TEARING APART
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Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, thank you for bringing me to faith in Jesus so that I would have eternal life with him. Help me to live my life in ways that bring him glory.
Read 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10–17
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
A Church Divided Over Leaders
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, 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[b]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in 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 wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 11 and 26; and in 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 6:8; 7:24, 29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6, 20, 26, 39; 15:1, 6, 50, 58; 16:15, 20.
- 1 Corinthians 1:12 That is, Peter
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Where have you experienced the power of Christians and local churches working together? What has God done through that unity?Paul has prayed for grace and peace to come to the Corinthians, and has reminded them of what God has done, and will do, in and for them. On that basis he urgently (v. 10) asks them to address their differences of opinion. In case they’re inclined to deny or downplay the situation, Paul makes clear he has a local source with both sufficient credibility to count and concern to be publicly cited (v. 11). They must face it: their divisions are tearing the church apart (vv. 12, 13).
What’s causing the divisions? Rather than seeing themselves as one church community, they were grouping with particular leaders (and possibly magnifying apparent differences between them). The language in verse 12 (literally, ‘I am of Paul’ and ‘I am of Apollos’ etc.) suggests that individuals were identifying with a leader rather than with the whole church.
Worse still, from Paul’s perspective, they were downplaying the significance of Jesus himself, who has somehow become just one among four leaders. They need to remember who was crucified for them. Everything they’ve received comes from Jesus alone, of whom the others are just heralds.
Apply
What causes of division can you see in your local church context? How can you pray and work for unity?
Closing prayer
Father, help me to be an instrument of your peace in my Christian community, a peace that is centered on Christ, overflowing with mercy and grace.
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