Who do you boast about? Who do you glory in? 1 Corinthians 3-4

1 Corinthians 3:20-22 (NIV1984)

and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future –all are yours,

One of the issues of the Corinthian church (and they had many) was that they prized one leader over the other (see 3:4-5).   The thought the status of the man made the message of the man better and their standing in life better.   They wanted to attach themselves to a great and famous person, assuming that would increase their status as believers.   Remember, this is a time with Greek thought was at its prime.   Names like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle were house hold names.   The Greek culture influenced much of modern thought.   The Gnostics were a group proclaiming that knowledge was power and the increase of knowledge could give you god-like status.    Paul, in these first four chapters is debunking the wisdom of the world and showing the contrast of the wisdom of God, which is foolishness to men.   In the above passage Paul tells them, "... no more boasting about men!"   Don't miss this little line in a large and otherwise fruitful text.   This one line may be a key to the entire book.  Paul sees that these believers are starting to glory in men and their puffed up wisdom.   If we return to chapter one, note Paul's initial statement to them.  It becomes an over arching guideline to the book:

1 Corinthians 1:31 (NIV1984)

Therefore, as it is written:“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

People today love to drop names of people they know or who they think "know" things.   They like to say they are followers, or readers of .... !    But, the truth of the matter is that, as believers, we are to boast ONLY in The Lord and His work in our lives.   We are not to be followers of someone or something.   God uses men and women in our lives because they each have a task to perform (see 3:5).  Let's not get in the trap of following men.  Let's not boast in them or ask others to boast in us.   Only The Lord is to have the glory.