own names" (Psa 49:11). It is not at all unusual to hear of "The Joe Blow Ministries," or some similar appellation. It all may sound innocent enough to naive souls.
How are Kingdom laborers -- real ones -- to be evaluated? How should men consider them? First, we are NOT to glory, or boast, in men. Godly laborers belong to us, we do not belong to them! If this is true of Paul and Apollos, what must be said of the comparative diminutive preachers and teachers of our day? We will not even allow the motivators, organizers, and problem-solvers in that category. The only reason they have even been allowed a place in the religious world is the existence of spiritual poverty within the professed church.
Paul asks the question, and we do well to ponder it: "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos . . . ?" Who is there today whose name can even be spoken in the same breath as Paul and Apollos? Paul "labored more abundantly that they all (the other Apostles)" -- 1 Cor 15:10. He received an "abundance" of "revelations" -- so much so that a thorn in the flesh was given to him, lest he be "exalted above measure" (2 Cor 12:7). Apollos was "an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures" (Acts 18:24). Even in his beginnings, he "was instructed in the way of the Lord," and was "fervent in the spirit" (Acts 18:25). As he advanced in understanding, he "helped them much which had believed through grace." It is also said of him that "he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ" (Acts 18:27-28).
What can be said of men of that caliber? And where are such men today, noted for their spiritual insight and the ability to strengthen the hands and faith of those who have believed through grace. Should we be able, perchance, to find such noble souls, we would have to say of them, They are "ministers through whom you believed, as THE LORD GAVE to each one?" (1 Cor 3:5). Whether they sowed like Paul, or watered like Apollos, it was the Lord who "GAVE" them to us. the glory, therefore, goes to Him, not to men.
Lest men gravitate to an earthly view of God's ministers, Paul's sets the matter in perspective. His purpose is not to demean those who plant and water the kingdom seed. Rather, he puts them beyond the range of fleshly boasting. Their success was not owing to their persons, but to their God! They had not developed a technique, but lived close enough to the Lord to be used by Him. It was not their academic expertise that gave them the edge, but the fact that God "gave" THEM to men.
No matter how successful contemporary preachers and teachers may be, and regardless of the mega-churches over which they preside,
they must all stand behind Paul and Apollos whose spiritual exploits dwarf their own. And while they are standing behind Paul and Apollos, they will note that Paul and Apollos are standing behind Jesus, giving Him the preeminence. It is uncomely for people standing in the back to shout out, drawing attention to themselves. How embarrassed such deluded souls will be when they stand before the Lord of glory! He, after all, has orchestrated the sending and sustaining of all real messengers. Give HIM the glory.
PRAYER POINT: Father, thank You, in Jesus' name, for the ministers you have sent, who have helped us to believe. We give You the glory for sending them, and we honor them as YOUR spokesman, by believing the word You gave them to speak.