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. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Conclusion. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Now, almost every group does this. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. And some of them are really gross. 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. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. The cross strips away our illusions and brings the pride of men tumbling down from that high place where it exalts itself against the knowledge of God. 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? We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Offshoots had disturbed the church. The members started to develop division following different leaders. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. The Factions At Corinth These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. At that time it was under the leadership of its founder, Dawson Trotman, and it was my privilege and delight to be a close friend of his, to have spent a good deal of time with him and to come under the influence of his teaching and his methods. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Paul, however, was a good leader. Webdivided. 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. Ridiculous? Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. Why? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. And just as the Corinthian church was not above the petty rivalries of its time, neither is the modern church above becoming involved in such shouting matches. 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. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Causes WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." 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. 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 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. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. We go back to the Lord alone. Causes DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. We all know what a clique is. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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 personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. I do not identify my self as being a follower of anybody but Jesus (although there are certain theologians that I do hold in higher regard than others). Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). 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). These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! It was expected. 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. 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). 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. 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. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. If so, what results are we shooting for? the Problems in the Corinthian Church Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. Splits and Quarrels in the Church Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Divisions in the Church 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? There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. 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. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. 3- The presence of an immoral member. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. 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. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. A gasp bursts from the guests! That was the mark, that was the identification badge. Its a lot harder! In fact, Paul never claims disciples. 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. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. Splits and Quarrels in the Church However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Divisions in the Church Other divisions were to follow. 2- The Churchs division. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. We are of Peter." 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. What is a clique? But you could always tell a Navigator because there were three things that he always had: First, he had a Scofield Reference Bible tucked under his arm. 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. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. This is what Paul does here. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. 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. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH Offshoots had disturbed the church. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. In this parable, the groom is Christ. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. This applies also to the leadership in the church. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Lewis.". I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. Now, in one verse he introduces to us the cure for these divisions (Verse17): For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom [literally, "wisdom of words"], lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. 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). The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. All rights reserved. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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? Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." 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. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). This consumerism that we face today in the end doesnt seem all that much different from the way the Christian faith was treated like just another philosophy back in the days of Paul. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. Conclusion. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. The first thing Paul says is that it tends to chop up Christ and parcel him out as though his person and his work came in various packages, thus you lose perspective of the whole of Christian theology. the background of the Corinthian Church This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. WebDivisions in the Church. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 2- The Churchs division. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Conclusion. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 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. They are his family in Christ. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. Corinthians While there can be problems with some (no recognised leadership, disorganised, isolated, cultishness, lack of cohesion etc) they can also produce some of the strongest disciples Ive seen for many years, and yet, they could easily claim to be that fourth division like the one at Corinth the I am of Christ division, where they have no name (no favoured preacher/teacher) but are still divided off. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. 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. 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. 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. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. That is the mind Paul is talking about. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. Corinthians Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. 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, it cannot. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who 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. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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." These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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). A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Whatever you say, I believe." It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. WebWhat were the causes of division in 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.
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