Uniting A Fractured Family Series

We covered Paul’s opening words of the letter last Sunday, from 1 Cor 1:1-9.

• He addressed them as those who are sanctified and called saints in Christ.

• He gave thanks to God for the many gifts that they have been blessed with.

• The faithful God who started the work in them will see them through to the end.

With that, Paul launched into his great concern – the divisions in the church.

1 Cor 1:10-17

10I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarrelling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Chloe’s people came and reported to Paul that there were quarrelling among them.

• It seems that the church was divided into at least four factions, each having its own following and emphasis.

• They were taking sides to support their “favourite” leaders, which was tearing them apart.

In the context of how Paul described it, the different “parties” were exalting their favourite leaders against the others.

• There is no indication that the leaders were fighting among themselves. It wasn’t about Paul fighting against Apollos, or Apollos against Cephas, or Cephas against Paul.

• The people were quarrelling because they were taking sides and forming alliances supporting the respective leaders.

The context gave us a hint as to why – each leader has his own personality and giftings, and hence unfortunately a following.

• The people were divided as to who is the better leader to follow; who is the more capable, more superior, or more spiritual leader.

Would it be PAUL, since he founded the church? Was he the better leader?

• Those who came to know Christ right at the beginning would appreciate him.

• Being trained as a Pharisee, Paul was an excellent teacher of the Law and great knowledge, as we know from his writings.

• But not everyone likes him. We know of more of his opponents in 2 Corinthians.

• Paul was in Corinth only for 1½ years. He was more like an absent leader.

What about APOLLOS? Should the church follow him?

• We learnt of him from Acts 18. Luke introduced him to us in Acts 18:24-28

24Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27And when he wished to cross to Achaia [Corinth], the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

That was impressive. Besides an initial weakness – not “knowing the way of God more accurately” but corrected by Priscilla and Aquilla -

• Luke tells us he was eloquent, competent, fervent in spirit, a great help to believers.

• A gifted teacher, good debater and an excellent apologist, all rolled into one.

• And he came to Corinth. Paul left when he came, handing the church to Apollos.

Many would have liked Apollos, a really impressive leader. But Paul has this to say.

1 Cor 3:5-9 5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labour. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.