Study Focus:1 Cor. 1:10–17, 1 Cor. 3:18–23, Phil. 2:1–8.
Introduction
In a small town, a group of volunteers came together to rebuild a community center after a storm. The foundation was strong, and the materials were good. They had bricks, mortar, tools—everything they needed.
But, as work began, disagreements broke out. One team insisted, “Bricks should be stacked this way—it’s more efficient.” Another team argued, “No, we’ve always done it this way!” Some workers refused to take instructions from others, saying, “We follow the lead of our crew chief only.” A few even walked off the worksite, saying, “If that group is involved, we want no part of this work.”
By the end of the day, what should have been a solid wall was a patchwork mess—some bricks crooked, others missing, and the whole structure unstable. A light push could have knocked it over. An old mason walked by, shook his head, and said, “A brick alone is just a rock. But bricks working together, with mortar holding them in place—that’s a wall. That’s strength.”
Just like those bricks, the church in Corinth—and today—can stand strong only when it is united in Christ, the foundation. Division weakens the body. But when we set aside pride and follow Christ’s model of servanthood, we become something unshakable.
Lesson Themes
In the early church, one of the greatest threats to unity wasn’t persecution—it was pride. Two main themes related to this issue can be found in this week’s passages. They can be briefly summarized as follows:
The Threat of Personality Cults. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses how believers were dividing themselves based on loyalty to different leaders—forming personality cults around Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. These factions turned gifted leadership into a source of division, distracting the church from its true foundation: Christ.
The Power of Christlike Servanthood. In contrast, Philippians 2:1–8 offers the antidote: Christlike humility. Paul urges believers to lay down selfish ambition and look not to their own interests, but to the interests of others. He points to Jesus, who, though equal with the Father, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself, and became obedient to death. That is the true model of unity: sacrificial love.
Together, these passages call the church to reject pride and power plays and instead pursue unity through servant-hearted humility, following the example of Christ.
Part II: Commentary
1. Background: Slavery was an unfortunate reality in the world of the New Testament. The Greek terminology used in the New Testament does not clearly distinguish between “servant” (for example, an employee under a superior who performs specific tasks and receives payment for that task) and “slave.” The correct translation of the Greek term doulos, “servant, slave,” for example, could be either “servant” or “slave” and depended on the specific context. Historians estimate that as many as twelve million people were enslaved in the Roman Empire during the first century A.D.—between 16 and 20 percent of the entire population of at least sixty million (see S. Scott Bartchy, “Slaves and Slavery in the Roman World,” in The World of the New Testament, eds. Joel B. Green and Lee Martin McDonald [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013], p. 170).
Slaves were often valued members of a larger household and sometimes held responsible positions in the household. Distinct from the practice of slavery in the New World, neither skin color nor ethnic/racial origins indicated slave status in the population of the Roman Empire. Roman law governed the treatment of slaves carefully, and many slaves could expect to be set free by their owners later in life. Nonetheless, slavery was not a benevolent institution. Many slaves suffered terribly under cruel masters and experienced all types of abuses.
The fact that several New Testament passages use terminology and imagery associated with slavery suggests its importance for those seeking to understand the cultural background of the New Testament: “Three keywords in Paul’s vocabulary—‘redemption,’ ‘justification,’ and ‘reconciliation’—draw directly on the process and results of manumission from slavery,” notes Bartchy (see Bartchy, “Slaves and Slavery in the Roman World,” in The World of the New Testament, p. 176). Such terminology and concepts helped readers to make sense of important theological concepts, including one that describes the release of the believer from the slavery of sin and alienation from God.
2. Personality Cults—Threats to Unity: Threats to unity come in many different shapes and forms, and Paul deals with some of them early on in his letter. Long before the days of social-media influencers, sports superstars, megachurch pastors, super-rich billionaires, or charismatic world leaders, people were already following their favorite spiritual leader. Following different spiritual leaders in the context of a church community can lead to arguments and often results in divisions. These divisions may further splinter into antagonistic groups at loggerheads with one another. In the church of Corinth, there seems to have been several groups supporting different leaders.
First Corinthians 1:12 mentions several names. Some claimed to be followers of Apollos. Apollos was a Jewish Christian and a native of Alexandria, “an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24, ESV). He must have been a good speaker and preacher who impressed his audiences with his rhetoric and his enthusiasm for preaching Jesus (Acts 18:25). Apollos had helped build up the church in Corinth while Paul was in Ephesus (Acts 19:1, 2); yet, prior to that, it seems as if he had not heard about the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 18:25).
Others claimed allegiance to Cephas, which is the Aramaic form of the name Peter. Peter was the first of the apostles to minister to non-Jews (Acts 10) and, because of his leadership role among the apostles, seemed to be regarded by many as the main Christian leader or figurehead of the movement. Others claimed to follow Paul. Although they seemed to have different approaches to mission, it is interesting to note that these leaders went out of their way to support, not criticize, one another’s work (see, for example, Peter’s support of Paul in 2 Peter 3:15 and Paul’s endorsement of Apollos’s work in 1 Corinthians 3:4–7).
However, we also should note that they were willing to engage each other critically if a particular issue called for it. Paul’s engagement with Peter regarding the important issue of fellowship with Gentile believers and the question of the relevance and importance of ritual laws and righteousness by faith (see Gal. 2:11–21) offers a good example. Despite the strong bonds connecting the different leaders of the early church, some believers still managed to play these different leaders’ teachings against each other to create division.
Paul’s suggested solution can be found in 1 Corinthians 3:18–23. Paul highlights the danger of self-deception for his Corinthian readers. They considered themselves “wise” and did not understand that divine wisdom appears as foolishness to unconverted minds. He quotes two Old Testament texts (Job 5:13 and Ps. 94:11) to bolster his argument, and then he comments on the various factions. Rather than engaging in the debate about who was more theologically sound or a more worthy influencer, Paul highlights every member’s need to keep Christ at the center of his or her spiritual life and not let any leader, no matter how eloquent or good, take the place that belongs to Christ. “Let no one boast in men” (1 Cor. 3:21, ESV), he suggests, for “you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:23, ESV). Finding our identity and home in Christ helps avoid divisions.
3. Christlike Servanthood: Most of us don’t really understand adequately the term “servant” as used in the New Testament. Philippians 2:1–8 offers a helpful model of servanthood within the context of unity. Paul emphasizes to his readers the importance of unity. The semantic force of the four conditional “if” clauses in Philippians 2:1 should really be understood “as an appeal based on the certainty (‘since there is’) of the spiritual realities expressed . . . in the Christian life.”—“Philippians,” in Andrews Bible Commentary, ed. Ángel M. Rodríguez et al. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2022), p. 1730. Paul then shares his personal hope and joy that the church should be “of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, and one mind” (Phil. 2:2, ESV), which ultimately means that his readers would not seek their own interests but be focused on the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).
The next section uses the example of Jesus as a model for the church. Church members are to imitate the full surrender of Jesus as they relate to one another. Theologians refer to this text to describe Christ in His pre-incarnation (Phil. 2:6, 7), during His incarnation on earth (Phil. 2:7, 8), and His exaltation after His resurrection (Phil. 2:9–11). Jesus became a doulos, a servant or slave. He “emptied himself” (Phil. 2:7, ESV) or “made Himself of no reputation” (NKJV). He voluntarily decided not to use His power and divine attributes so that He would be able to be the “servant of God” and save this planet that was in rebellion. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, NKJV) is Paul’s reminder to us that we, too, should imitate His love—imperfect though it will be in the person of frail and sinful human beings—as we relate to our faith community.
Part III: Life Application
Unity (or the lack thereof) was a major topic in the Corinthian church and is also an ever-present issue within Seventh-day Adventism. Some of us follow our favorite speaker on social media or spend significant time watching videos of our preferred ministry. Often our conflicts involve differences in our understanding of biblical truth, or we encounter personality clashes among the leadership. Paul’s message to the Corinthians reminds us that this conflict is nothing new. Servant leadership is an often-heard phrase; yet, we struggle to apply its principles to ourselves and the way we relate to one another.
How can we avoid the trap of disunity because of factions within the church?
What strategies can we find in Scripture to help us focus on Jesus as the center of our faith and of our church community?
The root of many conflicts is our different understandings of biblical truth. We claim we love truth and are committed to truth. So, how can we relate to others whose understanding of Scripture is distinct from ours? What can we learn from the One who claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life”?
Why is it so difficult to follow Christ’s example of perfect servanthood?
What biblical strategies and practical steps would help to bring more unity into our churches?
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Key Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10
Study Focus: 1 Cor. 1:10–17, 1 Cor. 3:18–23, Phil. 2:1–8.
Introduction
In a small town, a group of volunteers came together to rebuild a community center after a storm. The foundation was strong, and the materials were good. They had bricks, mortar, tools—everything they needed.
But, as work began, disagreements broke out. One team insisted, “Bricks should be stacked this way—it’s more efficient.” Another team argued, “No, we’ve always done it this way!” Some workers refused to take instructions from others, saying, “We follow the lead of our crew chief only.” A few even walked off the worksite, saying, “If that group is involved, we want no part of this work.”
By the end of the day, what should have been a solid wall was a patchwork mess—some bricks crooked, others missing, and the whole structure unstable. A light push could have knocked it over. An old mason walked by, shook his head, and said, “A brick alone is just a rock. But bricks working together, with mortar holding them in place—that’s a wall. That’s strength.”
Just like those bricks, the church in Corinth—and today—can stand strong only when it is united in Christ, the foundation. Division weakens the body. But when we set aside pride and follow Christ’s model of servanthood, we become something unshakable.
Lesson Themes
In the early church, one of the greatest threats to unity wasn’t persecution—it was pride. Two main themes related to this issue can be found in this week’s passages. They can be briefly summarized as follows:
The Threat of Personality Cults. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses how believers were dividing themselves based on loyalty to different leaders—forming personality cults around Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. These factions turned gifted leadership into a source of division, distracting the church from its true foundation: Christ.
The Power of Christlike Servanthood. In contrast, Philippians 2:1–8 offers the antidote: Christlike humility. Paul urges believers to lay down selfish ambition and look not to their own interests, but to the interests of others. He points to Jesus, who, though equal with the Father, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself, and became obedient to death. That is the true model of unity: sacrificial love.
Together, these passages call the church to reject pride and power plays and instead pursue unity through servant-hearted humility, following the example of Christ.
Part II: Commentary
1. Background: Slavery was an unfortunate reality in the world of the New Testament. The Greek terminology used in the New Testament does not clearly distinguish between “servant” (for example, an employee under a superior who performs specific tasks and receives payment for that task) and “slave.” The correct translation of the Greek term doulos, “servant, slave,” for example, could be either “servant” or “slave” and depended on the specific context. Historians estimate that as many as twelve million people were enslaved in the Roman Empire during the first century A.D.—between 16 and 20 percent of the entire population of at least sixty million (see S. Scott Bartchy, “Slaves and Slavery in the Roman World,” in The World of the New Testament, eds. Joel B. Green and Lee Martin McDonald [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013], p. 170).
Slaves were often valued members of a larger household and sometimes held responsible positions in the household. Distinct from the practice of slavery in the New World, neither skin color nor ethnic/racial origins indicated slave status in the population of the Roman Empire. Roman law governed the treatment of slaves carefully, and many slaves could expect to be set free by their owners later in life. Nonetheless, slavery was not a benevolent institution. Many slaves suffered terribly under cruel masters and experienced all types of abuses.
The fact that several New Testament passages use terminology and imagery associated with slavery suggests its importance for those seeking to understand the cultural background of the New Testament: “Three keywords in Paul’s vocabulary—‘redemption,’ ‘justification,’ and ‘reconciliation’—draw directly on the process and results of manumission from slavery,” notes Bartchy (see Bartchy, “Slaves and Slavery in the Roman World,” in The World of the New Testament, p. 176). Such terminology and concepts helped readers to make sense of important theological concepts, including one that describes the release of the believer from the slavery of sin and alienation from God.
2. Personality Cults—Threats to Unity: Threats to unity come in many different shapes and forms, and Paul deals with some of them early on in his letter. Long before the days of social-media influencers, sports superstars, megachurch pastors, super-rich billionaires, or charismatic world leaders, people were already following their favorite spiritual leader. Following different spiritual leaders in the context of a church community can lead to arguments and often results in divisions. These divisions may further splinter into antagonistic groups at loggerheads with one another. In the church of Corinth, there seems to have been several groups supporting different leaders.
First Corinthians 1:12 mentions several names. Some claimed to be followers of Apollos. Apollos was a Jewish Christian and a native of Alexandria, “an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24, ESV). He must have been a good speaker and preacher who impressed his audiences with his rhetoric and his enthusiasm for preaching Jesus (Acts 18:25). Apollos had helped build up the church in Corinth while Paul was in Ephesus (Acts 19:1, 2); yet, prior to that, it seems as if he had not heard about the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 18:25).
Others claimed allegiance to Cephas, which is the Aramaic form of the name Peter. Peter was the first of the apostles to minister to non-Jews (Acts 10) and, because of his leadership role among the apostles, seemed to be regarded by many as the main Christian leader or figurehead of the movement. Others claimed to follow Paul. Although they seemed to have different approaches to mission, it is interesting to note that these leaders went out of their way to support, not criticize, one another’s work (see, for example, Peter’s support of Paul in 2 Peter 3:15 and Paul’s endorsement of Apollos’s work in 1 Corinthians 3:4–7).
However, we also should note that they were willing to engage each other critically if a particular issue called for it. Paul’s engagement with Peter regarding the important issue of fellowship with Gentile believers and the question of the relevance and importance of ritual laws and righteousness by faith (see Gal. 2:11–21) offers a good example. Despite the strong bonds connecting the different leaders of the early church, some believers still managed to play these different leaders’ teachings against each other to create division.
Paul’s suggested solution can be found in 1 Corinthians 3:18–23. Paul highlights the danger of self-deception for his Corinthian readers. They considered themselves “wise” and did not understand that divine wisdom appears as foolishness to unconverted minds. He quotes two Old Testament texts (Job 5:13 and Ps. 94:11) to bolster his argument, and then he comments on the various factions. Rather than engaging in the debate about who was more theologically sound or a more worthy influencer, Paul highlights every member’s need to keep Christ at the center of his or her spiritual life and not let any leader, no matter how eloquent or good, take the place that belongs to Christ. “Let no one boast in men” (1 Cor. 3:21, ESV), he suggests, for “you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:23, ESV). Finding our identity and home in Christ helps avoid divisions.
3. Christlike Servanthood: Most of us don’t really understand adequately the term “servant” as used in the New Testament. Philippians 2:1–8 offers a helpful model of servanthood within the context of unity. Paul emphasizes to his readers the importance of unity. The semantic force of the four conditional “if” clauses in Philippians 2:1 should really be understood “as an appeal based on the certainty (‘since there is’) of the spiritual realities expressed . . . in the Christian life.”—“Philippians,” in Andrews Bible Commentary, ed. Ángel M. Rodríguez et al. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2022), p. 1730. Paul then shares his personal hope and joy that the church should be “of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, and one mind” (Phil. 2:2, ESV), which ultimately means that his readers would not seek their own interests but be focused on the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).
The next section uses the example of Jesus as a model for the church. Church members are to imitate the full surrender of Jesus as they relate to one another. Theologians refer to this text to describe Christ in His pre-incarnation (Phil. 2:6, 7), during His incarnation on earth (Phil. 2:7, 8), and His exaltation after His resurrection (Phil. 2:9–11). Jesus became a doulos, a servant or slave. He “emptied himself” (Phil. 2:7, ESV) or “made Himself of no reputation” (NKJV). He voluntarily decided not to use His power and divine attributes so that He would be able to be the “servant of God” and save this planet that was in rebellion. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, NKJV) is Paul’s reminder to us that we, too, should imitate His love—imperfect though it will be in the person of frail and sinful human beings—as we relate to our faith community.
Part III: Life Application
Unity (or the lack thereof) was a major topic in the Corinthian church and is also an ever-present issue within Seventh-day Adventism. Some of us follow our favorite speaker on social media or spend significant time watching videos of our preferred ministry. Often our conflicts involve differences in our understanding of biblical truth, or we encounter personality clashes among the leadership. Paul’s message to the Corinthians reminds us that this conflict is nothing new. Servant leadership is an often-heard phrase; yet, we struggle to apply its principles to ourselves and the way we relate to one another.
How can we avoid the trap of disunity because of factions within the church?
What strategies can we find in Scripture to help us focus on Jesus as the center of our faith and of our church community?
The root of many conflicts is our different understandings of biblical truth. We claim we love truth and are committed to truth. So, how can we relate to others whose understanding of Scripture is distinct from ours? What can we learn from the One who claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life”?
Why is it so difficult to follow Christ’s example of perfect servanthood?
What biblical strategies and practical steps would help to bring more unity into our churches?