First Corinthians 1:10 says that there were divisions among the Corinthians. They did not all speak the same thing. If we all speak different things, we will be divided. Furthermore, the Corinthians were not attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion. To be attuned may be likened to the tuning of a piano. The piano will not give a harmonious sound if it is not tuned. We may be likened to a piano with the mind as one key, the emotion as another key, the will as another key, and the conscience as still another key. We may not be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion, so when Jesus comes to "play on us," we do not sound so well. Our sound is not harmonious, so we need the heavenly One to attune us.
When a brother exchanges words with his wife, or when a wife argues with her husband, that is not harmonious. This is why we need to be attuned. The Lord needs to come to touch us. He wants to touch our mind and our emotion. Our emotion should be attuned, because we are wild in our emotion. We are also stubborn in our will. Once we have decided something, no one can change us. This is why the Lord needs to attune our will, to make our will soft and flexible. I believe that many of us have experienced these things. I have been attuned often. All of us need to be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion. Then we will become like a grand piano which plays fine music in harmony.
In Corinth it was not like this because there were jealousy and strife among the saints there (1 Cor. 1:11; 3:3). Some young sisters in the church life may become jealous of one another. When they pray, when they share, or when they prophesy in the meetings, they are competing for "amens." When one sister shares, she receives many "amens," but when another one shares, she does not receive many "amens." Then the sister who did not get many "amens" becomes offended. This is jealousy. Some will not function unless they have the assurance that they will hear many "amens" from the saints. If they do not have this assurance, they will keep silent. This shows that it is easy to have jealousy and strife in the church.
The Corinthians also made parties by saying, "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ" (1 Cor. 1:12). Parties are divisions. In our local church, there may be four or five speakers who minister the word. When we come to a ministry meeting, we may ask who is going to speak. If one brother is speaking, we will not go, but if another brother is speaking, we will go. To our feeling this brother is wonderful. We are "of him." This is a party. We may think that we are merely choosing to go hear a brother who is a good speaker, and not choosing to go to hear another brother who is a bad speaker. But to do this is to make parties. We all have to learn to avoid anything that can create division. These kinds of divisions were there in Corinth.