Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. 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.. The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. If so, what results are we shooting for? That is what Paul speaks about. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Luke says in Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. The ground is level at the cross. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. He said so himself. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. 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. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. 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. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. 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. 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?. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. 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. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. 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. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 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. 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. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. In Jesus' name, Amen. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). The Corinthian Church. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. We all know what a clique is. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. Gods people who are moving in revival (like we have been to experiencing right here in Brisbane these last few months) have no qualms about getting together to see the nation of Australia come to Christ. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Webdivided. Try it some time. 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.. 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. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. It would be great if all of you would think like me, but unfortunately there are stubborn ones among you, there are depraved ones among you, there are those who have different backgrounds than I have, and some of you just do not think like I do! Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. He chooses various channels through which to work. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! Its a lot harder! The same viewpoints are still dividing people. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. This is what Paul does here. 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. It was expected. WebDivisions in the Church. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. 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. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? 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. 2 Corinthians In 2019 he published a commentary. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. And some of them are really gross. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Let's get back to the beginnings. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! 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? In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! 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. When I say worn out I mean people say that it is not usable in the modern world so its words become little more than foot rests in the pew. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? Apollos was an intellectual. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? Was Paul crucified for you? God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. 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. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. A. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. 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. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 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. 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. 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. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. 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. 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). 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. WebDivisions in the Church. We are of Peter." 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. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. 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. 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. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. I would like to close this service by reading what one man wrote about the cross: It is well that we should think sometimes of the Upper Room and the Last Supper, and of his soul, "exceeding sorrowful unto death"; of Gethsemane and the deep shadow of the olive trees; his loneliness, prayers, and disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat; the traitor's kiss; the binding, the blow in the face, the spitting, the buffeting, the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross; the exhaustion and collapse; the stripping, the impaling, and the jeers of his foes, and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross; the darkness, his being forsaken of God; his thirst, and the end. 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 considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." Why? RayStedman.org/permissions. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. All rights reserved. I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! 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). They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the 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. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. 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? In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. A. The Corinthian Church. Ridiculous? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman!
