Is Christ Divided?

St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (epistle) was most likely written from Ephesus during his stay there around 53 to 57 AD. About 1, 959 years ago, St. Paul was already confronting the issue of ecumenism in the church. Sadly enough, at the very start of Christianity there was already “quarreling among” brothers and sisters on matters of our common Faith. Moreover, St. Paul appealed “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” that they would “be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”In the latest post in my other blog, Arango’s Apologetics Page, which I consider the older sibling to this one I used several Scripture references; however in this post I plan on using only eight verses from the New Testament. This blog seeks unity among all those that call themselves Christian, as well as all of humanity. One of the questions we must ask ourselves is what can we do to make unity in Christ a possibility, if we truly believe that this was the desire of Jesus? The question St. Paul asked about two millenniums ago in the First Letter to the Corinthians was “Is Christ divided?” The answer to this question is that He is absolutely “Not “divided. I simply wish to share First Corinthians 1:10-17 with you the reader and allow you to ponder on this idea of ecumenism, and why it is so important, and also that you ask yourself why we are so divided as denominations and groups of the same Faith? I Corinthians 1:10-17 reads as follows:

"BRETHREN, I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (RSV Bible)."

Reference:

The Revised Standard Version of the Bible