A failure among the believers at Corinth was that they were puffed up on behalf of one gifted person against another unto strife and divisions. For example, one was puffed up on behalf of Apollos against Paul and Peter, and others were puffed up on behalf of Peter against Paul and Apollos and of Paul against Peter and Apollos. The result was strife and division. Paul clearly refers to this in 1 Corinthians 1:11 and 12. “It was made clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of the household of Chloe, that there are strifes among you. Now I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” From this failure at Corinth we learn that it is crucial for us not to have preferences. We should not prefer one gifted person to another or one elder to another. All such preferences must be condemned. We need to learn not to have any choice or preference other than Christ. The all-inclusive Christ is our unique choice and preference. Christ is unique and undivided (1 Cor. 1:13). If we take Christ as the unique center, all divisions will be terminated.
In 1 Corinthians 3:3 and 4 Paul says, “You are still fleshly. For whereas there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man? For whenever one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not men?” Jealousy and strife are expressions, characteristics, of the nature of the flesh. Hence, they characterize those who are in the flesh, those who are fleshly. In verse 4 “men” refers to men of the flesh, to fallen, natural men. In saying that they were of Paul or of Apollos, the Corinthians were walking according to the fallen, natural man. They were not living and behaving according to the Spirit in their regenerated human spirit.
First Corinthians 4:6 says, “Now these things, brothers, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to go beyond what has been written, that no one be puffed up on behalf of the one against the other.” By “these things” Paul refers to all that he has written previously in this Epistle. The Greek word translated “applied” literally means transfigured, transferred in a figure. What Paul has written in this Epistle gives a figure, and now he transfers that figure to himself and Apollos, applying it figuratively to himself and Apollos. Paul and Apollos are simply ministers of Christ, a planter and a waterer (3:5-7). They are not Christ crucified for the believers, and they are not God, who makes the believers grow. They should not be appraised beyond being ministers of Christ. Otherwise, their appraisers, like the fleshly Corinthian believers, may be puffed up on behalf of the one against the other.
First Corinthians 5:1 says, “It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication which is not even among the nations, that someone has his father’s wife.” Here we read of a brother in the church at Corinth who had committed the sin of incest with his stepmother. Paul’s intention, of course, was to help the church to deal with this evil brother. If we did not have this record in the New Testament, it probably would be very difficult for us to believe that a saved person could commit this kind of sin. Instead, we may think that after a person has been saved he could never be this sinful. However, this chapter reveals that even a genuine believer can commit a gross sin. A brother at Corinth committed incest with his stepmother. No sin is worse or more damaging to humanity than incest. Nevertheless, this sin was committed by a brother in the church at Corinth.
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