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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.
First off, I like how Paul begins – “in the name of our Lord Jesus”. It’s not in Paul’s name or the church’s name that Paul wants divisions stopped – but in Jesus’ name. If we would only remember who it is we belong to when we backbite, quarrel, and divide – maybe we’d think twice.
Then Paul says “I appeal to …. That all of you agree with one another.” It literally means: “to say the same thing.” This doesn’t mean that we all chant the same mantra – but it’s being “perfectly united in mind and thought.” Our purposes need to be the same, our goals, our perception and our judgment.
“Division” is where we get the English word “schism.” It means to tear a garment. If you’ve been in a church where there is division it is like tearing a piece of cloth – its messy and hard, and it ruins everything. Contrast that with “to unite” which comes from the word for mending fishing nets.
When the fishermen were out there casting their nets, catching big fish – sometimes they would tear from use. You’d see them spend hours in the evening mending those nets so no fish will escape. That word picture should be in our minds – as we Christians are focused – not on each other – but on catching souls for the Lord – sometimes in the process people get bruised up and thrown around – so we should spend time mending, understanding each other, comforting each other, healing each other – instead of doing what Christians do all so well – the only army that shoots its wounded!
So with that in mind, Paul launches into the problem at hand:
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."
The dispute that some folks from Chloe’s family brought to Paul involved people aligning themselves with different leaders. Paul spent a great deal of time in Corinth – Apollos – a gifted orator and apologist – came afterward. Perhaps Peter came through as well – each group had their “favorite” leader – to the exclusion of the other.
This is so often what happens in divisions. One leader or prominent member of the church doesn’t get his or her fair share, or their way, or they feel slighted – and everyone rallies around their favorite person. Maybe these factions formed around those that brought them to the Lord – but notice that none of the actual men named are doing the dividing – people often make up things to support their cause.
“If Apollos were here he’d give you what for – you’re wrong!” or “my apostle can beat up your apostle!” The problem is – we are focusing on man instead of God – and I find that is often the case when division happens. Either a leader puts him or herself above the Lord, or people raise up a man above what he should.
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
The problem is, when man divides the church – who really gets divided? Or as Chuck Smith says “when the body of Christ gets divided, who bleeds?”
The beginning of verse 13 is a rhetorical question – basically saying “the body of Christ should not be divided into rival groups.” The focus is on the Lord Jesus whose body we are – Paul didn’t go to the cross, and when you are baptized you are not baptized into the name of a man, but in the name of the Lord – to belong to Him – not coming under the authority of a man to the exclusion of others in the body of Christ.
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.)
This may give us a clue as to the nature of the dispute in Corinth. The lines of dispute may have formed around the leaders that first brought them to the Lord and baptized them.
In those days there were not the denominations we have today – which sprung up because of divisions over doctrine and rallying around one man over another. Baptism continues to be a source of strife within the church – some denominations claim you have to be baptized in their water or you aren’t saved. Paul I think shoots this down in verse 17:
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.
Some churches teach today that if you aren’t baptized you will go to hell. I think Paul refutes that here.
The Apostle Peter tells us that baptism is not the removal of dirt from the body – its not the physical washing, but the “pledge of a good conscience toward God.” (1 Peter 3:18). Physical baptism is just an outward sign of an inward act that God accomplished through us when we were clothed with Christ – washed in His blood.
So Paul didn’t come to baptize, but to preach – “not with words of human wisdom.” In other words – you shouldn’t come to Jesus because some person gives a good talk. Romans 1:16 “ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”
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."
Paul’s beginning to build an argument here – focus on Christ, not man, focus on the power of the gospel, not the rhetoric of man. To those who do not understand what Jesus did, the gospel will appear as foolishness, but those of us who do understand we realize how powerful the good news really is.
But don’t look for that power in your intellect – yes, God reasons with us, and should move our minds – but understanding the gospel comes by ceding your will to what God is doing for you, not in your attaining some form of heightened intellectual insight into who God is.
Trying to live the Christian life by your own smarts will get you into trouble. Corinth was a pretty intellectual place – really the seat of Greek philosophy at the time of Paul’s writing this letter. God has this funny way to frustrating our efforts to intellectualize Him.
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.
Let me point out that Paul is not taking aim at trying to understand God by studying His Word – but at worldly pursuits at understanding God. The world rejected God, and so God created a way of salvation that would look foolish to the intellectual.
Think about it – would you have made up this system of salvation? I wouldn’t have.
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.
We all have our idea of how we would have created salvation – for the Jews it was the demonstration of divine power – for the Greeks it would be found by an intellectual pursuit. I probably would have just picked the people I liked and sent the rest packing for no particular reason – glad I’m not God!
Here is an alternate translation of verses 22-23:
For Jews want to see powerful and amazing acts (or, deeds) to show that God is at work; non-Jews expect to get great understanding.
(from the UBS Handbook Series.)
But the power and the wisdom should point us to Christ – not to the power or the wisdom itself.
I love this next verse:
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Of course, Paul isn’t saying God is foolish or weak – but even the smallest thought of God is more profound than the highest expression of wisdom of this world.
No amount of power or intellect will give you a true understanding of who God is. That’s part of the problem we fall into. We respond to the gospel, but then our intellect or our idea of who should be in charge gets back in the way. We fall back into old habit patterns – pride, power, and prejudice can very easily take over if we don’t keep our lives in subjection to God’s wisdom.
Maybe we don’t always approve of what the other guy is doing – we want it our way. We need to remember whom we are really serving and who is really in charge.
So Paul reminds the Corinthians, who think they are something special on a stick, where they came from:
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.
Despite the wealth of the city, many of the members of the Corinthian church were from more of the working class of people – like us, I suppose. Yet it is to people like this that God called – to people like us – to show that worldly wisdom and strength are not going to get you very far in God’s kingdom.
Do you ever wonder why the politically powerful, the fabulously wealthy, and the enormously famous don’t come to Christ very often? When was the last time you heard of a movie star coming to Christ and repenting? When it happens its big news in the media.
In fact, as Jesus Himself pointed out “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:23
Why? Because fame, power, and wealth create a false sense of self sufficiency. If I’m self sufficient then I don’t need God. It’s like the farmer who had so much abundance that he built bigger and bigger barns to store it all – thinking he had it easy, until God told him he was going to die and lose it all.
In order to find true wealth, we’ve got to become poor spiritually – admitting that we’ve blown it and throw ourselves on the mercy of God through Jesus Christ – then the riches of His grace overflow into our lives. To find true fame, we’ve got to become the servant of all – to find true power we must cede our own desires and let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through us.
But its not the kind of wealth fame and power that the world gives. The world’s values are a mask to keep us from realizing true reality. Those that aren’t blinded by the world often have an easier time understanding need – both materially and spiritually.
And they have less to boast about, frankly. Once you start thinking you have a lot, then you start believing your press clippings that you are something pretty special. In reality (Isaiah 64:6) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
Truth is, we don’t just need a good washer, we need a whole new rag!
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."
The quote comes from Jeremiah 9:23-24: “This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.”
Now, why did Paul put this here about boasting? I think it ties in directly with the idea of watching out when men start to assert themselves, or when others put men up and it divides the body of Christ.
Wealth, power, and fame are not just weaknesses of the world – they are potential problems for leaders in the church as well. I’ve said this many times, no matter who you are – the pastor of a huge church or the leader of a large Christian organization – if you don’t reflect the character of Christ then you are wrong – period!
With that – I want to spend a few minutes giving you the hallmarks of a bad leader, and the values of a good leader.
Leaders
1. A bad leader focuses on himself or herself – a good leader focuses on the Lord
Watch out when people start lauding men, and their doctrine – instead of lauding God and His Word. It doesn’t mean we can’t say nice things about someone’s message – but there is a line that you cross when it becomes man worship, not encouragement.
2. A bad leader polarizes – a good leader builds bridges
When a leader starts to pit one group against another, you’ve got problems. Now I’m not saying that a leader should be afraid to make decisions – even unpopular ones – but building relationships is more important than building empires.
3. A bad leader models the Savior around the world – a good leader models his world around the Savior
I’ve seen this many times – using worldly business wisdom to run the church. It shouldn’t work that way. Reference Matthew 10:25-28. Our values should come from the Lord, not “10 Ways to Get Ahead in Business”
4. A bad leader wants servants – a good leader is a servant
A leader often blazes the trail, but a good leader will watch to make sure everyone makes it through safely.
Let’s conclude by looking at Matthew 20:25-28
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
