FollowBy Lars Passic
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about the issue of disunity. When I first read the passage, I was disappointed because it seemed like these verses are mainly focused on warning against celebrity preachers, or idolatry. While that is an important warning we should consider, I was disappointed because this didn’t resonate to me as an exact, timely example of the type of disunity that the church is struggling with right now. But upon taking a closer look, I think there is a warning against unhealthy division that is highly relevant to us.
10 I 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
I have had my share of issues with celebrity preacher fanboy-ism. I listened to a lot of Mark Driscoll and Ravi Zacharias in my day. I remember one time scrolling through the website of the Village Church Texas, clicking through the sermon audio section, trying to find a sermon to listen to. Matt Chandler isn’t preaching? NEXT! It was tempting to align myself to these teachers and make my affinity toward them an identity statement, like taking a shortcut or joining a strong player’s team. You want to know who I am? I’m with them!
I think it’s great that we can use technology to learn from a diverse array of Bible teachers all over the world. However, we need to maintain a healthy focus on Jesus, and we should also make sure that we are plugged in to our local church, where we can serve in the lives of our fellow believers. But again, I don’t think that celebrity preachers are our primary stumbling block right now in early 2021.
In this passage, the Corinthians have supposedly started to form groups based on the person that baptized them. (In the case of the Corinthians who were saying, “I follow Christ,” my study Bible notes that they were likely their own faction that were claiming to be “above it all,” so they were no better.) I think there is a timely warning for us in verse 12:
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
When Paul says, “what I mean is,” he is getting right to the root of the issue: the declarations of the factions that the Corinthians are aligning themselves under. To me, when the Corinthians declare their allegiances is when they are taking shortcuts, settling for division and disunity in their hearts. I can almost hear the Corinthian conversations now:
“I follow Paul, so I disagree with you on that.”
“That doesn’t apply to me, because I follow Apollos.”
God is challenging us to be united as believers, and that is super hard. It is tempting to form factions, draw lines, and make identity statements. These are shortcuts that make it easy to shut down discourse and settle for division. Remember what Paul says to the Corinthian church:
10 I 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.
So here are some questions I am asking myself when I am tempted to take shortcuts:
- Am I joining a faction in my heart?
- Am I drawing a line and settling for division?
- Am I making an identity statement?
Paul goes on in chapter 1 to reference the crucifixion, the symbol of baptism, and how both of these have God at the center. Paul urges the Corinthians to remove their focus on the groups that they have declared allegiance to and put their focus back on the gospel. When we take the issue that we are divided on and walk it back to the gospel, we will find unity.
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