Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 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. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. Ridiculous? Conclusion. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. the Problems in the Corinthian Church The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church Causes 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. The Corinthian Church. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). 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. Try it some time. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. His Word does not disagree with itself. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). The Factions At Corinth It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. 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). I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Just looking at America, there are political divisions that have destroyed relationships, there are social divisions that have sparked riots around the nation, and there are even religious divisions that have pitted millions against each other. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. 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. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. There are several important terms in this passage. Corinthians Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. But even if there are multiple house churches founded by different leaders, Paul passionately argues that the body of Christ cannot be divided in this way. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. A. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. 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. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. We are of Peter." Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." 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. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. He is the ground, always, of unity. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. 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." Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? 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. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. But that is a very dangerous attitude, and yet we tend to think of people as being the channel by which deliverance can come to our heart. Chapter Summary 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. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. 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. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. 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. That is why Paul calls us back to it. But if it is to escape pressures and difficulties and problems in the congregation, then it is absolutely wrong and the worst thing he could do, because it sets before the watching world a false testimony concerning the church of Jesus Christ. 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. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. All rights reserved. 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. Obviously sin is at the heart of these divisions, but I am encouraged to hear that at least in your corner of the world there is some unification and revival. in the Corinthian Church The Corinthian Church. 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. Paul is going to go on to describe this radical force that is so different than anything else there is nothing like it in the world. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. 3- The presence of an immoral member. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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. Its pastors, bishops and others who fear the loss of their livlihoods as their former sheep move on in God towards the new wine skins of revival that want to maintain the old wine skins which brought them an income. As we do, I hope every one of us will understand more and more fully the character of this radical principle that God has turned loose among us, this revolutionary idea represented in the cross of Christ that wipes out all these distinctions among men. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. 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. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! in the Corinthian Church It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. The congregation then is to submit to the elders because it has confidence that their decisions were made under the Holy Spirits direction and power. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Divisions in the Church 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. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. What is a clique? In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) This is what Paul uses as the basis for unity in this church -- not only the attitude of selflessness, which is the mind of Christ, but the responsibility to submit to his Lordship, the common responsibility that we have together. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Paul condemns their behavior in verse 13 by saying, Has Christ been divided? In other words, have different amounts of Christ been given to different people? Corinthians