A Plea for Unity PT 1
1) The Context
a) With verse 10 we have entered into a new part of the letter.
i) Verse 9 was the conclusion of the introduction and thanksgiving
b) Verse 10 begins an argument or plea for unity because the church of Corinth is dividing itself into little factions and dividing itself over against Paul.
c) This argument for unity will extend all the way to the end of chapter 4.
2) The Structure
a) Make reference to handout
b) David E. Garland makes a great summary of this entire section on pages 38-39: “In developing his argument in these chapters, Paul takes up a concluding affirmation in one unit and then amplifies it in the next unit. He concludes the thanksgiving section in 1:9 by asserting that God called them into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In the next unit (1:10-17) he criticizes them for allowing divisions to arise in the church. The conclusion in 1:17 that he does not preach with eloquent wisdom so as to empty the cross of Christ of its power becomes the subject of the next unit in 1:18-25 about the foolishness of the cross versus human wisdom. The theme of the foolishness and weakness of God (1:25) is developed in 1:26-31 in God’s choice of the foolish and weak. Its conclusion that one can boast only in the Lord (1:31) is developed in 2:1-5, where Paul recalls his first preaching to them in weakness, fear and trembling, and with unadorned speech; yet the power of God created their faith. The concluding contrast between human wisdom and the power of God (2:5) is developed in 2:6-16 with the contrast between the discernment of the spiritual and unspiritual persons. In 3:1-4, Paul characterizes the Corinthians as carnal rather than spiritual people, and cites the party slogans (‘I belong to Paul’ and ‘I belong to Apollos’), derided in 1:12, as proof that they are carnal. This leads into his comparison between himself and Apollos as servants of God, and he uses three metaphors to characterize the church: God’s field (3:5-9a), God’s building (3:9b-15), and God’s temple (3:16-17). In 3:18-23, he recaps his argument about the foolishness of the wisdom of the world, which leads to foolish boasting about leaders. This, in turn, leads to his exhortation on how properly to appraise apostles. They are only servants of Christ. Paul summarizes his argument in 4:6-13 and concludes in 4:14-21 with an exhortation for them to imitate the cruciform existence of apostles. The entire section (1:10-4:21) is set off by the phrase ‘I exhort you’ (1:10; 4:16).”
3) The Introduction
a) We have come to a passage of scripture that urges awesome unity of speech, mind, and thought. One cannot help but think to himself as he reads and ponders what Paul has written and God has spoken in this verse if it is even possible. Is it possible? Is unity in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ like this possible?
b) Humanly speaking, no. It is impossible to achieve such unity in our humanness. Our humanity is by nature selfish, egotistical, and proud. Those are not exactly key components in a recipe for successful unity are they? In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, however, this unity is quite possible. It is not just a far out dream but it is a real possibility.
c) Unfortunately, we have all been touched in one way or another by churches that have failed to heed this encouragement and have splintered, often over some of the most insignificant, inconsequential things. One can only imagine how deeply it must have been affecting Paul to know that this body of believers was struggling so with unity. In fact, we get a glimpse into it with his reference to “brothers.” A word he will use no less than 30x in this book, far more than any NT letter.
d) God’s desire for unity is nothing new. It is based upon the unity of God who being three persons, is one God. Central to the faith of Israel is the confession of the unity of God: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). So because God is one, we are to be imitators of him in this manner. We, as fellow believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are to be one people.
e) Human history is a story of sin’s disruption of God’s ordained unity. God’s idea for marriage is unity and yet 50% of most marriages are divorced within 10 years. God’s ideal for family is unity and yet most families no little about having both a father and mother who deeply love and are committed to each other. Most kids today are raised by a single parent. God’s ideal for the people of Israel is unity and look what happened to Israel, a divided monarchy that could not stand, and God’s ideal for all of his people from every tribe, tongue, and nation is unity for we read in Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.”
f) Jesus prayed that his disciples would experience unity modeled on the unity Jesus experienced with the Father, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one(John 17:11).” Again we read in that same chapter in vv. 20-23, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Such unity verifies the truth of Jesus God sent mission and the Father’s love for his people. When unity is not achieved, God is dishonored and laughed at and doubted.
g) Jesus prayer for unity was achieved in the early church. We read in Acts 2:42-44, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. Again we read in Acts 4:32, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”
h) Again, just as before, human history is a story of sin’s disruption of God’s ordained unity and the early church was not exempt. Unity in the earliest church was threatened by the lies and deception by Ananias and Sapphira, the prejudice of those who neglected the widows, and by the rigidness of those who demanded Gentiles must become Jews before becoming disciples.
i) Will there continue to be strife and dissension in the church? Yes, until the day of the LORD this will be so, but we are supposed to be living now like we are going to be then. We are to be working toward perfect unity on earth between all the people of God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
j) I should say a word here about the kind of unity Scripture talks about and I need to be careful here because this is not an easy subject and there are always a lot of variables that need to be considered. It is not always a black and white issue. In what I am about to say I do not want to be portrayed as a militant fundamentalist but I also do not want to sound like I am a Unitarian who seeks unity at any cost. I hate separation and I am convinced it must always be a last resort, and even then I still don’t like it. Reconciliation is always to be sought after. I seek unity in Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s word with all of my strength. I plea for it and I urge it just as Paul does, but I am not naïve enough to think that we are all going to get along and I know that there are many times when separation is a necessity. There are times when separation is necessary and even commanded by Paul. We will get to that in chapter 5 and six. This is true because truth unites and it also divides.
k) Unity in Scripture is not a unity at any cost. We do not seek unity just for unity sake.
l) There can be union without unity: tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothesline.
m) We do not sacrifice truth for unity. Unity in Scripture is unity around the truth of God’s word and the truth of who Jesus Christ is. It is unity that is found in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
n) A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, "Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless... Unite, unite!" Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord's prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel. – Charles Spurgeon
o) The kind of unity Scripture talks about is the unity in Christ and the unity of the truth of the Scriptures and this kind of unity ought to be sought after with all of our strength, soul, and mind and we must root out all sin and ungodliness that drives us elsewhere.
p) Let me sum up what I am saying by reading this quote by A.W. Tozer on unity. Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.
q) This is the unity we want, that which is tuned to Jesus Christ and his Scriptures. This is the unity Scripture talks about.
r) None of this is to say that there will not be bumps, trials, hardships, disagreements it is to say that we are to do all we can to work out all things in a good and godly manner and so that the church does not result in splintering and fracturing. Unity is not about demanding to always be right.
4) The Problem
a) In verse eleven, we are told that Paul receives a visit from “Chloe’s people” who report to him that there is quarreling among the church over church leaders.
i) We know little to nothing about Chloe and her people. Her name is a nickname for the goddess Demeter, and we know that Corinth was a major site for this cult.
ii) Because of this connection, her name probably reflects servant origins but is now a freedwoman.
iii) Since Paul does not tell the Corinthians who she is, they must have been acquainted with her.
iv) Whoever her and her people are, Paul regards them as reliable witnesses and assumes that the Corinthians would recognize that their testimony carried weight and could not be lightly dismissed.
b) So, Paul is struggling with a church divided against him and a church that is full of quarreling factions. That it is divided over and against him is evident from the whole of chapter four, especially 4:1-6 and 4:18. That it also struggles with inner strife among the members is evident from 1:12.
c) The church of Corinth is full of quarreling (1:11), boasting (3:21, 4:7), pride (4:6), worldliness (3:3), and jealousy (3:3).
d) The quarreling, boasting, pride, worldliness, and jealousy are not the causes of division but rather symptoms of a difficult issue. Why is this? What is causing such things? While we cannot be dogmatic and say this is why they were divided, we can at least say we know these are some of the reasons why, though perhaps they are not all the reasons why. There are at least two obvious causes.
i) First, they have serious misunderstanding and confusion over the gospel. A gospel that is righty grasped and appropriated does not lead to quarrelling and division.
ii) Second, they have serious misunderstanding and confusion over the nature of the church and its leaders, and the leader’s relationship to that church. A true understanding of this will lead to a stronger, united church.
e) So, in this passage of Scripture, 1:10-4:21, we learn something concerning the nature of the gospel, what it is and what it is not, how it encompasses all of life, and not just part of it. How it is the wisdom of God, but foolishness to the world. We learn about the nature of the church, how it is a field, building, and temple, and church leadership, and the relationship of the leaders to the church, and we learn about the nature of Paul’s ministry and servant like authority.
f) This is a rich section of scripture that today’s church has much to learn from. It deserves close study and examination because today’s church seriously fails to appropriate the full gospel in its doctrine and in its lifestyle, and today’s church seriously fails to understand its true nature and the role and relationship of its church leaders and as a result the church of God is hurting. There is still some Corinth in today’s church, more than we would perhaps like to admit.
g) Lets dig a little deeper into the problems at Corinth. There are two words used in verses 10 and 11 that open up a window for us to look into the heart of the problems at Corinth, the first word is “scismata” from which the NIV gets “division.” The word literally rendered means “rent,” or “tear” but metaphorically speaking it refers to a “division,” or “dissension” in people groups.
i) We see this word used in its literal sense in Matthew 9:16 where Christ says, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.”
ii) It is used in its metaphorical sense in John 7:40-43 – “When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ So there was a division among the people over him.” In John 9:16 we read, “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was division among them.” In 1 Corinthians 11:18 we read that there are divisions among them and in 1 Corinthians 1:12 we come across what those divisions are.
h) Here in 1 Corinthians 1:10 when we read “division” we have the metaphorical usage. Paul says he does not want there to be “divisions” among the Corinthian believers. He says the same in 1 Corinthians 12:25, “there should be no division in the body.” However, the most significant thing to realize about this word scismata is it does not mean “break.” It is not as strong as the English word “schism.” It means a division, not a break. There is a tear in the fabric of the church, but it is not completely broken up yet. That is the first word. There are divisions and dissensions between some people in the church, but the church as a whole is not completely broken. The church is still holding together. We would be wrong to think of the church in Corinth as deeply divided with warring factions and irreconcilable differences. There was no break-up yet, but there was some nasty quarreling and strife about leaders.
i) The second word that gives us a glimpse into some of the problems at the church is found in verse 11 and it is “erides” from which the NIV gets “quarrels.” This word literally rendered means “strife,” “debate,” “contention” and “wrangling.” It refers to “hot dispute, the emotional flame that ignites whenever rivalry becomes intolerable” (Welborn 1997).
j) It is a word that appears often in Paul’s list of vices
i) Romans 1:28-32 - We find this word used in Romans 1:29 to describe the works of the unrighteous! It says starting in Romans 1:28, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
ii) Romans 13:13 – “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
iii) In 1 Corinthians 3:3 Paul says to these very same Corinthians, “you are still of the flesh, for while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
iv) In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul lists the works of the flesh and includes “strife” as one of them.
v) In Titus 3:9 Paul says to “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.”
k) We know from verse 12 that this quarreling is over church leadership. Some members of the church have divided with factions forming around favorite leaders.
l) Thus again, let me be clear of the situation that is presented in Corinth. There does not seem to be an actual breakup of the congregation along party lines. They are not split into many different little groups that have nothing to do with each other. Rather, they are a divided congregation in the sense of having factions forming around favorite leaders. Should all of this continue, they are well on their way to a complete break, but as of right now the fabric of the church is torn, but not completely ripped apart.
m) So, we see that the Corinthians are in hot water. Instead of demonstrating the gospel in their lives, instead of seeking to live out the full implications of their belief in a crucified Christ and their unity in him, they are demonstrating works of the flesh that are unprofitable and worthless, which God says those who practice such things “deserve to die.”
n) Something has gone terribly wrong at the Corinthian church with these hot contentions and strife. They are failing to live Christ like lives. They are failing to live cruciform lifestyles and it is this that Paul is going to lay into them for later in chapters two through four with his discussion of wisdom and church leadership. This quarreling stems from jealousy, boasting, and undue pride. This quarreling does not come from a proper understanding of the gospel. It is obvious then that the numero uno problem is the Corinthians failure to understand the full implications of the gospel! Why is there such division and strife and jealousy and pride and boasting? Because they have failed to appropriate the gospel as the center of their lives! The fruit of the spirit, the fruit of a life that is cross centered and Christ exalting and Christ boasting is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If the Corinthians were seeking to live this kind of a life, Paul would have no need to urge them toward reconciliation and the letter of Corinthians would be significantly shorter. Unfortunately, it is clear from a reading of 2 Corinthians that they still did not get the point. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:20 – “For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish – that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.”
5) The Plea
a) Paul urges the believers in Corinth to get along with each other, to have harmony as opposed to discord. He urges two things; that they all agree with one another and that they be perfectly united in mind and thought.
b) There are two things to point out concerning Paul’s appeal to the Corinthian believers. First, notice his strong emphasis on oneness. Three times in the verse it says “same.” Now I realize if you have the NIV and other translations in front of you, it does not have this word once, the KJV does a good job translating this verse, but in any case, in the Greek it is quite clear. It says we should all have the same “speech,” “mind,” and “thought.” What are we to understand by such an emphasis on unity and sameness? Is it saying we are all to be carbon copies of each other, all saying and doing and thinking the same thing? Is that what it means? Does Christian faith demand uniformity? No, that is quite the opposite of what Paul is saying. In fact, as we have discussed before, we are all unique and in chapter 12 we learn there is good reason for that diversity. What then is Paul urging? The answer to this is found in the phrase “be perfectly united.” Another way to say this is “restored” or “mended” or “knit together.” It is the same word used in the gospels to describe the fishermen mending their nets. As one can imagine, the nets used for fishing often would tear from constant use and when they would tear they would need to be mended. Paul here says be mended, be restored, be knit together. You are all unique and diverse, but in that uniqueness and diversity be knit together. Be as one. “He does not mean that they are to think alike on all issues but rather that they are to share the same basic Christian conviction and to be at one with the purposes and goals of the congregation” (Polhill, REVEXP, Summer 1983, 327).
c) This is not an unusual exhortation that Paul makes
i) *Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
ii) Romans 15:5-6 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
iii) ** Philippians 1:27 – “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel…”
iv) Philippians 2:1-2 – “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
v) 1 Peter 3:8 – “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”
6) First, we noticed the emphasis on oneness. Second, I want you to notice the manner in which urges them. He urges them as a brother and he urges them in the authority of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that the quarreling and division at Corinth were heavy on Paul’s heart. He wants them to know that he is suffering with them and that he is talking to them as a brother in Christ. He uses the word “brother” 39x in this letter, far and away the most frequent use in any of his letters. It is a tender appeal. He also urges them to harmony in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is significant for several reasons. First, remember in verse nine he has just reminded them of their fellowship with Jesus Christ. Now he appeals to them in that same name, Jesus Christ, to remind them of that precious fellowship they all have in Christ. We have an awesome bond together in Christ and His is the one name that stands over and against all names that the Corinthian’s are crying. Second, it is authoritative for Paul to beseech unity in Jesus name. It is not unity for unity’s sake that Paul desires it. It is in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for the glory of God, Jesus, and the church that he desires it. Third, it draws their attention away from their petty factions to the beauty of Christ. When we focus our primary attention on horizontal relationships, that is, with each other, we often meet with frustration because new areas of difference keep appearing to distract and divide us. But when we focus our attention on the beauty of Jesus Christ, our differences begin to fade to his incomparable glory and majesty, and our mutual love and knowledge of Christ begin to draw us to each other. The better we know Christ, the more we stay focused on Him, the more we will be drawn together in perfect unity.
672 The Perfect Church
I think that I shall never see
A Church that’s all it ought to be:
A Church whose members never stray
Beyond the Strait and Narrow Way:
A Church that has no empty pews,
Whose Pastor never has the blues,
A Church whose Deacons always deak,
And none is proud, and all are meek:
Where gossips never peddle lies,
Or make complaints or criticize;
Where all are always sweet and kind,
And all to other’s faults are blind.
Such perfect Churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me.
But still, we’ll work, and pray and plan,
To make our own the best we can.
[1]
There is no perfect church, there never will be on this side of glory, but that should not stop us from working, and praying, and planning on making our own the best we can. I plea for this and I urge for this.
Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Native American warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, "What are we going to do?" Tonto replied, "What you mean 'we,' Whiteman?"
Edward Dobson, In Search of Unity, p. 20-27.
There are two ways of being united -- one is by being frozen together, and the other is by being melted together. What Christians need is to be united in brotherly love, and then they may expect to have power.
Moody's Anecdotes, p. 53.
Remember putting your face above a headless frame painted to represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty? Many of us have had our pictures taken this way, and the photos are humorous because the head doesn't fit the body. If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers, would the world laugh at the misfit? Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head?
Dan Bernard.
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[1]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).