Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

Scripture: 1 Cor. 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Teaching: Paul continues his thought from 1 Cor. 1:12-16 in the beginning of verse 17, which today’s teaching will focus on. Why is Paul saying he was not sent to baptize but to preach? Is not baptism important, too? It is, however, Paul’s point here flows from verses 12-16, in which he is thankful to God that he did not baptize more in Corinth because of the divisions that had formed between congregants based on which apostle they followed. For Paul’s part, he is glad that he did not contribute more to the current state of division in the Corinthian church!

When Paul says that Christ did not send him to baptize, but to preach the gospel, he is referring to the fact that baptism holds no meaning unless done as a result of faith, and faith comes from hearing the gospel. If baptism was creating loyal followers of apostles, rather than Christ, Paul wanted no part. As the rest of this verse attests (which we will examine next week), Paul wanted no credit, and believed that no man should receive credit, for what the Lord does in the preaching of the Gospel. The Lord was using Paul to bring saving faith to many, but the power and the credit for it belonged solely to the Lord.

Takeaway: Pride is insidious in the life of a Christian. It is the thing inside us that urges us to take credit, rest on our laurels, or feel owed praise or thanks for the things we do. While there are things we can take pride in, especially when they lead us to hard work, pursuing excellence, and demonstrating virtue, we have to keep in the forefront of our minds that thankfulness should always trump pride in our lives. We can take pride in our work, performing it excellently, but even more so, be thankful to the Lord for the opportunities and blessings that come from it. Paul’s demeanor and reasoning in 1 Corinthians 1:12-17 is fascinating because he demonstrates this concept: working hard and diligently to glorify the Lord, but refusing the pride that can, and often does, come with such authority and power. Paul’s well-documented hardships because of his evangelism reveal much about his character; but his words and deeds in spite of these hardships reveal his motivation was not for reward in this world, in which one could take pride, but in eternity with Christ, for which we all should be overwhelmingly thankful. Today, consider how pride and thankfulness play a part in your daily mindset and actions.