Let’s begin by reading 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” 

We learn from 1 Corinthians 3:3-7, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

In these divisions in the Corinthian church, Paul accused the saints there of being carnal…or living according to the natural desires of the flesh.  This is in contrast to being spiritual.  We read in Galatians 5:25-26, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”  These traits of carnality are obvious…arrogance, contentions, and jealousy.  This leads to taking sides against each other and boasting against each other.

As we just read, the desire of the Lord is that all believers “speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  Here in Corinth, we see that one identified himself with Paul, who was the apostle to the Gentiles.  He was greatly used of the Lord, was very knowledgeable, and greatly gifted.  Another identified himself with Apollos, who was “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures.” (Acts 18:24).  Another identified himself with Cephas, who is Simon Peter. (John 1:42).  Others identified themselves with Christ, as if to say they were exclusively devoted to the Lord.  These divisions and gathering to the names of prominent men of God are because of the carnal thinking. 

Is this carnality similar to what we have today in the divisions in the church and gathering to the names of prominent men of God?  Let’s just see.  Of the mainstream denominations, we can easily identify those they follow after.  The Baptists are called that because they follow after John the Baptist and his teaching on baptism.  The Wesleyans are called that because they follow after the teachings of John Wesley.  The Lutherans are called that because they follow after the teaching of Martin Luther.  While some have established themselves by the teachings of the men they follow, some have adopted names that identify their practices, such as Pentecostals, Methodists, etc.  I can only imagine that these men, who were used greatly of the Lord in their time, would not hesitate to condemn those who would use their names as divisional authorities.

What then are we to do?  What name should we gather to that does not divide the church of God?  What central name can we gather to that is common to all believers?  The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in MY NAME, there am I in the midst of them.”  The Lord will not gather us together unto any name except His own.  The name of Christ belongs to all believers and the Lord has promised His presence whenever we are gathered to Himself alone.  Denominational names will one day cease to exist.  We dishonor the Lord when we value any other name other than His.  It is said of the Lord Jesus in Philippians 2:9, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” 

“Let sects, and names, and parties fall,

And Jesus Christ be all in all.”  (CC)  (672.2)