The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? 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. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. I think we have failed to de-paganize the art of preaching/teaching if pastors/leaders are looking for patronage, prestige, and numbers over relationships, service, and transformation. 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. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. We worry about how the power points are going to look, if we should have one or two singers, drums or no drums, electric guitars or none at all (I feel like you get my point) its almost as if we worship these things! 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. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. Let's go back to Jerusalem. 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?. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. And some of them are really gross. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. A. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. 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. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. 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. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. There is not a single teacher who ever lived who can heal the hurt of a broken heart, or supply energy and adequacy to someone who feels worthless and unable to function in society, not one. 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. 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. Her nose is bloody! That is what Paul speaks about. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). 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. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. 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. 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.. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. 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 you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Paul, however, was a good leader. Conclusion. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. It would destroy the unity of the congregation and split them up and provide an inaccurate testimony to the Person of Christ before the watching world. I'm nobody, just like you!" The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! That, of course, is as it should be. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. There are several things that split the church today. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? 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). All rights reserved. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. 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. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Dio Chrysostom complained that Corinth was filled with wretched sophists, many of whom were debating one another with shouting and abuse near the temple to Poseidon. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. 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. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). The real problem behind the divisions is that the church continues to act like Christianity is just another philosophy, and teachers are in competition with each other just as the Greek orators competed. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 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. 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. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. The members started to develop division following different leaders. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. Whatever you say, I believe." That is why we have four gospels, because not even one of the disciples who was with the Lord was capable of giving us a complete enough view of Christ. Gods people who are moving in revival (like we have been to experiencing right here in Brisbane these last few months) have no qualms about getting together to see the nation of Australia come to Christ. 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. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (NKJV). 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. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth.