This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. As a young Christian in my early twenties during World WarII, I was stationed in Hawaii, and I became acquainted with the work of the Navigators. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. In 2019 he published a commentary. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. We all know what a clique is. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. No man would ever have planned the cross. 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. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. 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. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. He chooses various channels through which to work. Bruises show on her arm! In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. 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 this parable, the groom is Christ. 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. 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. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Paul, however, was a good leader. Paul, however, was a good leader. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." For permission to use this content, please review Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. In Jesus' name, Amen. 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." 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. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. We have Jesus only groups even today. It is extremely important. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). We go back to the Lord alone. Her hair is messed up! There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. We worry about how the power points are going to look, if we should have one or two singers, drums or no drums, electric guitars or none at all (I feel like you get my point) its almost as if we worship these things! 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. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. 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. 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. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! 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? How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). But you could always tell a Navigator because there were three things that he always had: First, he had a Scofield Reference Bible tucked under his arm. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. The Corinthian Church. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? The members started to develop division following different leaders. WebDivisions in the Church. 13Is Christ divided? The third danger of groups is given in the latter part of Verse13, and on through the next few verses: Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. Let's get back to the beginnings. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. 2 Corinthians To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. 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. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. 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. 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. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. Webdivided. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. It was expected. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. Whatever you say, I believe." 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. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Ridiculous? So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. 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. Now these things were good. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. All rights reserved. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. 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." Paul, however, was a good leader. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. 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. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Other divisions were to follow. 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. He said so himself. 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. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God.

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