Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. 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. 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 sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! 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. All rights reserved. This unintentional mindset causes people to treat the Bible and its words like it is a product that can wear out, and ignored like an infomercial. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? I hang on every word you say. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! 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. 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. 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. 13Is Christ divided? 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. 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). 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. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. We all know what a clique is. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. There are several things that split the church today. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. 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). 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. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. Paul goes right on, in Verse12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. 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. That is the mind Paul is talking about. 2- The Churchs division. That is why Paul calls us back to it. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian 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? That is why the apostle appeals to it. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. 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). Now, almost every group does this. Her nose is bloody! The Corinthian Church. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. You may be reminded by his words in Verse10 of the similar passage in his letter to the Philippians where, in Chapter2, he says to that church, "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind," (Philippians 2:1-2 RSV). These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. There is no other name big enough, great enough, glorious enough, and powerful enough to gather everybody together, despite the diversity of viewpoint and the differences of background or status in life, than the name of Jesus. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. 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. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. Dio Chrysostom complained that Corinth was filled with wretched sophists, many of whom were debating one another with shouting and abuse near the temple to Poseidon. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? If you limit yourself to one speaker or one teacher and feed only on him, you are getting a distorted view of Jesus Christ; you are chopping Christ up, dividing him and taking one little portion as one man reports it and ignoring the rest, thus your view of Christ is deficient and unable to satisfy you as it was intended to do. Now, it cannot. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. He recognizes that we share a common life if we have come to Christ; we are brothers and sisters because we have his life in us. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. 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. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 3- The presence of an immoral member. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 2- The Churchs division. 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. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. You may recall also that in writing to the church at Ephesus, he exhorted the elders there to be careful to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Ephesians 4:3 RSV). He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. Do we need to be looking for results? It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 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. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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? What is a clique? 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. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. We are of Peter." He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. We have Jesus only groups even today. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. There are several important terms in this passage. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. 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.. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Other divisions were to follow. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. It was expected. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Its a lot harder! Offshoots had disturbed the church. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. WebPaul goes right on, in Verse 12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. 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. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. For permission to use this content, please review The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." 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. 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. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. He said so himself. Try it some time. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). Now, in Verse13 you understand why. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. 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! Let's go back to Jerusalem. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. WebPaul goes right on, in Verse 12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. The Corinthian Church. 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. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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). WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. That was a mark of status with them. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. In Jesus' name, Amen. 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? The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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. 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. 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.
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