1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NIV)
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, 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. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 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.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 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.
Now that Paul has reminded the Corinthians of the many blessings they have received in Jesus, he jumps right into the heart of the problem, the issue that is addressed all through this letter: division. The church in Corinth was not unified as a single body through which the cause of Christ could move boldly forward.
Chloe and her household were leaders in the Corinthian Church, and they had reached out to Paul for help in reuniting a Church that had grown increasingly divided. And the source of division was what would be called today “sectarianism”, the division of the church into competing groups based on theology and the personalities of their leadership.
Paul was dismayed, indignant even, that people had divided themselves based on theological leadership. To his dismay, some were claiming to be following him in style, and theological distinctives. Still others were following Apollos, who had come to Corinth while Paul was in Ephesus on his third journey (Acts 19:1). Apollos had an impressive and passionate ministry style, and many were imitating that. Others claimed to follow Cephas, that is Simon Peter. These were believers who were more Jewish in their background. And there were some who simply claimed to follow Jesus without holding up any specific leader.
Paul’s indignation flashes forth from his letter. How dare these Corinthians follow any man, even himself, instead of following Jesus alone! Paul had not died to pay for their sins, so no one should be following him as their Savior.
Paul had baptized several of the Corinthian Christians, but his calling had never been to make followers for himself. His goal had always been solely to make followers for Jesus, taking nothing away from the devotion that every believer owed only to Him.
Father, unfortunately we have continued the division that existed in Corinth into our own time, and have actually increased it, dividing ourselves into denominations, sects, and even factions within denominations, so that the Church is seen by outsiders as non-unified, and even as groups battling each other. And, to our shame, that perception is all too true. Forgive us, Lord, for dividing what You created to be one. Forgive us for dividing our energies so that we are far less effective than we should be, than we would be if we were all pulling together in the same direction. During these troubled and confusing times, we have the perfect opportunity to see more clearly the central things that unite us, and to see the necessity for essential unity so that the cause of Your kingdom can move briskly forward. Unite us, Lord, so that we can fully be Your people and effectively do Your work in Your power. Amen.