So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. 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 will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. 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. 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. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. It is extremely important. For permission to use this content, please review The Corinthian Church. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Other divisions were to follow. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." 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). Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). Do we need to be looking for results? Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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. 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. The Corinthian Church. Conclusion. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. He is the ground, always, of unity. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) We all know what a clique is. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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. 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. No, he says that is not why he was sent: "I was not sent to emphasize symbols, but, positively, I was sent to preach a whole gospel, not one emphasizing style, not in wisdom of words, but that which emphasizes content." 2 Corinthians Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of 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? 2- The Churchs division. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. 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 Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Ridiculous? In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Other divisions were to follow. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. But even if there are multiple house churches founded by different leaders, Paul passionately argues that the body of Christ cannot be divided in this way. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. That is why the apostle appeals to it. There are several things that split the church today. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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. But it is the exclusiveness that Paul is concerned about here -- people who do not even want to come to a service if someone other than their favorite is preaching. I would like to close this service by reading what one man wrote about the cross: It is well that we should think sometimes of the Upper Room and the Last Supper, and of his soul, "exceeding sorrowful unto death"; of Gethsemane and the deep shadow of the olive trees; his loneliness, prayers, and disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat; the traitor's kiss; the binding, the blow in the face, the spitting, the buffeting, the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross; the exhaustion and collapse; the stripping, the impaling, and the jeers of his foes, and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross; the darkness, his being forsaken of God; his thirst, and the end. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. In this parable, the groom is Christ. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. And some of them are really gross. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. 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. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. A. God is all about people, not money, and I feel sorry for anyone who tries to take over the current move of God, put it in a box, stick a label on it, and own it they will be swept away. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Why? They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 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. I think we have failed to de-paganize the art of preaching/teaching if pastors/leaders are looking for patronage, prestige, and numbers over relationships, service, and transformation. He chooses various channels through which to work. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. 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. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. They were boasting over who had baptized them. We go back to the Lord alone. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. What is a clique? Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. 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. 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 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 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? But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. 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 several important terms in this passage. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? 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. Bruises show on her arm! This is what Paul does here. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 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. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). What is a clique? This applies also to the leadership in the church. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. What is a clique? In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. 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. If so, what results are we shooting for? Paul knew this and said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony about God. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. The bride is limping! 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. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. We get so off track of what Christianity is all aboutMark 12:30-31 and begin focusing on worldly things like Rob Bell debated are actually being held to see if this Pastor is even Christian! 2 Corinthians 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. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. All rights reserved. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. And just as the Corinthian church was not above the petty rivalries of its time, neither is the modern church above becoming involved in such shouting matches. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Conclusion. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. 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 members started to develop division following different leaders. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. Was Paul crucified for you? He said so himself. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. If someone comes on preaching the doctrines that were emphasized during the Reformation, he will get a great following of people who think that the Reformation was the whole sum and substance of all great Christian truth. 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. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Apollos was an intellectual. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. 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. 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. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 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. It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. No man would ever have planned the cross. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. 3- The presence of an immoral member. A. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. 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? Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. Its a lot harder! In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." 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? Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. Webdivided. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. 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. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. Webdivided. 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. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? Was Paul crucified for you? (I suppose that if Dio were commenting on the modern world, he would describe the wretched bloggers shouting abuse at the temple of WordPress!). The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. 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. Why are these thing SO important? 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. 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. 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. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. He started this church. 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? By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). So, just a few texts and there are so many more. And some of them are really gross. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). And some of them are really gross. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. In 2019 he published a commentary. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. 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 two common causes of church divisions in the West. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. There is not a single teacher who ever lived who can heal the hurt of a broken heart, or supply energy and adequacy to someone who feels worthless and unable to function in society, not one. 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). There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. Whatever you say, I believe." Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. Offshoots had disturbed the church. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. Lewis.". In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. 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). In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together.