They are his family in Christ. A gasp bursts from the guests! In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. We had some great meetings and great times together. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. The Corinthian Church. Its a lot harder! He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. He addresses them as brethren. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. For permission to use this content, please review DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH 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. 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. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. 2- The Churchs division. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. 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. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Divisions Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. The groom and his attendants are in their places. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Try it some time. They did not try to hide the problems. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? The real problem behind the divisions is that the church continues to act like Christianity is just another philosophy, and teachers are in competition with each other just as the Greek orators competed. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Divisions 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. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. 2 Corinthians 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. 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. There are several important terms in this passage. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Factions At Corinth 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 kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. 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?. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. 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. 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. Corinthians (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). 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? Her hair is messed up! WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Conclusion. In this parable, the groom is Christ. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. 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? They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. 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. Corinthians 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. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. 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. Just as there was competiveness for honor and prestige among the orators of the first century, it also seems like there is competition between the pastors and churches of today. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Conclusion. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. 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. I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! 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. Chapter Summary Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It seems like it would be better to ask in what ways have we been re-paganized. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. On opening it you found a loose-leaf notebook with many of the small, half-page materials that the Navigators printed their Bible helps on. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. 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. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. 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). Her nose is bloody! 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. 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). WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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.. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. 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. He said so himself. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. 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. A. Now, it cannot. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." the background of the Corinthian Church 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. Conclusion. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. The Factions At Corinth Just looking at America, there are political divisions that have destroyed relationships, there are social divisions that have sparked riots around the nation, and there are even religious divisions that have pitted millions against each other. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) 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). 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. Other divisions were to follow. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. I'm nobody, just like you!" Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church.
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