The Freedom of a Friend
Introduction: A Quiet Rebuke to the Modern Church
There are certain verses in Scripture that function like quiet hallways. In a book full of thunder, like First Corinthians, with its loud confrontations over incest, lawsuits, idolatry, and liturgical chaos, we come to a verse like this one, and it seems like a moment of administrative housekeeping. Paul is wrapping up his letter, sending greetings, making travel plans. It is easy for our eyes to glaze over as we rush toward the final, grand "Maranatha."
But we should know by now that nothing in God's Word is filler. These quiet hallways are often where the most profound and practical theology is displayed, not just taught. This brief notice concerning the travel plans of Apollos is a master class in godly relationships, a sharp and pointed rebuke to the factionalism of the Corinthians, and by extension, a necessary corrective to the celebrity-driven, consumeristic, and demanding spirit that plagues the modern evangelical church.
The Corinthian church was a mess of spiritual hot-rodders. They were carnal, arrogant, and had managed to turn the gospel into a personality cult. "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Cephas." They were treating their spiritual leaders like rival sports franchises, picking their favorite and waving the team colors. Paul has spent the entire letter dismantling this carnal pride, reminding them that he and Apollos are nothing more than servants, field hands planting and watering in God's field. God is the one who gives the growth. And here, at the very end of the letter, Paul doesn't just state the principle; he shows them what it looks like in practice. The relationship between him and Apollos is the living embodiment of the unity he has been commanding.
This single verse is a splash of cold water in the face of our age. We live in a time of church-shoppers, where congregations believe they have the right to demand their preferred preaching style, their preferred worship music, their preferred programs. They believe the pastor works for them. And we live in a time of ministry celebrities, where men are tempted to build their own brand, protect their own turf, and view other gifted men as competition. This verse demolishes all of it. It shows us a relationship governed not by pride, but by brotherhood; not by command, but by encouragement; not by popular demand, but by divine timing.
The Text
Now concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brothers, and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.
(1 Corinthians 16:12 LSB)
A Brother, Not a Rival (v. 12a)
Paul begins with a simple, yet profound, description.
"Now concerning Apollos our brother..." (1 Corinthians 16:12a)
With these three words, Paul continues to saw the legs off the Corinthians' partisan tables. He doesn't say, "concerning Apollos, my competitor," or "Apollos, that eloquent fellow you all seem to prefer." He says, "Apollos our brother." This is a deliberate, pastoral choice of words. Paul is modeling the very unity he has spent chapters demanding. He and Apollos are on the same team. They are family. There is no jealousy, no rivalry, no insecurity. Paul's identity is not wrapped up in being the Corinthians' favorite preacher; his identity is in Christ, which makes Apollos his brother.
This is the foundation for all healthy relationships in the church. We are not competitors in a spiritual marketplace. We are brothers and sisters, united by the blood of Christ. When a church is divided into factions, it is a sure sign they have forgotten this foundational reality. They have begun to think carnally. Paul's immediate affirmation of Apollos as a "brother" is a gentle but firm rebuke to the Corinthians who were trying to make him a rival.
Then Paul describes his interaction with Apollos.
"...I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brothers..." (1 Corinthians 16:12b)
Notice the nature of the interaction. Paul, an apostle with immense authority, did not command Apollos. He "encouraged him greatly." The word is parakaleo, the same root from which we get the name for the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Comforter or Encourager. This is not the language of a CEO to a subordinate. It is the language of a friend, a co-laborer, a brother. Paul is demonstrating that true spiritual authority is not a matter of throwing your weight around. It is persuasive, not coercive. It respects the wisdom and agency of other godly men.
Furthermore, Paul's desire was for the Corinthians to receive ministry. He wanted Apollos to go to them. Think about this. The Corinthians had been using Apollos's name as a club to beat Paul with, and Paul's response is to try to send Apollos back to them to bless them. This is cruciform love. This is what it looks like to be secure in your calling. A man who is insecure, who is building his own little kingdom, would never do this. He would see Apollos as a threat. Paul sees him as a gift to the church and wants the Corinthians to have that gift. This is the heart of a true shepherd.
The Liberty of a Co-Laborer (v. 12c)
What follows is just as instructive. Apollos, this brother, says no.
"...and it was not at all his desire to come now..." (1 Corinthians 16:12c)
The phrasing here is strong. It was "not at all the will" for him to come at that time. This wasn't a matter of Apollos checking his day planner and finding a conflict. This was a settled conviction. Whose will was it? Was it God's will revealed to Apollos? Or was it Apollos's own judgment about the matter? The answer is almost certainly both. Apollos was a mature minister, filled with the Spirit, and he exercised his own sanctified wisdom. He was not being rebellious against Paul; he was exercising his freedom as a brother and co-laborer.
And Paul simply reports this, without any hint of frustration or condemnation. He doesn't say, "and that insubordinate Apollos refused my counsel." He just states the fact. This is a stunning picture of mutual respect. Apollos was free to say no, and Paul was free to accept it without offense. This is what spiritual maturity looks like. Ministry is not run by popular demand. The Corinthians may have been clamoring for the eloquent Apollos, but Apollos was not a performer to be summoned by their applause. He was a servant of Christ, and he answered to a higher call than the desires of a fickle congregation.
This is a hard lesson for the modern church, which often operates on a consumer model. If enough people want something, the leadership feels pressured to provide it. But godly leaders are not poll-takers; they are shepherds who must exercise wisdom. And sometimes, the wisest thing to do is to deny the flock what it thinks it wants, for its own good.
The Wisdom of Divine Timing (v. 12d)
Apollos's refusal was not a final refusal. It was a matter of timing.
"...but he will come when he has opportunity." (1 Corinthians 16:12d)
The word for "opportunity" is eukaireso. It doesn't just mean when he has a free moment. It means when the time is right, when it is a "well-timed" moment. This is about kairos, not chronos. Apollos was operating on God's timetable, not the Corinthians' schedule. He was a man who understood prudence.
Why might it have been the wrong time? We can only speculate, but the speculation is instructive. Perhaps Apollos, in his wisdom, knew that his presence in Corinth at that exact moment would only pour gasoline on the fires of their factionalism. His going might have been seen as a victory for the "Apollos party," further entrenching their pride. By staying away, Apollos was pastoring them from a distance. He was refusing to be their mascot. He was forcing them to deal with the substance of Paul's letter rather than being distracted by another personality. His refusal to come was likely an act of profound pastoral care, a strategic decision to starve the very celebrity culture he was being dragged into.
This teaches us that in the Christian life, and especially in ministry, timing is crucial. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, a time to go and a time to stay. And this requires wisdom, a wisdom that is not swayed by pressure, by popular opinion, or by the impatient demands of the carnal. It is a wisdom that waits on the Lord for the opportune moment.
Conclusion: The Antithesis of Rivalry
So what do we take from this quiet little verse about travel plans? We take away a picture of what the Christian life is supposed to look like. The relationship between Paul and Apollos is the antithesis of the world's way of thinking. The world is built on rivalry, on competition, on pride, on building your own brand. The kingdom of God is built on brotherhood, on mutual respect, on humility, and on seeking the good of others.
Paul and Apollos were free to be friends and co-laborers because their security was not in their ministries; it was in Christ. Paul didn't need the Corinthians' approval, and Apollos didn't need to prove his loyalty by jumping when Paul said jump. Both men were servants of the same master, and they trusted each other to follow that master's will. Their unity was not found in lockstep agreement on every logistical detail, but in their shared submission to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the goal. We are to be a people who are not driven by the latest fad, who do not idolize gifted men, and who do not make demands of our shepherds as though we were customers. And pastors are to be men who are not threatened by the gifts of others, who lead by encouragement rather than by fiat, and who respect the wisdom God has given to their brothers. This kind of mutual, respectful, and wise relationship is a direct result of the gospel. Because Christ has reconciled us to God, He has reconciled us to one another. He has made us brothers, not rivals. And in that brotherhood, there is a profound and glorious freedom.