Ep 269 – 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Today’s episode is based on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and is entitled “The Work of God.” In it, we’ll see Paul dealing with the division that arisen in the local church in Corinth. It seems that the people within the congregation were giving unnecessary and undeserved credit to Paul, Apollos and Peter for the roles they had played in their conversions. They were taking sides and arguing over which of these men were the most significant in terms of leadership. But Paul wasn’t going to put up with it. As far as he was concerned, the only one worthy of any credit for the salvation of the believers in Corinth was God Himself. It had all been His idea and totally the work of His power. Paul, Peter and Apollos didn’t save anybody. They had simply pointed people to the source of salvation: Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the God-appointed, grace-provided Savior. As soon as the people started arguing about men, they were getting their eyes off of Christ, “the founder and perfecter of our faith” as the author of Hebrews calls Him. The Corinthians had no business boasting in their role in their own salvation and they had right to make much of the part Peter, Paul or Apollos may have played. It was Jesus who made them pure and holy. It was Jesus who had freed them from sin. And no one else.