Is Christ divided?

After the Rhema Feast, there has been enough banter online from those who are for it and those who are not. Some have said the whole event is not a good thing. Others have had issues with some of the speakers and speeches, while others were fully in it and were not bothered by the naysayers.

On Sunday morning, however, I realized that this is not a new matter.

There was a time when the Corinthians were divided between two opinions, and perhaps more. Some were flying the Apollos flag while others were friendly to Paul. Others had chosen Cephas, while some had taken the seemingly safest position and declared, “I follow Christ.”

This is what Paul and Sosthenes wrote to them concerning the divisions. They kicked off with an introduction that was surprisingly warm. Before touching the matter that had brought them concern, they reminded the Corinthians of who they were and what God had already done among them.

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes.

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Then Paul took the lead and went straight to the matter at hand: divisions.

“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.’

Is Christ divided?

Was Paul crucified for you?

Were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

Paul then goes on to explain why he deliberately avoided making himself the centre of their faith. Christ did not send him to build a following around Paul. He was sent to preach the gospel. Then comes the justification for his argument.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Paul quotes God saying, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Then he asks:

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?”

The problem was not that the Corinthians were listening to Paul or Apollos. The problem was that they had begun attaching their identity to the messenger.

One said, “I follow Paul.”

Another said, “I follow Apollos.”

Another said, “I follow Cephas.”

Another, perhaps thinking they had finally figured it out, said, “I follow Christ.”

Paul's question is devastatingly simple: “Is Christ divided?”

Back then, there were different things people were looking for. Jews demanded signs. Greeks looked for wisdom. Yet Paul says that the message they were called to was neither a personality nor a particular expression of spirituality. They were to look to Christ crucified. The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

This is where I think the passage becomes interesting for us. I wonder how that text would read if we replaced the names Paul, Apollos and Cephas with names we are familiar with.

Give it a try...

“I follow (insert denominational name).”

“I follow (insert congregational name).”

“I follow (insert individuals name).”

• What happens when the names change?
• What happens when the preacher changes?
• What happens when the ministry changes?
• What happens when the church changes?
• What happens when the conference changes?
• What happens when the style of worship changes?
• What happens when the person you admire says something you disagree with?

Do we remain anchored in Christ, or does our allegiance quietly move toward the person, platform, organization or expression through which we encountered Him?

Paul eventually brings them back to the most humbling truth of all. Not many of them were wise by human standards. Not many were influential. Not many were of noble birth. Yet God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things to shame the strong, the lowly and despised things to nullify the things that are.

Why?

“So that no one may boast before him.”

Then he gives us the centre of it all:

“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

Because of Him.

• Not because of Paul.
• Not because of Apollos.
• Not because of Cephas.

• Not because of the conference.
• Not because of the church.
• Not because of the denomination.
• Not because of the preacher.

Because of Him.

Therefore, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

So, yes, let us examine what we attend. Let us discern what is taught. Let us test what we hear. Let us not switch off our minds simply because someone carries a microphone or has a large or descent following. Scripture itself calls us to discernment.

At the same time, let us watch ourselves.

Let us literally watch and pray that in our pursuit of truth, experiences, signs, wisdom, personalities, conferences and expressions of faith, we do not fall into the temptation of division. Because the question is not merely whether you attended Rhema Feast or whether you did not. It is not whether you are of Ruach, CITAM, AIC, CCI, RGC, DC, DCI, Repentance and Holiness, Chapel, Mavuno, or any other organization or individual.

The question is deeper.

• When all the names are removed, where does your allegiance sit?
• When the preacher is removed, where does your faith sit?
• When the organization is removed, what remains?

Paul's question to Corinth still speaks to us today: “Is Christ divided?”