Pastor Worship: Dividing Christ’s Body

Pastor Worship: Dividing Christ’s Body

In 1 Corinthians 1–4, Paul confronts a deep problem in the Corinthian church — factions forming around leaders. Some claimed loyalty to Paul, others to Apollos, still others to Cephas. Paul responds with piercing questions: “Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:13, NLT). His words cut through the heart of the issue. Elevating leaders divides the body of Christ and shifts focus from the cross to personalities.

Pastor worship is not a relic of Corinth; it is alive today. Churches still elevate men above Christ, whether in the form of celebrity pastors, denominational heroes, or even historic figures of the Reformation. The danger is not admiration, but idolatry. And it remains just as destructive now as it was then.

Why Pastor Worship Is So Serious

At its core, pastor worship replaces Christ with human saviors. Leaders become the focus of loyalty, sometimes even treated as mediators between God and His people. But only Jesus was crucified for us; only His name saves.

It also breeds division. When loyalty attaches to personalities, the church fractures into camps. Instead of uniting under Christ, believers quarrel over which teacher has the better insight, style, or reputation. In Corinth, this was Paul versus Apollos. Today, it might be a favorite megachurch preacher, denominational head, or popular theologian.

Pastor worship feeds pride. Leaders receive praise they were never meant to carry, and followers boast in “their man” rather than maturing in Christ. The result is a blinded church, where the messenger overshadows the message and the gospel loses its power.

From Corinth to Today

In Corinth, the problem arose from good men being misused. Paul and Apollos were faithful ministers of Christ, but the church twisted their names into banners of identity. Paul had to insist that he and Apollos were only servants, and that it was God alone who gave growth (1 Cor. 3:5–7).

The same problem repeats itself in every generation. In the modern church, celebrity pastors often gather followings that rival entertainment figures. Their charisma and platforms create fan clubs, and sometimes entire churches collapse when the leader falls. On a larger scale, denominational founders like Luther, Calvin, or Wesley are sometimes revered as if their writings carry equal weight with Scripture. And the papacy exalts one man as the singular earthly head of the church, contradicting Paul’s warning that only Christ is the foundation. Even in small congregations, the same mindset surfaces when people say, “Our pastor is the only one really preaching truth.”

Paul’s Remedy

Paul dismantles this thinking in three ways. First, he points back to the cross. The power of God is not in clever speech or polished leadership, but in Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:17–18). Second, he reframes leaders as servants. They are farmhands in God’s field, builders working on God’s foundation, but never the foundation itself (1 Cor. 3:5–11). Finally, he insists on God’s sovereignty. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but it was always God who gave the increase. Leaders may serve faithfully, but only Christ sustains His church.

Application Today

The church must learn to test all teaching by Scripture, not personality. Leaders are gifts to the church, but not idols to be followed blindly. We must resist celebrity culture, refusing to turn pulpits into stages for personal brands. Leaders should be honored, not idolized — respected for their service, but never exalted to a place that belongs only to Christ. Above all, the church must keep Christ central. The foundation has already been laid, and no other foundation can stand.

Conclusion

Pastor worship is one of Satan’s oldest tricks. If he cannot destroy the church with persecution, he will distract it with personalities. It fractured Corinth in the first century, and it fractures congregations today. Whether it is a megachurch celebrity, a denominational hero, or a historic figure like Luther or Calvin, all are merely servants. Christ alone is Lord, Christ alone was crucified, and Christ alone deserves ultimate allegiance.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have — Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11, NLT)