"I say to Paul, and another says to Apollos."

 

"I say to Paul, and another says to Apollos."

 

1 Corinthians 3:4-5 "One says, 'I say to Paul,' and the other says, 'I say to Apollos.' Are you not carnal people? What then is Apollos, and what is Paul? They are servants whom the Lord gave each to lead you to faith."

Seeing that the church was divided into the Paul faction and the Apollos faction, Paul points out the very low quality of religious practices in the Corinthian church. He states that Paul and Apollos are merely ministers dedicated to spreading the gospel of Christ.

Faith in the one true God originates from Judaism. However, the church began when Jesus, the Son of God, was born into the world and started preaching the gospel, breaking away from Judaism, which had degenerated into legalism. Although Jesus' disciples left Jerusalem and established churches in various regions, spreading the faith, the Roman government officially recognized Christianity, causing it to expand into a global religion known as Catholicism. Subsequently, it split into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, followed by the Reformation which led to the beginning of Protestantism, which also subsequently split into numerous religious organizations.

Many Protestant denominations emerged as Lutherans from Germany, the Church of England, and Puritans crossed over and took root in the United States, including Presbyterianism, Methodism, Holiness Church, Baptists, Assemblies of God, and Pentecostalism. In the case of Korea as well, the Gospel was spread through Full Gospel, Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, and Baptist churches under the influence of American missionaries.

The reason for this division lies in doctrines or dogmas. Although the Bible is one, it is divided into various factions because they interpret it differently.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God, who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his work. We are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field and God’s building.”

When a farmer cultivates the land, digs the field, sows seeds, and covers them with soil, he worries whether the tender sprouts will be able to break through the thick layer of earth. This is because, although the farmer plants the seeds, he cannot make them sprout and break through the ground. However, one day, after some time has passed, the seed breaks through the soil and sprouts. Although not everything can be seen with the human eye, something has happened deep underground. While one may worry whether the young sprout rising above the ground will be able to grow well, an experienced farmer knows that the order of the universe is helping the sprout to grow.

Raindrops falling from the high sky are sometimes incredibly thick. When they reach the ground with added acceleration, they seem likely to damage young sprouts and leaves, yet the rain does not harm the shoots but adds new strength to the roots and leaves. The sun shining from afar not only illuminates the world but also causes the trunks and stems of young sprouts to grow. Amidst the rhythm of morning and night, crops grow little by little, gaining vitality and finding rest.

A farmer who sows seeds, waters them, and watches the growth of crops clearly realizes one fact: that he himself cannot make the crops grow even a handspan. The farmer understands that all things following God's order circulate and operate according to His will, causing life to grow. Therefore, even a farmer tending a small field can enjoy the grace of experiencing God's hand that makes life grow. He comes to know the hand of God, which, though invisible to the eye, causes small life to sprout, grow, and bear fruit.

Paul used the parable of the field to the people of the Corinthian church, who were divided into Paul's faction and Apollos' faction and habitually engaged in jealousy and strife. The people of the Corinthian church, who were still like children, could not see God, who causes life to grow. This is because they had not yet escaped from the religiosity of the carnal heart. It is because they were those who lived their religious life by listening, learning, believing, and living through biblical knowledge. They were those who did not realize the Logos, who dwells within the heart.

The visible Paul and Apollos are more certain and distinct beings than the invisible God. Following a God who is invisible, immeasurable, and incomprehensible is vague, but following a visible person provides a sense of stability. It is easier to follow visible phenomena than to believe in invisible truth, and easier to serve visible idols than to fathom the mind of the invisible God. If one trusts and follows the doctrines spoken by a famous theologian more than the word of the Logos who dwells within the hearts of believers, one can truly say that they possess a faith like that of a child.

The factions that have emerged within Christianity today also stem from doctrine. While doctrine is intended to explain religious differences, a deeper examination reveals that it, too, differs from the Gospel spoken by Jesus.

We must recognize that the Christian worldview of today has been distorted into three aspects: legalism, prosperity theology, and mysticism. Legalism involves codifying or ritualizing the meaning of the Bible to create doctrines, thereby compelling people to practice them. Doctrine has come to hold a more important position than the meaning of the Bible. Consequently, it compels people to obey these doctrines. Even during Jesus' time, the Jews were unable to realize the righteousness and mercy contained within the law due to the legalism that compelled them to obey and keep it.

Prosperity theology leads people to lead a life of faith with more interest in worldly affairs than in the Kingdom of God. It causes interpretations based on humanistic philosophical thinking rather than biblical meaning, ultimately transforming Christianity into a world-oriented religion. It makes people experience religion as a means of maintaining a subordinate order within the state, church, and human relationships, generating wealth, empowering individuals, forming politicized groups, and engaging in collective selfishness.

Mysticism leads all believers to place importance on their personal experiences and abilities. Consequently, believers seek experiences on a higher level and desire to approach God based on them. At the center of everything lies the self. While Jesus taught us to deny ourselves, modern Christianity encourages self-assertion. The church community demands that believers seek and achieve something within the community. A prime example is how pastors urge believers to strive diligently through good deeds to form the image of God. Thus, we can see believers striving to attain holiness and live a sanctified life. Ultimately, believers are making an effort to discover the divine nature hidden within themselves.