I hang on every word you say. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. I do not identify my self as being a follower of anybody but Jesus (although there are certain theologians that I do hold in higher regard than others). Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. 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. I Corinthians 12:12,13 says, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 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). 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Paul, however, was a good leader. There should be unanimous agreement. There are several things that split the church today. 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. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. For permission to use this content, please review Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. 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?. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). That was a mark of status with them. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. He started this church. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. He then goes on to describe for us the mind of Christ, which is a willingness to give up rights and personal privileges and give in and take a lower place. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). 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. The members started to develop division following different leaders. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. WebDivisions in the Church. The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. Lewis.". One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? They may have carried Pauls teachings of justification by faith and freedom from the Law to an extreme and felt free to do whatever they wanted. In Jesus' name, Amen. 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. 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! It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. 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. 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. A second issue that seems to keep the church divided (the whole church and individual churches) is the little things such as the structure of the service, the type of music played for worship, whether a pastor should always wear a tie, and what color should be used in the bathroom. 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). Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. Let's get back to the beginnings. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? 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. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. 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. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? 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. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. It was expected. Other divisions were to follow. Webdivided. A. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. Conclusion. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) 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 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? 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 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. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. 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. 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). If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. 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. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. If you limit yourself to one speaker or one teacher and feed only on him, you are getting a distorted view of Jesus Christ; you are chopping Christ up, dividing him and taking one little portion as one man reports it and ignoring the rest, thus your view of Christ is deficient and unable to satisfy you as it was intended to do. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) Offshoots had disturbed the church. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? That is why Paul calls us back to it. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). 2- The Churchs division. 13Is Christ divided? In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. 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. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. 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. Although the modern church has improved in many ways compared to the ancient churches, there is still the issue of division that exists among differing churches as was in the ancient churches. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. 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." (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). 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. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. 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. Not when one part of the congregation meets in one part of the building, and the other part of the congregation meets in another spot. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. 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 real problem behind the divisions is that the church continues to act like Christianity is just another philosophy, and teachers are in competition with each other just as the Greek orators competed. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. 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. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. 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. 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. 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. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. The first thing Paul says is that it tends to chop up Christ and parcel him out as though his person and his work came in various packages, thus you lose perspective of the whole of Christian theology. 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). They were boasting over who had baptized them. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. 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. 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. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. 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. 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. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. This unintentional mindset causes people to treat the Bible and its words like it is a product that can wear out, and ignored like an infomercial. 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. 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. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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). In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. That, of course, is as it should be. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. The Lord Jesus is praying to the Father, and this is part of His prayer for us: I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). 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 Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. Why? But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. They are his family in Christ. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Webdivided. 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. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. Paul goes right on, in Verse12, 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." 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. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. 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 countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Now these things were good. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. One eye is purple and swollen! Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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). The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). What is a clique? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). We reveal our immaturity when we insist that only those with certain characteristics are the ones we will listen to, or we feel can bless or strengthen our lives. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. The cross strips away our illusions and brings the pride of men tumbling down from that high place where it exalts itself against the knowledge of God. 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). Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Let's go back to Jerusalem. 2- The Churchs division. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. 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.. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Offshoots had disturbed the church. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. This is a radical principle that we need to understand, because, when you understand the cross, there will be no room left for the divisions of men. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? 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. 2 Corinthians I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. 3- The presence of an immoral member. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. 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.
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