Why does Paul emphasize he "baptized none of you" in 1 Corinthians 1:14? Setting the Scene in Corinth • “I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius” (1 Corinthians 1:14). • The church was splintering into camps: “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” “I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:12). • Baptism, meant to proclaim union with Christ, was becoming a badge of loyalty to human leaders. Paul’s Main Concern: Unity in Christ • “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13). • Paul refuses any hint that salvation or spiritual status rests on who administered the rite. • Like John 4:2, where “Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were,” Paul steps back to keep Christ front-and-center. Why Paul Mentions Not Baptizing 1. To guard against personality-driven loyalty – 1 Corinthians 3:5-7: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed… neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.” 2. To highlight the primacy of the gospel message – 1 Corinthians 1:17: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” – Acts 18:8 shows many Corinthians were baptized, yet Luke never stresses who did it—only their faith in Christ. 3. To keep the focus on Christ’s cross, not the minister’s hands – Galatians 6:14: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 4. To model humility for leaders – 2 Corinthians 4:5: “For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Baptism Still Matters, but Christ Matters More • Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples… baptizing them.” • Romans 6:3-4: we are “baptized into His death… raised to walk in newness of life.” • Ephesians 4:5: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” unites believers; it should never divide them. What This Teaches Us Today • Treasure faithful preaching above personalities. • Celebrate baptism as a testimony to Christ, not a trophy of the baptizer. • Guard church unity by anchoring every ministry, title, and gift to the supremacy of Jesus alone. |
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