1 Corinthians 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  Paul was asking those who made up the church at Corinth to be united through their faith in Christ.  We are to be the same way today.  Some people can almost become so proud of their church, their local body of believers, that they feel that they are superior to other bodies of believers.  We must never feel superior nor inferior to any group of believers, but we must all be united through Christ.  Verse eleven adds, For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Church problems are nothing new but began almost from the time the church was formed.  Paul said it had come to his attention that there were contentions among the members of the church at Corinth.  Paul did not just help establish churches and forget them.  He remained in prayer and concerned for them.  We should have that same concern for not only our local church, but for churches everywhere.  There is no room for contention in the body of Christ, which is what we as believers are.  Verse twelve continues, Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Some of the believers were claiming to be more important because of the person who baptized them.  When they began to do this, they were missing a key concept of salvation, and that is that we are all equal at the cross.  The way we came to salvation is not what is important.  The only important thing is that we came to salvation through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  Verse thirteen asks, Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  The first question was whether or not Christ was divided.  I believe this was asking if Christ was a greater Savior for some than for others, making them greater in the eyes of God and their fellow believers.  Paul asked if they were being baptized because he had saved them.  The answer was that only through Christ could there be salvation and that no one was more saved than another.  Verse fourteen adds, I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;  Paul was thankful that he had baptized very few, and in the next verse he gives the reason.  Verse fifteen continues, Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 

Paul didn't want anyone to think that he was baptizing people in his own name.  The act of baptism itself was what was symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, not the one who was performing the baptism.  Verse sixteen says, And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.  I believe Paul was simply continuing to emphasize that it was unimportant who baptized those who were followers of Christ.  Paul himself did not want anyone to claim that they were better because he had baptized them.  Verse seventeen adds, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Paul said his calling was to preach the gospel, and even in that he was not called to convince people with eloquent words, but simply with the message of the cross.  This is still our message and purpose today. We are to lead people to a knowledge of salvation through the cross, and who we may have been baptized by is not to be a point of pride or contention.  Verse eighteen continues, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  The gospel indeed sounds foolish to those who refuse to believe it, but to believers it is the power of God. God calls us to salvation and unity through Christ, so no one has a reason to feel superior or inferior to any other Christian.