Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Corinthians Whatever you say, I believe." [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. Corinthians How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. 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. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. Corinthians Lewis.". The members started to develop division following different leaders. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. 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. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. Do we need to be looking for results? A. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. Splits and Quarrels in the Church 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. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. I hang on every word you say. He chooses various channels through which to work. Chapter Summary 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. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. His Word does not disagree with itself. Divisions When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. Was Paul crucified for you? 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. 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. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. Other divisions were to follow. He is the ground, always, of unity. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. 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 is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Webdivided. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Splits and Quarrels in the Church It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! Divisions Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). What is a clique? Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? That is what Paul speaks about. We all know what a clique is. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. There are several things that split the church today. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. There are the Calvinists and the Arminians and the Dispensationalists -- these are some of the things that are held up as the "summum bonum," the highest good, in theology. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. 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. The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. 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. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). Divisions in the Church (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. What is a clique? So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 13Is Christ divided? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. 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. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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? Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. Conclusion. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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." Other divisions were to follow. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. WebDivisions in the Church. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Divisions In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. The Factions At Corinth 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. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. 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. Corinthians But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. Divisions When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). 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. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. They were boasting over who had baptized them. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. When you get men's eyes off all these status symbols, and call them back away from following men to the Person of Christ and his cross, all the divisions will disappear. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. This applies also to the leadership in the church. If so, what results are we shooting for? in the Corinthian Church "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? 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.. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. 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. Why are these thing SO important? Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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). DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 We do not know who the people were who belonged to the house of Cloe, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Webdivided. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). In 2019 he published a commentary. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. the Problems in the Corinthian Church 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. 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 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. A. 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). 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. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. is the history and significance of the church The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Let's get back to the beginnings. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Other divisions were to follow. 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. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. Chapter Summary 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. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. 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. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). We are of Peter." These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. We have our theological view points, and even our philosophical ones (even though we could have less of that in our churches today in my opinion) but we also have our social dimensions as well. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. Now these things were good. 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. 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. 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! Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. 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. 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.
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