I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6
Paul and Apollos were very different men in their styles of preaching and teaching. Paul admitted that he was not eloquent as a speaker while Apollos was widely recognized for his great eloquence. Paul was a fearless Gospel pioneer who excelled at reaching new areas and in planting the seeds of the Gospel and of Assembly planting. Apollos had great oratory and great knowledge, and used his gifts most effectively to build up the Christians in the faith into which they had entered. God used these two different men to accomplish His work, and that can be seen specifically in Corinth. After Paul had presented the Gospel there and had seen an Assembly established, along came Apollos with ministry to provide the Assembly with direction, instruction, and encouragement. They played their individual roles, and Paul in our text makes it clear that God used them both for His work and for His glory. Regardless of the efforts of these two great men, they accomplished no results themselves; the results were entirely of God.
The Corinthians were divided. Because Paul had been the pioneer who had brought them the Gospel, many in that Assembly aligned themselves under his banner. Because Apollos had been the teacher who had spent time building up the Assembly, others declared themselves as his supporters. But Paul reminds them that this division was highly inappropriate, because his and Apollos’ work was meaningless without the power of God to bring about results. If Christians and Assemblies can grasp this important truth, it will help to preserve us from dividing ourselves according to the personalities of the leaders who God brings among us. We see personalities play a huge role among the denominations, as charismatic men (or women) will often generate a great following among congregations. That following fades when the leader is removed from the scene or when another charismatic leader arises to draw supporters after himself. Such divisions among personality lines have no place among God’s Assemblies.
The key to making sure that divisions are kept out of our Assemblies is to acknowledge that only God gives any increase, as our text emphasizes. We should be thankful for the efforts of good men in Gospel work, in planting, and in teaching the Lord’s people. These are very important, and those involved deserve our support and appreciation. But they will be the first to remind us that the work might have been theirs but the fruit of that work was entirely of God. Divisions among the Lord’s people are almost always based on the difference in perception that one person is more holy, more eloquent, more wise, or more important than another person.
If we are careful to always give the glory to God as is His right, we will avoid divisions and cliques among His people. -Jim MacIntosh