1 Corinthians 1:10-13
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of the 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. My brothers, 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 Peter”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
Devotion
Today, we will look at a practical example of a divided church. The church at Corinth was known for its infighting and divisions. If you were looking for a church to promote unity it would not have been this church. In many ways, Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church were corrective in nature. Unfortunately, there are many churches today that bear a remarkable resemblance to the church at Corinth.
Paul begins this section by putting the “Lord Jesus Christ” front and center. This is on purpose. It is no mistake that Paul is emphasizing the lordship of Christ here. This church had divisions that were being caused by loyalty to certain church leaders. Paul appeals for unity by emphasizing the lordship of Christ. Some of the people were declaring loyalty to Paul, Apollos, or Peter. It is human nature to identify ourselves with leaders that played a significant part in our spiritual formation. This is so relevant for Oak Pointe Church today as we go through a leadership transition.
Paul is instructing the people to fix their eyes on Jesus. We get in big trouble when we fix our eyes on human leaders. I have seen this firsthand in a church that I belonged to in the past. Many had fixed their eyes on a dynamic leader. When that leader fell, many of the people that fixed their eyes on the man found themselves shipwrecked in their faith. This is what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.
Christ is not divided. Anything that breaks up the unity in Christ has something wrong with it! In essence, Paul is attempting to redirect their thinking away from man and back to Christ. When life is focused around the person of Christ, there can be unity!
Questions to Ponder
Have you ever fixed your eyes on another person instead of Christ? Are you strongly committed to the lordship of Christ? What can Oak Pointe Church learn from this text?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.