He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. 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. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. A second issue that seems to keep the church divided (the whole church and individual churches) is the little things such as the structure of the service, the type of music played for worship, whether a pastor should always wear a tie, and what color should be used in the bathroom. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. 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. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). 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. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. If so, what results are we shooting for? In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. We are of Peter." 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 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. 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. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. 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. That is why the apostle appeals to it. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. Now these things were good. 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. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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 church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. That is why Paul calls us back to it. 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. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. 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. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. 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. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Other divisions were to follow. The church was divided into factions, and one group was urging him to take half the congregation and go to another part of the city and start a new church. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. A. 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. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Now, how could that be? What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." He is the ground, always, of unity. The bride is limping! Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Apollos was an intellectual. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 3- The presence of an immoral member. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. 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. Now, it cannot. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 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. I hang on every word you say. What is a clique? They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Webdivided. 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. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. The families have been seated. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Now to this, there should be a division that exists considering that there are some denominations that do teach correct biblical doctrine, while other churches deviate from correct biblical doctrine in order to teach their own false doctrines. 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). 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Conclusion. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. We go back to the Lord alone. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. 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). 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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 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. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. When you call them back to an understanding of the meaning of the cross, you will find all the divisions disappearing; they fade away like the morning mist. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. 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 divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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. We all know what a clique is. And some of them are really gross. (I suppose that if Dio were commenting on the modern world, he would describe the wretched bloggers shouting abuse at the temple of WordPress!). Phillip J. 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. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. We have our theological view points, and even our philosophical ones (even though we could have less of that in our churches today in my opinion) but we also have our social dimensions as well. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. WebDivisions in the Church. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. 2 Corinthians 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. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Paul, however, was a good leader. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. 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. 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. 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 dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. In 2019 he published a commentary. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. 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." Webdivided. I think that some of the ways we have failed to de-paganize is because we are still so focused on the little things that make up the church. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. It was expected. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. He then goes on to describe for us the mind of Christ, which is a willingness to give up rights and personal privileges and give in and take a lower place. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 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. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. RayStedman.org/permissions. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Let's get back to the beginnings. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. 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). WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. Throughout this 2000 year process of normalizing divisions among believers, we have consistently neglected the fact we Jesus should unite us, and unless we choose to make a change, we will continue to forget this fact. He recognizes that we share a common life if we have come to Christ; we are brothers and sisters because we have his life in us. 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. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! 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. There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. What is a clique? Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. Whatever you say, I believe." Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you.