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Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? 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. We are of Peter." 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. 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). Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. 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). It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. They were boasting over who had baptized them. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? I'm nobody, just like you!" And some of them are really gross. Now, almost every group does this. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. 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 my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. Was Paul crucified for you? 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). Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. 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. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. 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. 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. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 2 Corinthians As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. 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. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Paul goes right on, in Verse12, 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." 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. One eye is purple and swollen! Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Other divisions were to follow. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. WebDivisions in the Church. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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. 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. 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. 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. Now these things were good. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 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 issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. He said so himself. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. That is why the apostle appeals to it. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. 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. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. Now, it cannot. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. If so, what results are we shooting for? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). Conclusion. And some of them are really gross. Whatever you say, I believe." But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. A. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. 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). Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 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). They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. 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. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. There are several things that split the church today. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. The families have been seated. Why are these thing SO important? Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. 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. In this parable, the groom is Christ. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. 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. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. 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? Offshoots had disturbed the church. 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. Paul exhorts them to agree. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. He addresses them as brethren. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. 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. 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. They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. 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. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages.