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. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) I'm nobody, just like you!" 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. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. This unintentional mindset causes people to treat the Bible and its words like it is a product that can wear out, and ignored like an infomercial. Bruises show on her arm! 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. 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 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. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. Offshoots had disturbed the church. If it is to expand the congregation and further the work of the Lord in that area, and he had the whole agreement of the leadership of the church behind him, then it is fine to take part of the congregation and go away and begin another work. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. Her nose is bloody! If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 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." Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). They are his family in Christ. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. 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. 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 hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. That, of course, is as it should be. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among We all know what a clique is. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. 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. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! It is extremely important. 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. The members started to develop division following different leaders. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. This applies also to the leadership in the church. He started this church. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. We all know what a clique is. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. A. We all know what a clique is. He described the activities of the disciples of the Sophists the professional orators who were able to command large audiences, high fees for educating youth, and often a great deal of power within the city. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. The Corinthian Church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 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. 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. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. 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. 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. 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 division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. 3- The presence of an immoral member. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. 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. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ.". 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. 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). Just as there was competiveness for honor and prestige among the orators of the first century, it also seems like there is competition between the pastors and churches of today. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. 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. And some of them are really gross. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. 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. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. 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. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. 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. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. 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. And some of them are really gross. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. If you limit yourself to one speaker or one teacher and feed only on him, you are getting a distorted view of Jesus Christ; you are chopping Christ up, dividing him and taking one little portion as one man reports it and ignoring the rest, thus your view of Christ is deficient and unable to satisfy you as it was intended to do. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. You only have to listen around you today and you find outstanding leaders being held up by their congregations as almost the equal of the Lord himself in their value to the church. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? What is a clique? 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Conclusion. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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." It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. 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. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. 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). There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). It is interesting how quickly we forget where our gifts come from and think we are the cause of success. Therefore our boasting should only be in the Lord (1 Corinthains 1:26-31). 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). WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). The bride is limping! Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 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). Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. 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.. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. Was Paul crucified for you? 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? 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? We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. 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. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. WebDivisions in the Church. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. 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. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. 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. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Conclusion. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 2 Corinthians As we do, I hope every one of us will understand more and more fully the character of this radical principle that God has turned loose among us, this revolutionary idea represented in the cross of Christ that wipes out all these distinctions among men. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. I Corinthians 12:12,13 says, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. The words made complete in verse 10 are translated from a Greek word that was used to speak of mending such things as nets, bones, dislocated joints, broken utensils, and torn garments. 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. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. I hang on every word you say. 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. We reveal our immaturity when we insist that only those with certain characteristics are the ones we will listen to, or we feel can bless or strengthen our lives. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Other divisions were to follow. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). 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. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. 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. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. 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. 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). As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." After all, he was one of the first apostles that Jesus himself called." 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. There are several important terms in this passage. There are several things that split the church 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?. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. 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. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). This is a very propitious time for us to consider the cross for this is Palm Sunday, commemorating the day when our Lord entered Jerusalem for his last week. He is the ground, always, of unity. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" 2- The Churchs division. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. 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). Why? 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. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 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. Let's get back to the beginnings. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Paul, however, was a good 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. Paul, however, was a good leader. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. 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. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. 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. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. A gasp bursts from the guests! 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.
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