Books Quote by Leslie Allen
““I recall once seeing a commentary advertised as having been written in prison without recourse to other commentaries and by reliance on the Holy Spirit alone. I doubt whether those last two phrases are complementary. If God has set teachers in the church (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11) and many have written books, can good come out of ignoring them, let along parading that ignorance as glorifying God? God's work is never a one-man show. The one who represents the visible part of the iceberg must ever ackowledge his or her debt to others. I like to remember that the First Epistle to the Corinthians was from Paul and Sosthenes (1 Cor. 1:1) and that the Epistle to the Colossians was from Paul and Timothy.””
About This Quote
Source Sermon: Commentary on 1 Corinthians, unknown date
The quote warns against claiming solitary divine insight without acknowledging scholarly tradition and community contributions.
In simple terms: Don’t ignore others’ work when claiming spiritual authority.
Key Takeaway
Respect and cite prior scholarship.
Themes
humility
authority
community
scholarship
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
theological
advisory
When to use this quote
- preaching
- writing sermons
- academic research
- teaching
- personal study
Key Concepts
theology
epistolary authorship
intellectual honesty
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal revelation with existing scholarship?
- What responsibilities do leaders have to acknowledge sources?
A Different Perspective
Such claims can undermine credibility and foster isolation.
![“Paul has, moreover, in the most lucid manner, pointed out that man has been delivered over to his own infirmity, lest, being uplifted, he might fall away from the truth. Thus he says in the second [Epistle] to the Corinthians: “And lest I should be lifted up by the sublimity of the revelations…” quote by The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f4c/the-church-fathers-1438_three-times_paul-has-moreover-in-the-most-lucid-mann_478019.jpg)
