Follow Christ, Not Man: Paul’s Call for Unity in 1 Corinthians

The church in Corinth was a troubled one. It was filled with factions, arguments, and spiritual immaturity. Instead of being unified in Christ, the believers had begun aligning themselves with different leaders, creating divisions within the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, directly confronted this issue. His message was clear: Stop following men—follow Christ.

Paul addresses this problem in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, saying, “What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” His rhetorical questions cut to the heart of the matter—human leaders are not the foundation of faith; Christ alone is.

The Corinthians were guilty of elevating their teachers to a status that only belonged to Jesus. Paul, Apollos, and Peter were all faithful servants of God, but they were merely messengers, not the message itself. Paul was horrified at the idea that anyone would place their allegiance in him rather than in Christ. He wanted to make it absolutely clear that he was just a servant, not a Savior.

Later in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, Paul reminds them, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” This passage emphasizes that human leaders are merely instruments in God’s hands—it is God alone who brings spiritual transformation.

Beyond rebuking their division, Paul shifts their focus to the reality of Christian leadership. In 1 Corinthians 4:9, he writes, “For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.” Here, Paul makes an incredible statement—the apostles are not at the front of the parade, being honored and celebrated. They are at the end of the procession, like condemned prisoners being led to their deaths.

This is a radical contrast to how the Corinthians viewed leadership. They were exalting teachers and dividing over them, yet Paul describes Christian leadership as a position of suffering, not glory. The apostles were not kings leading a grand march—they were at the back, rejected by the world, suffering for the gospel, and pointing people to Jesus.

Paul’s words serve as a strong reminder for the church today. Too often, Christians are tempted to follow personalities rather than Christ. Some attach themselves to pastors, celebrity preachers, or denominations instead of keeping their eyes on Jesus. But human leaders will always fall short. Only Christ is perfect, and only He is worthy of our ultimate allegiance.

Furthermore, Paul reminds us that our calling as believers is not to seek status, power, or recognition. Instead, we are a procession to the world, demonstrating the humility and sacrifice of Christ. The Christian life is not about being at the front of the parade, basking in attention and admiration—it is about faithfully following Christ, even when the world rejects us.

The solution to division in the church is simple: keep Jesus at the center. When we remember that Christ is the head of the church and that all human leaders are simply His servants, we are freed from the temptation to elevate people over God. We can appreciate pastors and teachers for their faithful service, but our faith must rest in Christ alone.

Paul’s message to the Corinthians is just as relevant today as it was in the first century. Stop dividing over human leaders. Stop following men. Follow Jesus. We are not meant to compete with one another, but to walk together as a unified body, proclaiming Christ to the world. Only when we fix our eyes on Jesus, rather than on human personalities, can we truly be the church that God has called us to be.

By Eric Thompson

Conservative independent talk show host and owner of https://FinishTheRace. USMC Veteran fighting daily to preserve Faith - Family - Country values in the United States of America.

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