Exhortation to Concord and Unity of Mind (1 Corinthians 1:10)

The discords, as can be seen, did not strike deep roots but arose rather from carelessness; they consisted in the fact that some attached themselves principally to one of the learned among them, or generally to some famous teacher, others to another, and still others to yet another. Previously, in paganism, those accustomed to divide according to philosophies thought that in Christianity too it would be permissible to place oneself under the heading of one teacher or another, and they began to conduct such conversations. They did not separate themselves from one another, did not form separate parties, congregations, or assemblies, but lived in harmony as Christians; they merely permitted themselves such conversations. This proceeded from too great trust in the decisions of their own mind, or in human wisdom, and from failure to understand what teachers truly are—people in the work of building up the Church of God on earth. Learning of this, holy Paul first 1) briefly but powerfully denounces the absurdity of such conversations (1 Cor. 1:10–16); then 2) cuts off the sources from which those absurd conversations issued (1 Cor. 1:17–4:16); 3) in conclusion informs them of the sending to them of holy Timothy and of his own speedy arrival, with instructions able to sober them (1 Cor. 4:17–21).

1. Brief denunciation of the discords that arose (1 Cor. 1:10–16)

Having prefaced, as a conclusion from the preceding, a) an exhortation to unanimity and unity of mind (1 Cor. 1:10), and b) having indicated wherein their discords consisted (1 Cor. 1:11–12), he shows c) how this is absurd (1 Cor. 1:13–16).

a) Exhortation to unanimity and unity of mind (1 Cor. 1:10)

1 Cor. 1:10. Now I beseech 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.

“Now I beseech you, brethren”. “Rebuke must be made gradually and little by little; thus Paul does here. In approaching a subject fraught with great dangers and liable to shake the Church to its very foundations, he begins his discourse with gentleness. So it always is: if you suddenly begin to rebuke someone sharply, he will harden and become shameless; but if you make (a gentle) remonstrance, you will bow his neck, soften his boldness, and make him ashamed. This is what Paul does, beseeching in the name of Christ” (holy Chrysostom).

“Now I beseech by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Holy Chrysostom, observing that in the preceding nine verses the precious and most sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned nine times, remarks that “holy Paul does not do this in vain and not simply, but by the frequent use of this exalted name wishes to cast down their pride and destroy their evil malady” (under verse 8). In beseeching by the name of the Lord Jesus, he brings both the Corinthians’ love for Him and their consciousness of the duty to obey Him as helpers to the power of his word. By the name of the Lord, to whom you have cleaved in love, before whom you stand in awe, to whose bidding you are ready to listen—by His name I beseech you. What heart could resist such persuasion? Yet at the same time, however gentle such discourse is, it could not help but remind them that although the Apostle beseeches, still in beseeching by the name of Christ, he at the same time strictly binds them. This is fatherly discourse, not indulging but sobering!

“That you all speak the same thing”. The tongue speaks what is in the soul and heart. Unite the thoughts and feelings, and the speech will be one. But speech spreads disharmony of mind, and the evil of division widens. This is what holy Paul first checks, saying as if: stop being discordant, speak all with one voice; otherwise division among you will increase. And therefore, perhaps, he spoke of this first because the whole matter probably consisted more in thoughtless discord in speech than in serious mutual division. Therefore, immediately after this, the Apostle says: “and that there be no divisions among you”—σχισματα, that is, divisions into parties. There is not yet such a rupture; the Apostle only, as it were, fears it, and speaks as if: stop saying: “I follow this one, I follow that one,” lest you produce division in the heart and breed parties, lest you tear the whole society into pieces, as one tears apart a garment. When a garment is torn into pieces, the pieces are useless, and the garment is lost. The same will be with you. The parts into which you divide will present nothing sound, and the whole will be destroyed. So say holy Chrysostom and Theophylact.

“But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”. “Perfectly joined together”—κατηρτισμενοι. This word means the fitting of one part with another, so that from all of them, when fitted together, one strong and durable whole is formed. The Apostle draws on the comparison that as, for example, a carpenter, fitting part with part, achieves that a needed and reliable thing—a table, or something else—is obtained; so be fitted together in all things, you also. Holy Chrysostom says: “After the words: ‘that you all speak the same thing’, do not think, says the Apostle, that I mean agreement in words only; no, I desire agreement also in thoughts. And since one can have the same thoughts but not on all subjects, he adds: ‘that you be perfectly joined together’ (κατηρτισμενοι—fitted together in all things). For whoever is agreed on one thing but not agreed on another has not yet been perfectly joined together, has not attained complete unity of mind.”

The distinction in the words: “in the same mind”—νοι and “in the same judgment”—γνωμη, blessed Theodoret explains thus: “He does not reproach them for difference in dogmas but for quarrels and rivalries about leaders: the sense of the preaching, says the Apostle, is one (and this is expressed in the words: ‘in the same mind’), but the disposition is not one (and this is meant by the words: ‘in the same judgment’). Therefore he beseeches them, holding one thing in mind and understanding alike, not to make discord and not to contend vainly about leaders.” Holy Chrysostom states more precisely what γνωμη is. “It can happen that even with agreement in thoughts there is not yet agreement in spirit; for example, when we, having the same faith, are not united with one another in love. In this case we are agreed in thoughts, because we think alike; but we are still not agreed in spirit—γνωμη. The same was true in Corinth, where one held the party of one and another held the party of another. Therefore Paul says that you ought to be ‘perfectly joined together’ (fitted together) ‘in the same mind and in the same judgment.’ For the dissensions among you arose not from difference in faith but from disagreement in spirit, from human vanity.”

Thus we can establish that “in the same mind” means—in unity of mind; and “in the same judgment”—in unity of spirit: let there be among you one mind and one soul, one heart; the same as: strive to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). By this the disharmony is very clearly defined. It was all in thoughtless disputation: this teacher is better; no, that one is.