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The apostle's scope is to repress the pride and contentions that were in the Church of Corinth. That although it is the duty of people to have a great and high esteem of the ministers of the gospel, yet they are not sinfully and inordinately to admire or rest merely upon any man's person.

I. THAT GREAT AND HIGH RESPECT IS TO BE SHOWED TO THE FAITHFUL MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.

1. Highly to account of the office and the work of the ministry as being the Divine institution and appointment of Christ in His Church. Thus the apostle — "Let a man account of us as the stewards of Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:1).

2. Your spiritual respect lieth in the hearing of the Word preached and the receiving the Word with all gladness of heart. Thus Christ saith, "He that heareth you heareth Me" (Luke 10:16), and therefore they are compared to ambassadors, that do in Christ's stead entreat you to be reconciled unto God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

3. You are not only to give them respectful hearing and diligent waiting upon their ministry, but to obey and submit unto that work of the Lord, which they enjoin you out of God's Word.

4. All this bearing, love, and obedience, must be to them for the work's sake. This the apostle urgeth, and there is a greater matter in that: "Have them in all respect for their work sake" (1 Thessalonians 5:13).

5. You ought to show your spiritual respect and entertainment to the ministry, in avoiding all those evil and wicked ways which may grieve and make sad the hearts of godly ministers. When Jeremiah saw his people walk so disobediently, he said his soul should mourn in secret for them (Jeremiah 13:17). Did not Christ weep over Jerusalem?

II. Now let us consider WHEN THIS RESPECT MAY DEGENERATE INTO SINFUL ADMIRATION.

1. When we set up the gifts and persons of men, so as to neglect Christ working in and by them. If it be so great a sin in temporal and outward things to take of the glory due to God, and attribute it to instruments, how much more is this in spiritual things.

2. Then men sinfully admire when they set up the gifts and abilities of one to the contempt of others.

3. Then men sinfully admire when their failings and errors they will follow and defend. If these Corinthians that were for Peter should have been led aside, as he did many to circumcision, this was their infirmity.

(A. Burgess.)That it is not lawful for Christians to call themselves by the name of any men, though never so eminent, so as to build on them. Christ and His truth are the foundation we must build upon. The apostles, indeed, are called the foundations (Revelation 22:14), but they were immediately inspired; and they were but secondary foundations. So that we are not believers in Paul or Peter. We are not the apostles' believers, much less the fathers', or any doctors and teachers in the world. For the opening of this, let us consider, first, the names that Christians have had in the New Testament, and afterwards in the Church. For by wise names we come to know the nature of things.

1. Christ did often call those that followed Him His disciples. Thus, he that would be His disciple must hate father and mother for His sake. Lean not to thy own understanding. Lean not to others; for only Christ is Truth. Another name, and that most frequent, was believers. Christians are often called by this title; none more frequent. And this also doth difference Christians from all other sects in the world. All the philosophers they affected to be knowing men, not believing. Faith of assent would breed faith of fiducial adherence. Another name often attributed to Christians is saints. "The saints at Corinth," and in many places. But the most famous and distinguishing name of the people of God is Christians.There are pregnant reasons for this.

1. Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God, so the object and motive of it must be God's authority, because He speaks and revealeth such things. Human faith is because a man saith such a thing; Divine faith, because God saith so. Now see how careful the apostle was that the Church's faith should not be in human wisdom, but in the mighty power of God.

2. Therefore we may not be called after men, to build on them, because we are not baptized into any man's name; and we are only to possess those whose name we are baptized into (1 Corinthians 1:13).

3. The apostle presseth another argument: "Was Paul crucified for you? Did Paul die for you" (1 Corinthians 1:13)? His meaning is, In Him only are we to believe who is able to make our reconciliation with God, who hath wrought our redemption for us.

4. Our apostle urgeth a further argument in the same chapter, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord; and Christ is made unto us wisdom. So all boasting in men is to be excluded, as well as boasting in works.

5. The Scripture makes it a great sin in matters of religion and the worship of God to be servants of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

6. The ministers of God, though never so eminent, have been afraid of this, they have prohibited such restings upon them. That it is the property of godly ministers not to bring men to themselves, but to Christ.

(A. Burgess.)

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KJV: For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

WEB: For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," aren't you fleshly?