Being of Christ

Unity

When Paul wrote his first letter to Corinth, he wrote to address and correct various problems and misunderstandings the brethren had. He talked about such topics as the acceptance of a fornicator (1 Corinthians 5), corruption of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11), abuse of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), and misconceptions about the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). The list could continue. But the first problem Paul addressed, which was also in some way tied to the other problems, was that of division. Some were claiming to be “of Paul,” some “of Apollos,” some “of Cephas,” and others “of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:12). In reality, they all should have been “of Christ.” They probably understood that to a certain degree, but still wanted to claim allegiance to these other men. This demonstrates that they did not really understand what it meant to be “of Christ” since Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13). Let us see what we can learn from Paul’s correction of them here as we strive today to be “of Christ.

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?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

For this study, we will see what points we can draw from this passage as it relates to our being of Christ.

God’s Desire for Unity

Paul wrote to them that there would be “no divisions” (1 Corinthians 1:10); thus, unity. This is God’s desire. Jesus prayed for unity shortly before His crucifixion: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You; that they also may be in Us, so that the world my believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus desired His apostles and others who would become His disciples after hearing the word taught (this would include us today) to be united. The unity He desired would run so deep that it would be to the same extent that Jesus and the Father were united. This was Jesus’ prayer – unity among believers.

When Jesus came to earth, one of the things He accomplished was bringing unity between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-16). Typically, these groups of people did not enjoy any sort of unity. They were contrary to each other. But Jesus “is our peace, who made both groups into one” (Ephesians 2:14). He came so that He “might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:16). Unity between these groups is possible because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The place where they enjoy that unity is in His “one body” – that being the church (cf. Ephesians 1:22-23)

God then expects those that make up His church to have unity. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus and told them to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Unity is possible despite our different backgrounds or situations. To the Galatians, Paul wrote: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). We can have unity regardless of differences in race (Jew/Gentile), economic class (slave/free), or gender (male/female). We can also have unity despite our past sins. We noticed that Paul wrote to the Corinthians “that there be no divisions among [them]” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Later he listed various sins that will keep one from inheriting the kingdom – fornication, adultery, idolatry, homosexuality, covetousness, etc. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). He then said that some of the brethren in Corinth had come out of these types of lifestyles (1 Corinthians 6:11). In spite of these former ways of life, they were to be united.

God desires us to have the “unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3), not “unity in diversity.” The “unity in diversity” doctrine states that we can have unity with each other based solely on our belief in Jesus, even if we differ on matters of doctrine or if one continues in sin. But notice what Paul said to the Corinthians after listing sins that will cause one to be excluded from God’s kingdom – “such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Those who promote the “unity in diversity” doctrine claim we can remain in fellowship with adulterers, homosexuals, drunkards, and so on. But this passage states that the Corinthians had given up these practices.

Many times, the “unity in diversity” proponents will point to Ephesians 4:4-6 as our “platform for unity.” This passage states that there is “one body…one Spirit…one hope…one Lord…one faith…one baptism…one God and Father of all.” The claim is made that these are the things on which we must be united and as long as we have unity in these areas, we can be “off” on a matter of doctrine or engaging in sinful practices and unity not be disrupted. But notice that Paul said there is “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5). What is this “one faith”? It is “the faith which was once for all delivered” (Jude 3). It is the revealed word of God. This includes teachings on doctrinal matters and instructions about sin. These things are part of the “one faith” upon which we are to be united. Remember the words of Jesus’ prayer: “Those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one” (John 17:20-21). God desires us to have unity. That unity must be based solely upon the teachings of His word.

God’s Contempt for Division

Paul had been informed that divisions existed in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11). These divisions were contrary to God’s desire for unity and, therefore, were contemptible to Him. God wants His people to enjoy unity. Of course, some division is necessary. Paul later told the Corinthians, “There must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you” (1 Corinthians 11:19). Jesus stated that He “did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Sometimes, division is necessary. But generally speaking, God desires unity, not division.

Sadly, we have to repeatedly make this disclaimer: some division is necessary. This is due to the overwhelming popularity of the “unity in diversity” doctrine we mentioned earlier. The necessary division comes because some follow God and His way without compromise. Those who will not accept this stance will leave, thus causing division. This causes “those who are approved [to] become evident.” But what displeases God is when we divide because we are following men and their ways. We must be united in following God, not in following man.

God does not want His people to be divided. Division comes when people follow men instead of Christ. There are a couple of different ways this can happen. They either follow men in that they follow themselves and their own ideas. Or they follow other men’s ideas and opinions. Both are equally wrong. Paul said this was what they were doing. They were following after other men.

Notice for a moment who Paul said the Corinthians brethren were claiming to follow: Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. All three of these men were faithful gospel preachers. “Surely,” we could reason, “these men can be trusted.” “Surely there’s nothing wrong with being loyal to these men.” There is nothing wrong with following the teaching and example of men only so long as they teach and practice the truth! Paul said, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). When Paul came to Berea and taught, the Jews there did not just blindly accept the things he taught; instead, they “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, NIV). We can follow the example of men if their lives are patterned after the precepts in the word of God. We can follow what is taught by men if those things are first taught in Scripture. If we go beyond this, we are no longer following Christ, but following after man. Division will ultimately result.

The Danger of Following Men

What might be the most obvious danger of following men is that no man is perfect. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If we follow after imperfect men, they will lead us toward imperfection. However, when we follow Christ, our perfect example, He leads us toward perfection. But no man is perfect. Notice the examples of the three men Paul listed.

  • Paul – Earlier in his life, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Shortly before leaving for Damascus to bring Christians bound back to Jerusalem, Paul (at that point called Saul) was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1-2). This showed how deeply he abhorred Christians. He wanted them to be killed. Later, after being converted, Paul said, “I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1). Even when Paul persecuted Christians, he was acting in good conscience. He later told Timothy he “acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). He may have been ignorant of his wrong and sincere in his heart, but he was still wrong. DANGER: One can be sincere and yet lead us down the path of destruction.
  • Apollos – Apollos was described as “an eloquent man” and one who was “mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). In Ephesus he was “speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John.” The “Scriptures” in would have been the Old Testament Scriptures. The New Testament had not been fully revealed and written down at that point. Apollos knew the prophecies about the Messiah, but he only knew the baptism of John. John was the forerunner of Christ who was to prepare the way for Him (Mark 1:2-4). What this tells us about Apollos is that he knew the Savior was coming, but had not learned that He had come. So Priscilla and Aquila “took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). Following this, he boldly taught the truth about Jesus (Acts 18:28). But before this, while he knew the Scriptures, he was not leading people to Christ. DANGER: One can be a good speaker and use the Bible and still not lead us to Christ.
  • Cephas (Peter) – There are at least a couple of instances we can look at in Peter’s life. First, Peter denied the Lord (Luke 22:54-61). This occurred after Jesus was arrested and Peter followed at a distance to see what would happen (Luke 22:54). Peter was surrounded by unbelievers and was quickly interrogated about his relationship with Jesus. Peter denied Christ three times (Luke 22:57, 58, 60), even after Jesus warned him that this would happen (Luke 22:34). Second, Peter had to be condemned for acting hypocritically (Galatians 2:11-14). He had been associating with the Gentiles until certain Jews came. Because he feared them, he withdrew himself from associating with the Gentiles. Others followed Peter’s example of hypocrisy also (Galatians 2:13). On both of these occasions, Peter did not have the conviction to stand for truth without compromise. DANGER: One who will not stand for truth will lead others into sin.

These three men serve as reminders that no man is perfect. While each of these men proved to be a faithful servant of Christ for the most part, they did have their faults. This shows us that we should not put our trust in men and follow after them.

Another danger of following men is that no man was crucified for us. This is what Paul implied by his question: “Paul was not crucified for you, was he?” Only Christ was crucified for us. Therefore, we should follow Him and not man.

Paul also asked the question: “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” The obvious answer is “no.” We are not baptized in Paul’s name or in any other man’s name. We are baptized in Christ’s name. Therefore, again, we should follow Him and not man.

We Must Be of Christ

As Christians, we must follow Christ. We should strive to be of Him and not of any man. We need to recognize that He sacrificed His life for us. Therefore, we must sacrifice for Him (Romans 12:1). After we have been “baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13) – the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) – we belong to Christ. He “purchased [the church] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Those who make up the church are His people. As such, we need to be claiming and demonstrating that we are “of Christ” and not be followers of men. Unity is possible when we follow Christ and His word. Let us be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).


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