Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” — 1 Corinthians 1:17

There appears to have been a grudge match going on in Corinth. Paul was being compared to other apostles and prominent leaders of the church at the time, and as is the nature of man, the Corinthians were seeking to put men on a pedestal, which created a significant amount of division within the church. Some exalted Peter the Apostle, others Apollos who was mighty in the Scriptures, and others Paul himself. It was like a rodeo showdown and everyone was placing their bets on the most ferocious bull.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the key analytic to who was the most distinguished leader was the one who baptized the most Christians. But Paul was thankful that he had not baptized any of them except a few (see verse 14).

This leads Paul to announce something important for every Christian to understand. Paul examined himself according to his own calling in Christ, not according to a man-made metric. Thus, Paul was only ever concerned with his calling and what he must do for Christ; not what others thought he should be doing.

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Corinthians 1:17)

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Carnality in the church always manifests itself with the same symptoms. One of those symptoms is to place men on a spiritual pedestal because of a trend. In Paul’s day, as mentioned, it was who baptized the most people. But in our day it’s, perhaps, those who can generate the largest altar calls. One way or another, it’s easy for us to go after those things which men value rather than what the Lord has gifted and called us to do for the Kingdom of God.

Paul will later teach the Corinthian Church:

“If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” (1 Corinthians 12:17–18)

In my own experience, I have seen many Christians want to be an eye when God called them to be a foot; or to be a eye when God has called them to be an ear. They go out to war wearing another man’s armor when they ought to rather shed that armor, as David did Saul’s, and face Goliath with the sling and stone He gifted them to use.

We can use Paul’s own words as a template for ourselves. “Christ did not send me to do this, but to do this.” Sometimes the best way to know what God has called you to do for His glory is to know what He has not called you to do.

Beloved, it is a great snare of the enemy to distract you from those spiritual gifts the Lord Jesus called you to. It may not be glorious in man’s terms. It may not ever receive the limelight of man’s glory. It may never be remembered in man’s mind. But it will capture the attention of your Master who alone grants your reward when you meet Him face to face.

Paul tells young Timothy:

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you…” (1 Timothy 4:14)

And I would exhort you to do the same. Walk worthy of your calling in Jesus, and leave vain glory to a world that is fading away.

“…Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” (Colossians 1:10)

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