These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. Now, he describes the nature of unity this way, "that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. It is possible, though, that the divisions among What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. If so, what results are we shooting for? Its not just the denominations per se any more theres also a proliferation of house churches too. This applies also to the leadership in the church. Paul, however, was a good leader. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. Now, we are similar to the ancient world in that some people do see their pastors/teachers as a source of pride. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. There should be unanimous agreement. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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. 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. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. 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? WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. 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. No, he says that is not why he was sent: "I was not sent to emphasize symbols, but, positively, I was sent to preach a whole gospel, not one emphasizing style, not in wisdom of words, but that which emphasizes content." They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. Paul exhorts them to agree. 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. 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. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. 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. He is the ground, always, of unity. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). It is extremely important. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? How important is it that there be unity within the Church? The Corinthian Church. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. Their conflicts undoubtedly had its theological and philosophical dimensions, but it was social as well, human and petty, high on pride and low on love (Polhill 233). 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." Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. 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. 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. 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). I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. 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 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. Her hair is messed up! Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. But you could always tell a Navigator because there were three things that he always had: First, he had a Scofield Reference Bible tucked under his arm. 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." So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. All rights reserved. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 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). It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. 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). One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. A. We are of Peter." So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. 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. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. 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. 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. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful My impression is that the same sorts of problems evident in Corinth are clearly evident in the contemporary church, whether that is West Michigan or Brisbane. 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 Jesus' name, Amen. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. The members started to develop division following different leaders. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. 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. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. 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. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. 2- The Churchs division. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. In 2019 he published a commentary. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. They are still acting just like the world. This is the challenge of the divisions in 1 Corinthians how does the modern church act just like the world? When I say worn out I mean people say that it is not usable in the modern world so its words become little more than foot rests in the pew. There are several important terms in this passage. We, as the modern church, say that we hold to Pauls message that we shouldnt be conformed to this world, but when we look at the world, there seem to be just as many divisions. They are his family in Christ. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! WebDivisions in the Church. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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. 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. Paul does not want to be considered a philosopher who is gathering disciples, nor does he want that for Apollos or Peter or any man. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. And just as the Corinthian church was not above the petty rivalries of its time, neither is the modern church above becoming involved in such shouting matches. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. 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. Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. Paul, however, was a good leader. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. The Corinthian Church. That was a mark of status with them. I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? 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. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. 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. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. It was a glorious work. 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. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Other divisions were to follow. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. 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. I do not identify my self as being a follower of anybody but Jesus (although there are certain theologians that I do hold in higher regard than others). The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. Other divisions were to follow. Maybe if they are getting rid of core doctrine it is a justifiable anger but I can definitely see how the church is very much the same as 2000 years ago. What is a clique? (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). 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 must allow him the privilege of doing that. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. Offshoots had disturbed the church. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. We have our theological view points, and even our philosophical ones (even though we could have less of that in our churches today in my opinion) but we also have our social dimensions as well. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. 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 word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. Webdivided. They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Why? Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, Lets all join hands and go through the long grass again. Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Now, how could that be? 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. They are springing up all over the place, including Downunder (Australia) where I live here in Brisbane. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Other divisions were to follow. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) 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. Throughout this 2000 year process of normalizing divisions among believers, we have consistently neglected the fact we Jesus should unite us, and unless we choose to make a change, we will continue to forget this fact. 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. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. You may recall also that in writing to the church at Ephesus, he exhorted the elders there to be careful to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Ephesians 4:3 RSV). 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. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. 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. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. 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. Conclusion. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). Offshoots had disturbed the church. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who Lewis.". In this parable, the groom is Christ. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Ridiculous? I'm nobody, just like you!" The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. Like the orators wanted more money from the fees they charged, many pastors just want more people to look better and have a bigger budget. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. Now, almost every group does this. 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. WebDivisions in the Church. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. It seems so bland compared to all the other choices out there when really it presents and encourages people to live out a very different and exciting life in the opposite direction of the world.