The Message, Not the Messenger

In 1 Corinthians 1:12-17 (and revisits the issue in later passages), Paul establishes a principle for the Corinthians and for us; the messenger of the gospel is just the messenger and is not what is important. Many of the Corinthians were dividing up based who they "followed," as though Paul taught something different from Cephas, who taught something different from Apollos, who taught something different from Christ. Paul's overall point is that the messenger may change, but the message itself does not. Therefore, Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ all taught the same thing and there should not have been divisions among the Corinthians based on which evangelist they preferred; Paul notes that Christ is the only one that should be looked to as someone special because He is God and He did sacrifice Himself for us (distinction made in 1:13).

Today, some Christians do a very similar thing; have you ever heard someone say that they were a "fan" of a particular preacher? While the Christians that say such things aren't necessarily intending to express a belief similar to those in Corinth, the result can very well be the same. If we are a "fan" (and there is other terminology that could be used) of a particular preacher, then we can easily become blinded to what message they are trying to convey (whether truth or false).

Some Christians go the other extreme and because a particular preacher or Christian says or writes something, they automatically take a position in opposition to that viewpoint. They may argue with that particular Christian simply because they don't like them, but agree with someone else who says/writes the EXACT same thing just because they DO like that person.

Rather than worrying about the politics of who is saying what and whether or not we like THEM, we need to concentrate on what the message is that is being conveyed. If it is truth, accept it. If it is false, reject the message and explain to them "the way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:26). Remember to "test the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1) and remember to examine the context of any passage used because even the Devil can quote Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11).