Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Even as the Lord gave to every man. God gave to each one of His ministers powers of such kind and such extent as befitted his ministry. Therefore they should glory in God alone, not in Paul or Apollos, His ministers. These latter were not the lords or the authors of their faith, but merely the instruments used by God. So Anselm, Ambrose, Theophylact.
Paul denigrates himself in order to show the Corinthians that he is not mistreating them. It is a great thing to be a servant, used by God to bring others to faith, but compared with the source and the root of all good, it is nothing. Note also that Paul called Apollos and himself servants, not evangelists. This is because they had not merely preached the gospel, but they had also ministered to the people at Corinth. The first was a matter of word only, whereas the second includes deeds as well.
In this way, after producing and proving his facts, he makes his accusation henceforth more openly. Moreover, he employs his own name, doing away all harshness and not suffering them to be angry at what it is said. For if Paul is nothing and murmur not, much less ought they to think themselves ill used. Two ways, you see, he has of soothing them; first by bringing forward his own person, then by not robbing them of all as if they contributed nothing. Rather he allows them some small portion: small though it be, he does allow it. For having said, Who is Paul, and who Apollos, he adds, but ministers by whom you believed. Now this in itself is a great thing, and deserving of great rewards: although in regard of the archetype and the root of all good, it is nothing. (For not he that ministers to our blessings, but he that provides and gives them, he is our Benefactor.) And he said not, Evangelists, but Ministers, which is more. For they had not merely preached the Gospel, but had also min...
