A Church in Crisis: The Power of the Cross Over Division

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10–31

1. THE APPEAL FOR UNITY (vv. 10–17)

• Paul begins in verse 10:
• 1 Corinthians 1:10–17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, 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. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.
• The word “divisions” means a rip or a tear — as if the fabric of the church was being ripped apart.
• Paul was telling them they needed to agree on THE ESSENTIALS or THE PRIMARY TRUTHS of the Christian faith in order to present a united front to the city and to the world.
• The Corinthians were lining up behind personalities:
• Paul is calling the Ekklesia - the assembly of Jesus’ followers from very diverse backgrounds - to be UNITED: Prepare, complete, restore
• THE UNITY IS JESUS CHRIST…AS LORD!!!
• This was so important, Jesus prayed for it three times in His great prayer.
• John 17:11 
• John 17:21-23 
• THE CROSS OF CHRIST CARRIED THE POWER NECESSARY FOR SALVATION AND DIDN’T NEED TO BE EMPTIED OF ITS EFFECT

1. THE WORD AND THE POWER OF THE CROSS (vv. 18–25)

• Here Paul shifts the focus from division to the deeper reason for unity: the cross of Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 18 For THE WORD OF THE CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is THE POWER OF GOD to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom (we seek to know God through wisdom but God is the One who eliminated that), God was pleased to save those who BELIEVE through the foolishness of what is preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 
• Greeks idolized wisdom and knowledge and Jews wanted evidence to “prove” Jesus is the Messiah.
• The Cross of Christ doesn’t make sense under the wisdom of the world.
• Here’s what we must understand about the WORD OF THE CROSS
• (a) The Cross Reveals God’s Power in Weakness
• 2 Cor. 12:9: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
• (b) The Cross Levels the Ground for All People
• Jews demanded signs. Greeks sought wisdom. Both missed it. But the cross shows salvation is not achieved through miracles, intellect, or human greatness — it is revealed through the sacrifice of Jesus received ONLY by grace.
• Eph 2:8-9 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
• (c) The Cross Confronts Our Sin
• The cross isn’t just comforting; it’s confronting. It says: You are a sinner in need of rescue. The seriousness of sin is revealed in the price Jesus paid.
• 2 Cor. 5:21: “He - God - made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 
• (d) The Cross Offers Salvation and New Identity
• To those who believe, the cross means forgiveness, reconciliation with God - our Creator and the One who loves, and eternal life with Him. It reshapes who you are — your identity is no longer in your job, politics, or reputation, but in belonging to Christ - BEING IN CHRIST as Paul states.
• Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• (e) The Cross Is the Center of the Christian Life
• 1 Corinthians 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.
• The cross isn’t just how we’re saved; it’s how we live. Daily dying to self and living in resurrection power.
• Luke 9:23–25 (CSB) Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?
• 1 Cor. 2:2: “I decided to know NOTHING among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 

1. GOD’S UPSIDE DOWN WISDOM (vv. 26–31)

• Paul then says, 
• 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 26 Brothers and sisters, CONSIDER YOUR CALLING (into fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord): Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 SO THAT no one may boast in HIS presence. 30 It is from HIM that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption 31 — IN ORDER THAT, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, BOAST IN THE LORD. 
• Do our pursuits and perceptions in life reflect this? Have we bought into the wisdom of the world: 
• Strength in power
• Christ only for a few (of whom WE choose)
• We are not REALLY sinful therefore have no need of a Savior
• My life is absolutely fine without God. I am after everything this world has to offer me (which I perceive is much better than what God has for me.)
• Not many of the Corinthians were wise, powerful, or of noble birth. They were ordinary. Yet God chose them. Why?
• “so that no one may boast in his presence. (v. 29)
• Paul quotes Jeremiah 9:24:
• But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows Me — that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.

Reflection / Application Questions

1. Where do you see division most clearly in the church today, and how does the cross speak into that?
2. How do we sometimes mirror the Corinthians by aligning ourselves with personalities or movements rather than Christ?
3. Why is unity in Christ so essential for the church’s witness to the world (John 17:21)?
4. How does the cross challenge our culture’s obsession with power, success, and influence?
5. In what areas of your life do you struggle with boasting in yourself rather than in the Lord?
6. How does the cross confront your personal sin — and remind you of God’s love at the same time?
7. Where have you seen God’s power show up in your weakness?
8. What does it look like practically for you to “boast in the Lord” in your work, family, or community?
9. How can our church embody unity without demanding uniformity?
10. If outsiders looked at our church, would they see us united around Christ or divided by preferences? What might need to change?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?