What does 1 Corinthians 1:10 mean?

Paul has laid a firm foundation for his letter in two things. First, he had zero doubts that the Christians in Corinth were truly saved, born-again believers, completely secure in Christ forever. Paul will not look at their sin and wrong thinking and challenge their salvation. Second, Paul has grounded their security in Christ Himself. He mentions the name of Christ here for the tenth time in the first ten verses. The Corinthians are accepted, because they are in Christ, and for no other reason.

In the previous verse, Paul wrote these believers have been called, each of them, into the fellowship of Christ. That requires, as people in Christ, they be in fellowship with each other. Now Paul comes to the first of many problems among the church in Corinth. Instead of being united because they are all in Christ, the Corinthians are divided.

Paul urges them in the name of Christ to agree with each other. He sets a high expectation for this church, and all Christian churches: zero divisions. Because each of them is in Christ, Paul insists that they can live in unity. This unity can, and must, reach the level of cooperative thinking and judgment on matters of critical importance.

Here, as in other passages (Romans 14), Paul will clarify: he is not demanding everyone in the church agree with whomever is in charge. Nor is he teaching that believers can never disagree about something. The standard here is not to reach perfect conformity, only that they must reach unity. Disagreement does not have to mean division.

Paul is setting up Christ as the standard for every thought and judgment. As every person conforms to Christ, they will come into alignment with each other. Differences of opinion will be secondary to fundamental agreement and brotherhood, through Christ. When Christians set up mere human beings as their standard, division is always the result, as the following verses will show.