10. Now 1 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.
There is but one exhortation in this verse, which is ex- pressed first in general terms, "that ye all say the same thing ; " and is then explained in the negative form, " that there be no divisions among you ; " and then positively, " that ye be perfectly joined together."
By the name of our Lord Jesus Christy i. e. out of re- gard to Christ, Rom. 12, 1. 15, 30. 2 Thess. 4, 12. Their reverence and love of Christ, and regard for his authority as their Lord, should induce them to yield obedience to the apostle's exhortation. It was not out of respect to him, but out of regard to Christ they should obey. This renders obe- dience easy and elevating. To say the same thing (to avro keyuv) is a phrase of frequent occurrence to express agreement. It may be so understood here, and then the following clauses are explanatory. Or, it may be understood in reference to v. 12, of outward profession. 'Do not say I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, but all say the same thing.' The former explana- tion appears the more natural.
And that there be no divisions among you, literally, schisms. The word {crxfa-jxa) means, 1 . A rent, as in a garment, Matt. 9, 16. 2. Difierence of opinion, John 7, 43. 3. Venation of feeling, or inward separation. 4. In its ecclesiastical sense, it is an unauthorized separation from the church. The schisms which existed in Corinth were not of the nature of hostile sects refusing communion with each other, but such as may exist in the bosom of the same church, consisting in alienation of feeling and party strifes.
But {that) ye be perfectly joined together. The original word (/caraprttw) means to repair, or to mend, Matt. 4, 21, ^o reduce to place, as a dislocated limb ; to render complete, or perfect {apTiosi) ; then figuratively, to restore or set right those in error ; to prepare, to render perfect. Hence in this place the sense may be, ' That ye be perfect,' as the Vulgate ren- ders it ; or, ' that ye be united,' as in our translation ; or, ' that ye be reduced to order.' The context shows that the idea of union is what the apostle intended. They were not to