Faithful Teachers
For when one says, "'follow Paul," and another, "'follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:4-5
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Faithful Teachers
Your teachers should be content with the common honor of being a faithful teacher of God, teaching and baptizing rightly. What is the emperor or the king of France, even if he makes you a prince? He does not promise or give the remission of sins. But the office of Christ and [His] stewardship [do these things]. If [one minister has] a better voice [than another], nevertheless he does not [have] another Gospel to teach or another Baptism to administer. Every Christian ought to know this. For this reason there should be no division among the ministers. Therefore, Peter does not set himself above Paul. Neither does Paul do this. Neither should you. Afterward he says: "What is Peter? [What is] Paul? Stewards of Christ, through whom you believed [see 1 Corinthians 3:5]. Christ sent [them] out as His ministers, and they are discharging the office through which you are saved. All things are yours," [Paul says, "whether] Peter or Paul, through whom you believed and are saved; and you are Christ's. We are not your lords. [And] Christ is God the Father's" [1 Corinthians 3:21-23]. It is a magnificent sermon against sectarianism and schism.
From Sermon for Advent 3 on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (Luther's Works 58:344)
1 CORINTHIANS 3:4-5
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Faithful Teachers
Your teachers should be content with the common honor of being a faithful teacher of God, teaching and baptizing rightly. What is the emperor or the king of France, even if he makes you a prince? He does not promise or give the remission of sins. But the office of Christ and [His] stewardship [do these things]. If [one minister has] a better voice [than another], nevertheless he does not [have] another Gospel to teach or another Baptism to administer. Every Christian ought to know this. For this reason there should be no division among the ministers. Therefore, Peter does not set himself above Paul. Neither does Paul do this. Neither should you. Afterward he says: "What is Peter? [What is] Paul? Stewards of Christ, through whom you believed [see 1 Corinthians 3:5]. Christ sent [them] out as His ministers, and they are discharging the office through which you are saved. All things are yours," [Paul says, "whether] Peter or Paul, through whom you believed and are saved; and you are Christ's. We are not your lords. [And] Christ is God the Father's" [1 Corinthians 3:21-23]. It is a magnificent sermon against sectarianism and schism.
From Sermon for Advent 3 on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (Luther's Works 58:344)
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