Chapter 3 opens with the "milk and meat" analogy that Paul uses. The idea is connected to the "wisdom/foolishness" contrast in the previous thought...at least in form. The main issue Paul has been addressing is the carnality of the church which was manifesting itself in factionalism in the church. As Paul addresses it here...he points out that the growth of each of the church members was not due to the leader/pastor they learned the Word of God from...it was from the God who gave the Word.
As Paul was the architect/master builder (church planter) (1 Cor 3:10), he laid the foundation. He taught spiritual truths...but they were elementary truths...the basics (milk). These are not less significant truths...they are just easier to grasp and understand. We teach children that "Jesus loves me, this I know...for the Bible tells me so." This is an elementary doctrine. We teach mature believers that God acts in a loving way because at His very essence He is love. It is a defining attribute/characteristic of His being. Further, God is unchanging and always acts in a manner consistent with His being. Therefore, God can always be relied upon to act toward us in love because it is who He is. [ Now...when the smoke clears...read further].
Both of these truths are true. Both say the same thing. Both will be learned during the journey of the Christian life. Both are actually the same truth.
To complete the analogy, Paul taught them "Jesus loves me," and Apollos taught them about the characterics/attributes of God that manifested in love. Peter came alone and showed them historically that God had always loved and had chosen the Jewish people in love as instruments of love (election) for God in the world. AS A RESULT of these men's ministries, each person at Corinth grew somewhat. Each one developed preferences and favorites...not realizing the deeper reality: That all three were really just different parts in the process of spiritual development...they were one (neither being more valuable or prominent than the other) (1 cor 3:5-8). Two truths come to mind:
First, some had never progressed. They learned "Jesus loves me" and decided that was good enough for them. Today that sounds like, "The Bible said it, I believe it, that settles it" to quote a bumper sticker. Unfortunately for them, this is not sufficient. The point of being saved and learning about God is not so that we can be saved and be smarter; rather, the point of salvation is that we might complete the work God has for us. To do this, we MUST grow in our understanding of God. Otherwise...we limit our effectiveness for usefulness in the Lord's work. [Now I know that some baptists hate when I use the word "work...", but it is pretty prominent here (1 Cor 3:12-15). ]
Second, we err when we equate our spiritual development to a person and not the process. I have my favorite and beloved heroes in my spiritual journey like everyone else. My pastor (when I was called to ministry...who I still call pastor) taught me so much; however, I DISHONOR him and the God he serves if I equate my growth to him. He was but an instrument in God's hands. God brought the growth in my life...and he used this man to do it. In churches today, even the one I pastor, some hold high allegience to the "man" who was leading when it connected for them. Praise the Lord. But, they sometimes want to enshrine all that the man taught them and all that the man started and stood for. They will fight for the favorite "program" or "philosophy" of the man. We name buildings after him and even call him long after he transfers to bounce by the "new guy's" latest ideas. This is a textbook application of what Paul is discussing. It is distracting. When we get it...I mean really get what God is doing...we quit holding onto programs and philosophies and we "latch onto" the God who sent the guy who started the program or philosophy. We then see the "new guy" as God's latest instrument in developing us...rather than being suspicious and resistent to the change that is coming...trying to DEFEND the great idea/philosophy/approach to ministry of our hero...as if it were anything.
In my experience (from both sides of this issue in church), the faster that this occurs, the faster the church gets on to accomplishing what they were designed to do. The longer it takes, the greater the risk and pain that is involved.
Proverbs 18:2 is the takeaway today. This is an outworking of humility of mind. There are things that we wrestle to the ground...and have a pretty good understanding of. There are far more things that we have opinions on...that are based on less "thought through" principles. A fool wants to profess his opinions, while a wise man seeks to learn more of what he does not know...so he can truly have understanding.
Grace,
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3 comments:
"We then see the "new guy" as God's latest instrument in developing us...rather than being suspicious and resistent to the change that is coming...trying to DEFEND the great idea/philosophy/approach to ministry of our hero...as if it were anything". This is not what the text is saying. Latch on to the TRUTH no matter who the "guy" is. Long for HIS Word. This spiritual growth. Hunger and feast on God through His word. God does not send "guys" to start "programs" but to teach TRUTH from His WORD and to help disciple. Philosophies or "ologies" are soemthing to latch onto when they are based on the TRUTH. I am not sure why a "new guy" would come and change a God given philosophy or direction. The analogy is that there are deeper understandings of truth. If anything, the "new guy" should be going to the next deeper step in the "philosophy" or "idea" that God had alreadly led them toward. Men come and go, the unchanging standard, the one thing we hold onto is the Word.
atf340,
Nice. Obviously...my statement is not what the text is saying. It is an application point related to the carnal factionalism that Paul was adddressing and...something that I see pretty regularly. The point Paul is making and the one I was illustrating is exactly what the text is talking about.
Obviously we latch onto truth...but to just stop there...and not speak into the human experience is to live in some world detached from the world where we live. In a perfect world...I suppose people would feast on the Word and the "man" (new or old) would be insignificant. This is what Paul is urging the people to move toward.
As for a "new guy" coming in to change a God-given direction: three options exist. (1) God may be shifting direction and the new leader is an instrument in the change; (2) the original direction was only "perceived" to be God-given and in fact was not (or was the right thing at the wrong time); or (3) the new guy is missing it.
I am not sure we are talking about the same thing. You seem to be discussing Black/White biblical truth. That is objective and discernable. It is non-negotiable. Most things people get "man-centered" about (including the case here in 1 Corinthians) are more about style, approach, leadership, etc. Paul did not call Apollos or Peter heretics (as though they had committed a sin and abandoned the TRUTH. Yet, the people factionalized nonetheless. Over what? Over direction (maybe), approach (maybe), hair style (doubtful) or some other ministry philosophy.
I spoke to a university student recently who said that his pastor was in a lot of trouble recently because he moved a "holy desk" somebody had donated and started preaching without a tie. The pastor was trying to loosen up the service and some followers of a previous generation did not see the reasoning...since their hero always used the "holy desk" and wore a tie. [These are the ingredients of a good church conflict...not the proclamation or the depth of teaching.]
Somebody told me a few weeks back that they heard from another person that I was about to kill a program at the church and if I did then that other person would go somewhere else (to another church). Shutting down the program wasn't even on the radar (by the way) but I have now given it some thought...since casting down idols is a truly biblical concept...and this program is certainly appearing to be an idolatrous object of affection. [Again, not biblical substance, but a non-biblical issue of philosophy or approach.]
A good rule of thumb when there is a leadership change (and the guy leaving as well as the one coming in are both following God) is that there is a new direction/approach that is coming. It may be major, it may be minor...but often times: there is some change. If everything were to stay the same...then God would probably leave the same leader there indefinitely. This is why it is important to hold onto the God who assigned the pastors...and not the pastors (or their programs) too tightly.
It's ok to disagree...I often do! [grin] Thanks for the post. And by the way, feel free to contact me directly if you have concerns or need to discuss this in specifics and further.
Okay so you either did not get my previous post or it was not worthy of being approved... so I am going to go for number two. (seriously, I posted from my cell phone at lunch so maybe it did not go through)
This passage was huge for me today, I was thinking this was for me today. I am guilty of placing a past Pastor on a holy pedistool and have to admit that I had to talk to God today and apologize. It is funny how God is showing me things, I don't think I have ever thought about it until today but it was a big wall in my life and I am letting it go today!!! The other thing God is showing me today is that I am not conscience of His call all the time. I am one of those people who have a certain way I do things. My day begins and typically ends the same. I get so caught up in my daily routine that at times I forget to keep the main thing the main thing. For so long Church was for Wednesday and Sunday and every other day is for me. God can have those two days. Lately, God has really been dealing with me. In this passage Paul says that we have to move off of the milk and into the meat. I thought for a while that I had moved off of milk and onto meat but after reading today and really dealing with my inside I realize that I still have more work to do. I am so excited that God has not given up on me and believe me He is still working on me. Praise God for not giving up... I am sure He thinks it would be a lot easier to give up, but God is so good... I love Him and He can have my Everyday!!!
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