And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. There are several things that split the church today. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Why? 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. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul, however, was a good leader. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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. Are we willing and ready to pray for unity in His Church, and work at building a stronger unity among fellow members of the congregations where we fellowship and serve? Not when one part of the congregation meets in one part of the building, and the other part of the congregation meets in another spot. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. Ridiculous? Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. 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. 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. Chapter Summary The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 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. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! Webdivided. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. WebDivisions in the Church. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. Other divisions were to follow. Her nose is bloody! It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. And some of them are really gross. Other divisions were to follow. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Apollos was an intellectual. That is why Paul calls us back to it. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." 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. They are his family in Christ. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Corinthians There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 4-The churchs failure to discipline. He chooses various channels through which to work. 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 in the Church where you fellowship? To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". For permission to use this content, please review What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. Divisions It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. The members started to develop division following different leaders. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). Behind Divisions 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. Now, almost every group does this. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. With that spirit of self-righteous smugness, they were separating from the rest, dividing up the congregation and quarreling with one another over these things. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 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. 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). Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. 3- The presence of an immoral member. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. in the Corinthian Church I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. 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? He said so himself. There should be unanimous agreement. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 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. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. Within our churches, and even in our own denominations (sophisticated name for divisions), we argue about church funds, whos on the worship team, and whether the youth should have long hair. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. 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. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. And some of them are really gross. Now, how could that be? He addresses them as brethren. 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). It is extremely important. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 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.. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? It is a serious threat to the life of a church to find people choosing favorite preachers, to the degree, at least, that they do not want to listen to anyone else. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. 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. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. is the history and significance of the church There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who They were boasting over who had baptized them. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. 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. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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 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. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. 2 Corinthians Now, in one verse he introduces to us the cure for these divisions (Verse17): For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom [literally, "wisdom of words"], lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH 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.. 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. Conclusion. 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. 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. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. We all know what a clique is. 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). Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. 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). He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. 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. If so, what results are we shooting for? In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. 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." Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. A gasp bursts from the guests! These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. 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 considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. in the Corinthian Church Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. 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. 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. Lewis.". The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. 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. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic 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. 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. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. 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. 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church 2 Corinthians Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. 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. 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. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). the background of the Corinthian Church We all know what a clique is. 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. 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." In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. In Jesus' name, Amen. We have Jesus only groups even today. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. 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. 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. 2- The Churchs division. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. 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. Her hair is messed up! 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.. in the Corinthian Church Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? 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. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Divisions in the Church For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike most of his other epistles, Paul plunges right into the heart of the practical problems that were affecting this church, and the first of these, the problem of divisions within the church, he begins to deal with in Chapter1, Verse10. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. 3- The presence of an immoral member. 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. Divisions 3- The presence of an immoral member. 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. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. WebDivisions in the Church. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES 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. New Smyrna Beach Director Of Development Services, Jonathan Nelson Wife Age, List Of Slaves Sold By Georgetown University, Mike Pompeo Net Worth 2021, Articles W
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