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"That there be no divisions..."

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10

THE PRAYER FOR “ONENESS”

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who showed His disciples what true “oneness” was all about. This was also one of the things He prayed for.

“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world,
and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name
those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me
through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father,
are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
John 17:11, 20-21

1. Context

a) This was a special prayer Jesus offered.

i) For His disciples with Him.

ii) For disciples of the future.

b) This is sometimes called “The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus”.

i) One of His ministries was to pray.

ii) It is significant to note that he prayed for oneness.

2. What is “oneness”

a) The example given is the “oneness” that the Father had with His Son.

b) This was what is most desirable as true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

c) Unity or disunity may well affect effectiveness of bearing witness for the Lord.

THE PROBLEM OF THE LACK OF ONENESS

This was a problem that Paul discerned as he observed the Corinthian Church. Because of his ministry as an apostle, Paul was not always able to be there in Corinth. As time passed, the problem of disunity appeared.

“Now I plead with you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
1 Corinthians 1:10

1. The problem of disunity

This was the first of many problems that Paul had to address.

2. He analysed the problem carefully.

3. The problem must be dealt with and resolved effectively.

4. The danger to the church was too real not to address the problem directly.