DAILY HOMILIES #old wineskins

To those who were on Paul’s side, he said, “Who are you to declare me a saint?” and to those who were against Paul, he said, “Even though I am not aware of anything against myself (my conscience is clean), I am not thereby acquitted.” Paul’s overall intention here was to break division, to make the people refrain from taking sides, and to make them realise that both Paul and Apollos are imperfect yet powerful instruments in the hands of God.

In his admonition to the Corinthians, Paul made no negative statement about Apollos, who had been made a rival to him by the people. This is very instructive. It is the devil’s delight to see church leaders quarrel and fight over what they say. Avoid taking sides when people bring gossip; they may be plotting the stage for you to fight with your brother.

You cannot claim to be a Christian with a bad attitude. You risk losing your Christian Faith and even your very life itself. Again, you cannot be a Christian and still live a life of pretence or show-off, as the case may be. Otherwise, one day your “skin” will burst, and the whole world know you have just been deceiving yourself.