1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. 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? These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). We feel some sense of connectedness to the teachers (pastors/leaders) whose teachings we sit under while they count us as proof of their effectiveness (numbers). Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 13Is Christ divided? How can the presence of divisions be described as worldly?, Bruce Winter details the Greco-Roman practice of discipleship in the second chapter of After Paul Left Corinth. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". 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. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. I hang on every word you say. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. That is what Paul speaks about. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. 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). 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. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. Now, almost every group does this. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. A. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. There are several important terms in this passage. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. 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. Other divisions were to follow. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. What is a clique? What is a clique? 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. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. 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. 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. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? In 2019 he published a commentary. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 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. 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. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. 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. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. And some of them are really gross. Conclusion. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. 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. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who WebDivisions in the Church. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? If so, what results are we shooting for? Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. Other divisions were to follow. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. We are of Peter." WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. The groom and his attendants are in their places. 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). For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. 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 find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). 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. 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. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. One eye is purple and swollen! We all know what a clique is. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. The real problem behind the divisions is that the church continues to act like Christianity is just another philosophy, and teachers are in competition with each other just as the Greek orators competed. Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. Her hair is messed up! 2- The Churchs division. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). 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? I do not think things have improved much since the first century. 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." There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. The Corinthian Church. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." 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 sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. 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.. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ.". 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." The Lord Jesus is praying to the Father, and this is part of His prayer for us: I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. 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. They did not try to hide the problems. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). So, just a few texts and there are so many more. He finds that there is a great deal of parallels between the disciple-teacher relationship in the culture of Corinth and the problem of divisions in the church over the authority of teachers. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 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. We see similar situations today, with political debates often devolving into a shouting match in which the person who yells their opinion the loudest and the longest is the winner. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). WebDivisions in the Church. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. This unintentional mindset causes people to treat the Bible and its words like it is a product that can wear out, and ignored like an infomercial. Bruises show on her arm! In Jesus' name, Amen. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Now, the Apostle Paul is very concerned about this matter of incipient division in the church at Corinth, and he begins dealing with it in this powerful appeal for unity in Verse10: I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. He addresses them as brethren. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? The families have been seated. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. 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.

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