If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. I understand the fact that people have different beliefs and would like to stick to those (it is good to sick to what you believe) but when you get so segregated that you cannot work together anymore, it becomes a serious problem. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who We see similar situations today, with political debates often devolving into a shouting match in which the person who yells their opinion the loudest and the longest is the winner. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? 4-The churchs failure to discipline. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? With Pauls harsh criticism of said divisions, you would think that we might have learned how to move beyond that in the 21st Century, however, that is not the case. 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). After all, he was one of the first apostles that Jesus himself called." 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, Lets all join hands and go through the long grass again. Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! And some of them are really gross. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. 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. 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. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 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. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 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). Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. 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. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. It is extremely important. Lewis.". He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. On opening it you found a loose-leaf notebook with many of the small, half-page materials that the Navigators printed their Bible helps on. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). 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. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. The families have been seated. I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. In Philippians 2:9 Paul said of Christ, Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. No Christian, no Christian minister, is to put himself in Christs place, or allow himself to be put in Christs place, and take the authority and honor that is due to Christ alone. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. 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. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. 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. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. That is the mind Paul is talking about. His Word does not disagree with itself. 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? 13Is Christ divided? WebDivisions in the Church. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Then youre a Christian right? Even though our conversation could only continue for about 10 more minutes, this issue of divisions within the church arose. He addresses them as brethren. Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. 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). 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. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. 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. That is what Paul speaks about. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. 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? It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. 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. Webdivided. 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. Why? Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. 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. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. They are his family in Christ. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. 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. 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. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." They did not try to hide the problems. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Now these things were good. It is possible, though, that the divisions among He said so himself. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. 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. 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. Now, in one verse he introduces to us the cure for these divisions (Verse17): For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom [literally, "wisdom of words"], lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of 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). 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. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bruises show on her arm! (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. 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. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. We, as the modern church, say that we hold to Pauls message that we shouldnt be conformed to this world, but when we look at the world, there seem to be just as many divisions. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Paul, however, was a good leader. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. He was introduced in a rather extended and flowery way, but he came on and in his great, booming voice said, "I'm not Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the great preacher of the Lutheran Hour. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (NKJV). Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. Phillip J. Why are these thing SO important? The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. WebDivisions in the Church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. 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 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. 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. Other divisions were to follow. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. I have been in many places where they were having church fights and almost invariably the thing that gives away that a church is in trouble is when people start talking about "my church," not in the sense that is perfectly proper as meaning, "The church where I go," but leaders of the church actually saying, "This is our church," and telling other people they have no rights to do something because the church belongs to them. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! Obviously sin is at the heart of these divisions, but I am encouraged to hear that at least in your corner of the world there is some unification and revival. 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. Dio Chrysostom complained that Corinth was filled with wretched sophists, many of whom were debating one another with shouting and abuse near the temple to Poseidon. 3- The presence of an immoral member. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. The groom and his attendants are in their places. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. 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. The words made complete in verse 10 are translated from a Greek word that was used to speak of mending such things as nets, bones, dislocated joints, broken utensils, and torn garments. In Matthew 12:25 the Lord Jesus says, Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. 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?. 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. 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. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. 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. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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.

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