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addressed to the Corinthians. Reluctantly, the Apostle wrote: "I suppose I was not a whit
behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge
. . . . . are they Hebrews?" (II Cor. 11: 5, 6, 22), and so, added to those who raised the
party cry "I am of Apollos", was sounded the equally mischievous cry "I am of Cephas".
Later, when he does refer to Apollos, he most nobly places Apollos upon an equal
footing with himself saying:
"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed . . . . . I
have planted, Apollos watered: but God gave the increase, so then neither is he that
planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase"
(I Cor. 3: 5-7).
"These things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sakes: that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that
no one of you be puffed up FOR ONE AGAINST ANOTHER" (I Cor. 4: 6).
To such, Paul wrote the words already cited:
"Therefore let no man glory in men. 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" (I Cor. 3: 23).
No.3
XLII.58
No.3.
The only ground of boasting (I Cor. 1: 31; 3: 21 - 23).
Volume XLII, pp. 58 - 60
In the preceding article we were concerned largely with the faction and division that
raised the party cries `I am of Paul, I am of Apollos' etc., and realized that this party
spirit is in mind right through the section, Paul, Apollos and Cephas being mentioned by
name in the closing verses of chapter 3:
`Glorying' or `boasting' falls into two main groups, namely, those things in which the
believer can boast, and those things in which he cannot or must not boast. Those
references which do not fall under one or other of these categories will need to be
considered separately.
(1) Legitimate grounds of boasting for the believer.
This list can be headed with the words of I Cor. 1: 31:
"He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
The only true ground of boasting or glorying for a sinner saved by grace is expressed
in the words of Gal. 6: 14: