In the first chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul raises the painful topic of divisions. The church in Corinth had split into factions: some considered themselves followers of Paul, others of Apollos, and others claimed special spirituality. The root of these divisions lay in pride and the exaltation of some believers over others.
In chapter 4, Paul summarizes this discussion, offering an unexpected solution to the problem of unity. He does not simply call for “living in harmony”, but brings the church back to the foundation of faith — to the correct attitude towards God’s Word.
“I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another” (1 Cor. 4:6).
Paul formulates a principle that should become the antidote to pride: “Nothing beyond what is written”. Let’s look at three aspects of this principle that will help us preserve unity and faithfulness to God.
I. Do not boast about what you have received
Paul asks the Corinthians three rhetorical questions that shatter any foundation for pride:
“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7)
The Corinthians argued about who was better, whose leader was more authoritative. But Paul reminds them: who makes you better than others? Obviously, not you yourself. Both Paul and Apollos are merely servants whom God gave to the church by His mercy. To be proud that you “belong” to the right group or listen to the “right” preacher is absurd.
The second question strikes even deeper: “What do you have that you did not receive?”. What do we have of our own? Salvation? Given freely. God’s Revelation? Given freely. The ability to understand the Gospel? This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Even our talents and ministry are not our personal achievements, but gifts entrusted to us for the building up of the Church.
All Christians are in the same position: we all deserved death, but we all received pardon. Grace is the great equalizer.
And the third question: “If then you received it, why do you boast?”. Boasting about gifts is not only indecent, but also foolish. A gift says nothing about your abilities; it only speaks of the Giver’s generosity. There is no place for competition and exaltation in the church, because everything we possess is an undeserved gift from God.
II. Nothing beyond what is written
The phrase “nothing beyond what is written” is a call not to go beyond the limits of God’s Revelation.
Why does Paul talk about interpreting Scripture in the context of church divisions? Because an incorrect attitude towards the Bible inevitably leads to problems. When people start looking for their own meanings in the text, factions arise: “God revealed this to me”, “and God revealed that to me”. When subjective opinion is placed above the objective text, unity crumbles.
Let’s look at three common myths that prevent us from correctly understanding Scripture.
Myth 1: Hidden Cipher
Some think that the Bible is a book with a secret mystical meaning available only to the “chosen ones”. They look for secret codes between the lines, ignoring the obvious meaning of the text. This gives birth to spiritual elitism: a “guru” appears who supposedly knows what is hidden from others. This is a direct path to divisions.
But the principle “nothing beyond what is written” reminds us: God gave us the Word so that we would understand Him. The power of Scripture is not in hidden ciphers, but in the clear message about Christ.
Myth 2: Personal Divination
Another myth is perceiving the Bible as a book for fortune-telling. A person opens a page at random to find an answer to a question: “should I buy this car?” or “should I get married now?”. This leads to people finding “revelations” that were never in the text. Phrases torn out of context can “justify” any fantasy.
The Bible was not written for us personally, but it is given to all of us. We should not seek answers to our everyday questions in it, but the will of God revealed in His law and Gospel.
Myth 3: A Collection of Quotes
The third myth is treating the Bible as a collection of aphorisms. One can cut out quotes and prove anything with them, even heresy. For example, the words “eye has not seen, nor ear heard… what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9) are often quoted as a description of heaven. But the context says otherwise: Paul is writing about the mystery of the Gospel, which is already revealed to us by the Spirit now, not in the afterlife.
Or the text: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him” (1 Cor. 3:17). It is often used to scare smokers. But the context clearly says: the temple is the Church, and he destroys it who causes divisions. Dividing the church is a much graver sin than bad habits.
God commanded not to add to or take away from His Word (Prov. 30:5-6, Deut. 4:2). Our task is to understand the author’s intent: what exactly did God want to say through Paul, Moses, or Isaiah? Only then does God’s Word work in us in all its power.
III. Do not be an unfaithful steward
Paul calls himself and other ministers “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1). A steward is a manager of an estate. He is not the owner of the house; he merely manages the master’s property in his interests.
The main requirement for a steward is faithfulness.
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
This changes our attitude towards ministry.
- The Church belongs to Christ. It does not belong to the pastor, the board, or the congregation. Christ is the Master. We have no right to rebuild His house to our taste.
- We are accountable. Ministry success is measured not by the number of people, likes, or fame, but by faithfulness to Him who called us.
- We must transmit the message without distortion. As faithful managers, we are obliged to proclaim everything the Bible says — not skipping “uncomfortable” places and not adding our own fantasies.
If a preacher’s authority lies in his charisma or eloquence, he obscures Christ. But if the authority lies in faithfulness to Scripture, then God Himself speaks.
Conclusion
Paul shows us the path to unity. If the center of church life is Christ, and the authority is His unchanging Word, then the ground for pride and disputes disappears.
We have nothing of our own — everything we possess is given by God. We have nothing to boast about. And our task is to be faithful stewards who carefully preserve and transmit the truth without going beyond what is written.
Let our motto also be the words: “nothing beyond what is written”. Let us seek in Scripture not what we want to hear, but what the Author Himself said.