Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). The Corinthian Church. 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. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Webdivided. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Corinthians (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. As bad as it is, it makes sense for the people of Pauls day to be concerned with whatever home church has the best orator, and then argue for them to other potential followers. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. There are several things that split the church today. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Her hair is messed up! Maybe if they are getting rid of core doctrine it is a justifiable anger but I can definitely see how the church is very much the same as 2000 years ago. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. It is possible, though, that the divisions among However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. the background of the Corinthian Church 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of 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. Causes What is a clique? The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. 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). 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. 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. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? We go back to the Lord alone. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) He recognizes that we share a common life if we have come to Christ; we are brothers and sisters because we have his life in us. You may recall also that in writing to the church at Ephesus, he exhorted the elders there to be careful to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Ephesians 4:3 RSV). In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. 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. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. The families have been seated. Conclusion. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. 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. Let's get back to the beginnings. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. 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. That is what Paul speaks about. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Why? This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). Behind Divisions It would be great if all of you would think like me, but unfortunately there are stubborn ones among you, there are depraved ones among you, there are those who have different backgrounds than I have, and some of you just do not think like I do! Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). The groom and his attendants are in their places. A. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. 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 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. The Corinthian Church. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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? God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. God is all about people, not money, and I feel sorry for anyone who tries to take over the current move of God, put it in a box, stick a label on it, and own it they will be swept away. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who On opening it you found a loose-leaf notebook with many of the small, half-page materials that the Navigators printed their Bible helps on. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. 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. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. 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. 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. 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. 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. 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.. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). Other divisions were to follow. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? 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. We do not know who the people were who belonged to the house of Cloe, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. The Factions At Corinth I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. 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." In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). 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! 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. 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. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Do we need to be looking for results? What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church Ridiculous? He is the ground, always, of unity. There is not a teacher among us today, or at any other time, who is able to open the mind and open the eyes of the heart and reveal to us the glory and majesty of God, not one. Chapter Summary 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem.