So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Her hair is messed up! How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Now to this, there should be a division that exists considering that there are some denominations that do teach correct biblical doctrine, while other churches deviate from correct biblical doctrine in order to teach their own false doctrines. Like the orators wanted more money from the fees they charged, many pastors just want more people to look better and have a bigger budget. We are of Peter." This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Phillip J. Now, it cannot. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. That is the mind Paul is talking about. 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. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" 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. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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 is no other name big enough, great enough, glorious enough, and powerful enough to gather everybody together, despite the diversity of viewpoint and the differences of background or status in life, than the name of Jesus. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Why are these thing SO important? WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. 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. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. It is extremely important. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. The first thing Paul says is that it tends to chop up Christ and parcel him out as though his person and his work came in various packages, thus you lose perspective of the whole of Christian theology. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 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). Webdivided. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. We all know what a clique is. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. If so, what results are we shooting for? They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. The bride is limping! One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. We get so off track of what Christianity is all aboutMark 12:30-31 and begin focusing on worldly things like Rob Bell debated are actually being held to see if this Pastor is even Christian! Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. We, as the modern church, say that we hold to Pauls message that we shouldnt be conformed to this world, but when we look at the world, there seem to be just as many divisions. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. 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. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 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. The Corinthian Church. 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. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. 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. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. 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. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Although the modern church has improved in many ways compared to the ancient churches, there is still the issue of division that exists among differing churches as was in the ancient churches. 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 Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 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. 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. 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. A gasp bursts from the guests! Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. 2- The Churchs division. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. 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. 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." WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. My impression is that the same sorts of problems evident in Corinth are clearly evident in the contemporary church, whether that is West Michigan or Brisbane. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 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). Let's go back to Jerusalem. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Other divisions were to follow. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. What is a clique? 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. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." WebDivisions in the Church. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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. The Corinthian Church. 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. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? 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. All rights reserved. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. I understand the fact that people have different beliefs and would like to stick to those (it is good to sick to what you believe) but when you get so segregated that you cannot work together anymore, it becomes a serious problem. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. And some of them are really gross. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. In Jesus' name, Amen. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. A. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." He addresses them as brethren. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same 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. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. Paul, however, was a good leader. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). 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?. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. 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..
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