Is Christ Divided?

It’s easy to miss the message at the beginning of First Corinthians because the letter wasn’t directed at you and me, but a church from nearly 2000 years ago. Yet very quickly Paul jumps all over them for having arguments among themselves about who they followed – almost a question of who their favorite preacher was:

“11: For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13: Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14: I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15: Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16: And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.” First Corinthians 1:11-16 KJV

Another way of putting it would be “I follow Paul” etc. as other translations state it. Either way Paul considers it something they shouldn’t be doing, for it was not men who died for your sins, indeed, was Paul crucified for you? In Chapter three he continues on about this a bit:

“4: For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7: So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” First Corinthians 3:4-7 KJV

Notice that in verse four he says that they’re carnal for talking like this, their arguments about whom they follow is nothing more than carnality in action. Thankfully it’s not a sin of which raises the possibility of Hell, yet it’s a big enough deal for Paul to spend time on it.

Okay, study time is over, time for the test question:

If you proudly consider yourself a Calvinist or Arminian, have you fallen into the same trap as those of Corinth?

Neither John Calvin nor Jacob Arminius was crucified for you either.