1 Cor 1:10-17
"Church Unity"
We have seen that Paul wrote I Corinthians in response to several questions the Corinthians had about his teaching. The Apostle also received occasional reports from some that had been involved with the church in Corinth. Paul begins the body of his letter by responding to a report he received from "Chloe's people." We don't know who Chloe or her people were. It is likely that Chloe owned a business and her people who worked for her traveled a lot. Thus Chloe's people had come to Ephesus, and reported to Paul about some problems within the Corinthian Corinth. Remember Paul had planted the church in Corinth; he still maintained an ongoing relationship with them.
So Paul begins his letter by addressing the problem of disunity in the church. This was not the only problem in the church, but considering the amount of space Paul devotes to the subject, the Apostle considered it a most serious problem.
Chloe's people reported that there were quarrels and disputes among the members. The Christians there had been attaching themselves to different personalities, different ministers. We should not think by what Paul writes in v. 12 that there were four different groups in the church, but that in general the people were finding value in identifying with certain ministers.
Now it is important to remember that in the Roman world, one achieved status by whom they knew, and whom they were attached to. The Corinthians had been disappointed that Paul refused to do what all other professional speakers did. Professional teachers would attach themselves to wealthy and influential members of the community. Your importance as a teacher was based upon the importance of the patron you identified with.
The Corinthians continued thinking this way even in the kingdom of God. A majority in the church was embarrassed of Paul. They didn't want to attach themselves to his name. So they chose other ministers to identify with. Some said they were followers of Apollos. Apollos was an eloquent speaker who had been converted to Christ. He soon became an associate of Paul. Apollos spent some time ministering in Corinth. So many were impressed with his speaking abilities over against Paul that they chose to identify with Apollos instead of Paul.
Some attached themselves to the name of Cephas, better known as Peter. We are not sure if Peter ever visited Corinth, but it is possible that some who had been under Peter's ministry moved to Corinth, and considered themselves Peter's disciples.
Some had remained loyal to Paul. They used his name for their status and proclaimed themselves Paul's loyal followers. But Paul is not impressed with them either.
The Corinthians were clearly placing too much emphasis on men. Since in their culture one found importance in names, they found value in which ministers they followed.
So often we fall into that trap. We find an author or pastor, past or present, and call ourselves followers of him. We begin to think these men cannot err, and we think of ourselves more spiritual because we follow them.
I wonder if John Calvin would squirm today if he saw how many schools and movements were attached to his name. It is not as if we cannot appreciate how these men have helped us understand the Bible, but these are only men, only servants of Christ. It is likely that there were more ministers Paul doesn't even mention in v. 12 that the people were identifying with.
So while it is wrong to exult the place of ministers, it is also wrong to ignore their ministry altogether. This is the case with the fourth example Paul gives in v. 12. Some were saying that they didn't follow any man, but were followers of Christ. Sounds very spiritual, but Paul is not impressed.
You know who these people are. These are the ones when you are discussing theology or church history say, "I don't need to read men, I get my theology from the Bible." "We don't need Confessions or doctrinal statements written by men, we just have Christ." They smugly act as if they have a direct pipeline to God, and do not need the ministry of the church or her ministers.
While this may sound spiritual, it is actually spiritual pride. You do need the ministry of pastors and theologians, as long as you keep them in their proper perspective.
So the Apostle Paul calls on the Corinthians to come together; to stop making divisions among themselves. Paul calls for unity in the church.
Now before we consider Paul's solution to their disunity, I want to consider some wrong ways to achieve unity in the church. I am aware of how often a call for unity in the church as been abused. Based on your own past experiences, a call for unity can end up being more negative than positive.
First of all, it is crucial to understand that unity is not uniformity. Unity is not uniformity. A church where only white people are welcome, even if those white people get along great, has not achieved unity, but uniformity. If a church holds exclusively to one man's views on everything, and looks down on all that do not; you have not achieved unity, but uniformity.
If everyone in the church is expected to dress alike, or listen to the same music, you only have uniformity. Even if you base unity on full doctrinal agreement, what happens when someone joins the church still wrestling with certain doctrines, like election, or infant baptism? Can you not have unity with that fellow member?
Now this is not to deny that fellowship is often easier with those we have more in common with. But the unity Paul is speaking of goes beyond the ease we have around certain people.
It is easy to fall into the trap of confusing unity with uniformity. But Paul will stress the importance of achieving unity while not having uniformity, especially as he deals in chapter 8 with different convictions within the church. His answer is not to all adopt the same convictions. Quite the opposite is true.
By the way, it is no great honor to have unity based on uniformity. Cults have been doing that very well for years.
Secondly, biblical unity cannot be based on fear. Remember how the people of Israel would not go against the Pharisees because they feared them. Often church unity is used by overlords who only want their own way, with no disagreements or opposing opinions. In this sense church unity becomes the last refuge of scoundrels.
I remember hearing a pastor on the radio addressing his congregation about their plans to build a multi-million dollar gymnasium. After explaining the purposes for the facility, he actually warned the people that this program is of God. If you are against the building program you will be getting in God's way.
This is using fear to lord it over the brethren, and this does not please God. It gets to the point when the subject of the sermon is church unity, the people say to themselves, "what does the leadership want now?" Fear of the pastor or elders is not a proper motivation for church unity. If people remain supportive out of fear of reprisal, you have not achieved Christian unity.
Finally, the third wrong way to achieve unity is by law. After all, we read from Proverbs where the Lord clearly stated how he hates discord sowed among the brethren. But if only the law of God motivates us, it will only produce an outward restraint.
You know what I am talking about. You smile to one another at church, you refrain from letting out your true feelings or thoughts, but then you get in the car. Now you begin to talk negatively about people in the church, and you go home and have your favorite Sunday meal; boiled pastor. You wait until you get in the car because you know it is wrong to sow discord among the other people. You know the law, so you exhibit restraint in the presence of others. But your heart is still full of discord and judgmentalness against your brothers.
Now don't get me wrong, I thank God for restraint. But is that really what Jesus died to accomplish? Did He give us His Spirit so we would only have outward restraint, or did He fill us with His Spirit to produce a heart of love and forbearance? Did our Lord only exhibit outward restraint in His life, or were His actions the result of an inner disposition?
No, to achieve true Christian unity we must look beyond uniformity, or fear, or even God's law. How does the Apostle Paul deal with the problem?
We see first that Paul's appeal to the Corinthians comes not as a bare command, but as an appeal to them as brothers. Paul could have easily said, "I am an apostle of God; I command you to cut it out, be unified!"
But Paul does not speak this way. He knows that the Spirit produces willful and joyful obedience, not from compulsion. Paul begins tenderly; "I appeal to you brothersÉ" Again in v. 11 he calls them "my brethren." It is not as if Paul's appeal has any less authority than a command of God. Paul is not simply asking. But his approach reveals Christ's tenderness towards His sheep, those in the family of God; whose sins have been forgiven. When we hear the term "brethren" we are reminded of what Christ accomplished; He has made us one family in Him eternally.
Paul grounds His appeal for unity in the name of Christ (v. 10). Brothers and sisters, consider Jesus Christ as you heed my appeal for unity; consider what it means to be in Christ; to have had His name placed upon you. You are now His people whom Christ has loved and forgiven. Love one another with the love of Christ for you.
We see in v. 10 that Paul not only wants our behavior to change, but also our thinking, our inner disposition. He calls us to be of the same mind, and the same judgment. We are to think alike about certain truths. To achieve Christian unity, Christ and His gospel must transform our minds. The Corinthians were still thinking in the old ways, but Paul reminds us of the new way in Christ.
The Apostle poses a rhetorical question in v. 13. His first question addresses those who say they only follow Christ opposed to men. Paul asks, "Is Christ divided?" Another way of saying that is, "Can Christ be parceled out only to certain ones in the church?" "Do you have exclusive rights to Christ that you can brag about Him in this manner?"
His next questions provoke those who were finding their value in following certain ministers. Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? Though we may appreciate ministers who have had a positive influence on us, Paul points us to Christ to find our identity, not to any man. Christ only used them, but He was the one who ministered to you. Look to Him and find your joy.
It is Christ who died in your place. It was Christ who took your sins upon Himself. It is Christ's name you were baptized in. It is Christ who gave you His righteousness. What is more important, the minister who baptized you, or Christ in whose name you were baptized?
In v. 14 Paul expresses thanks to God that he did not baptize many in the church. He only remembered two men that he had baptized. Paul is not minimizing the importance of baptism. But given the way the Corinthians were attached themselves to ministers, he is glad he did not form a larger personality following by baptizing many. The Apostle gladly allowed the other ministers to baptize.
As Paul was dictating this it is likely that his scribe, or someone else in the room, reminded him that he did baptized the household of Stephanas. So in v. 16 Paul holds his thought and adds that he did baptize Stephanas' household, and possibly a few others, but he doesn't remember exactly who. Obviously Paul did not use baptism as a means of adding another notch in his belt. It wasn't important to him which minister baptized.
V. 17 is the Apostle's summary statement that will set the stage for the coming passages. "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." Now we see why Paul is so concerned with church unity. Lack of unity is a denial of the cross! For Paul the gospel was at stake. He wasn't concerned that the believers get along just so things would be more pleasant.
We might understand Paul's point if we remember that in the Roman world the professional rhetoricians weren't really just speaking about philosophy in the abstract - they were intensity practical. They desired that after listening to them you would change the way you live. They had the power to affect lives.
The Corinthian Christians were attributing to certain men the ability to motivate them; to change the way they live. But where does the power to serve God come from? Where does the power to receive faith come from? Does it come from a minister's personality? His rhetorical skills? His ability to persuade? Or is it a power not of this world?
Is it not the power of God manifested in the cross of Christ? The preaching of the cross to those who are being saved is the power of God. You see, their disunity revealed a deeper problem. The Corinthians were lacking faith in Christ, and in His promise to sanctify His people. They were not satisfied to find their identity with Christ. They wanted to feel important in the eyes of others. Losing faith, they began trusting in certain men's ability to persuade and move them. And since they looked to different men and their skills, they were treating the cross of Christ as powerless and ineffective.
Paul realized that when an unbeliever comes in and sees factions based on men's personality, the gospel they hear would not make sense. The gospel is to be seen in the way the Lord's people love and treat all those in the family of God. Paul reminds them that it doesn't matter who the minister is, as long as he preaches the gospel.
The power is not in the minister's rhetorical skills or persuasive personality, but in the gospel he preaches.
The Corinthians were critical of Paul because while the rhetoricians were making powerful speeches on how to live, Paul spoke with meekness and trembling, lifting up the cross. In their minds Paul wasn't very effective.
This is the context of the great debates about the great awaking in 18th century America. Many Christians were suspicious of the so-called revivals that were sweeping across the colonies. Many who had been listening to the gospel for years from their local pastors would go out to hear a revivalist, and all of a sudden they were committing their lives to Christ.
While we don't deny that any of those conversions were real, why did so many only respond to the message when it was delivered by men with outgoing personalities? It was the same message. It ended up that many of those who became so enthusiastic under the revivalists did not persevere in the faith. Their faith was not grounded on the gospel, but on the personalities of men.
It is also a fact that many large churches with our most famous preachers dissolved after that preacher left. This ought not to be. The church is not based upon a certain man and his skills.
So what then are we to be of the same mind about? What is true unity based on? Our unity is based on the truth that we are all sinners, and all of us have had our sins nailed on the same Savior. All of us look to the risen Christ as the source of our spiritual strength.
While Christ uses ministers, it is Christ's own power through the cross that accomplishes His purposes in us. The minister only lifts up the gospel to the people. It is the gospel that has the power.
Our unity is found in that Christ is the same Lord of us all, and He is coming again to receive us unto the same place, to enjoy the same fellowship. That is the basis of true Christian unity. Beyond uniformity, beyond fear, beyond the law, we are bound by one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Spirit, and one gospel message. And that bond produced by the Spirit also produces a new disposition; a love from the heart toward our brother and sister in Christ, and a willingness to serve one another as Christ serves us.
Brother's and sisters, by the mercies of Christ, be of the same mind, and be unified, that together you may know the love of Christ for you, and that Christ's love would be lived out in the church. The strength to do so comes not from man, but from the heavenly power of the cross. Amen.