Some years ago, I read an article about a family of a famous man who had been an alcoholic. One of his daughters, now a woman in her 40s, described how, after her father's death, they had found bottles of beer and spirits hidden around the house. She remembered how he would get loud and angry with her mother and push her around. Her mother would tell her and her little sister that their dad was just ″in a mood″, and then would take them by the hand for a walk outdoors. The man was an alcoholic, but somehow the whole family refused to see the truth.

In the same way, the Christians in Corinth are unable to see the truth about themselves. They think they are full of the Spirit, but Paul insists they are ″worldly″ (1 Corinthians 3:1). They think they are mature (see 3:18, 4:10), but he calls them ″mere infants in Christ″ (3:1). Their immaturity is shown by how they so easily quarrel with each other (v. 3) and worship their spiritual leaders (v. 4)- something so worrying that Paul spends the first four chapters of this letter dealing with these issues.

Paul draws an analogy from gardening (vv. 6-8). When he preached the good news of Jesus to them and they put their trust in Jesus Christ and followed Him, it was as though Paul came and planted a seed. Later, when the Christian leader Apollos came along and taught the Corinthians more, it was as though Apollos watered that seed. Now, if they've grown as Christians-and if they have any spiritual life at all-it's not down to any human leader, it's down to God. God is the one who gives spiritual life (2:12) and makes seeds grow (3:7), whether they're of the botanical variety or the seed of His word.

Different Christian leaders are not to be rallying points for different factions in the church. They are ″mere humans beings″ (v. 4), ″only servants″ (v. 5). And, as God puts them to work in His service, they become ″fellow workers″ (v. 9)-not rivals or competitors, but equal. The church is God's field which He is cultivating, God's building which He is erecting (v. 9), and any leader involved is simply His hired hand.

Thank You, Father, for this valuable lesson about how we are to see our spiritual leaders. Help me to be open to Your correction. Help me also to love my spiritual leaders and to pray for them, but to put my confidence in You, not them.