Scripture Reading(s)
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
1:10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.
1:11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.
1:12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
1:13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
1:15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
1:16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.
1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Reflections
This passage is emphasizing the vital importance of the doctrine of unity within the church. It is essential that the church works on building that foundation of unity in order for it to grow in spreading the message of the Gospel. There are a few essential elements that Paul outlines for us in this text that give us a clear idea as to what unity in the church looks like.
- Same mind and Purpose (vs 10-11): Here the main idea that is being highlighted is that they are all to be united on beliefs, convictions, standards, and in behaviour that are applied on Christian basics and principles. When the church does not have unity it causes weakness and instead will bring about superficial and shallow relationships within the church. Unity that is based on scripture is and must be the foundation of all church life.
- The glory alone belongs to God (vs 12-16): Here the essential thought is that no human leader or pastor should ever be given loyalty that belongs to God. It is important that we don’t elevate our church leaders and understand that it is God alone who works out the results of the preaching of the gospel and God alone who brings about Salvation. Furthermore, Christ is not divided and neither should the church be. Here Paul aims to emphasize that he is less worthy in comparison to Christ.
- The Church represents the message of the Gospel (18): The Gospel message is to be the main focus and goal of the church. There are two responses that people have to the message of the gospel. One is either acceptance and the other is rejection. The main source in which that message comes from should be from the church. This verse also highlights the point that those who do believe in the message of the gospel it is powerful wisdom.
Paul’s purpose for writing the church in Corinth usually had to do with people quarreling. The Corinthian church had a severe, toxic, and cancerous issue with members abusing each other. One young man was sleeping with his father’s wife and bragging about it. Other’s were fighting about who followed the best preachers. Some were eating all the food at the Lord’s supper before the poorer people could get there. The women were trying to cause a scene. All this accompanied by a large over-the-top display is spiritual gifts and people bragging about who had the best gifts or who was better than another for other reasons.
In the above passage, Paul is addressing the issue with Corinthians being divided based on who followed which preacher. It would be the equivalent of Benny Hinn followers looking down on Joyce Meyer followers because they thought they were better for following Benny rather than Joyce. It’s just a silly proposition. It was not just silly, it was divisive and we know that a house divided cannot stand.
What does any of this mean to us? More than once I have looked on others in the church and puffed my chest out, thinking I was better than them. At certain points in time we will probably all fall into this prideful behavior. It is important to recognize this behavior and call it out. I would also suggest that as Christians we should hold our brothers and sisters in the body accountable. It can be difficult but I am grateful for the loving corrections I have received over the course of my Christian walk.