In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to preach the Gospel, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. John 12:37-50, THE PARADOX OF LIFE FROM DEATH John 12:20-26, THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM JOHN 12:9-19, SPIRITUAL LIGHT AND DARKNESS John 9:35-41. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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." That, of course, is as it should be. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Was Paul crucified for you? I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 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. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. RayStedman.org/permissions. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. 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. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Gods people who are moving in revival (like we have been to experiencing right here in Brisbane these last few months) have no qualms about getting together to see the nation of Australia come to Christ. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. But that is a very dangerous attitude, and yet we tend to think of people as being the channel by which deliverance can come to our heart. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" Let's get back to the beginnings. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Do we need to be looking for results? 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. We all know what a clique is. Webdivided. 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. They would have the Scofield Reference Bible and a notebook under one arm, and you knew that if you examined their Bibles you would find the ladder index on the pages. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. When I say worn out I mean people say that it is not usable in the modern world so its words become little more than foot rests in the pew. The anxiety of the childs mother continued to grow, for she knew that her boy was somewhere out in the darkness where wild animals were constantly on the prowl. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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.. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! For permission to use this content, please review 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. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. 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. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. 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. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. Now these things were good. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). I hang on every word you say. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. The church was divided into factions, and one group was urging him to take half the congregation and go to another part of the city and start a new church. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches 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. With that spirit of self-righteous smugness, they were separating from the rest, dividing up the congregation and quarreling with one another over these things. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 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. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. There are several important terms in this passage. 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. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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. It seems so bland compared to all the other choices out there when really it presents and encourages people to live out a very different and exciting life in the opposite direction of the world. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. 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. 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! Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 2- The Churchs division. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. His Word does not disagree with itself. Bruises show on her arm! 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. They did not try to hide the problems. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 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. What is a clique? That was the mark, that was the identification badge. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. 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 church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. After all, he was one of the first apostles that Jesus himself called." Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. 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. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" In Jesus' name, Amen. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. 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. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Other divisions were to follow. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. But it is the exclusiveness that Paul is concerned about here -- people who do not even want to come to a service if someone other than their favorite is preaching. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. In this parable, the groom is Christ. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." That is why the apostle appeals to it. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). There is not a single teacher who ever lived who can heal the hurt of a broken heart, or supply energy and adequacy to someone who feels worthless and unable to function in society, not one. 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. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. 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. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. It was a glorious work. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. WebDivisions in the Church. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. It is a serious threat to the life of a church to find people choosing favorite preachers, to the degree, at least, that they do not want to listen to anyone else. Their conflicts undoubtedly had its theological and philosophical dimensions, but it was social as well, human and petty, high on pride and low on love (Polhill 233). 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. It is interesting how quickly we forget where our gifts come from and think we are the cause of success. Therefore our boasting should only be in the Lord (1 Corinthains 1:26-31). But if it is to escape pressures and difficulties and problems in the congregation, then it is absolutely wrong and the worst thing he could do, because it sets before the watching world a false testimony concerning the church of Jesus Christ. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? One eye is purple and swollen! These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. He addresses them as brethren. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. It would be great if all of you would think like me, but unfortunately there are stubborn ones among you, there are depraved ones among you, there are those who have different backgrounds than I have, and some of you just do not think like I do! The members started to develop division following different leaders. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. 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. 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? 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 basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. The groom and his attendants are in their places. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It seems like it would be better to ask in what ways have we been re-paganized. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019).