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. 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. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! 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.. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. If it had been left up to us to plan the program by which God would change the world we would never have included a cross. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. 2 Corinthians Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. 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. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. He addresses them as brethren. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. Lewis.". 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). 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. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. 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. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. Let's get back to the beginnings. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. This is a radical principle that we need to understand, because, when you understand the cross, there will be no room left for the divisions of men. 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.. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. There are several important terms in this passage. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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). WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. He started this church. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? It seems so bland compared to all the other choices out there when really it presents and encourages people to live out a very different and exciting life in the opposite direction of the world. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. 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. He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 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. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. All rights reserved. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. This applies also to the leadership in the church. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). Offshoots had disturbed the church. We all know what a clique is. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. 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." The members started to develop division following different leaders. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. Paul, however, was a good leader. Their conflicts undoubtedly had its theological and philosophical dimensions, but it was social as well, human and petty, high on pride and low on love (Polhill 233). Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 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. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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). 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. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. 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. 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. That is why Paul calls us back to it. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 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. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. It was expected. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. 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. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! 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. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). 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. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. No man would ever have planned the cross. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Try it some time. 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? WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. In comparison to modern churches, its easy to say that there are hardly any divisions among Christians and differing churchesbut could these divisions still exist today? Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Apollos was an intellectual. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. 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. I believe that if people would take their eyes off man and stop putting man up up so high and put THE MASTER BACK FIRST in their lives it wont be so much division in our churches. 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. Now, it cannot. Let it do its great work of cutting down and eliminating from our lives those things over which we take pride and which separate us from others; these distinctions that make us dislike our brother or sister, and turn our backs on them. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. That is the mind Paul is talking about. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. WebDivisions in the Church. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. A. 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? 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 church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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! Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). A gasp bursts from the guests! Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 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. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. 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. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. 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. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). We are of Peter." I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. That is why the apostle appeals to it. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. 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. Paul, however, was a good leader. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Conclusion. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 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. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 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. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. As a young Christian in my early twenties during World WarII, I was stationed in Hawaii, and I became acquainted with the work of the Navigators. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. 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. God wants the local church congregation and the local community to see the beauty of a church that is unified and fitted together in love. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. One eye is purple and swollen! 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. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Throughout this 2000 year process of normalizing divisions among believers, we have consistently neglected the fact we Jesus should unite us, and unless we choose to make a change, we will continue to forget this fact. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. RayStedman.org/permissions. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. Other divisions were to follow. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. 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. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). That was a mark of status with them. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. His Word does not disagree with itself. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. 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. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. 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. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. 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. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. 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. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. For permission to use this content, please review 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. And some of them are really gross. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. The groom and his attendants are in their places. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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. 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 is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. Now these things were good. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. The first thing Paul says is that it tends to chop up Christ and parcel him out as though his person and his work came in various packages, thus you lose perspective of the whole of Christian theology. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. 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 hang on every word you say. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. Offshoots had disturbed the church. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. 2 Corinthians Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers.
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