And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. 2 Corinthians WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. We go back to the Lord alone. 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. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? Its a lot harder! Was Paul crucified for you? He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. 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. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. No man would ever have planned the cross. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever you say, I believe." They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. 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. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this 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!). He said so himself. 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. 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. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? That, of course, is as it should be. 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. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. 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. A. If so, what results are we shooting for? Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. 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. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. 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. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. 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. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful That is what Paul speaks about. 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. Bruises show on her arm! Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. 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.. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. 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. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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. There are several things that split the church today. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 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." These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Now, church unity is a very important matter, and, because of its significance, Paul puts it first in the list of problems he has to deal with here at Corinth. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. Offshoots had disturbed the church. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. 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. Was Paul crucified for you? I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. 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. Do we need to be looking for results? The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. 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. What is a clique? I hang on every word you say. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. It is possible, though, that the divisions among I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. 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. In Jesus' name, Amen. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. This is what Paul does here. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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. WebDivisions in the Church. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 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. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. We all know what a clique is. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). There are the Calvinists and the Arminians and the Dispensationalists -- these are some of the things that are held up as the "summum bonum," the highest good, in theology. There should be unanimous agreement. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. 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. 2- The Churchs division. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. What is a clique? And some of them are really gross. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. 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. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. 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. 3- The presence of an immoral member. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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). So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Webdivided. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Try it some time. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. 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. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. 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). Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. 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. 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. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). That was the mark, that was the identification badge. What is a clique? Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). 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. Other divisions were to follow. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. One eye is purple and swollen! Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. They are his family in Christ. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" 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. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. 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. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. 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). In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. If Paul were to visit one of these churches, he would see a good-looking man in a custom suit standing over everybody else, and his mind would go straight to the orators of his day. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. The groom and his attendants are in their places. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. 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. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." Her hair is messed up! Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Paul, however, was a good leader. 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? If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Now these things were good. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). They were boasting over who had baptized them. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 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. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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.
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