For this month’s blog I want to revisit an older teaching I shared at the Ball State Christian Campus House being from 1st Corinthians 1:10-17 where the Apostle Paul is addressing divisions in the church. His message is to have “Unity in Christ.” However, I want to spend most of my time in this blog focusing on verse 10. First let’s learn the background of 1st Corinthians. There are similar instances in Paul’s letter that I see in our culture, even in the church that make this letter to me, feel quite real and relevant with us today.
1st Corinthians was written by Paul and is his first letter to the Corinthians in the city Corinth. The church in Corinth was a multi-ethnic church in which we see some of the everyday problems that early Christians were dealing with. In Paul’s advice on how to handle these problems, we find the deepest principles that shape his thinking about practical Christian living. These enduring principles – so different from the popular trends of Paul’s time or ours – provide rich guidance for us as we deal with similar problems today.
Corinth during Paul’s time was an important city as a result of its geography as many people passed through because it was located on a narrow four- to five-mile-wide isthmus which is a “narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and separates two bodies of water” (National Geographic). It was known as a port city as many people that traveled through stayed for 1 or 2 nights and was widely known for prostitution and other immoralities. There was even a verb in Greek that translates “to act like a Corinthian” that referred to sexual immorality. Some of these problems found its way into the young church in Corinth and Paul addresses these in his letter to them.
As in most Roman cities, marble temples dominated the landscape; participation in the worship of the gods and their feasts was a prominent part of life in Corinth. These pagan feasts were another major issue that the Corinthian church wrestled with (8:1-10:33).
A large colony of displaced Jews also developed in the city, many of whom may have arrived after the emperor Claudius’s edict expelling Jews from Rome. When Paul traveled to Corinth on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Priscilla, who became his friends and co-workers (Acts 18:1-3). Paul stayed at Corinth for over a “year and a half, teaching the word of God” (Acts 18:11).
The church of Corinth, born in such a hothouse of paganism and promiscuity, went through serious birth pangs. Their troubles provide, through Paul’s letter to them a rich collection of solutions to the practical issues of Christian life and community. - NLT Illustrated Study Bible
Paul deals with a wide range of problems and questions that faced the church of Corinth and some of which reflect the problems of the city itself and as such gives them specific advice on how to deal with them. His advice to them truly comes from the teachings of Christ and are principles that are rooted in the Good News itself.
One of those principles that I want to discuss in this blog is unity in the church. In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. He addresses divisions in the church as Corinthian believers were arguing over which of the leading evangelist such as Paul, Apollos, or Peter. With some saying, “I only follow Christ” which we will dig into here shortly. They were divided over forming factions loyal to different Christian leaders in the church and this breaking unity in the Corinthian church. As such, Paul rightly rebukes them for their arguing and worldly comparisons. As my study Bible rightly states…
Christian devotion is to be given to Christ, not to his messengers.
Paul speaks to this division that we are bound together as fellow members of Christ’s body by a common commitment to Christ as Lord and by the shared experience of God’s Spirit, believers are to live together in unity. This letter highlights the importance of relating to other believers in sacrificial love, the kind of love shown by Christ himself.
Paul begins the letter with a few words about himself, he thanks God for their spiritual gifts he sees being lived out of the Corinthian Christians and eloquent words and wisdom God had blessed them with. Additionally, Paul shares his confidence with them that God will keep them safe until the end when Jesus returns. Paul is affirming and encouraging the Corinthian believers, but then he begins to address the sin he sees in the church there among them.
So let us read 1st Corinthians 1:10-17 here together.
Divisions in the Church
10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 NLT
Here we have Paul writing to them about the division among them in the church. This division was that they were elevating human leaders, instead of elevating Christ. The house of Chloe had informed Paul that there were divisions within the church caused by exaltation of human leaders. These human leaders we find were Paul, Apollos, Peter, or “I only follow Christ” in verse 12 as this was troublesome because they thought of themselves as more holy than the others because they were not giving allegiance to human authority, but only to Christ. Of course, it is good to focus on Christ, but this group within in the church was doing it in a way where they thought better of themselves over the Paul, Apollos and Peter factions. As my study Bible shares, “this might refer to a group who disavowed allegiance to any human authority and viewed themselves as more holy than others.” That is not the Spirit of Christ, that is not the spirit of unity.
Paul appeals to them, not by his authority, but by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ as they all share this commitment together. On the basis of their same spiritual standing and hope, Paul appealed to them to strive for unity. Paul had also written to the church in Rome in Romans 14 as he gave a plea for unity among believers. Paul wrote 1st Corinthians before writing Romans and calling for a plea of unity. The connection I want to make here is that Paul writes about unity multiple times throughout his letters in the New Testament. Division and conflict among the believers in the church were not isolated instances, but this was happening among believers throughout the church and this still occurs in the church today among us sadly.
To quickly sum up Romans 14:1-23 Paul calls for A Plea for Unity. Paul’s first point was “Do not condemn one another” and secondly was “do not cause another believer to stumble.”
Returning to 1st Corinthians, Paul then lays out four things that he appeals to them with by the authority of Jesus. It is these four things that I want to focus in on in this blog that Paul writes about in verse 10.
10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1) to live in harmony with each other. (2) Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, (3) be of one mind, (4) united in thought and purpose. - 1st Corinthians 1:10 NLT
As I reflected on this, I believe it would be good for us to stop and reflect on these four things in asking the following questions.
“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, what does it mean….”
1. …to live in harmony with each other?
2. …for there to be no divisions in the church?
3. …for believers to be of one mind?
4. …to be united in thought and purpose?
I want to encourage you to write out a response to each of these questions and then pray over each one asking for the Holy Spirit to help you strive for unity in the church as a follower of Jesus Christ. Let us read through some Scripture together to see how we should seek unity in Christ.
“How good and pleasant is it when God’s people live together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1 NIV
This Psalm of wisdom emphasizes peaceful and harmonious relationship that manifest the presence of God. The psalmist speaks of the joy of relationships that are set apart for Christ. Where believers find harmony among one another.
Instructions for All Christians
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT
Peter called for the presence of these spiritual realities: unity, compassion, brotherly love, pity, courtesy, giving, of blessing for evil, no evil speaking, hatred or evil, doing good, and seeking peace. All believers must respond to other believers and unbelievers with love.
In Paul saying “Let there be no divisions:” His desire was not simply that they avoid divisiveness, but that they be so filled with the Spirit of Christ that they would be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. I like how Paul emphasizes the simple message of the cross
Unity in the Body
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:1-16 NLT
As Christians, we are to accept each other warmly, just as God accepts us with a love that is as deep as the oceans and as endless as space. How can we as brothers and sisters united in Christ strive for unity in the church in seeking to love, build and encourage one another as Christ’s ambassadors? Blessings