All rights reserved. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. I'm nobody, just like you!" 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. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. I think the letter to the Philippians helps us here, because in that passage I just quoted from, Paul goes on to say, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 2:5). 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. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. (I suppose that if Dio were commenting on the modern world, he would describe the wretched bloggers shouting abuse at the temple of WordPress!). If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? 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. 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. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. That is the mind Paul is talking about. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. He started this church. Was Paul crucified for you? In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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. 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?. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). That is why Paul calls us back to it. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). 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." That is what Paul speaks about. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. 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. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. 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. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. In 2019 he published a commentary. 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. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. And some of them are really gross. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Was Paul crucified for you? So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. What is a clique? In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Phillip J. It was expected. Conclusion. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. 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. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The Corinthian Church. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ground, always, of unity. 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. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. 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. Whatever you say, I believe." We must allow him the privilege of doing that. 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. This is what Paul does here. There should be unanimous agreement. Webdivided. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. 2- The Churchs division. 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? So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. 3- The presence of an immoral member. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. 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. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 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. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. They were boasting over who had baptized them. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. What is a clique? They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. 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. 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. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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.. 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. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. 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. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Now, how could that be? It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. That is why the apostle appeals to it. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among They did not try to hide the problems. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? 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. The groom and his attendants are in their places. 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. 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. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). 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. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. His Word does not disagree with itself. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. WebDivisions in the 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 I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 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. 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. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Let's go back to Jerusalem. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. 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). Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. 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. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I hang on every word you say. A gasp bursts from the guests! Paul, however, was a good leader. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. 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? 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. 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 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. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. There are several important terms in this passage. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ones honor and reputation were valued highly and if someone attacked your reputation it was expected that you would defend yourself and retaliate by publicly bashing your attacker.
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what caused divisions in the corinthian church