Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Divisions in the Church In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. It is interesting how quickly we forget where our gifts come from and think we are the cause of success. Therefore our boasting should only be in the Lord (1 Corinthains 1:26-31). He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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! They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, Lets all join hands and go through the long grass again. Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. 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. 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). In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. 2- The Churchs division. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. WebDivisions in the Church. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Causes The Factions At Corinth Other divisions were to follow. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who 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. 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). The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although the modern church has improved in many ways compared to the ancient churches, there is still the issue of division that exists among differing churches as was in the ancient churches. 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. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. the background of the Corinthian Church With Pauls harsh criticism of said divisions, you would think that we might have learned how to move beyond that in the 21st Century, however, that is not the case. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. Corinthians To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. 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. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. He was introduced in a rather extended and flowery way, but he came on and in his great, booming voice said, "I'm not Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the great preacher of the Lutheran Hour. in 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. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. That is why Paul calls us back to it. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. 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?. 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. 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." These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. 2- The Churchs division. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Whatever you say, I believe." 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. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Corinthians (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Corinthians But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Offshoots had disturbed the church. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. 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. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. What is a clique? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Divisions 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. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." He chooses various channels through which to work. 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. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 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. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. A. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. 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). Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. It is a serious threat to the life of a church to find people choosing favorite preachers, to the degree, at least, that they do not want to listen to anyone else. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Now, it cannot. They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! Webdivided. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Why? "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 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.. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) 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. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Corinthians (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. What is a clique? Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. 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. The members started to develop division following different leaders. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. It was a glorious work. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who 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). Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Chapter Summary That is the problem, and it is still going on today. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH The families have been seated. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. That is why the apostle appeals to it. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 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.. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. He said so himself. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. It is possible, though, that the divisions among WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Chapter Summary Its pastors, bishops and others who fear the loss of their livlihoods as their former sheep move on in God towards the new wine skins of revival that want to maintain the old wine skins which brought them an income. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 3- The presence of an immoral member. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. the background of the Corinthian Church 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. Now, church unity is a very important matter, and, because of its significance, Paul puts it first in the list of problems he has to deal with here at Corinth. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. This applies also to the leadership in the church. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. Try it some time. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). In this parable, the groom is Christ. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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.". We have Jesus only groups even today. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 3- The presence of an immoral member. And some of them are really gross. 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. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. I Corinthians 12:12,13 says, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 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. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. The Corinthian Church. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? 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 Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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 divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. The bride is limping! It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. 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. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Divisions We all know what a clique is. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). the Problems in the Corinthian Church He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 They are his family in Christ. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. 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. I would like to start off with a quote (forgive me for the length) from Polhill that I found to be all to strikingly familiar of todays churches.