‘Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things that are written, that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other. For who makes you to differ? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?'
He now stresses that he has been using himself and Apollos as illustrations as he has gone along, altering the figure as he did so, whenever it was necessary, in order to suit the point he wished to make. But he points out that what he has said in fact should be applied to all Teachers. Each has his part to play but none should be exalted above the others. Christ and Him crucified, and not some Teacher, is the One Who must always be central in their thinking and teaching, and he hopes that from them (Paul and Apollos) they (other teachers, or the Corinthians themselves) might learn not to go beyond ‘the things that are written'. In view of use of the regular introductory ‘it is written' we are probably to see in this a reference to the Scriptures. The Scriptures, ‘the things that are written', point to Jesus Christ as Lord, the suffering Servant of God Who was finally exalted (Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12), they point to the One Whom God will send Who will be made Lord over all things (Isaiah 11:1-4; Daniel 7:13-14 with Matthew 16:27; Ezekiel 37:25) and they must not go beyond that by exalting some human wisdom or some human personage, being ‘puffed up for one against the other', with pride exalting one against the other, or by introducing newfangled doctrines. They are to be good stewards of the mysteries of God.
Indeed it is God Who has given them spiritual gifts (12-14; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 3:7; 1 Timothy 4:14-16) and as they exercise these, the gift of prophecy, the ‘word of knowledge', the gift of ministry, the gift of teaching, they will receive wisdom and knowledge, they will gain understanding, and are to impart it to others. But all that they receive will need to be judged against the Scriptures. Like Paul and Apollos they must spiritually discern (1 Corinthians 14:29). Nor must they exalt the channels of such illumination, for they are merely recipients and channels. The glory must go, not to the channels but to the source, to God (1 Corinthians 1:31). For if they become ‘puffed up' through being puffed up by others, expanding their chests like a bullfrog, they will lose their usefulness.
These words apply to all gifts. Whatever talents or gifts we possess, they have come from God. We should therefore exercise them with gratitude and not with pride, for we do not have them because we are somehow more deserving than others, but because God in His sovereign power has graciously allowed them to us. And when we see others with these gifts we should give thanks to God for them too and not exalt the one so blessed as to have been given the gifts.
‘These things.' He has written much and now he looks back over what he has written so that he can apply it to them. He mentions only Apollos and himself. This has been his practise when giving names as examples for illustration purposes. This is in contrast to 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:22 where ‘Cephas' (note, not ‘Peter' but the Aramaic form) had been mentioned in order to draw attention to their party divisions, probably because some pointed to Christian teaching with a Jewish emphasis. But clearly such ideas were not in themselves central to the church's problems or causing doctrinal difficulties, for they are nowhere specifically mentioned. The problems that had arisen were more to do with disagreement and division and concentration on secondary matters, on a supposed new wisdom, to the detriment of the word of the cross. (And he did not want them to think that he was attacking those who came from Cephas, or indeed Jewish Christians at all. They knew full well how he loved Apollos. To use him as an illustration would not mislead).
‘That in us you might learn not to go beyond the things that are written.' Literally, ‘in order that in us you may learn the (to) not above/beyond what is written'. The Greek is probably colloquial but the idea would seem to be that Paul wants them to make sure that they remain Scripturally based. ‘What is written' may refer to the Scriptural quotations and references he has given in the passage (e.g. 1 Corinthians 1:19; 1Co 1:31; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 3:19-20), thus advising them to look only to the Scriptures or to God for wisdom, or it may refer to the whole Scriptural position that ‘is written' generally. The ‘to' (definite article) used in this way regularly introduces a quotation. Thus the suggested translation, ‘in order that in us you may learn the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written”. The stress is on the need not to be carried away with things not founded in Scripture.