Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. He chooses various channels through which to work. 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 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? 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. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. 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. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. Splits and Quarrels in the Church Paul says that he does not preach in cleverness of speech because the power of the gospel lies in the facts of the gospel, and not in any mans presentation of them. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. Divisions 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. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? If I am not out of line I seem to remember that Constantine played a large role in allowing Pagan influences back into the Christian Life. That, of course, is as it should be. 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. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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). What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? How important was unity to the apostle Paul, and to the Holy Spirit who moved Him to write this letter to the Church in Corinth? WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. RayStedman.org/permissions. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. 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. 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. 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. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. 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. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. 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. 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. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Corinthians (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). Splits and Quarrels in the Church The members started to develop division following different leaders. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. 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. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. 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. They did not try to hide the problems. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. 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. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. WebDivisions in the Church. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. All rights reserved. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. is the history and significance of the church 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. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. 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. Ridiculous? That is why Paul calls us back to it. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. 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. 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. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. 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. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church Splits and Quarrels in the Church WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. 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. The Factions At Corinth WebDivisions in the Church. 2 Corinthians 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).