It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. His Word does not disagree with itself. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. This applies also to the leadership in the church. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. Its pastors, bishops and others who fear the loss of their livlihoods as their former sheep move on in God towards the new wine skins of revival that want to maintain the old wine skins which brought them an income. 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. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 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. 13Is Christ divided? Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). The first noticeable division would be among differing denominations. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Try it some time. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. 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. 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. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." 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.. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). 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. They are his family in Christ. Let's go back to Jerusalem. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. Just as there was competiveness for honor and prestige among the orators of the first century, it also seems like there is competition between the pastors and churches of today. There was nothing wrong with them, they were very helpful, but it was not very long before they became status symbols, and they were used to put down, not always intentionally, those who did not have them. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. 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. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. 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 verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. 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.. We go back to the Lord alone. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 3- The presence of an immoral member. In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. They may have carried Pauls teachings of justification by faith and freedom from the Law to an extreme and felt free to do whatever they wanted. That was the mark, that was the identification badge. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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." 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. He is the ground, always, of unity. 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. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. We had some great meetings and great times together. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. Unlike most of his other epistles, Paul plunges right into the heart of the practical problems that were affecting this church, and the first of these, the problem of divisions within the church, he begins to deal with in Chapter1, Verse10. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! If so, what results are we shooting for? Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. For permission to use this content, please review The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 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.". The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. 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." It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. The Gentiles coming into this new Church do not seem to be able to see the differences between it and a Greco-Roman philosopher gathering disciples and educating them in a particular philosophy. 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. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. We all know what a clique is. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. 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. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God.

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