1 Corinthians 1:10-17
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name! 16 But I did baptize the household of Stephanas also; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.
No divisions among you: Christians, throughout history, have likewise been divided over various doctrines taught by theologians. These schisms exist when Christians do not know their identity in Christ. Those who know their identity can freely enjoy various teachers or theologians without assuming their theological camp as an identity.
I am with Paul…Christ: Paul does not want people to find identity in earthly teachers as helpful or intriguing as they may be in their communication. We are all in Christ ultimately, and not in a human being. So, regardless of who our favorite teachers are, we need to remember that our true identity is in Christ. Furthermore, the worth of each person’s teaching is in correlation with the clarity of their presentation of the Gospel of grace.
Christ did not send me to baptize: Paul’s comment serves two primary purposes. First, Paul is making it clear that the worth of baptism is not in the person who conducted the baptism. Rather, it is in what the baptism signifies: Believers have been placed into Christ at the moment of faith. Second, Paul’s statement makes clear that physical baptism does not save anyone. If this were not so, then he would have been a true failure as an apostle.
