all things are yours
1 Corinthians 3:21–23 (NIV) — 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Paul started this letter talking about divisions in the church over following specific leaders (1:10 and following). He now concludes this discussion with the verses above.
We are called to build God’s temple, not some preacher’s temple. Pastors and preachers are just fellow builders with differing tasks. We all may have different personal preferences for how things are done, but those preferences shouldn’t divide us.
Think about the personal preference things that sometimes divide Christians and churches. Here’s a partial list that might get you started: preaching style, music style, bible translation, carpet color, wearing robes, liturgy, “debts” v. “trespasses” v. “sins”, pews v. chairs, etc. Have you encountered some of those arguments? Were the Christians able to disagree peaceably? What part if any did you play? If you allowed those preferential preferences to divide you from fellow Christians than know that God will forgive all sins.
Paul says all things are yours. What does that mean? Paul even says that includes or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours. Paul is not stressing some sort of wealth gospel. What he is saying is that stop limiting yourself to just one leader – because all are yours.
Every time we make a division over preferential items we lose something that we could experience. If I limit my worship to a particular music style I miss all the other opportunities I have to worship. If I chose only one style of preaching, I miss what the other styles might do for me. In fact, those things I least appreciate may be what I need the most!
And you are of Christ. This balances things. I have all things – that is freedom. I am Christ’s – that is responsibility.
How do freedom and responsibility balance each other? How do they balance each other in your life? How do they determine how you will build on the foundation that is laid?