It is possible, though, that the divisions among Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Webdivided. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. I hang on every word you say. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. If so, what results are we shooting for? 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." To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 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." He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. That is what Paul speaks about. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. 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. It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. Other divisions were to follow. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. He then goes on to describe for us the mind of Christ, which is a willingness to give up rights and personal privileges and give in and take a lower place. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow 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.. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. 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. 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." Then not only did they have the Bible, but every Navigator who was anybody at all had to have an index drawn in on the pages of the Bible, a kind of a ladder that gave you a clue to where the books were so that with your thumb you could turn up any book in the Bible almost instantly. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. His Word does not disagree with itself. Was Paul crucified for you? 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. No man would ever have planned the cross. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. 2 Corinthians These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. 3- The presence of an immoral member. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. I remember a few years ago being at a family congress in St. Louis, Missouri, when one of the evening speakers was Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the very capable and powerful preacher on the Lutheran Hour radio program. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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.. Her nose is bloody! The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. 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. What is a clique? All rights reserved. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. Paul, however, was a good leader. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. I think we have failed to de-paganize the art of preaching/teaching if pastors/leaders are looking for patronage, prestige, and numbers over relationships, service, and transformation. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 2- The Churchs division. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. 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 continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? He said so himself. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. 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. That, of course, is as it should be. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. If Paul were to visit one of these churches, he would see a good-looking man in a custom suit standing over everybody else, and his mind would go straight to the orators of his day. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). They did not try to hide the problems. 13Is Christ divided? The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Phillip J. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 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. 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 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. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 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. We all know what a clique is.
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