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It was a glorious work. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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. That was a mark of status with them. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. Paul, however, was a good leader. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. The groom and his attendants are in their places. Conclusion. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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.. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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 divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. There are several important terms in this passage. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Its a lot harder! WebDivisions in the Church. I hang on every word you say. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Whatever you say, I believe." This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among What is a clique? Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. He described the activities of the disciples of the Sophists the professional orators who were able to command large audiences, high fees for educating youth, and often a great deal of power within the city. 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). How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? The congregation then is to submit to the elders because it has confidence that their decisions were made under the Holy Spirits direction and power. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. Now, it cannot. Unlike most of his other epistles, Paul plunges right into the heart of the practical problems that were affecting this church, and the first of these, the problem of divisions within the church, he begins to deal with in Chapter1, Verse10. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. 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. 2- The Churchs division. There are some people who minister to us better than others, and it is only natural that we should listen to them and follow them. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) 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." 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. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. Other divisions were to follow. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. 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. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. In this parable, the groom is Christ. He finds that there is a great deal of parallels between the disciple-teacher relationship in the culture of Corinth and the problem of divisions in the church over the authority of teachers. Why? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! We all know what a clique is. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. Apollos was an intellectual. Her nose is bloody! WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Now these things were good. 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 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. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). 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. 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). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. We had some great meetings and great times together. 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. Now, almost every group does this. Paul condemns their behavior in verse 13 by saying, Has Christ been divided? In other words, have different amounts of Christ been given to different people? Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). Because the Holy Spirit has but one will, and because a church must be in complete harmony with His will, the leaders must be in complete harmony with each other in that will. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Why are these thing SO important? In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). The followers of Jesus may have believed in Jesus words only, and did not believe that the writings of Peter, Paul, and the other apostles were really Scripture. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 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. WebDivisions in the Church. In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. This is what Paul does here. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. In 2019 he published a commentary. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. WebDivisions in the Church. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. 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 am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! Maybe if they are getting rid of core doctrine it is a justifiable anger but I can definitely see how the church is very much the same as 2000 years ago. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. 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." WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. That is the mind Paul is talking about. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. 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 extremely important. 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. Do we need to be looking for results? Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. 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. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Was Paul crucified for you? Are we willing and ready to pray for unity in His Church, and work at building a stronger unity among fellow members of the congregations where we fellowship and serve? It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. 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. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Conclusion. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. 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. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. He started this church. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. My impression is that the same sorts of problems evident in Corinth are clearly evident in the contemporary church, whether that is West Michigan or Brisbane. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." The Corinthian Church. 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 thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. Other divisions were to follow. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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.