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For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! 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. "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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 Corinthian Church. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. And some of them are really gross. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? Why are these thing SO important? Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? WebDivisions in the Church. 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? WebDivisions in the Church. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. God wants the local church congregation and the local community to see the beauty of a church that is unified and fitted together in love. Paul, however, was a good leader. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. One eye is purple and swollen! God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. Conclusion. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. A. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. That, of course, is as it should be. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! WebDivisions in the Church. We have Jesus only groups even today. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. 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. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. 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. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. This is a radical principle that we need to understand, because, when you understand the cross, there will be no room left for the divisions of men. 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). The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. All rights reserved. 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. We all know what a clique is. 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. 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. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. The members started to develop division following different leaders. There are several things that split the church today. 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. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 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. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to preach the Gospel, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. We go back to the Lord alone. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. There are several important terms in this passage. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. 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. 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. 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. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). In Jesus' name, Amen. 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.