Is quarrel wrong especially in the
church? Absolutely it is wrong. Is it avoidable? Absolutely it is avoidable in
Christ. However, it happened in the first century churches and is happening now
wherever churches are. It happened in the church at Corinth which Apostle Paul
planted. It happened among the disciples even in the midst of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It’s happening every church in the presence of the awesome God.
“I appeal to you, brothers and
sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one
another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you
be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from
Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I
mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”;
another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians
1:10-12)
From Chloe’s household Paul was
told that there were quarrels among the saints in the church of Corinth. There
were divisions among them, saying “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”;
another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” So, Apostle Paul
appealed to them that all of them agreed with one another in what they said and
that there be no divisions among them, and that they be perfectly united in
mind and thought. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In
fact, there is nothing other than the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to appeal
in this matter.
Jesus Christ is peace through
the breaking of His own body in the cross of Calvary. He is the One who
sustains the intricacies and complexities of the universe.
“He is before all things, and
in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
The mastermind of lie and the
murderer is lurking in the shadow to devour even the elect at any moment in
seasons and out of seasons. The cause of peace and order we now enjoy is not
the mighty government like the United States of America but the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ and the Father God.
“And now you know what is
holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret
power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will
continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
In such a powerful and mighty
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul appeals to the church at Corinth to agree
with one another in what they say. New King James Version renders it “that you
all speak the same thing.” There should be no dissensions or schisms but they
should be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. There
is an infallible unity among the saints in Christ. The unity of believers is
not to produce by our efforts like ecumenical movements. Rather, it already
exists through the power of God. The church, the body of Christ, was born on
the Day of Pentecost and has been kept on growing and increasing as new born
believers add to it. There is only one body in the church of Christ in which
there are many members. All members in the body share the one life of Christ
Jesus our Lord. Emotionally and culturally every member in the body is
different, which should be that way by the divine provision of God. But
intelligently and thoughtfully we all speak the same thing because there is one
Lord and one Christ and one God.
“As a prisoner for the Lord,
then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you
were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who
is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6)
Paul planted the church at
Corinth and Apollos was in teaching while Paul was in Ephesus. Apollos was a
passionate and converted Jew whom Priscilla and Aquila helped to understand the
gospel of Jesus Christ in much deeper way even the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
He was a great orator who knew the Scripture well. It is not sure whether
Apostle Peter ever taught in the church or even visited but he was a well-known
figure among the Christian circle.
What’s gone wrong? No preacher,
Paul, Apollos, or Peter was teaching out of line of the gospel of Christ Jesus.
But their styles were different which should be so in nature. Some liked the
speech of Apollos, another Paul, another Peter, and even another Christ. It’s
happen even right now in churches everywhere. Some like Graham, another Keller,
another Piper, and so on and on. It’s pride, the fallen humanity. That’s the
cause of the quarrels in the church. So are the divisions among the church at
Corinth and everywhere.
Why shouldn’t it happen in the
church? Paul answers why it should not happen. The answer is that Christ is not
divided.
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul
crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I
did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you
were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas;
beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not
send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence,
lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:13-17)
Our Lord Jesus is not divided.
He is the supreme One who was crucified once for all for the sin of the world.
Every Christian comes to the Father in the name of the Son Jesus Christ and in
no other. Every believer is baptized in the one blessed name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. No one can be crucified for others. Even so, it is no avail. Christ the
Son of God was the only One who was qualified and sealed by the promise of God
to be suffered on behalf of the fallen race. No blood would be acceptable to
God if not the blood of Jesus Christ the Son. So, all is born in Christ Jesus. All
is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul baptized a few
people in the name of Jesus Christ. He says that Christ did not send him to
baptize but to preach the gospel. It is not undermining the baptism itself at
all. It has meaning in itself if it is understood correctly and rightly. But the
point is to believe the gospel of Christ Jesus. It’s because the externals even
if they come with wisdom and eloquence in appearance have no touch with the
mind of God. They are just shadows and copies of the real substance. The real
is Christ Jesus, specifically the cross of Christ. Nothing can top the cross of
Christ no matter how it looks attractive to humans, even the wise and eloquent
teachings.
Paul says in the second Epistle
to the Corinthians how the power of God is manifested in our midst.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace
is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may
rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 10:9-10)
Self-adoration and self-esteem
and even self-righteousness before the Holy God are abominations in His sight (Luke
16:15). Christ died while we were still sinners. This we shall never forget. Since
we are saved by the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ, we continue to
live on that basis. We shall continue to be saved by the grace of Christ Jesus
our Lord. No sincere dedication and commitment will add to our salvation by any
degree just as we have entered into Christ by faith. God wants us to have a
broken and contrite heart as King David said after committing the twin sins.
“You do not delight in
sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My
sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God,
will not despise.” (Psalm 51:9-16-17)
God is glorified not by
eloquent, external, religious activities but by being Christ-minded, humble and
poor in His sight. That’s the spirit of the cross of Christ where all pride
shall be put to death completely and perfectly. Just around the corner there
was the tomb where Christ was buried and on the third day He was raised from
the dead. When we die with Christ we shall be raised with Him and receive a new
life, the resurrection life. It’s eternal life in Christ. But first die, then
the life come.
Prayer: Father in heaven, Thank
you for the honest and truthful prescription for quarrel. May we take heed to
it that nothing can work to maintain the unity of the body of Christ except through
the cross of Christ, the power of God. In Christ’s name. Amen.
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