The Undivided Christ

• 1 Corinthians 3:1-5: “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe…”

• 1 Corinthians 1:11-13: “…There is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided?”

Let’s consider Paul’s question: “is Christ divided?” To answer it, we have to be sure we understand the word “Christ” in the same way he did. Otherwise, we hear something other than what he meant, and we will be led away from his intended meaning. This can lead to all sorts of problems, so especially with spiritual matters, it is important we try to understand what the words mean (though ultimately words, at best, only point to the Spiritual reality for us to experience).

In reading the writings of Paul and the first apostles carefully, it becomes clear they thought of “Jesus” as a human man, and “Christ” as the SPIRIT Jesus was anointed with and lived by. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:5 Paul writes of “the man Christ Jesus,” and Acts 2:22 quotes Peter as referring to Jesus as : “…a man attested to you by God…” The apostles referred to Jesus as “the Christ,” and there are numerous statements in the Bible proving “Christ” refers to the spiritual, such as those speaking of “Christ in you” and “Christ dwelling in your hearts.” This of course only makes sense if Christ is a spirit, not a physical person. Even the question “is Christ divided?” shows Christ refers to something that is non-physical.

In his first letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul referred to them as “worldly” minded and spiritual “infants” because they were arguing and dividing among each-other based on which teacher they followed. This showed they did not fully realize that Christ is THE single teacher (which Jesus himself said, as I’ll show in a future post). In asking “is Christ divided?” Paul was essentially asking “do you think the Spirit of God is divided and in conflict with itself? If not, why do you claim to follow the Spirit of God while dividing from and arguing with each-other about which teacher you follow?”

I don’t think having beliefs or opinions that differ from others is necessarily a problem, and I don’t think this is what Paul was criticizing the Corinthian believers for. In fact, Paul wrote the following in Romans 14:1-4: “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.  Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” This passage implies people are at different levels of maturity and have their own walk with God, and we should not judge them for being different in what they do or don’t do, especially if they are bearing the fruit of the Spirit. The real problem Paul is getting at seems to be identification with one particular teacher or set of ideas, causing arguments and division. Genuine spiritual teachers do not want anyone to identify with them, as they are no better than anyone else. Teachers are simply “servants” that help remove blindspots and roadblocks in people so they can better inwardly connect with Christ, the One teacher. As 1 John 2:27 says: “But the anointing (the Spirit) that you received from him (God) abides in you (is within you), and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing (Spirit) teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” Little children are a good example of those who do not have this problem of identification. In their innocence, they do not argue about theology or divide with others based on their quirks and preferences. When a child meets a child, they do not see a set of beliefs or even an “other” at all, in the sense of a different “kind.” They simply see another person, like themselves.

Dividing and arguing over beliefs and teachers is said to be “worldly” precisely because it does not recognize the realm of the Spirit, where there is unity. It is also said to be “immature” because it shows a lack of understanding of at least two critical things: what Christ is (the Spirit of God), and where Christ is (within each heart, as our very life). If we find ourselves being argumentative, and especially being divisive and judgmental, it is sure we need to more fully realize and embrace the beautiful, astounding, radical truth that Christ, the Spirit of God, where our true life exists at this and every moment, is NOT divided, but in fact is “all and in all.”1

1. Colossians 3:10-11: “…the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Spirit/love).  Here (in the Spirit) there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.“