Comments on 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

  In the last post I discussed some of Paul’s initial ministry in Corinth as well as the worldliness that was rampant in the city. We were, however, able to see that Paul started with encouraging the believers, reminding them of their high position “sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling…” He also reminded them of their surety of salvation in “our Lord Jesus Christ,” and the “fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We’ll be picking up the epistle in verse 10, where Paul begins his exhortation of the believers: 

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”

As I mentioned above, Paul spent the opening of his letter in encouragement, but now comes to exhortation. Encouragement gives hope to the weary soul, exhortation, on the other hand, is more of an incitement to right action. You’ll note here as well that Paul’s exhortation is “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Whether we are encouraging one another or exhorting, we need to make sure that we are doing it how the Lord would have us. Paul’s exhortation here starts with his desire (and I believe the Lord’s desire) that the believers there in Corinth be in agreement with one another. We see the initial hints of the trouble of denominationalism in these verses, but Paul’s exhortation is that these divisions not exist. Now this is not to say that every believer will have the same gift, the same exercise, or the same ministry but that, as the body works together, so too would the body of Christ. I appreciate the phrasing in the KJV here: “but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind…”  The Greek word there is κατηρτισμένοι from the root word καταρτίζω which is a medical term showing a human body knit together, or mended. Paul is reminding them that just as the human body can experience wounds and then heal, so too the spiritual body in Corinth could mend even if hurts had been felt or inflicted. They are to have the “same mind and … the same judgment.” Since we are to judge things by the mind of Christ, as we read about in Philippians, our judgment ought to be in accordance with the revealed will of God in the Scriptures.

As an additional note here, I appreciated once again Ironside’s commentary, and so I’ll quote it in full here. “I have heard people justify these denominational divisions by saying that each one represents a different regiment in the army of the Lord: just as the military has the cavalry, the infantry, the artillery, the air corps, and the engineers, we have different denominations, and each Christian can choose for himself the one he prefers. This is a very comfortable way of looking at it if one does not want to have his conscience exercised by present-day conditions, but the fact of the matter is that Scripture tells us that divisions are the work of the flesh.” While denominations do exist in the modern day, we ought to be willing to accept all that are the Lord’s in fellowship. I’m not saying we ought not be discerning, but we need to be careful to not exclude those that are true believers as we are all part of the body of Christ. 

Paul uses this same analogy of the body in Ephesians 4. Verses 4-6 read: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” Recognizing this truth, we might have disagreements, but we won’t quarrel as we both earnestly seek the Scriptures to find, not which one of us is “right” but rather what the mind of Christ is on a certain matter. This becomes easier as we pray for each other and lift one another up.

Paul then goes on to publicly state where he was getting his information from. “I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people…” If the report had been false, Chloe’s household had nothing to hide behind. In this case, though, the report was true. I think the principle here for us is to not anonymously accuse the brethren of wrong-doing. If we know of a brother in sin, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18 to go to him in private. “...if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; …” (vs15-17). There is no place in the Christian life for subterfuge or anonymous accusations of the brethren and so Paul informs the Corinthian assembly where the reports of quarrels came from. 

Paul then gets to the heart of the problem. The divisions in the local assembly there in Corinth seem to have been centered around prominent brethren. One of the commentaries I read suggested that perhaps Paul put in placeholder names to show the foolishness of these divisions, but I’m not sure that’s necessary. It is quite possible that the believers were enamored each with a certain teacher that they had heard. 

In Acts 2 we have Jews from across the Roman Empire having gathered in Jerusalem, hearing Peter preach powerfully from the Old Testament and proclaiming Jesus the Nazarene as the Messiah whom they had been waiting for, attested to by signs and wonders. We read there of those in Jerusalem being baptized at that time which will become important here in the next few verses. 

In Acts 18:24 we read “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures.” He was apparently a well-spoken man, and knew his Bible and so some might have preferred his teaching style.

In verse 1 of the next chapter of our current book Paul describes himself as not having “superiority of speech or wisdom,” and in the eleventh chapter of 2 Corinthians he mentions that he is “unskilled in speech,” and so his sermons might have been more dry compared to the other two, but there might have still been some in the assembly who preferred him. 

The other division Paul mentions, “I of Christ,” seems like a good position to take, but Ironside suggested that perhaps, in this specific instance, the position might have been one of pride rather than humility. They might have been saying, “I would never adhere to man’s teachings but only Christ Himself.” If we take this position to its logical end, we lose out on the teachings of learned men of God and the wisdom that God gave them. While Scripture alone is our authority, God has used teachers throughout the centuries to help His people understand and apply truth. Ignoring all teachers under the banner of “I follow Christ alone” can become spiritual arrogance rather than spiritual maturity. 

Getting back to our passage, Paul writes about the absurdity of the body of Christ being divided. He asks the rhetorical question: “Has Christ been divided?” Wiersbe pointed out “The verb means, ‘Has Christ been divided and different parts handed out to different people?’ The very idea is grotesque and must be rejected. Paul did not preach one Christ, Apollos another, and Peter another. There is but one Savior and one gospel (Gal. 1:6-9).” That passage states: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you have received, he is to be accursed!” Paul was making the same point to the Corinthian believers as he made to the Galatians, and the Ephesians as we read earlier. There is only one gospel and Christ is not divided in that at all.

Wiersbe also pointed out that it is human nature to want to follow human leaders. He wrote, “We tend to identify more with spiritual leaders who help us and whose ministry we tend to understand and enjoy. Instead of emphasizing the message of the Word, the Corinthians emphasized the messenger. They got their eyes off the Lord and on the Lord’s servants, and this led to competition.” I think it is good to find speakers whom you enjoy and who encourage and exhort us to more Christ-like living, but we do need to be careful as we listen that we don’t emphasize the man more than the Word he is preaching. 

Paul continues his rhetoric with, “Paul was not crucified for you, was he?” We know from the entirety of Scripture that one man cannot be crucified for another. Christ’s sacrifice was the only one that would work because He was sinless. We can have sacrificial love for one another, but not salvific sacrifice. So Paul points out the ridiculousness of that thought to show the Corinthians that Christ should be their focus.

Next Paul broaches the subject that will be the theme of the remaining portion of this passage. Baptism. Continuing with his questions that he is obviously expecting negative answers to, he asks, “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Wiersbe shared an anecdote about those he had heard of that had been baptized by a certain preacher, often with “special” water from the Jordan River, on a specific day, “as though these are the matters that are important!” Part of the purpose of baptism, as we read in Romans 6, is identification with Christ. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (vs 4-7). Who baptized us into what water on whichever day are not the important parts. We “died” with Christ and are raised in newness of life. And “with Christ” is the operative phrase there. We are not baptized into Paul, and I believe Scripture is clear here, we ought not be baptized into a denomination either. We are baptized into Christ.

Paul continues by thanking God that, with as much of “respecters of persons” that the Corinthians had shown themselves to be, he hadn’t baptized many in that assembly. He mentions two names here in verse 14, Crispus and Gaius. You’ll remember Crispus from the last post as he’s mentioned in Acts 18 as the leader of the synagogue there in Corinth who came to faith in Jesus (v8). And while there is a Gaius mentioned in Acts 19 and 20, he is said to have been from Derbe so I think it more likely that the Gaius mentioned at the end of Romans (which you’ll remember was written by Paul while he was in Corinth) as his host is the one Paul is meaning here (Rom. 16:23). Again, I don’t feel I can make this point too strongly, we are and ought to be baptized into Christ and nothing or no one else.

We do know from Acts 18:8 that “... many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” So one cannot make the argument that baptism isn’t important, or the natural consequence of being saved and desiring to obey God but rather the point Paul is making is that none were baptized “in [his] name.” In Acts 1:5 “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” and Acts 11:16 refers back to that as well. Romans 6:3 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus …” Later in 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” And in Galatians 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” We are not now, nor were they then, ever baptized into anything other than the body of Christ. 

Paul then recalls there was another household that he did baptize while there in Corinth. The phrasing of this line leads me to believe that because the baptism being the outward show of the believer’s commitment to Christ, and the supremacy of Christ over earthly things, that Paul did not care to necessarily remember each individual that he had baptized. I have had the privilege of baptizing all of my children, but if they spend their lives being proud of the fact that their dad was who did the baptizing then I will have failed as a father. Christ is to be glorified. It is His life that we’re raised into. It is His death that is pictured in the plunging under the water. He is all and in all. When you believe, the next step of obedience is baptism. I do want to pause here a moment and make sure that it is understood that baptism is not necessary for salvation because then that would be a “work” we would do to be saved. The death of Christ is sufficient to pay for all sins. However, saved people get baptized in obedience to the Father’s will.

As for who this Stephanas was, we read of him again towards the end of this letter. In the 16th chapter verses 15 to 18 Paul writes: “Now I urge you brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.” Stephanas was one of the first believers in the city and had set a good example of serving the saints. Paul remembers baptizing a few of the believers there but was glad it had not been many due to their sectarian nature. The more important thing than even Paul remembering who he baptized is that they were believers whose names were written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In our last verse Paul writes that he had not been sent to do the baptizing but the preaching. He was obviously willing to do both works, but he did feel that the preaching was where Christ had called him. As I mentioned above, Paul admits here that he was not necessarily a clever speaker, but he could present the gospel clearly. He didn’t want to use witty turns of phrase or polished rhetoric to preach the gospel as that might have drawn attention to himself. He was careful to always magnify Christ and the finished work of the cross. 

If we know nothing else of theology or Scripture, we need to make sure we know the gospel well. Paul writes it very clearly later in this letter: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (15:3-5). We need to be sure in our preaching that the cross of Christ will never be made void. Praise God for the finished work of our Savior.

Paul calls the Corinthians back to what matters most: Christ Himself. The gospel is not advanced by the skill of the messenger, nor is the church strengthened by dividing around gifted leaders. It is Christ who was crucified for us, Christ into whom we were baptized, and Christ who must remain the center of our fellowship and message. May we be a people who pursue unity, honor one another, and speak the gospel plainly so that nothing overshadows the power of the cross.