In writing to the Church in Corinth, Paul had to deal with basic fundamental problems. There was among that congregation issues around ENVY, STRIFE, AND DIVISIONS. These people were wrong in thought, word, and deed.
Envying refers to the state of their souls; they had inward grudges and disaffection towards each other.
Strife or ’contention’ refers to their words; they were continually disputing and contending whose grouping was the best, each endeavouring to prove that he and his group were right
Divisions refers to their conduct; as they could not agree, they contended till they separated from each other, and thus rent the Church of Christ
Thus the envying and grudging led to strife and evil speaking, and this led to divisions. This means, they were acting just as the people of the world, and have no more of the spirit of religion than the people of the world, whom they were expected to win for Christ
There were four main parties in Corinth [1 Corinthians 1:12]
· PAULIANS - followers of Paul, because he founded the Church [Acts 18:1-7] and because he was a special apostle to the Gentiles [Romans 11:13]
· APOLLONIANS - followers of Apollos because of his eloquence [Acts 18:24 - 19:1]
· CEPHIANS - followers of Peter, because he was the apostle of the Jews [Galatians 2:7-10]
· CHRISTIANS - followers of Christ, because they would have nothing to do with parties that followed men
Divisions may occur in the nation, Church, business, society, families, and any other relationships. There may be also sub-sets within the Church where such divisions may also be articulated. Matters of doctrine, tribe, creed, race, colour, language, status, position, wealth, personality, etc. may destructively also rear their ugly heads in any human endeavour
Paul traced the root cause of these divisions to immaturity associated with babies. We identify two basic characteristics of babies:
· Dull of hearing [Hebrews 5:11]
· Unskillful in the word [Hebrews 5:13]
As babies, they had a life in Christ but it was weak. From the low state of their minds in religious knowledge, they were incapable of comprehending the higher truths of the Gospel. Even as babies,1 Peter 2:2 exhorts us thus: "As new born babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby". We can only grow into maturity in our Christian life when we leave pettiness behind us
The Apostle Paul exposes to them the unwholesomeness of their conduct in pretending to judge him and Apollos while at the same time they failed to understand the need for each one of them to work for God and God alone
Paul also described the Christians in Corinth as carnal or fleshly because they contended, argued, and fought for their teachers who were only workers for God, to whom alone they must give account in the day of judgement. The flesh includes all feelings that aim not at the glory of God, and the good of our neighbour, but at gratifying self
In addressing the Church in Corinth, Paul examined two basic issues in the text that I have chosen today: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" [1 Corinthians 3:6]. He examined the human factor and the God factor
The human factor centered on the planting by Paul and the watering by Apollos. Although they each performed different functions, the two apostles received the same doctrine, preached the same doctrine, and laboured to promote the glory of God in the salvation of souls. They were intimately one in spirit, design, and operation
Moreover, the gifts and powers used were from God; both were useful. They were also co-labourers with God - one for one purpose, the other for another purpose - and worked in harmony with one another and complimented each other in the vineyard of God
Additionally, each was rewarded according to his labour. Everybody will be rewarded one way or the other, whether good or bad. It means that no one will do the work for the other. There is a direct correlation between work and wages; hard work goes with good remuneration
The harvest is according to what you sow - in general parlance, we say that you reap what you sow. When you put more money into your savings account with the bank, you get relatively proportional increase in the account by way of interest. If you invest more by way of buying shares in a company, you get higher dividends when profits are made and dividends declared. Whatever is fed into the computer reproduces its kind - garbage in, garbage out [GIGO]
For the human factor in life, there are planters and waterers. The planters braze the trail in the society. They are the visionaries who have foresight and are ahead of their generation. These are people who are mostly misunderstood and hardly have any friends. Whatever they do is not appreciated by the larger society because they look beyond the present. "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3)
Joseph had the same vision and he was not understood by his kith and kin. Because of this vision ahead of his generation, his brothers put him in a PIT; they sold him into slavery and he was put in PRISON. From prison, he became the PRIME MINISTER of Egypt. God’s favour followed him wherever he was
We need to have personal, corporate and national visions to move our generation forward. God will make us see our future now as a nation: "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18)
For the waterers, the land has already been acquired and cultivated. Their contribution to the process is to water what has been sown - it is an important contribution to the whole process. We cannot all do the same thing at the same time all the time. Everyone who has succeeded in life has been supported by another, one way or the other, albeit physical, emotional or spiritual
Most "waterers" have a negative attitude of what the "planters" have done. Any nation, any community or any society that upholds the culture of continued existence would appreciate what the forebears have left as legacy
In our nation, the good deeds and plans of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana died with his exit. In fact, all the infrastructures that he left behind were destroyed - the industries, the roads and bridges, the schools, etc. The successors would not want to be associated with anything of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah - the Accra Plains Mechanisation Project at Amasaman, low cost housing projects. They were not interested to be associated with anything of Dr. Nkrumah. There must be a new order
Among political leaders in Africa, all the unfinished projects started by the ’Pauls’ would have to be abandoned or destroyed by the ’Apollos’
The same situation is observed at the work place. A new managing director comes to abandon the ideals and policies of his predecessor. In reality, he would not want his name to be mentioned in anything
The new pastor wants to start everything afresh. He would not want to build upon what the old pastor has left - the visions, dreams and ideas. Of course, he would say that God has also given him a new vision for the Church he is shepherding
The new ’abusuapanyin’ (family elder) thinks that all that old family head did was not right and would change everything. As individuals, we don’t want to acknowledge the good works of others
The sum total of all these shades of behaviour is that the nation, the business, the church, the family and the individual would not see any growth - the clock of progress moves rather backwards
At the national level, the inability and courage of our leaders to continue from where their predecessors had left means that the tax payer [including yourself] would have to be called upon to pay more
Tribalism and ethnicity have eaten deep into the fabric of our society because perceived differences are emphasised in all areas
Legislators enact laws to be enforced; they have planted. Society expects these laws to be enforced. But what do we see? As long as there is no enforcement, the laws are but in name
Investors put their monies in businesses where they employ people to work and earn their wages. But what do we see? There is pilferage, absenteeism, laziness, dishonesty, and lack of integrity. With such attitude, many businesses have definitely collapsed with the loss of earnings to the nations by way of taxes, to the individual by way of wages, and to the business by way of ploughing back of profits
In the Church of Christ, the congregation is called upon to make more sacrifices by way of payment of tithes, offerings, etc. to start new projects of the incumbent minister
Those who founded the Church sometimes feel that the rest of the congregation are only helpers and they treat them as such. This is not biblical. We are together co-labourers in the vineyard. At the end of it, we shall all receive the same wages for the role that we have played
One of the greatest problems confronting modern society is the failure of its members to relate to one another. As Christians, we are members of the kingdom of God, but as human beings we must live in a world dominated by Satan. Thus we are constantly confronted with conflict. We live in a society manipulated not by the God whom we worship, but a ruler in total opposition to Him. Surely, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12)
John Donne wrote: "No man is an island". Isolation is impossible. No human being can be totally self-sufficient and thoroughly self-contained. For very obvious reasons, we are all members of society, and because we are, we are interrelated and interdependent. We are relational beings. The relationships we build have tremendous potential for development, or they have terrible possibilities for destruction
In our relationships at various levels, some add to our lives. Others multiply our lives, whilst others more deduct from our lives. Yet, there are others also who divide our lives. We don’t have a perfect situation
Even in the Church, we have similar situation. There are people who will always want to divide the Church or the organisation because they would not have their way. Others will do everything possible in their power to allay any divisions that might erupt in the Church. Unfortunately, there are other members of the congregation who would remain passive and leave things as they are
To be ambitious in life is good. Someone without ambition of any kind is less than human. In fact, he is an insult to the God who made him because he has no intensity of desire to be what he was made to be
But ambition can be very destructive if it is simply egocentric. One of the problems in the business world today lies in this very area. People who ’want what they want’ so intensely that they will do anything to reach their goal are ready to deliberately step on toes and can actually ruin lives around them
Getting to the top of the pile is more important to them than the people they must step on to get there. And these same people will also destroy themselves in the process of reaching the top. They drive themselves beyond endurance in their ambition to get to the pinnacle of success
When Christ made the statement: "I am the light of the world", He went on to say: "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life".
You and I are the light of the world. As Christians we are to be ’little Christs’. Do some look at us and say, "If that’s Christianity, you can keep it?" In many instances people have been turned against the Church because of the behaviour of people in Church. They were impressed with Jesus Christ through some unusual experience, but were later singularly unimpressed with those who profess to be His followers
Why? For this very simple reason: We have failed to recognise that we are what He is. There should be no conflict between our lives and His, no break in His ministry. We should so grasp His principles, and so enjoy His life, that His life will flow through us and out to others, performing this clarifying ministry
The light-giving ministry is the reason we are here. I wonder how the Church of Jesus Christ degenerated into a group of people just sitting around congratulating themselves that they are on the way to heaven. What a tragedy!
Paul stated in Romans 1:22: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools". Are we as Christians functioning or just fooling around? We can fool around by being more concerned for spiritual complacency than for changing the world for Christ. We can fool around by being more interested in social conformity than spiritual impact
"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" - 2 Corinthians 10:12
We can also fool around by being more confused morally than any Christian has a right to be. We don’t help anyone out of confusion if we are confused ourselves
There are Christians who are leaders of nations; heads of families, managing directors in institutions, elders in the Church, heads of educational institutions. And envying, strife, and division are the lot in these areas of human endeavour
God can only give the increase in these areas of human endeavour if both the planters and the waterers will play their roles to their mutual benefit
If we want the ideal economy where everybody will enjoy life to the fullest, if the family would be knitted closely and live happily, if businesses would prosper, if the Church would grow and be an influence in society, then let us all identity both the planters and the waterers. We can then work together to fulfill the purpose of human existence
Jesus says: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" [Matthew 5:16]. To put it in today’s terminology, Jesus is saying: "Okay, everybody, get out there and shine" - in the nation, at Church, in business, in school, at the work place, in the community, in the family, in marriage and in any other relationship
First of all, what is to be the method of shining? Jesus spells it out quite clearly and unequivocally - WORKS! That will shake some of us. No, we are not saved by good works, but that does not mean we can forget about them. We are saved unto good works
James explained the rationale behind that arrangement: "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ’You have faith; I have deeds’. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" [James 2:17-18]
To paraphrase James: "If my faith does not work, it is highly suspect. It can shout; it can preach; it can pound the pulpit. But if it does not work, it is dead". What kind of works? Good works. Good works are works that are visible. That does not mean just being a nice guy, a good neighbour, a law-abiding citizen. It means much more - standing out from the world around you like a light on a candlestick, a city on a hill
What are the means of shining. First, ’kindle the flame!" If you have a flicker for a flame, tell the Lord: "I must admit I have been a pretty pathetic light, Lord. All I have produced so far is smoke. Instead of giving people light, I am afraid I have offended their nostrils. Set me alight!"
Then ’trim the wick’ - carefully and regularly work on your lifestyle to remove the grimy deposit of less-than satisfactory living
Thirdly, ’replenish the oil’ - make sure that you are drawing deeply from the God-given resources made available to you in the Holy Spirit
Finally, what is your motivation? Does a candle shine merely to be seen? Do candles shine to illuminate other candles? Candles shine to banish darkness. Did you ever see a Christian whose overriding ambition was simply to be seen? Such a person has a real problem.
There is too much darkness out there to be concerned about self-glorification. Our works are to glorify our Father in heaven. That is why we are to be lights in the world!
One problem we have is we try to get a fallen society to behave as if it were made up of Christians, and that is something we will never do. Our big problem is not getting a fallen society to behave like Christians. The problem is to get Christians to stop behaving like fallen society!
If only we could get Christians to act like Christians, we would discover that we shall produce a totally different moral, ethical, and social standard, making Christian behaviour distinctive and unlike that of the rest of the world. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16)
Perhaps the way to national revival is not to impose upon a lost society principles they will never be able to accept. Rather, the way to national revival is to get Christians once again to begin to adhere to the social, moral, and ethical standards set forth in the Sermon on the Mount - the norm for Christian experience in the midst of a lost society
Perhaps then once again we will begin to produce Christians who are salt of the earth, the city set on a hill, and the light of the world
And maybe then, once again, society will begin to see the effectiveness of the ministry of Jesus Christ
Tell the one sitting next to you: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE. Tell the other one next to you: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
BENEDICTION
NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US, UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END
