Series: 1 Corinthians Sermon: The Need for Gospel Unity (1:10-17) Speaker: Andrew Tate Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 ESV 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.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

QUOTE: John MacArthur “The city of Corinth was located in southern Greece, in what was the Roman province of Achaia, c. 45 miles west from Athens. This lower part, the Peloponnesus, is connected to the rest of Greece by a four-mile-wide isthmus… Corinth is near the middle of the isthmus and is prominently situated on a high plateau. For many centuries, all north-south land traffic in that area had to pass through or near this ancient city. Since travel by sea around the Peloponnesus involved a 250-mile voyage that was dangerous and obviously time-consuming, most captains carried their ships on skids or rollers across the isthmus directly past Corinth. Understandably, Corinth prospered as a major trade city, not only for most of Greece but for much of the Mediterranean area, including North Africa, Italy, and Asia Minor. A canal across the isthmus was begun by the emperor Nero during the first century A.D., but was not completed until near the end of the nineteenth century.” BACKGROUND ON CORINTH: -Famous for luxury & moral depravity -Re-established as Roman colony in 44 BC -Church started on 2nd missionary journey 50 AD -Letter written on 3rd missionary journey 55 AD -“a defiled church, a divided church, a disgraced church!” -Paul wrote to correct & encourage

•Paul’s appeal- v10

(1) ALL OF YOU AGREE -v11 Why quarreling happens:

James 4:1-4 1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (2) NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU -v12-16 •v12- Each one of you says, “I follow ___.”

1 Corinthians 12:20-25 ESV 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body...

24 ...But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

(3) BE UNITED IN THE SAME MIND & JUDGMENT -v17 •Same mind- Philippians 2:5 ESV Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

•Same judgment-

•v17a- Be united around the gospel, the cross of Christ, the word of the cross (v18), Christ crucified (v23).

•v17b- not with words of eloquent wisdom

*When the preacher or people are more enamored with the preaching than with the person of Christ, you have actually emptied the cross of its power. HOW DO WE LIVE IN LIGHT OF THIS? •First, Paul started his letter by reminding them of their identity. 1 Corinthians 1:2, 9 ESV 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

•Next, before he addresses their disfunction, immorality, sin, abuse of gifts, and other issues, they must agree on centrality of the gospel. He calls them to gospel unity.

BIG IDEA: To be a church that is unified, pure, and active in God’s work, the gospel must be central. Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.