The main problem was pride — the Corinthian believers were puffed up by thinking they were better and more spiritually important than others.
Rather than being humbled by all they had received, the Corinthians boasted in their favorite teachers and treated one another with arrogance. This pride made them indifferent to sin and brought reproach on the name of Christ throughout Corinth.
1 Corinthians 4:6-7 — Paul directly addresses the problem of being puffed up for one against another and reminds the believers that everything they have was received from God.
Paul writes to the Corinthians, 'And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.' He immediately asks, 'For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?' The Scripture itself identifies the problem: believers were glorying as though their standing came from themselves, and they were elevating one teacher above another.
Les explains that within the Corinthian congregation people were getting all puffed up, claiming 'I'm the one that's most important in this congregation because I go by what Peter taught,' while others claimed allegiance to Paul or Apollos. He calls this infantile and carnal: they were giving the impression that they were better and more spiritually blessed than others. Paul's command, 'let no one of you be puffed up for one against another,' directly addresses this pride. Les also shows how puffed-up pride made the Corinthians blind to their moral failures. They all knew about the sin in their midst and were not bothered by it, even though the situation was bringing reproach upon the name of Christ throughout the city of Corinth. To Les, this is the natural result of a carnally minded church: pride replaces humility, and division replaces love.
Les describes how the congregation split into factions, with some saying, 'I'm the one that's most important in this congregation because I go by what Peter taught,' and others saying they only listened to Paul or Apollos. He says this was infantile and carnal, and it made believers act as if they were better and more spiritually blessed than their brothers and sisters.
Les points out that all these factions knew about the serious moral problem in the Corinthian church and were not bothered by it. Paul says, 'You're puffed up.' Because no one dealt with the situation, the reproach on the name of Christ was known throughout the city, and even the pagans knew what was going on.
Les explains that the Corinthian believers had only recently come out of a pagan background and could not instantly become spiritual giants. Of all the churches Paul dealt with, Corinth was the most carnal and fleshly-minded, and they were constantly tempted by idolatry and immoral practices. Their puffed-up attitude was one more symptom of that carnality.
Paul's question reminds the puffed-up believer that everything they have came from God. Since no one has anything they did not receive, there is no legitimate reason to glory as though their standing was their own accomplishment.
What the Bible Really Says About Salvation — 1 Corinthians 15 Explained
Verse 10, and this should be the prayer of every believer as we follow this apostle. Y'all got it? Philippians 4, verse 10. Oh, Paul writes that I may know him intimately on a person-to-person basis and the power of his what? His resurrection. If you can't believe the resurrection today, then you have no salvation, you have no power, you're destitute.
The Carnal Pride of Factions
Les teaches that the Corinthians were puffed up because each one claimed superiority based on the teacher they followed — Peter, Paul, or Apollos — which was infantile and carnal.
Indifferent to Sin While Puffed Up
Les shows that being puffed up made the Corinthians unconcerned about the moral sin in their midst, and that this inaction brought reproach on the name of Christ throughout Corinth.
New Believers with Old Problems
Les notes that the Corinthians had just come out of paganism and were far from spiritual giants, which helps explain their puffed-up and carnal behavior.
Why the Golden Calf Still Matters — 1 Corinthians 10:5-13 Explained
And the whole idea here is that Paul is addressing these carnal believers at Corinth, and he's using everything at his disposal to teach them and to bring them under an understanding of his gospel, how that Christ died for the sins of the world, that His blood was shed, and that He rose from the dead. And of course, he has to constantly bring in all of their behavioral problems, and they had them.
Most Carnal of All the Churches
Les explains that the Corinthian church was the most carnal and fleshly-minded of all the churches Paul dealt with, which is why pride and division marked them.
Divided Over Favorite Teachers
Les describes how the Corinthians divided into factions, with some saying they only listened to Peter and others to Apollos, which split the congregation.
What Most Christians Miss About Grace — 1 Corinthians Explained
Now that's why the letter to Philippi, the book what we call the letter to the Philippians, doesn't have all the corrections and the reproofs that Corinthians have, or even the book of Galatians. They were the very epitome and the joy of the apostle Paul. And I think even the Thessalonians were that kind of people.
1 Corinthians 4:6: And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
Paul directly warns the Corinthians against the pride of taking sides over which teacher they follow.
1 Corinthians 4:7: For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Paul's question exposes the foolishness of being puffed up, since every believer has received everything from God.
Being puffed up means being filled with pride and self-importance. Les explains that the Corinthians were acting as though they were better and more spiritually blessed than others because of which teacher they followed.
Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 4:6 warns believers not to elevate one teacher above another in a way that makes them proud and divides the congregation. Such pride is carnal and contradicts the fact that everything they have was received from God.
Their pride made them indifferent to serious sin in the congregation, so the church did not address it. As a result, the reproach on the name of Christ was known even among the pagans in the city.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About Salvation — 1 Corinthians 15 Explained