Day 343 – Paul – Journey #3 (Apollos)

• You might be confused that we have re-read some of yesterday’s passage again. It’s not a mistake! It was just to briefly remind you of the verses about Apollos. Today’s readings marks the start of Paul’s third journey, but like yesterday, today’s passages are more of a miniature character study. So miniature, in fact, that we won’t really be thinking too much about Apollos at all! Having read today’s passages, what do you think is the real focus of today’s three readings?
• So, as I mentioned, we met Apollos on our previous day of reading, as we saw Aquila and Priscilla encouraging and explaining things to him. We read at the end of chapter 18 that Apollos travelled from Ephesus to Corinth to teach others.
• Fast forward a couple of years. 1 Corinthians is the first letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. Paul was addressing a problem in the church that he had heard about. What was the problem, as seen in the second reading?
• What was Paul’s reasoning in 1 Corinthians 1:13-17?
• Do you think people can fall into the same trap of following other people, rather than Jesus, even nowadays?
• The church in Corinth had many good talents and gifts (1 Corinthians 1:4-7), but in some ways was immature and unspiritual. We see this later in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, part of our third reading today. Do you think it’s easy for churches nowadays to have “everything” in worldly terms, yet be lacking in spiritual things? If you were honest, does this mirror your life a bit?
• 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 are important words that you would do well to remember. What was Paul’s role in bringing someone to faith? What was Apollos’? What was God’s? What part do you play in someone’s conversion when you tell them about Jesus?
• Flick back to 1 Corinthians 1 and read verses 18-19. The gospel saves, but some will find it foolish. Today’s passages remind us that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts, not us. We have a job of planting seeds and teaching – like Paul and Apollos. The rest is in the hands of God.

The wise words from Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 are both encouraging and humbling. Encouraging, as I mentioned in my notes, because we know that we don’t have the responsibility of changing someone’s heart. We can bring people the good news and God, in His sovereignty, will “water” that seed.

It’s also humbling, because it means that it wasn’t something “special” about you or me that meant that we turned to Christ ourselves. It was by God’s grace alone, so we can boast in nothing.

I hope you’re seeing, as we get deeper into hearing about the life of Paul and what he wrote, just how influential Paul was in clarifying Christian theology. At no point did he claim anything special about himself. He always put the focus on Jesus. Words such as the ones we’ve discussed today have been deeply instrumental in shaping the church throughout the centuries.