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Timothy: I Corinthians 1:10-17
Divisions in the Church

10 Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all say the same thing, and there be no divisions among you, but you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For concerning you, my brothers, it was shown to me by those of Chloe that there are strifes among you.

12 But I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.

13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

14 I give thanks to God that I did not baptize any one of you, except Crispus and Gaius,

15 that not anyone should say that you were baptized in my name.

16 And I also baptized the house of Stephanas. For the rest, I do not know if I baptized any other.

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to announce the gospel, not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be made of no effect.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I offer You my praise and gratitude. I am thankful that You have granted me another day, allowing me to be joyful in Your love and to be nurtured by the Eternal Living Word of God. I pray that Christ may grant strength to my physical body and that the Holy Spirit may grant wisdom to my spirit. I am thankful to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, I would like to present my understanding of I Corinthians 1:10-17 regarding the division within the Church in Corinth.

Dear Father, I understand verse 10 to mean that Paul, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, advises the people of God in Corinth to be united. He is telling them to “say the same thing” and to “be united in the same mind and in the same judgment”, meaning to have the same understanding, reasoning, and decision based entirely on the Word of God, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, I understand verse 11 to mean that Paul learned from the household of Chloe that there was great division in the Church in Corinth. Although the Bible does not specify who Chloe is, I understand that she may be a person who, along with her household, has faith in God in the Church in Corinth. When she noticed the division in the Church, she sent someone from her household to report it to Paul, who was in Ephesus at the time. This required a journey by sea of about 900 km from Corinth to Ephesus to meet Paul.

Dear Father, I understand verse 12 to mean that the people of God in Corinth formed factions based on who baptized or preached the Gospel to them, causing division within the Church. Similarly, nowadays, many people of God rely on which denomination preaches the Gospel to them to join that denomination, causing division within the Church. Some people show off their knowledge, boasting that they only belong to Christ. It is true that all who truly believe in the Gospel belong to Christ. However, if someone claims to be a part of Christ’s Church but looks down on those who are less knowledgeable and are in a denomination, then they are causing division within the Church.

Dear Father, I understand verse 13 to mean that Paul emphasizes that everyone is saved through the redemption of Christ and is baptized into the name of the Triune God. Therefore, everyone belongs to Christ and to God, and not to anyone who preached the Gospel to them or baptized them. No one should claim that the believers belong to them, as this would cause division within the Church.

Dear Father, I understand verses 14 to 16 to mean that Paul thanked God because he did not baptize many people in Corinth, and thus not many people used his name to form groups or sects. At first, Paul only mentioned two people whom he baptized: Crispus, the leader of the synagogue in Corinth, and Gaius, who had hosted Paul. But then Paul remembered that he also baptized Stephanas’ household, the first believers in Achaia who had greatly supported Paul’s missionary work.

Dear Father, I understand verse 17 to mean that Paul emphasized that his role was to preach the Gospel, not to perform baptism for those who believed. The important thing was to preach the Gospel so that many people could hear it and believe it. He also affirmed that he did not use eloquent words or psychological tricks when preaching the Gospel. If someone believed in the Gospel because of the preacher’s eloquence, then that belief would not be genuine or lasting. All someone had to do was hear and understand the meaning of the Gospel, recognize themselves as sinners lost forever, and then joyfully accept the Gospel to be saved.

Dear Father, I am aware that nowadays many people claim to preach the Gospel. However, they do not actually preach the Gospel but only use the name of the Gospel to lure people into joining their religious organizations by using psychological manipulation. They do not understand the Gospel, do not live in the Gospel, and cause those who believe in their preaching to become twice as wicked as they are, meaning that they seriously stray from the truth. As Christ said in Matthew 23:15.

Dear Father, I pray that Christ will come quickly to purify all evil from the world so that humanity may rejoice in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
04/18/2023