In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). The bride is limping! Splits and Quarrels in the Church I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. Now, how could that be? 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. Let's get back to the beginnings. The Factions At Corinth There were, first of all, the loyalists who said, "We are of Paul. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating 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. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Divisions (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Corinthians His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Divisions 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." Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? How important was unity to the apostle Paul, and to the Holy Spirit who moved Him to write this letter to the Church in Corinth? His Word does not disagree with itself. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. They were boasting over who had baptized them. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. 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. Corinthians WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. I think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. 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. It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 3- The presence of an immoral member. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? For a local church to be spiritually healthy and effective, and for there to be harmony in the local church, there must be doctrinal unity. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). 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. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." In Jesus' name, Amen. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. 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 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). 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." Do we need to be looking for results? He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. 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. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. There should be unanimous agreement. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH The members started to develop division following different leaders. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. Conclusion. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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). Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Let's go back to Jerusalem. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. 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. (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. in the Corinthian Church 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. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). 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. Corinthians In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. 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. The church was divided into factions, and one group was urging him to take half the congregation and go to another part of the city and start a new church. 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. He was introduced in a rather extended and flowery way, but he came on and in his great, booming voice said, "I'm not Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the great preacher of the Lutheran Hour. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. We have Jesus only groups even today. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. 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).