Is Christ Divided?

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? 

Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 1 Corinthians 1:13 

The Corinthian church had everything going for it: passionate believers, vibrant worship, and abundant spiritual gifts. Yet amid their blessings, Paul saw something deeply troubling—division. Groups had formed, each claiming allegiance to a different leader: “I follow Paul”… “I follow Apollos”… “I follow Cephas”… “I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:12). What began in admiration spiraled into tribalism. And Paul’s piercing question still echoes today: “Is Christ divided?”

Paul wasn’t scolding them for honoring their teachers—Apollos and Peter were faithful men of God. The problem was that the Corinthians were exalting human leaders above the One who alone deserves our allegiance: Jesus Christ.

Unity is not uniformity, but it is grounded in one unshakable truth: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Christ alone was crucified for us. Christ alone saves us. The church belongs to Him—not to pastors, authors, traditions, or denominations.

John Stott once wrote, “The church lies at the very center of the eternal purpose of God… Divisions among God’s people detract from the beauty of God’s plan.” When we divide over personalities or preferences, we fracture the witness of the gospel. But when we unite around Jesus, the world sees His love displayed in real time.

Jesus prayed, “that all of them may be one, Father… so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). In a world torn by division, the Church’s unity becomes its most compelling testimony that Jesus is real, that He was sent by the Father, and that His love is unlike anything else on earth. We are never more faithful to His mission than when we live as one.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are not divided. Forgive me when I make too much of human leaders and too little of You. Help me to remember that You alone are the cornerstone of the Church. Unite us by Your Spirit and make us one, so that the world may believe You were sent by the Father. Amen.