Do we need to be looking for results? This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. WebAnd you know, that gives me some idea of how important this is to God, because from 1:10 to the ninth verse of the sixteenth Chapter, he just talks about the errors in the church. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Now these things were good. 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. I understand the fact that people have different beliefs and would like to stick to those (it is good to sick to what you believe) but when you get so segregated that you cannot work together anymore, it becomes a serious problem. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. Just as there was competiveness for honor and prestige among the orators of the first century, it also seems like there is competition between the pastors and churches of today. That is why we have four gospels, because not even one of the disciples who was with the Lord was capable of giving us a complete enough view of Christ. They failed to take seriously the power of evil; their behavior caused divisions in the church and led to a lack of concern for other members. WebPaul goes right on, in Verse 12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. It was expected. Whatever you say, I believe." 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. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. I think that some of the ways we have failed to de-paganize is because we are still so focused on the little things that make up the church. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 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. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). They were boasting over who had baptized them. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. You and I cant have more of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can give Him more of ourselves, and experience more fully what is already ours as children of God. Phillip J. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. How can the presence of divisions be described as worldly?, Bruce Winter details the Greco-Roman practice of discipleship in the second chapter of After Paul Left Corinth. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. WebAnd you know, that gives me some idea of how important this is to God, because from 1:10 to the ninth verse of the sixteenth Chapter, he just talks about the errors in the church. I think we have failed to de-paganize the art of preaching/teaching if pastors/leaders are looking for patronage, prestige, and numbers over relationships, service, and transformation. As we do, I hope every one of us will understand more and more fully the character of this radical principle that God has turned loose among us, this revolutionary idea represented in the cross of Christ that wipes out all these distinctions among men. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful I would like to close this service by reading what one man wrote about the cross: It is well that we should think sometimes of the Upper Room and the Last Supper, and of his soul, "exceeding sorrowful unto death"; of Gethsemane and the deep shadow of the olive trees; his loneliness, prayers, and disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat; the traitor's kiss; the binding, the blow in the face, the spitting, the buffeting, the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross; the exhaustion and collapse; the stripping, the impaling, and the jeers of his foes, and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross; the darkness, his being forsaken of God; his thirst, and the end. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 2- The Churchs division. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. He is the ground, always, of unity. What is a clique? Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. Other divisions were to follow. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). Her nose is bloody! 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Even though the churches within a certain denomination agree to the same biblical teachings, some churches within those denominations may begin to disagree with the biblical teachings and break away from the denomination to become affiliated with another denomination that aligns with their beliefs. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. If someone comes on preaching the doctrines that were emphasized during the Reformation, he will get a great following of people who think that the Reformation was the whole sum and substance of all great Christian truth. There are several important terms in this passage. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? This is what Paul does here. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. We are of Peter." WebDivisions in the Church. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. When everybody decides to put the things of Christ first, and is willing to suffer loss that the honor and glory of Christ might be advanced, that is what brings harmony in a congregation. WebDivisions in the Church. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." He addresses them as brethren. 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. In Jesus' name, Amen. Let's go back to Jerusalem. 2- The Churchs division. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. 2 Corinthians 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. Webdivided. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. 3- The presence of an immoral member. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. What is a clique? It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. The groom and his attendants are in their places. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 1 Corinthians 1:10: I appeal to you, brothers, 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.. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. Webdivided. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. 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. Lewis.". Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, Lets all join hands and go through the long grass again. Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. Now, church unity is a very important matter, and, because of its significance, Paul puts it first in the list of problems he has to deal with here at Corinth. When you follow one man you are getting a view of Christ, but there is no teacher in the church who has ever come along -- including the Apostle Paul himself -- who has ever had a totally complete view of Christ. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. 2 Corinthians Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. Ridiculous? It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. They failed to take seriously the power of evil; their behavior caused divisions in the church and led to a lack of concern for other members. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. 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. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Conclusion. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Apollos was an intellectual. After all, he was one of the first apostles that Jesus himself called." It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. The members started to develop division following different leaders. While there can be problems with some (no recognised leadership, disorganised, isolated, cultishness, lack of cohesion etc) they can also produce some of the strongest disciples Ive seen for many years, and yet, they could easily claim to be that fourth division like the one at Corinth the I am of Christ division, where they have no name (no favoured preacher/teacher) but are still divided off. Was Paul crucified for you? I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. 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. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. The Corinthian Church. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Its a lot harder! They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. Let it do its great work of cutting down and eliminating from our lives those things over which we take pride and which separate us from others; these distinctions that make us dislike our brother or sister, and turn our backs on them. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. And some of them are really gross. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Luke says in Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. The ground is level at the cross. 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). As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. You may be reminded by his words in Verse10 of the similar passage in his letter to the Philippians where, in Chapter2, he says to that church, "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind," (Philippians 2:1-2 RSV). The same viewpoints are still dividing people. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." For a local church to be spiritually healthy and effective, and for there to be harmony in the local church, there must be doctrinal unity. 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. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. 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. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). They failed to take seriously the power of evil; their behavior caused divisions in the church and led to a lack of concern for other members. A. In Philippians 2:9 Paul said of Christ, Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. No Christian, no Christian minister, is to put himself in Christs place, or allow himself to be put in Christs place, and take the authority and honor that is due to Christ alone. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. 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. 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. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. WebPaul goes right on, in Verse 12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." If I am not out of line I seem to remember that Constantine played a large role in allowing Pagan influences back into the Christian Life. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. 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? This is what Paul uses as the basis for unity in this church -- not only the attitude of selflessness, which is the mind of Christ, but the responsibility to submit to his Lordship, the common responsibility that we have together. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. And just as the Corinthian church was not above the petty rivalries of its time, neither is the modern church above becoming involved in such shouting matches. 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. 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. Offshoots had disturbed the church. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. I hang on every word you say. I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. They are his family in Christ. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? For instance, in the Greco-Roman culture the practice of teacher-disciple relationships was often common and so many Christian converts in Corinth would associate themselves with a particular teacher and be under their discipleship. There is no other name big enough, great enough, glorious enough, and powerful enough to gather everybody together, despite the diversity of viewpoint and the differences of background or status in life, than the name of Jesus. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division.