You Are Not Your Own, You Belong to Christ

Introducing Apollos in Acts 18:9 to Acts 19

Before we get into 1 Corinthians chapter 1 I want to give you highlights of Apollos recorded in Acts 18 and incredible miracles Paul manifested through the Holy Spirit that were recorded in Acts 19.

Apollos was an evangelist, apologist, church leader, and friend of the apostle Paul. Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria, Egypt, described as “eloquent,” “mighty in the Scriptures,” “fervent in the spirit” and “instructed in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:24). In A.D. 54, he traveled to Ephesus, where he taught boldly in the synagogue. However, at that time, Apollos’ understanding of the gospel was incomplete, since he was “acquainted only with the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). This probably means that Apollos preached repentance and faith in the Messiah—he maybe even believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah—but he did not know the full magnitude of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Aquila and Priscilla, friends of Paul, spent some time with Apollos and filled in the gaps in his understanding of Jesus Christ (Acts 18:26). Apollos, now armed with the complete message, immediately began a preaching ministry and was used of God as an effective apologist for the gospel (Acts 18:28).  

• Apollos went to Corinth and Paul to Ephesus, there Paul found some disciples who only knew the baptism of John which suggest that Apollos got to them first and then Paul introduced them to the Holy Spirit and the baptism of Jesus Christ.
• Paul spoke boldly and persuasively in the synagogue for 3 months, but some were stubborn and publicly criticized them, so Paul and the disciples left. They stayed in the area for 2 years, so all the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the gospel.
• God performed many miracles through Paul. The handkerchiefs and aprons were full of healing power. They cured illnesses and cast evil spirits out of the people.
• Some Jews tried to cast out demons, but they couldn't. This event backfired on them, but the name of Jesus was glorified. Acts 19:17-20
• Demetrius, the Silversmith, started a riot because he was losing business. His income was from making gods out of silver for men and women to worship. However the people were converting to "the Way" (Jesus Christ) and had no need to buy idols from Demetrius. Acts 19:23-41

Apollos traveled through Achaia and eventually found his way to Corinth (Acts 19:1), where he “watered” where Paul had “sown” (1 Corinthians 3:6). This is important to remember when studying the first Epistle to Corinth. Apollos, with his natural gifts, had attracted a following among the church in Corinth, but simple admiration was growing into divisiveness. Against Apollos’ wishes, there was a faction in Corinth that claimed him as their spiritual mentor, to the exclusion of Paul and Peter. Paul deals with this partisanship in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13. Christ is not divided, and neither should we be. We cannot love personality over truth.

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. 2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul is concerned with the behavior of the church in Corinth. Notice in verse 2 Paul is setting them up for correction by revealing their identity in Christ. "...you who have been called by God to be his own holy people."

Paul Gives Thanks to God
4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul is telling the Corinthians, which you and I should apply this ourselves, that we belong to Christ Jesus. (verse 4)

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20a

God purchased us at a very high price. He gave His one and only Son who suffered, who bled, and who died on the cross. We are so valuable to God and we should strongly take this seriously with heavy trembling hearts. We were bought at a high price. It's not something to take lightly. The Corinthian church and even many in the church today don't realize the full magnitude of Christ's death and resurrection.

God has also given us the Holy Spirit and a new born-again spirit. God has given us the power to be sons of God. (verses 7 and 8) And read John 1:12:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name John 1:12 KJV

Paul explains that God gave us the power to be holy and righteous. Not to try to be good out of our flesh, because if you try to be good you will fail big time. Instead we must surrender to His righteousness; surrender to His love and understand the full magnitude of what Christ did for us. Rest in His love and surrender. He makes us righteous and you will see it manifest through your behavior.

In verse 9 it says we are partners. In other translations it says we are coworkers with His Son, Jesus Christ. We can do nothing on our own, so don't try to be righteous, instead simply understand the magnitude of His love for us and surrender. He will flood you with righteousness and it will become your new nature!

Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

The Wisdom of God

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

The wisdom of God here is brilliant. I loved how Paul, through the Holy Spirit, illustrated this truth. We must come into realization that we are nothing without Christ; Foolish and powerless, but God has given us the Spirit of Christ.  (verse 30) Also read 1 Corinthians 6:17:

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17

(verse 30b) "For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself."

Christ is wisdom and God united wisdom with us! Therefore we are foolish ourselves, but have the wisdom of Christ and now we, through Christ, can shame the wise in the world. How do we do it? We study God's Word daily and understand it; then gather the evidence to build up our faith and start to trust and obey it being "doers" of the Word; then yield to the character and the fruit of the Spirit and finally surrender every day. Every part of your life, mature and surrender so you can be like Christ in this world.