1 Corinthians 1:10-31 Unity

“10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

INTRODUCTION

“Corinth was an ancient Greek city, located at a strategic point on the isthmus that connected the Peloponnesian peninsula to the southern mainland section of Greece (which was called Achaia in Paul’s day) and to the provinces of Macedonia and Epirus beyond. During the Roman military campaigns of the second-century B.C., in 146 ancient Corinth fell and the Romans demolished the city.

During Julius Caesars reign (44 B.C.) the city of Corinth was rebuilt and expanded populated with a variety of freed peoples loyal to Rome.

Corinth became extremely influential and was appointed the capital of the province which included a major banking hub and hosting the Isthmian Games (a form of games such as the Olympics but with sports and arts).

“The geographical location of Corinth made it a vital entity. It bordered on two seas: to the west, in the direction of Rome, was the Corinthian Gulf of the Adriatic Sea; to the east, in the direction of Asia Minor, was the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.

Things & Objects

Brothers

Divisions

Quarrels

Baptism

The Gospel Message

Wise men, scholars, philosophers

Jews & Greeks

Foolish & weak things

Lowly & despised things

The wisdom of God

DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH 1 Corinthians 10-17

Paul had been informed apparently via letter from people in Chloe’s household that there were quarrels among the Corinthians brothers.

These divisions were heated enough that Paul was contacted to appeal to the church for unity.

These divisions were apparently of a theological nature.

“12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

From reading the text Paul addresses Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and baptism saying:

“13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? “

Paul found these divisions ridiculous.

He rhetorically asks, “is Christ divided?”

Naturally the answer is “no” Christ is not divided. There ought not be divisions within the family of God.

These arguments were not about fundamentals or a defense of the faith i.e. Jesus as the Messiah or the resurrection etc.

They were simply arguing about the superiority of who they claimed as their leader and their practices:

Some felt Paul- and Paul may have been tempted toward flattery since he did establish the Corinthian church.

However, unity was so important to Paul he did not fall prey to pride.

Some felt Apollos who was another early influential church leader.

Some felt they should follow Peter aka Cephas since he was Jesus’ right hand man.

Some felt they would just give the churchy answer and say they should just follow Jesus.

They all wanted to be “right” so much that they hung their opinion out as more than just “opinion” rather than desiring unity within the fellowship.

Paul, having heard of the quarrels and divisiveness, was concerned that the church would break apart.

Unity among brothers & sisters in Christ is a key component for spreading the Gospel message and Paul is concerned saying:

“17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel...”

Application:

Brothers & sisters in Christ today are in disunity not because of the Gospel but because of our own selfish agendas.

We argue and bicker and divide ourselves from each other over non-fundamental practices.

Are there things worth dying for? Absolutely! But that should not come from within the church!

A 17th century German Lutheran theologian,Rupertus Meldenius, wrote:

“In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”

I think Paul would have agreed with this assessment.

We would do well to approach our own brothers & sisters in Christ with this in mind.

CHRIST THE WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD 1 Corinthians 18-31

“ 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

The Jews were always demanding signs and miracles of Jesus in order to prove himself.

The Greeks were on a philosophic journey of relativism never really knowing “truth” or wisdom.

Jesus did not “perform” on demand for the Jews but provided the most extraordinary signs and miracles the world has ever witnessed- even raising himself from the dead.

But the Jews did not want those sorts of signs and miracles.

For the Greeks the idea of a king who was beaten, mocked, tortured and crucified was absolutely foolishness.

The Greeks idea of wisdom for a powerful leader was not one who took a beating and died but the one that gave the beating, killed and conquered.

Application:

Just like the Jews the world still wants signs and miracles from Jesus- to keep proving himself over and over again.

They do not accept he has risen from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father

And much like the Greeks the world finds the idea of a suffering servant coming to earth to provide salvation through his own personal sacrifice is foolishness.

This is not the kind of powerful leader and king the world wanted- they see it as worthless

But for those of us who have salvation in Jesus the very fact that He gave up his own life for us is the power of the Gospel.

Yes, he is a stumbling block for the proud- for those who cannot and will not say they need a savior.

They will stumble and fall over Jesus

But for those who accept him we will fall upon Him and be broken but then remade.

For all practical wordly purposes the Gospel seems absurd but it is not a worldly thing-

God has used the weak things of the world to show His strength-

Think of your own lack of strength and how God uses you- there is only one explanation- It is the strength of God

God has used the foolish things of the world to show His wisdom-

Think of how unwise we can be yet God gives us wisdom through his Word

God has used the lowly and despised things of the world to shame the noble

We are not of noble birth yet we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings!

Conclusion

Paul beseeches the Corinthians to have unity rather than division within their fellowship.

He points out the pettiness of their arguments and quarrels and exposes how they try to spiritualize them.

He goes on to instruct them that we ought to have unity because we are called to spread the Gospel message.

The message of the Gospel and the love and unity we ought to have for one another because of it appears as foolishness to the world.

The world would have us at each others throats.

The world would tell us we should not help other Christian churches (especially not others who are not our denomination!)

The world would like to define success and failure for Christians.

But Paul tells the Corinthians that the Gospel appears foolish to the world but to us who are being saved it is the very wisdom and power of God.

May we truly reflect what was said long ago,

“In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”