top of page

Addressing Cannibals in the Church | 1 Cor. 1:10-17

As preached by Timothy O'Day.


"You can draw attention to yourself, or you can draw attention to Christ."


1) Unity comes because of Christ (10).

2) Unity comes by watching Christ (10).

3) Unity comes by being impressed with Christ (11-17).




Addressing Cannibals in the Church of God

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

February 2, 2025


Have you ever picked up a conversation with someone that you left off hours before? My wife and I did that yesterday. We had been discussing plans for school for our kids earlier in the day and then resumed the conversation right where we left off during dinner. There was just enough information and verbiage in our conversation to show our two oldest kids that what was being said was pertinent and thus interesting to them. But we were far enough along in the conversation that they could not quite pick up what we were talking about. They kept wanting to interject and ask, “Can you explain what you mean by that?” And “who is…?”


How they felt last night is how I’ve felt, and probably how you just felt, in reading 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. We understand enough to know that what is being said is pertinent to us and thus interesting, but it feels like we are jumping into a conversation that is far enough along that we have difficulty understanding all the details. 


The gist of this passage is as follows: Paul begins the body of this letter with a call for the church to be unified. This appeal is needed because Chloe’s people (who is Chloe and who are her people?) informed Paul that the Corinthian church is quarreling. Apparently, individuals were saying, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Peter,” or “I am of Christ” (What do they mean by saying this?)


Paul then rebukes them in verse 13 with a series of rhetorical questions that expect a “no” answer: Is Christ divided? No. Was Paul crucified for you? No. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? No.


Then Paul digresses (or highlights his point?) by expressing gratitude for the fact that he had not baptized more of them than two men. But then he remembers that he actually did baptize more than the two he just named and admits he cannot really remember if he did baptize more than that. 


Why does he not remember who he baptized? Because he wasn’t sent by Christ to baptize; he was sent to share the gospel, so he will focus on doing that with an emphasis on displaying the power of Christ. 


Clear enough? Sure, but it also leaves you wanting to ask a lot of questions. Why were people dividing up and lining up behind Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ? Why direct your attention on baptism like that? Why turn the conversation toward preaching? 


There are answers to these questions and more and they begin as we understand what the problem in Corinth was and was not. 


Understanding the Problem in Corinth

The problem was not doctrinal division or theological emphasis. This is often assumed when this section of the letter is read. People will see this as a division like the division of denominations and separation over secondary doctrine. But that is not what Paul emphasizes. If there was a group that was siding with Paul on particular doctrinal issues, he would not mock them—he would agree with them! Paul does not shy away from getting into the nitty gritty of doctrine, in fact, he will do so later in this very letter. He will literally call the church to imitate him in 1 Corinthians 11:1. Moreover, he never says, “Let’s compromise on doctrine for the sake of unity.” Rather, he says that without theological agreement there can be no unity.


The fact that Paul does not pick a side in this debate but rebukes each party is a clue that this is not doctrinal division and debate. It is something much more basic and dangerous.


So what is the problem? Selfish ambition. The issue is selfish ambition, which is why he soundly rebukes all who pursue selfish ambition no matter what banner it waves—Paul, Apollos, Peter, or even Christ. 


Each person is trying to assert himself as superior over others by making the claim, “I’m a Paul person,” or “I am an Apollos man,” or “I am with Peter,” and even “I am of Christ.” Each person says this not in order to bring about unity but to bring himself to a superior position over others. 


The Context of Roman Patronage

Understanding Roman patronage may help us understand the thinking behind this. Corinth was a Roman city. The Roman patronage system was a hierarchical social structure where a wealthy and influential patron provided financial, legal, or political support to one who is of a lower status than a patron. The lower-status person was known as a client. In exchange, the client would give loyalty, public recognition, and services to his patron. 


The relationship was deeply tied to honor and status. Clients were expected to publicly acknowledge their patron’s generosity, and their own honor was often tied to the prestige of their patrons. 


Doesn’t that shed light on this dynamic that Paul is addressing? 


The fighting isn’t because each person is championing certain doctrinal positions as over against other leaders. They are fighting because they are pitting figures in the church against one another in order to advance themselves in the social reckoning. 


But what about those who say, “I am of Christ”? That sounds right, doesn’t it? In verse 13, Paul even rebukes that group. It might sound better to say that you are of Christ rather than being of Paul, but in this situation, it isn’t. What each statement aims to do is hoist oneself over others instead of uniting them all together. It is a Jesus juke meant to shame others and highlight oneself. 


As each person attempts to hoist themselves further up the social ladder by claiming a patron, the church is weakened and divided rather than strengthened and united. 


This is why Paul, out of all the issues that need to be addressed, starts with this issue in Corinth: a church full of people who are hungry for their own honor is a church full of cannibals. They will rip the body of Christ to shreds in order to satiate their carnal desire for position, respect, and influence. 


Seeing this real danger, Paul attacks each position vigorously in verse 13. He asks 3 rhetorical questions that slam each group. To the Christ group, he asks, “Is Christ divided?” Obviously not! He is saying to the Christ group, “Do you really think you are the only one’s in the church that have Christ? Do you really want to look at your brothers and sisters in Christ and say, “He favors me more than you?” 


Christ is not divided, so don’t act like he is divided by treating others in the church as if you are more entitled to him than they are. 


He then uses the Paul group as a representative for the Apollos and Peter groups by asking, “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” These questions show just how ridiculous it is to put yourself in a position of ultimate loyalty to a man. Christ died for sinners and when you were baptized, you were proclaiming your loyalty to Christ, not the one who baptized you. 


This is why Paul launches into gratitude for the fact that he has not baptized more of them than he had. If some of them are looking to him as a patron and using him to advance themselves, he is grateful that more of them cannot try to claim that they gave loyalty to him at their baptism. 


The Ever Present Danger of Selfish Ambition

We may not have patron-client relationships today, but we do have an ever-present problem with selfish ambition. Each one of us is tempted to pursue being worshiped more than we pursue giving worship to God. 


Until Christ returns and sin is completely rooted out of our hearts, the church—universal and local—is going to have to deal with this threat of selfish ambition. So let’s be grateful that God has provided instruction on how to deal with this ever-present threat by giving us this letter and this passage. 


This passage tells us how to address division by showing us key aspects of true unity. Let’s examine those with the rest of our time.


First, unity comes because of Christ (10)

As you look down at verse 10, notice with me that the call to unity is not a call to manufacture unity; it is a call to live in the unity that Christ has already given to his people. Look with me at verse 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…” 


Did you catch how he is calling them to walk in unity already purchased rather than create unity themselves? He calls them “brothers” because in Christ diverse people have come to be the children of God. He appeals “by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” pointing to the reality that what unites them is the Lord. If you are a Christian, you have this in common: you were alienated from God because of your sin and deserved eternal judgment. But when you heard the gospel, you believed and were united in Christ, taking on his name. Jesus is your Lord and he is my Lord, which changes the way that we live together.


We Must Agree Because Christ Unites Us

This is why we must agree. Left to our own devices, each one of us seeks our own kingdom and our own glory. As such, we wage war against each other in competition for honor, glory, and recognition. 


But when we come to Christ, we leave behind our pitiful kingdoms of individualism and enter into the Kingdom of God. Whereas our marching orders used to be “do whatever it takes to get your way,” now our orders are “agree.” 


The term "agree" in verse 10 literally means “say the same thing.” This was an often used political term calling political movements not to diverge from the main point and get distracted with petty rivalry and pet projects. It was to remind people to move toward the shared goal. 


Our Responsibility to Preserve and Grow Unity in the Church

Brothers and sisters, we’ve been given something special by our Lord: a new name, a new kingdom, and a new life. If you are in Christ, you know that you’ve wrecked your life and your standing before God by following your own whims and living in competition with others. The most destructive thing we do is seek our own glory. 


Christ has torn down the division that sin brings between you and God; he has also torn down the division that stands between you and others. As we come to Christ, we are not only reconciled to God but reconciled to one another. But we must labor to preserve this unity. 


But how do we do that? That’s what we see next.


Second, unity comes by watching Christ (10)

We also see this in verse 10, as this verse doesn’t just say that we should be united. It tells us how we are to be united. Look there again with me,


“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.


We are united by having the same mind and the same judgment. The word united is a medical term that refers to setting a bone. Christ makes unity a reality by canceling the record of debt that separates us from God and each other. As he brings us together, he is healing us. He does this by giving us the same mind (the same way of thinking and considering the world) and the same judgment (the same goals and opinions of right and wrong). 


How do we have this same way of thinking and this same way of judging? Two other places in which Paul speaks of having the same mind can help us understand this.


In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul writes that Christians, those who have received the Spirit of God, have the mind of Christ. That is to say, Christians have the same mind because they each have the Spirit of God by faith in Christ. As we come to Christ, we share together the mind of Christ. But this isn't some mystical form of knowledge that we can tap into. It is a way of thinking and living that is derived from knowing Christ himself.


To see that this is the case, consider Philippians 2:5. There Paul tells the church in Philippi that they have the mind of Christ. The context of that passage states clearly what having the mind of Christ is. Consider it with me:


“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves, Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…”


Do you see what he means? The only way you can live as he describes is if you have the mind of Christ. This way of life is how Christ lived, as Paul goes on to say in Philippians 2:6 and following, saying of Christ…


“Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”


If you are in Christ, then you are being conformed to share this very same view of life. What you have—your abilities, gifts, talents, positions, and status—are not given to you so that you can exploit them to your own competitive advantage. Rather, you are given gifts to steward for the good of others and the glory of God.


The Mind of Christ Replaces Our Values

As we enter into the Kingdom of God, our agenda changes because our values change. What we used to see as valuable grows dim and what we used to call foolish now is rightly seen as wisdom. Simply put, the values of God’s Kingdom—which are true values—are the opposite of worldly values. 


The problem in Corinth that caused this division is the same problem we have that can just as easily breed division in our church. The problem is that even though we have entered the Kingdom of God by faith in Christ, we habitually live by the old value system of the fallen world. So we pursue selfish ambition under the delusion that it will satisfy. We compete based on worldly standards, fearing that if we don't then we will miss out.


This selfish pursuit is exactly the kind of attitude that Jesus calls us to crucify and leave behind when we come to him. 


In Mark 10:35-45, James and John come to Jesus and ask to hold special positions in his Kingdom. Afterward, the rest of the disciples are indignant at James and John, not because they think that the request of James and John was inappropriate. They are upset because they didn’t think to ask first! They all want to be preeminent and to hold positions of authority over the others because they had a worldly understanding of what God's Kingdom was. They were not characterized by cooperation; they were characterized by competition because they thought of God’s Kingdom according to the values of the world. 


So Jesus calls them to him and explains that their understanding of greatness is upside down. They think that greatness is measured by how much you can get from people. But greatness in the Kingdom of God is measured not by what you can get from people; it is measured by how much you can give to people. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43b-44). 


And Jesus does not only demand this of his church. He models it. As he says next, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 


Take Hold of the Mind of Christ

Church, we will not be unified if we live by the principles of the world that calls us to competition and selfish ambition. Division arises as we set our focus on ourselves. Division is healed and avoided as we set our attention on Christ. 


As we come to Christ in faith, all of our priorities are rearranged because our destiny is rearranged. Once Jesus becomes your Savior, he also becomes your model of what true life and good life is. 


The world has an economy that drives the way we think and act. It calls us to look out for #1, to dominate others, to insist on our own way. 


The economy of God’s Kingdom is different. Christ is conforming our thinking and our living to the ways of God’s Kingdom as we gather together as his church under his authoritative Word. As such, we put off the competitive thinking of the world and put on the cooperative thinking of Christ. 


To do this, we have to have our eyes set on Christ and be ready to practice what we see.


But how do we keep our focus on Christ? That’s our last point.


Third, unity comes by being impressed with Christ (11-17)

It isn’t enough to merely watch Christ. We have to love him more than we love the things of this world. We have to desire him more than we desire the treasures of this world. 


Verses 11-17 lay out the reality that when we are impressed with Christ, the church is united. But in as much as we seek to be individually impressive, we work to divide the church. I’ve already walked through much of the meaning of verses 11-17, but let me summarize them again so that we can stay together on our journey through this passage. 


After appealing for unity by pointing to Christ, Paul says in verse 11 that this appeal is needed because Chloe’s people have reported that the members of the Corinthian church were fighting with each other. Chloe and her people are likely merchants who live in Ephesus (where Paul currently is) but do business in Corinth. They are able to bring him word of the spirit of competition that is dividing and threatening the Corinthian church. 


Verse 12 explains how this spirit of competition is growing: individuals are trying to assert their superiority over others by staking a claim to a particular teacher/patron. In short, they are trying to be impressive by claiming some particular connection to Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ.


This is similar to name-dropping. Perhaps you’ve been around someone who wants to look impressive and important by dropping the fact that they know someone who is important. In dropping the name, they are not trying to get you to think about the name they just dropped; they are trying to get you to think about them and how important they must be because they have this special association.



Where Do You Want to Draw Attention?

The simple fact is that you can draw attention to yourself or you can draw attention to Christ. You can seek to be impressive and gain the accolades of others, or you can be impressed by Jesus Christ and seek his pleasure.


That’s what Paul means when he says in verse 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.” 


Let me highlight two things that Paul is saying here. First, he is not disparaging baptism; he is putting baptism in its proper place. It doesn’t matter who baptizes you. What matters is into whom you are being baptized. Don’t try to look impressive by pointing to who baptized you. That isn’t the point of baptism. The point of baptism is a declaration of your loyalty to Christ and a display that you are united to Christ by faith.


Second, Paul isn’t pursuing the goal of looking impressive to others. He isn’t making baptism notches on his belt. In Paul’s eyes, baptism doesn't highlight him, it highlights Christ. Moreover, Christ sent him with the specific message of preaching the gospel, so he will make that his focus. He has a particular calling that he will not neglect because Christ is his focus.


And, as he makes preaching his focus, he will not do it with the aim of looking impressive to others—that’s what he means when he says “not with words of eloquent wisdom”—but with the aim of making sure the content of the gospel is right, even if it means he will be mocked by others. He isn’t thinking, “How can I tailor this message so people like it?” He is thinking, “How can I tailor this message so that the gospel is clear?” 


It isn’t that Paul wants to sound like an idiotic dweeb. It’s that he doesn’t care if he sounds like an idiotic dweeb as long as the content of the gospel is accurately preached. 


He doesn’t care what people think of his preaching; he cares about what Christ thinks of his preaching. He doesn’t care about being impressive to others because he is so deeply impressed with the beauty, glory, and worth of Christ that he has to make it accurately known. 



Are You Impressed Or Impressive?

Are you an impressed person or an impressive person? You will naturally want people to behold what you find most impressive. 


Are you hungry for the praise of people? 


Are you desirous of recognition?


Are you longing for a particular status? 


That’s because you think you deserve it. You are impressive, so you want to impress, thinking that you will find satisfaction there. But you won’t. 


There are always more people to impress; more recognition to gain; more status to achieve. 


Leave it behind and behold Christ. As you set your eyes on him, the insatiable hunger to be praised will wane; the painful longing for status and recognition will disappear. In their place will arise a new hunger—seeing others united to the one who deserves all praise, recognition, and status. 



At the end of it all, we deserve one thing: death and hell. We are not impressive. But the Lord Jesus Christ, who is by his nature God, did not count his position as God as something to be exploited for his own benefit. Instead, he used all of his riches to rescue miserable sinners like us. He did this not because we are impressive. On the contrary, when I contemplate the darkness of my own heart, I cannot help but ask the Lord at times, “Why me? Why would you show mercy to one like me?” I raised my clenched fist at God, and he opened my hand to receive his gift. 


Church, if we remember that we deserve hell, but Christ gives us the Kingdom, then all of our energy will be spent in enjoying Christ and we will not have power left to spend on competition. 


Now perhaps, as you are listening to me talk about Jesus, you feel like you have missed the first half of the conversation. Why could Jesus be so incredible? It is because our rebellion against God has earned us hell, but God the Son took on flesh and took our place. Jesus, God the Son incarnate, lived the righteous life that we were all supposed to live, dead under God’s wrath on the cross—which was the death we deserve to die for sin—and he rose again from the grave showing that all who come to him in faith will be counted as having his righteous life and as having his sins paid. Today, you can turn from your sin and find life in his name. As you do that, you will be united to him and to his church. You can trust him now and then come and tell us so that we can baptize you in his name and walk in unity with you. Let’s pray. 


Comments


bottom of page