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They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. We reveal our immaturity when we insist that only those with certain characteristics are the ones we will listen to, or we feel can bless or strengthen our lives. 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 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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 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. 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. That is what Paul speaks about. 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). 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. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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 Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." Corinthians The members started to develop division following different leaders. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. It was expected. These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH In this parable, the groom is Christ. The congregation then is to submit to the elders because it has confidence that their decisions were made under the Holy Spirits direction and power. 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. 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 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. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. 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. They are his family in Christ. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. 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. is the history and significance of the church We must allow him the privilege of doing that. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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. We all know what a clique is. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Phillip J. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. Causes (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. As bad as it is, it makes sense for the people of Pauls day to be concerned with whatever home church has the best orator, and then argue for them to other potential followers. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Now, it cannot. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western 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. 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. That is why we have four gospels, because not even one of the disciples who was with the Lord was capable of giving us a complete enough view of Christ. The Factions At Corinth The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. is the history and significance of the church Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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). 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. It is possible, though, that the divisions among The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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). 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). Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. John 12:37-50, THE PARADOX OF LIFE FROM DEATH John 12:20-26, THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM JOHN 12:9-19, SPIRITUAL LIGHT AND DARKNESS John 9:35-41. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Other divisions were to follow. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. It was a glorious work. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 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. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. 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. That is why Paul calls us back to it. Causes A. 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. in the Corinthian Church They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). Corinthians Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). 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.. We have our theological view points, and even our philosophical ones (even though we could have less of that in our churches today in my opinion) but we also have our social dimensions as well. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. 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. When you follow one man you are getting a view of Christ, but there is no teacher in the church who has ever come along -- including the Apostle Paul himself -- who has ever had a totally complete view of Christ. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. 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. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. 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. 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 is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. Corinthians (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Webdivided. in the Corinthian Church Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. 2- The Churchs division. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. 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. This applies also to the leadership in the church. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. Webdivided. Paul, however, was a good leader. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Ridiculous? 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ.". Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. 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? For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. You and I cant have more of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can give Him more of ourselves, and experience more fully what is already ours as children of God. 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. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). 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. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. Paul does not want to be considered a philosopher who is gathering disciples, nor does he want that for Apollos or Peter or any man. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful He described the activities of the disciples of the Sophists the professional orators who were able to command large audiences, high fees for educating youth, and often a great deal of power within the city. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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). The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Her hair is messed up! 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. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Conclusion. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. 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. Offshoots had disturbed the church. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. 2 Corinthians 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?. Let's get back to the beginnings. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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.