Through the grace of Christ, God's ministers are made messengers of light and blessing.As by earnest, persevering prayer they obtain the endowment of the Holy Spirit and go forth weighted with the burden of soulsaving, their hearts filled with zeal to extend the triumphs of the cross, they will see fruit of their labors.Resolutely refusing to display human wisdom or to exalt self, they will accomplish a work that will withstand the assaults of Satan.Many souls will be turned from darkness to light, and many churches will be established.Men will be converted, not to the human instrumentality, but to Christ.Self will be kept in the background; Jesus only, the Man of Calvary, will appear.
Those who are working for Christ today may reveal the same distinguishing excellencies revealed by those who in the apostolic age proclaimed the gospel.God is just as ready to give power to His servants today as He was to give power to Paul and Apollos, to Silas and Timothy, to Peter, James, and John.
In the apostles' day there were some misguided souls who claimed to believe in Christ, yet refused to show respect to His ambassadors.They declared that they followed no human teacher, but were taught directly by Christ without the aid of the ministers of the gospel.They were independent in spirit and unwilling to submit to the voice of the church.Such men were in grave danger of being deceived.
God has placed in the church, as His appointed helpers, men of varied talents, that through the combined wisdom of many the mind of the Spirit may be met.Men who move in accordance with their own strong traits of character, refusing to yoke up with others who have had a long experience in the work of God, will become blinded by self-confidence, unable to discern between the false and the true.It is not safe for such ones to be chosen as leaders in the church; for they would follow their own judgment and plans, regardless of the judgment of their brethren.It is easy for the enemy to work through those who, themselves needing counsel at every step, undertake the guardianship of souls in their own strength, without having learned the lowliness of Christ.
Impressions alone are not a safe guide to duty.The enemy often persuades men to believe that it is God who is guiding them, when in reality they are following only human impulse.But if we watch carefully, and take counsel with our brethren, we shall be given an understanding of the Lord's will;for the promise is, "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way." Psalm 25:9.
In the early Christian church there were some who refused to recognize either Paul or Apollos, but held that Peter was their leader.They affirmed that Peter had been most intimate with Christ when the Master was upon the earth, while Paul had been a persecutor of the believers.Their views and feelings were bound about by prejudice.They did not show the liberality, the generosity, the tenderness, which reveals that Christ is abiding in the heart.
There was danger that this party spirit would result in great evil to the Christian church, and Paul was instructed by the Lord to utter words of earnest admonition and solemn protest.Of those who were saying, "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ," the apostle inquired, "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" "Let no man glory in men," he pleaded."For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." 1 Corinthians 1:12, 13; 3:21-23.
Paul and Apollos were in perfect harmony.The latter was disappointed and grieved because of the dissension in the church at Corinth; he took no advantage of the preference shown to himself, nor did he encourage it, but hastily left the field of strife.When Paul afterward urged him to revisit Corinth, he declined and did not again labor there until long afterward when the church had reached a better spiritual state.
