Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 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. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. We do not know who the people were who belonged to the house of Cloe, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. He started this church. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Her nose is bloody! In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. 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. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. That, of course, is as it should be. 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. 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. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? 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? 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. 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. 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. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. 2 Corinthians His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) We must allow him the privilege of doing that. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. 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. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 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. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. That was a mark of status with them. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. 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. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. The Navigators in those days did a great work in the Navy throughout the whole of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and hundreds of young men were led to Christ through their efforts during the war years. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. A. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. 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. 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. 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. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Paul knew this and said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony about God. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? 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. A. They are his family in Christ. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 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. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? We have Jesus only groups even today. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. 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. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over 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?. You may recall also that in writing to the church at Ephesus, he exhorted the elders there to be careful to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Ephesians 4:3 RSV). Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. 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? These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. 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. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! Webdivided. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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. We go back to the Lord alone. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Other divisions were to follow. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Paul, however, was a good leader. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. 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). 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.. 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). 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? The families have been seated. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. As a young Christian in my early twenties during World WarII, I was stationed in Hawaii, and I became acquainted with the work of the Navigators. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. What is a clique? [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. The anxiety of the childs mother continued to grow, for she knew that her boy was somewhere out in the darkness where wild animals were constantly on the prowl. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. 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). Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. 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. 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. Now, almost every group does this.