Here’s what I mean. One of you says, “I follow Paul.” Another says, “I follow Apollos.” Another says, “I follow Peter.” And still another says, “I follow Christ.”
Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You’re Simon, the son of John, but you’ll be known as Cephas.” (Cephas means Peter, or Rock.)
Here’s what I mean: The law was introduced 430 years after the covenant God made with Abraham. It can’t cancel their agreement or get rid of the promise.
James, Peter, and John, who are respected as pillars in the church, recognized that God had given me this privilege. So they shook hands with Barnabas and me to welcome us as partners. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles while they went to the Jews.
As for our brother Apollos, I tried my best to get him to come to you with the others, but he really didn’t want to. He’ll come when it’s a better time.
Brothers and sisters, here’s what I’m telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can’t inherit the kingdom of God. Things that perish can’t share in what never perishes.
Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us when we travel? That’s what the other apostles do, and the Lord’s brothers and Peter do the same.
Brothers and sisters, I’ve used myself and Apollos as examples. I want to help you learn from us what the saying means, “Don’t go beyond what’s written.” If you understand that, you won’t feel proud that you follow one of us instead of the other.
You’re judging only by how things look on the surface. If someone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.