1 Corinthians 1:10?

Imo, it is a straightforward verse. The Church should be unified. The reason it's not is because man is sinful.

Unjustified divisiveness (like other sins) is inconsistent with the unity that Christians have as members of the one body of Christ.

FightingPain said:

Is this verse talking about not having divisions within the Church?
If it does, why do these divisions exist if the bible opposes it?

1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. (HCSB)

Unless I have completely misunderstood this verse, please enlighten me. I apologise if this is a straightforward verse, I want to ensure that i correctly comprehend it.

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It is about doctrine, not divisions... really. Certainly back then there were different churches under different administrations, but they were to consider themselves all part of the same whole, even if administratively divided in the practical world (not divided in spirit).

It says our doctrine should be unified, and not splintering off down different branches of disagreement.

As to why this didn't happen and we have the outward appearance of division:

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. - Ephesians 4

What this means is the church was derailed, and God's will did not come to pass immediately on Earth. This derailment was prophesied to some extent in scripture, if you really study it, so while it was against God's will, it was not something he was unaware of.

And so, the church in the future will be unified and mature in the Lord Christ. It just hasn't happened yet.

When this happens, those who are false, will be splintered off as persecutors of Christ's church since those who do the signs and wonders will not be doing it according to the doctrines of men.

And so the real church was never splintered. It exists across all denominations, even lightly branching into other religions perhaps.

The splintering was outward and superficial, but all true Christians have God's spirit, the spirit of Christ dwelling in their hearts, and the spirit transcends division.

FightingPain said:

Is this verse talking about not having divisions within the Church?
If it does, why do these divisions exist if the bible opposes it?

1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. (HCSB)

Unless I have completely misunderstood this verse, please enlighten me. I apologise if this is a straightforward verse, I want to ensure that i correctly comprehend it.

Click to expand...

In the case of the Corinthian believers to whom Paul wrote, the divisions were arising out of the believers' allegiances to various teachers/leaders in the Church. (vs. 11, 12) They weren't fighting over doctrine but over whose choice of leader was better. Paul cuts to the heart of the matter:

1 Corinthians 1:13
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

What is Paul's ultimate answer to the petty bickering of the Corinthians?

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."

So, why does this sort of silliness go on in the Church? Because of selfishness and pride. Rather than glorying in the Lord, the Corinthians were glorying in their choice of leader, which was essentially glorying in themselves. How about us? Are we fighting with others over our allegiances to preachers, evangelists, or writers? God forbid.

Selah.

The Bible opposes when someone tries to split and divide the body of Christ, his church, between the born again christians only, but supports division in the church, where there are so called christians in the church, but they are not born again. The born again from the Holy Spirit christians, must separate from those, who are called christians, but are really not born again, that is, people, who believe in christianity only in their minds, like any other religion, but do not want to really submit and give their life to Jesus, to make him their Lord and Savior. Not everyone who goes to church, is a born again christian. There are people who go to church for all sorts of reasons, but are not really born again. Read 1 John 2:19

FightingPain said:

I ... the Church?...

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It would help if you focus on the narrow church that Jesus set up ... only those that have received what all his disciples received, the infilling of his Spirit (Acts 2:4, 39; 1 Corinthians 12:13), and that believe in the necessity of that. Without that yiou cannot have the unity of the Spirit.

FightingPain: The city of Corinth was party central. Think of New York City today. Many false teachers sneaking around, just like today. Much false doctrine floating around in the air / cyberspace ...........just like today. Many people who ACTIVELY DESIRE to enhance their personal position at the expense of the Truth, just like today................... I was taught something many years ago. There are 3 words that are not anywhere in the Holy Scriptures. Those 3 words are "Yadda Yadda, Yadda