An Undivided Body

Series: Spiritual Unity

1 Corinthians 1:9-17

Thesis: As a body of believers, we cannot live in division. We must live in the unity provided by Christ, not allowing division among us by remembering the true meaning of spiritual fellowship and Who our fellowship is rooted in.

Introduction

Read v. 1-8 for context

What do you think about when you hear “fellowship?”

Hanging out; eating together

What do you think fellowship means spiritually?

κοινωνία - communion; sharing; participation (The Lord’s Supper…)

It is communing together in our shared relationship with Jesus, encouraging one another to faithfully walk with Him individually and together…

I think true spiritual fellowship is something the church is missing today… (fellowship used to be deeper than “how was your day”)

v. 9 serves as the foundational verse for the rest of Paul’s argument in this section

“Because we have been ‘called into fellowship with His Son’… we are to be in fellowship with one another”

Fellowship Is Rooted In Christ (v. 9-10)

Reminder of what fellowship means (communion)

“God is faithful” to fulfill what Paul has previously said, confirm us and keep us blameless in Christ for the coming day of His return

“with His Son” is Who we have fellowship with… (communion; sharing; participation)

Romans 8:16–17 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

“agree” and “same” are all the same word - all are to “speak the same thing”

“division” - tear; crack; schism

“made complete” - make adequate; establish; to put into its proper position

How are we made complete?

“same” mind (understanding; way of thinking) and judgement (intention; agreement; purpose)

What does this mean for me?

We have our fellowship with Christ and first and foremost, and because of that we can enjoy fellowship with one another and can be unified in our thoughts and intentions about important matters.

My fellowship with Christ should not only influence my fellowship with other believers, it is what gives me fellowship with other believers. In sharing the same Spirit, God gives us unified hearts in Him, and without unified hearts, there is no unified body…

Fellowship Is Ruined By Quarrels (v. 11-16)

Matthew 5:23–24 ““Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

Chloe - someone at the church in Corinth

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:11–12

While the divisions were certainly real, it is possible, on the basis of Paul’s remark in 4:6, that he made adaptations with regard to party heads so that the names cited—Paul, Apollos, Cephas—were illustrative, in order to avoid worsening

The idea seems to be that they were identifying with different people, and through that they were elevating themselves or trying to teach/get something done on their own terms with their basis being who led them to Christ or baptized them

v. 13 is key (Read again)

These were obviously rhetorical questions

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:13

No man won salvation for the Corinthians, nor did any of them owe their allegiance to anybody except Christ

The conclusion then comes: If Jesus is not divided, no one else died for me except Him, and I am baptized in no other name, then why would I identify myself with anyone else?

We too have to be careful not to identify ourselves more with men than with Jesus. Jesus is the One Whom we all serve, and that service is for the same goal - God’s glorification, serving one another, and bringing the lost to Christ

Crispus - leader of the synagogue in Corinth and led many to Christ

Gaius - hosted Paul and the church in Corinth

Stephanas and his household - some of the first believers in Achaia

Paul is saying that he is glad he didn’t baptize anyone else simply because of the division that was among them and his baptizing them would have added to their confusion (Paul, nor baptism, is the cause of their confusion)

What does this mean for me?

When we are arguing and divided, we are not representing Jesus. The people we may agree with more, have more in common with, or relate with more personally, does not mean that we have to be in division with them. Different people have more things in common and that is okay, but who led you to Christ does not matter more than Christ Whom you serve.

We cannot fight over frivolous things…

Fellowship Is Restored By The Cross (v. 17)

Paul is not discounting the importance of baptism, he is following after the example of Christ

John 4:1–3 “Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.”

Paul’s mission was preaching the Gospel first while others could baptize afterwards

Notice how he described the way he preached the Gospel - “not in cleverness of speech” (cleverness = wisdom)

“void” - cause to lose power; to make empty

Paul’s desire is not to use speech in such a way as to overtake the simplistic message of the Gospel…

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:14–17

Brilliantly persuasive eloquence may win a person’s mind but not his heart, whereas the unadorned words of the gospel, though seemingly foolish by human standards, are made effective by the Spirit of God.

What does this mean for me?

The humility of the cross reminds us of the humility we should live in… Living in humility reminds us that division among us is 99% of the time, pointless… The power of the cross is not dependent on the one who shares it, it is dependent on the One Who hung on it…

Conclusion

Thesis: As a body of believers, we cannot live in division. We must live in the unity provided by Christ, not allowing division among us by remembering the true meaning of spiritual fellowship and Who our fellowship is rooted in.

No matter how elegant your speech is, when it comes to the Gospel message, your words have no match for the power of the Holy Spirit. Let that encourage you…