Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! Divisions (I suppose that if Dio were commenting on the modern world, he would describe the wretched bloggers shouting abuse at the temple of WordPress!). In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to preach the Gospel, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 the Problems in the Corinthian Church Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Behind Divisions In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. the Problems in the Corinthian Church We all know what a clique is. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. A gasp bursts from the guests! Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." 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. 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. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. If it is to expand the congregation and further the work of the Lord in that area, and he had the whole agreement of the leadership of the church behind him, then it is fine to take part of the congregation and go away and begin another work. in the Corinthian Church In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. This consumerism that we face today in the end doesnt seem all that much different from the way the Christian faith was treated like just another philosophy back in the days of Paul. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Now, the Apostle Paul is very concerned about this matter of incipient division in the church at Corinth, and he begins dealing with it in this powerful appeal for unity in Verse10: I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. 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. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. 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. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. in the Corinthian Church 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. Behind Divisions 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. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. 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 her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. Causes Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. Chapter Summary 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. 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). Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. 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. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Webdivided. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Offshoots had disturbed the church. the background of the Corinthian Church WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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 individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Corinthians As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. 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. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. The Gentiles coming into this new Church do not seem to be able to see the differences between it and a Greco-Roman philosopher gathering disciples and educating them in a particular philosophy. I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Webdivided. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Causes 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. 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 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. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. Other divisions were to follow. Let's go back to Jerusalem. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. I'm nobody, just like you!" We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. Corinthians In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. What is a clique? Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. In 2019 he published a commentary. 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. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. 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? In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. Try it some time. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 13Is Christ divided? 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? Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. RayStedman.org/permissions. 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. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Paul, however, was a good leader. Webdivided. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Divisions (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) We are of Peter." 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. 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. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. 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. That was a mark of status with them. 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. The Factions At Corinth He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. It was expected. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. There should be unanimous agreement. Was Paul crucified for you? The members started to develop division following different leaders. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. 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. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. A. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The groom and his attendants are in their places. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. Corinthians That, of course, is as it should be. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. 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. The members started to develop division following different leaders. 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. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. 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. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 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).
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