It is extremely important. With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. 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. WebDivisions in the Church. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. 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. 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. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. Lewis.". The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons our churches are so split and why we act more like the world rather than more like Christ. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. 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. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. I think the letter to the Philippians helps us here, because in that passage I just quoted from, Paul goes on to say, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 2:5). I would like to start off with a quote (forgive me for the length) from Polhill that I found to be all to strikingly familiar of todays churches. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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. 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. 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. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. 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. 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. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. 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. 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. 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. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Its a lot harder! 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. It is possible, though, that the divisions among That is why we have four gospels, because not even one of the disciples who was with the Lord was capable of giving us a complete enough view of Christ. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. For permission to use this content, please review This is what Paul does here. Her nose is bloody! It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. 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. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. Webdivided. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. And some of them are really gross. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. 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. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. For instance, in the Greco-Roman culture the practice of teacher-disciple relationships was often common and so many Christian converts in Corinth would associate themselves with a particular teacher and be under their discipleship. That is what Paul speaks about. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 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.. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Offshoots had disturbed the church. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. 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? The Corinthian Church. 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. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? The same viewpoints are still dividing people. When everybody decides to put the things of Christ first, and is willing to suffer loss that the honor and glory of Christ might be advanced, that is what brings harmony in a congregation. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." You may be reminded by his words in Verse10 of the similar passage in his letter to the Philippians where, in Chapter2, he says to that church, "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind," (Philippians 2:1-2 RSV). With Pauls harsh criticism of said divisions, you would think that we might have learned how to move beyond that in the 21st Century, however, that is not the case. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved.