THE MAIN IDEA
Christian fellowship is established on Christ and Christ alone. 

The basic problem in Corinth was that their fellowship was established on a cult of personality instead of the glory of Christ. True Christian fellowship is established on … 

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, NOT RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCE – Gifted and charismatic  Jewish-Christian missionaries, sarcastically called “super-apostles,” were having great influence  on the Corinthians. They were distorting God’s word and using deception to manipulate the  churches for their personal gain and glory. But Paul establishes his fellowship with churches “by  setting forth the truth plainly,” meaning the gospel revealed in Jesus Christ alone. If we have to  use any kind of manipulation to get someone to believe the gospel message, we have corrupted  the gospel message. In that case, we have bypassed the power of the Holy Spirit and opted for  the power of human manipulation instead. We should do whatever we can to persuade people to  the truth of the gospel of Christ, but we must not distort God’s word or manipulate congregations  with deceitful gimmicks and tricks. 

THE GLORY OF CHRIST, NOT SATAN’s LIES – The truth about the glory of Christ is  what the Corinthians were not getting, which is the cross of Christ. They didn’t want to accept  this aspect of Paul’s ministry. When we reflect intently on the cross of Christ and come to accept  what He has really done for us, we start becoming more like Jesus in His glory—in other words,  more like Jesus on the cross. Such transforming power can only come from the Spirit of Christ,  not from the spirit of the world, which is the devil, the god of this age. The devil does not want  us to see the glory of Christ on the cross because then, we will become more like Him on the  cross. Then, we will fill the earth with the glory of God in Jesus’s name through God-fearing,  God-honoring, God-worshiping, God-loving communities and families—the church. The cross  of Christ reveals the glory of God more than anything else. The world is basically about saying  and doing whatever it is you want to do, and having people love and adore and admire you for it. The cross is about weakness, humiliation, shame, dishonor. And not because we lack power, but  because we submit to God. The cross is the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ. 

THE SERVANTHOOD OF CHRIST, NOT HUMAN LORDSHIP – It is a bit concerning how easily people will flock to and place their trust in charismatic leaders who act like they have  all the answers—even when they demonstrate poor character. Our protection against such cult of  personality is the glory of Christ, the cross. The knowledge of God’s glory is the light of truth.  God’s glory is displayed on the face of Christ as He hung on the cross. If we accept that light  shining in our hearts, instead of turning our back to it, we would never exalt ourselves as lord  over anybody. Instead, we would exalt ourselves as servants of everybody. Because that is what  our Lord Jesus Christ did (Mark 10:45). Canvas has been growing, and we praise God for that  growth. But that growth is not the glory of God. The glory of God is directly evident in selfless  service for others and for one another because that is a direct reflection of the glory of Christ on  the cross. But when we suffer for the glory of Christ, there is a greater joy in store for us that  basically washes out whatever suffering we may experience. 

DISCUSSION QUESTION
How have Christian fellowships in the past disappointed you? What kind of  attitudes does a person need to have to serve others in a way that is enriching?