What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 1:10? I appeal to you, brothers, “Now I exhort you, brothers...” • Paul speaks like loving family, not a distant authority (Romans 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:1). • “Appeal” shows urgency without coercion—he is wooing their hearts, not twisting their arms. • By calling them “brothers,” he reminds believers of shared adoption in Christ (Hebrews 2:11). Unity begins by remembering we belong to the same household. in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, • Paul grounds the plea in Christ’s supreme authority (Colossians 3:17); obedience to this appeal is obedience to Jesus. • The “name” represents His person and power (Acts 4:12). Unity is not built on personalities, preferences, or programs but on the Lord Himself. • Because Jesus prayed “that they may all be one” (John 17:21), divisiveness dishonors His name. that all of you agree together, • Literally, “speak the same thing.” Paul desires doctrinal harmony and a shared gospel confession (Philippians 2:2). • Agreement does not erase individuality; it aligns believers around truth (Ephesians 4:13). • Without common ground, partnership collapses (Amos 3:3). The local church must keep primary issues primary. so that there may be no divisions among you • “Divisions” pictures a tear in fabric—schism in the body (Galatians 5:20). • Corinth was splintering into Paul-, Apollos-, and Cephas-factions (1 Corinthians 1:12). Such party spirit undercuts witness. • Christ’s body must reject sectarianism (Titus 3:10) and display the oneness He purchased (Ephesians 2:14). and that you may be united in mind and conviction. • “United” means knit back together, like setting a broken bone. The church is to be restored to full health. • “Mind” (how we think) and “conviction” (our settled judgments) both matter. Shared doctrine fuels shared direction (Philippians 1:27). • Practical outworking: – Guard teaching (2 Timothy 1:13–14) – Cultivate Spirit-enabled harmony (Ephesians 4:3) – Serve side-by-side with single purpose (Acts 2:46) summary Paul lovingly urges the Corinthians, under Christ’s authority, to put away factions and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in gospel truth. Genuine unity—rooted in shared doctrine, empowered by Christ’s name, and expressed in harmonious attitudes—heals divisions and magnifies Jesus before a watching world. |
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