WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Try it some time. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! 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. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? He started this church. If Paul were to visit one of these churches, he would see a good-looking man in a custom suit standing over everybody else, and his mind would go straight to the orators of his day. For permission to use this content, please review They would have the Scofield Reference Bible and a notebook under one arm, and you knew that if you examined their Bibles you would find the ladder index on the pages. 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. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. 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. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. When everybody decides to put the things of Christ first, and is willing to suffer loss that the honor and glory of Christ might be advanced, that is what brings harmony in a congregation. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Ones honor and reputation were valued highly and if someone attacked your reputation it was expected that you would defend yourself and retaliate by publicly bashing your attacker. Its a lot harder! Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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.. 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. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. Let's get back to the beginnings. A. 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). Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. This is a radical principle that we need to understand, because, when you understand the cross, there will be no room left for the divisions of men. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. He chooses various channels through which to work. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. Offshoots had disturbed the church. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. 2 Corinthians His Word does not disagree with itself. 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). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. 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. It would destroy the unity of the congregation and split them up and provide an inaccurate testimony to the Person of Christ before the watching world. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. A. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The families have been seated. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. Like the orators wanted more money from the fees they charged, many pastors just want more people to look better and have a bigger budget. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. 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. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? 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). Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. We had some great meetings and great times together. Other divisions were to follow. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. 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. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. The groom and his attendants are in their places. Offshoots had disturbed the church. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. 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). 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." Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Paul, however, was a good leader. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. 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. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. 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. 2- The Churchs division. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. 2- The Churchs division. 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? Offshoots had disturbed the church. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 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?. God is all about people, not money, and I feel sorry for anyone who tries to take over the current move of God, put it in a box, stick a label on it, and own it they will be swept away. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Conclusion. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. We see similar situations today, with political debates often devolving into a shouting match in which the person who yells their opinion the loudest and the longest is the winner. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? For a local church to be spiritually healthy and effective, and for there to be harmony in the local church, there must be doctrinal unity. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? Phillip J. 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). What is a clique? 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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). Paul is going to go on to describe this radical force that is so different than anything else there is nothing like it in the world. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Conclusion. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. 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. 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. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? It is possible, though, that the divisions among WebAnd you know, that gives me some idea of how important this is to God, because from 1:10 to the ninth verse of the sixteenth Chapter, he just talks about the errors in the church. Because the Holy Spirit has but one will, and because a church must be in complete harmony with His will, the leaders must be in complete harmony with each other in that will. 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. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. 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. That is why Paul calls us back to it. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. 2- The Churchs division. In Jesus' name, Amen. 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. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. Do we need to be looking for results? Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 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? It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. We are of Peter." Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. 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. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 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. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! 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. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. We worry about how the power points are going to look, if we should have one or two singers, drums or no drums, electric guitars or none at all (I feel like you get my point) its almost as if we worship these things! The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 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. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. 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. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 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." 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. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West.