Division of labor ( I Cor. 3)

Or maybe I should entitle this post with Henry Kissinger's famous quip, "Power is an aphrodisiac!"

You can achieve amazing things with human charisma. "Big ideas" have a power of their own. When articulated by persuasive and attractive spokesmen, these ideas can reshape the destinies for large numbers of people. Hitler seduced a nation that wanted easy answers. Marx and Lenin articulated a vision of a cosmic struggle that inspired people to go to their deaths. Kemal Atatürk redefined a nation -- and more than eight decades after his death, that nation pauses to remember the day, hour and minute of that passing.

Preachers need charisma. Each has his own approach, his own style. For example, we know that Paul attracted devoted followers from all sectors of society. Apollos was a riveting public speaker, fluent with the rhetorical skills. The church at Corinth tended to "choose up sides," and energetically champion one or the other. Paul's remarks bring a note of transcendence to the squabble:

1Co 3:4 Biriniz, "Ben Pavlus yanlısıyım", ötekiniz, "Ben Apollos yanlısıyım" diyorsa, öbür insanlardan ne farkınız kalır?
1Co 3:5 Apollos kim, Pavlus kim? İman etmenize aracı olmuş hizmetkârlardır. Rab her birimize bir görev vermiştir.
1Co 3:6 Tohumu ben ektim, Apollos suladı. Ama Tanrı büyüttü.
1Co 3:7 Önemli olan, eken ya da sulayan değil, ekileni büyüten Tanrı'dır.
1Co 3:8 Ekenle sulayanın değeri birdir. Her biri kendi emeğinin karşılığını alacaktır.
1Co 3:9 Biz Tanrı'nın emektaşlarıyız. Sizler de Tanrı'nın tarlası, Tanrı'nın binasısınız.

Paul presents himself and Apollos as men with complementary callings. But it is God who makes things happen.

Word up:

• Tohumu ben ektim, -- Seed I sowed,
  
• Apollos suladı. -- Apollos watered.
  
• Ama Tanrı büyüttü. -- But God made it get big.