Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Now, in one verse he introduces to us the cure for these divisions (Verse17): For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom [literally, "wisdom of words"], lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. What is a clique? To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Its pastors, bishops and others who fear the loss of their livlihoods as their former sheep move on in God towards the new wine skins of revival that want to maintain the old wine skins which brought them an income. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. Paul says that he does not preach in cleverness of speech because the power of the gospel lies in the facts of the gospel, and not in any mans presentation of them. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. When it comes to seeking the spiritually lost for Christ, we can be much more effective if we are perfectly joined together in an unfailing zeal for Gods glory, not our own. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? If Paul were to visit one of these churches, he would see a good-looking man in a custom suit standing over everybody else, and his mind would go straight to the orators of his day. Then not only did they have the Bible, but every Navigator who was anybody at all had to have an index drawn in on the pages of the Bible, a kind of a ladder that gave you a clue to where the books were so that with your thumb you could turn up any book in the Bible almost instantly. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 10 I appeal to you, brothers,[ a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. As a young Christian in my early twenties during World WarII, I was stationed in Hawaii, and I became acquainted with the work of the Navigators. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. We worry about how the power points are going to look, if we should have one or two singers, drums or no drums, electric guitars or none at all (I feel like you get my point) its almost as if we worship these things! He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. We feel some sense of connectedness to the teachers (pastors/leaders) whose teachings we sit under while they count us as proof of their effectiveness (numbers). Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). For permission to use this content, please review 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. Obviously sin is at the heart of these divisions, but I am encouraged to hear that at least in your corner of the world there is some unification and revival. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. We get so off track of what Christianity is all aboutMark 12:30-31 and begin focusing on worldly things like Rob Bell debated are actually being held to see if this Pastor is even Christian! Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. At that time it was under the leadership of its founder, Dawson Trotman, and it was my privilege and delight to be a close friend of his, to have spent a good deal of time with him and to come under the influence of his teaching and his methods. The words made complete in verse 10 are translated from a Greek word that was used to speak of mending such things as nets, bones, dislocated joints, broken utensils, and torn garments. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. WebDivisions in the Church. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. Paul is going to go on to describe this radical force that is so different than anything else there is nothing like it in the world. But you could always tell a Navigator because there were three things that he always had: First, he had a Scofield Reference Bible tucked under his arm. That was a mark of status with them. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. He is the ground, always, of unity. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. WebDivisions in the Church. We see similar situations today, with political debates often devolving into a shouting match in which the person who yells their opinion the loudest and the longest is the winner. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Throughout this 2000 year process of normalizing divisions among believers, we have consistently neglected the fact we Jesus should unite us, and unless we choose to make a change, we will continue to forget this fact. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). This is what Paul does here. We all know what a clique is. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons our churches are so split and why we act more like the world rather than more like Christ. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. It would destroy the unity of the congregation and split them up and provide an inaccurate testimony to the Person of Christ before the watching world. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. And some of them are really gross. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. The Navigators in those days did a great work in the Navy throughout the whole of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and hundreds of young men were led to Christ through their efforts during the war years. Ones honor and reputation were valued highly and if someone attacked your reputation it was expected that you would defend yourself and retaliate by publicly bashing your attacker. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 10 I appeal to you, brothers,[ a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) When you call them back to an understanding of the meaning of the cross, you will find all the divisions disappearing; they fade away like the morning mist. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. That is why Paul calls us back to it. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. This applies also to the leadership in the church. You only have to listen around you today and you find outstanding leaders being held up by their congregations as almost the equal of the Lord himself in their value to the church. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. What is a clique? This consumerism that we face today in the end doesnt seem all that much different from the way the Christian faith was treated like just another philosophy back in the days of Paul. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. I remember a few years ago being at a family congress in St. Louis, Missouri, when one of the evening speakers was Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the very capable and powerful preacher on the Lutheran Hour radio program. We go back to the Lord alone. 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. It seems unbelievable at first to think that this kind of division exists within the modern church, but more often than not it is actually one of the most common reasons for division. And some of them are really gross. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? The Gentiles coming into this new Church do not seem to be able to see the differences between it and a Greco-Roman philosopher gathering disciples and educating them in a particular philosophy. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. In 2019 he published a commentary. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Try it some time. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Within our churches, and even in our own denominations (sophisticated name for divisions), we argue about church funds, whos on the worship team, and whether the youth should have long hair. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who So, just a few texts and there are so many more. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. If it had been left up to us to plan the program by which God would change the world we would never have included a cross. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). There was nothing wrong with them, they were very helpful, but it was not very long before they became status symbols, and they were used to put down, not always intentionally, those who did not have them. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Its a lot harder! The third danger of groups is given in the latter part of Verse13, and on through the next few verses: Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. Paul exhorts them to agree. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? Now, almost every group does this. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. They are his family in Christ. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Therefore, the only basis upon which you can get Christians to agree is by setting before them the Person of the Lord Jesus, and calling them back to that fundamental base. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. It is extremely important. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. I agree with Greg, I see a lot of times where Pastors begin to care more about the number of the congregation rather on the connectedness of it. What is a clique? WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). When the lifeless body of the little one was carried back to the anxious mother, she cried aloud, Oh why didnt you join hands before?. Webdivided. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. Then comes that great Christological passage where he describes how Christ, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. Why? A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. As bad as it is, it makes sense for the people of Pauls day to be concerned with whatever home church has the best orator, and then argue for them to other potential followers. In comparison to modern churches, its easy to say that there are hardly any divisions among Christians and differing churchesbut could these divisions still exist today? God wants the local church congregation and the local community to see the beauty of a church that is unified and fitted together in love. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. I think the letter to the Philippians helps us here, because in that passage I just quoted from, Paul goes on to say, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 2:5). Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. He was introduced in a rather extended and flowery way, but he came on and in his great, booming voice said, "I'm not Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the great preacher of the Lutheran Hour. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. We are so proud of them when they look right, but when things start to fall apart, the church begins to fall apart as well. Now to this, there should be a division that exists considering that there are some denominations that do teach correct biblical doctrine, while other churches deviate from correct biblical doctrine in order to teach their own false doctrines. When the Corinthians divided into factions, it wasnt so much about core doctrine (nature of God, nature of Christ, the Gospel, the nature of man). The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Other divisions were to follow. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? There are several things that split the church today. One eye is purple and swollen! In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Like the orators wanted more money from the fees they charged, many pastors just want more people to look better and have a bigger budget. There is not a teacher among us today, or at any other time, who is able to open the mind and open the eyes of the heart and reveal to us the glory and majesty of God, not one. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. They are still acting just like the world. This is the challenge of the divisions in 1 Corinthians how does the modern church act just like the world? WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Paul does not want to be considered a philosopher who is gathering disciples, nor does he want that for Apollos or Peter or any man. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. Conclusion. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. This is a very propitious time for us to consider the cross for this is Palm Sunday, commemorating the day when our Lord entered Jerusalem for his last week. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. That is what Paul speaks about. There are several important terms in this passage. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. The families have been seated. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. Was Paul crucified for you? Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ.
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