The church in the Greek city of Corinth was tearing itself apart. Comparisons, competition, and criticism were eroding relationships within the church and destroying its very foundation. What tempted the Corinthians to get caught up in such turmoil?
These followers of Jesus adopted the value the Roman Empire placed on heroes and sought to gain comparable notoriety within their fellowship. In a word, the Corinthians were pursuing–status.
Dedication to public acclaim drove the Corinthians to compete with each other. But in the empire, signs of success were obvious: political-military power, physical strength, intellectual accomplishment, and artistic renown. Citizens who excelled in any of these areas could count on societal recognition and praise; they would be treated as heroes and touted as models worthy of emulation.
How could believers attain similar elevated standing within the church community? Those who performed well on the athletic field or in the marketplace might be worthy of commendation, but not within the kingdom of God. In what field should Christians strive?
The Corinthians reasoned that to win approval from the Lord and admiration from brothers and sisters, you should contend for spiritual greatness.
So they busied themselves with Spirit-related phenomena like wisdom (1 Corinthians 1-2), growth (3-4), communion (10-11), gifts (12-14), and the resurrection (15). The more esoteric knowledge you possessed and the more frequently you spoke in tongues, the greater was your spiritual advancement.
But in the midst of their unhealthy pursuit of spiritual superiority, the Corinthians overlooked the social dimension of the Christian life. They failed to recognize how the Holy Spirit motivates, guides, and equips believers to share the love of God in ways that bless and build up others.
It’s no accident that the greatest chapter on love in the Bible, (13) is located between two discussions of spiritual gifts (12, 14). Paul did this to emphasize how important the virtue of charity is to God.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Without love, the only motivation you have to employ the gifts of the Spirit is status in the eyes of others.
But what will that gain you? Without love, life’s track record is barren. Nothing you accomplish, even in the Spirit, will last.
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Even Spirit-anointed work cannot gain for you status in the kingdom of God.
But there’s another road to trod–the way of humility. Abandon the pursuit of fame and seek to please the Lord above all else.
“For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” – 1 Corinthians 9:16-19
If the love of God motivates you, the appeal of status will wane. No statue need be erected in your honor. Instead, you will discover that you can serve without recognition; the delight and reward of Jesus will prove sufficient.
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