1 Corinthians 1:13-16 (NLT)
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crisps and Gaius,15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)
As I read this it really spoke to me. I smiled when I first read this because it was so subtle. But as I began to think about it more, the deeper truth behind the subtle remark began to surface.
Paul corrects himself after saying Crispus and Gaius were the only two people he had baptized. He didn't even get another complete sentence out before he realized what he said was not true and corrected the record. I believe it was an unintentional oversight that the enemy could and would have intentionally used to cause problems. Paul's response time was incredibly fast, literally a second or two at most. Everyone that has read this passage for almost 2000 years didn't have a chance to get any farther than the next sentence before knowing that he baptized more than two people. It wasn't a big correction; it was a small one! But all the enemy needs is a small foothold to cause major destruction.
There might be some that say I am making this more than what it is and perhaps they are right. But what is certain is that Paul shut a potential door for the enemy to discredit his testimony and accuse him of lying. I began to think about the times in my life I have heard that subtle voice of correction, sometimes acting quickly and other times not so much. I can say with confidence that more often than not, many of the biggest challenges and deepest pains in my life can be traced back to a subtle correction that went unheeded. A small step in the wrong direction can leave us a few steps away from the path we are supposed to be on if corrected quickly, or it can leave us hundreds of miles away in less time then we might think if we continue walking. Where am I going with all of this? Well, it all goes back to that soft, gentle voice and making corrections when we need to, and obeying even at times when we might not want to.
Father,
Thank You for choosing us! Jesus thank You dying for us! Holy Spirit thank You for living within us! Inspect our hearts, teach us Your ways, give us the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the strength we need to always walk in Your ways, even when it's not easy. Thank You in advance for the victory! We love You Lord! Amen.
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crisps and Gaius,15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)
As I read this it really spoke to me. I smiled when I first read this because it was so subtle. But as I began to think about it more, the deeper truth behind the subtle remark began to surface.
Paul corrects himself after saying Crispus and Gaius were the only two people he had baptized. He didn't even get another complete sentence out before he realized what he said was not true and corrected the record. I believe it was an unintentional oversight that the enemy could and would have intentionally used to cause problems. Paul's response time was incredibly fast, literally a second or two at most. Everyone that has read this passage for almost 2000 years didn't have a chance to get any farther than the next sentence before knowing that he baptized more than two people. It wasn't a big correction; it was a small one! But all the enemy needs is a small foothold to cause major destruction.
There might be some that say I am making this more than what it is and perhaps they are right. But what is certain is that Paul shut a potential door for the enemy to discredit his testimony and accuse him of lying. I began to think about the times in my life I have heard that subtle voice of correction, sometimes acting quickly and other times not so much. I can say with confidence that more often than not, many of the biggest challenges and deepest pains in my life can be traced back to a subtle correction that went unheeded. A small step in the wrong direction can leave us a few steps away from the path we are supposed to be on if corrected quickly, or it can leave us hundreds of miles away in less time then we might think if we continue walking. Where am I going with all of this? Well, it all goes back to that soft, gentle voice and making corrections when we need to, and obeying even at times when we might not want to.
Father,
Thank You for choosing us! Jesus thank You dying for us! Holy Spirit thank You for living within us! Inspect our hearts, teach us Your ways, give us the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the strength we need to always walk in Your ways, even when it's not easy. Thank You in advance for the victory! We love You Lord! Amen.