What's In A Name?

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: one of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians 11-13 NIV

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth because they were a troubled and divided group. Their idea of the gospel was coloured by the teachings of various people. The apostle started his letter with the warning in the verses above. Their difficulties individually and collectively stemmed from the truth of these words, and we would do well to take heed of the same pitfalls today.

The internet makes it easier to pay pick ‘n’ mix with preachers who sound good, and whose teachings are apparently sound. It’s not uncommon to hear some church folks say, “I like the way ‘X’ speaks”, or “It’s good that ‘Y’ doesn’t mince his words”, or even “ ‘Z’ is a false teacher and an antichrist”. Have you heard these words? Or more to the point, have you said them? We are told that the folks in the Corinth ‘church’ group quarrelled about who was the best. Paul makes it clear that this attitude was all wrong, and the Apostle was in the preferred list of preachers!

These three preachers would not all have been speaking at the one time, and in the same place. So it follows that each man had his own followers. These ‘disciples’ would follow whoever they thought was best, and it is striking that Christ is at the end of the list. Christ is reduced to one person in four. Small wonder that Paul starts his letter by addressing and correcting this important issue right up front. I trust we are of Christ and no other preacher, no matter how good we think they might be. Maybe it’s time to change our language!