what caused divisions in the corinthian church

The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. 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. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. They are his family in Christ. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. WebDivisions in the Church. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. 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. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? WebDivisions in the Church. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". Then youre a Christian right? Even though our conversation could only continue for about 10 more minutes, this issue of divisions within the church arose. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? The Navigators in those days did a great work in the Navy throughout the whole of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and hundreds of young men were led to Christ through their efforts during the war years. 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. Was Paul crucified for you? I do not think things have improved much since the first century. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. He chooses various channels through which to work. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? You only have to listen around you today and you find outstanding leaders being held up by their congregations as almost the equal of the Lord himself in their value to the church. It is possible, though, that the divisions among Conclusion. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western 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. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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 he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). 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. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. The congregation then is to submit to the elders because it has confidence that their decisions were made under the Holy Spirits direction and power. We are of Peter." In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Do we need to be looking for results? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. I understand the fact that people have different beliefs and would like to stick to those (it is good to sick to what you believe) but when you get so segregated that you cannot work together anymore, it becomes a serious problem. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." But that is a very dangerous attitude, and yet we tend to think of people as being the channel by which deliverance can come to our heart. When the lifeless body of the little one was carried back to the anxious mother, she cried aloud, Oh why didnt you join hands before?. 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.. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Paul, however, was a good leader. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. The bride is limping! Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Within our churches, and even in our own denominations (sophisticated name for divisions), we argue about church funds, whos on the worship team, and whether the youth should have long hair. 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. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. All rights reserved. The Corinthian Church. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. 10 I appeal to you, brothers,[ a] 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. 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! Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. At that time it was under the leadership of its founder, Dawson Trotman, and it was my privilege and delight to be a close friend of his, to have spent a good deal of time with him and to come under the influence of his teaching and his methods. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. 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. He started this church. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. 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. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. 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. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. But it is the exclusiveness that Paul is concerned about here -- people who do not even want to come to a service if someone other than their favorite is preaching. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. Let's go back to Jerusalem. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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. They would have the Scofield Reference Bible and a notebook under one arm, and you knew that if you examined their Bibles you would find the ladder index on the pages. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Was Paul crucified for you? Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). 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. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. 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. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Why are these thing SO important? Therefore, the only basis upon which you can get Christians to agree is by setting before them the Person of the Lord Jesus, and calling them back to that fundamental base. We had some great meetings and great times together. It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. 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. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. 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. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It seems like it would be better to ask in what ways have we been re-paganized. Apollos was an intellectual. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. 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.. 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. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). 2 Corinthians We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. 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. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). 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. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. We go back to the Lord alone. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). RayStedman.org/permissions. When you follow one man you are getting a view of Christ, but there is no teacher in the church who has ever come along -- including the Apostle Paul himself -- who has ever had a totally complete view of Christ. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. Luke says in Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. The ground is level at the cross. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! When it comes to seeking the spiritually lost for Christ, we can be much more effective if we are perfectly joined together in an unfailing zeal for Gods glory, not our own. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. But even if there are multiple house churches founded by different leaders, Paul passionately argues that the body of Christ cannot be divided in this way. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. 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. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. 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. He said so himself. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. 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. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" 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. 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.". 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. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. 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. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) Other divisions were to follow. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. The Corinthian Church. I have been in many places where they were having church fights and almost invariably the thing that gives away that a church is in trouble is when people start talking about "my church," not in the sense that is perfectly proper as meaning, "The church where I go," but leaders of the church actually saying, "This is our church," and telling other people they have no rights to do something because the church belongs to them. Her hair is messed up! It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. 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." I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. In Matthew 12:25 the Lord Jesus says, Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.. That was a mark of status with them. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. What is a clique? One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Why? In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. 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. No man would ever have planned the cross. 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. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. Paul, however, was a good leader. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Other divisions were to follow. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. And some of them are really gross. They forget, of course, that the church never belongs to anybody but the Lord. That is why the apostle appeals to it. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? We are so proud of them when they look right, but when things start to fall apart, the church begins to fall apart as well.

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