what caused divisions in the corinthian church

I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. 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. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful The Corinthian Church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. I remember a few years ago being at a family congress in St. Louis, Missouri, when one of the evening speakers was Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the very capable and powerful preacher on the Lutheran Hour radio program. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." WebDivisions in the Church. That is what Paul speaks about. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? There are several important terms in this passage. 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. 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. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. What is a clique? It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. 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." 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. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. 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. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. 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. Other divisions were to follow. Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. One eye is purple and swollen! So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. A second issue that seems to keep the church divided (the whole church and individual churches) is the little things such as the structure of the service, the type of music played for worship, whether a pastor should always wear a tie, and what color should be used in the bathroom. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? 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. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. A gasp bursts from the guests! I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. 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 think that if you put the teachings of a man over the teachings of Scripture then you have a problem. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. The countless denominations and different beliefs of Christianity are often not appealing to non-believers. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. I hang on every word you say. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. 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. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The bride is limping! I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. 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. 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. 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. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. Webdivided. 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. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? 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. Her nose is bloody! It is extremely important. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. But if it is to escape pressures and difficulties and problems in the congregation, then it is absolutely wrong and the worst thing he could do, because it sets before the watching world a false testimony concerning the church of Jesus Christ. 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 then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. We have Jesus only groups even today. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Paul exhorts them to agree. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 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. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). 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. 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. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? His Word does not disagree with itself. Try it some time. 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. He said so himself. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Now to this, there should be a division that exists considering that there are some denominations that do teach correct biblical doctrine, while other churches deviate from correct biblical doctrine in order to teach their own false doctrines. He recognizes that we share a common life if we have come to Christ; we are brothers and sisters because we have his life in us. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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.. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. The words made complete in verse 10 are translated from a Greek word that was used to speak of mending such things as nets, bones, dislocated joints, broken utensils, and torn garments. Other divisions were to follow. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. 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. 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. If it had been left up to us to plan the program by which God would change the world we would never have included a cross. The words made complete mean to be perfectly joined together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). 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. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? 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. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. He is the ground, always, of unity. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. It was expected. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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?. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. 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). I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. 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. 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. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Conclusion. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). 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. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. 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. That, of course, is as it should be. 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. 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. 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. 2- The Churchs division. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. In 1 Corinthians, Paul consciously avoids disciple-teacher language. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 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. The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. 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. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Was Paul crucified for you? 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). We are of Peter." 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 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. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). 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. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. Webdivided. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. It is interesting how quickly we forget where our gifts come from and think we are the cause of success. Therefore our boasting should only be in the Lord (1 Corinthains 1:26-31). The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. I agree with P. Longs last statement in that things have not improved much since the first century. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. Let it do its great work of cutting down and eliminating from our lives those things over which we take pride and which separate us from others; these distinctions that make us dislike our brother or sister, and turn our backs on them. On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, its almost impossible to put it together upside down! WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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." The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 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. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. The members started to develop division following different leaders. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) The cross strips away our illusions and brings the pride of men tumbling down from that high place where it exalts itself against the knowledge of God. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. You and I cant have more of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can give Him more of ourselves, and experience more fully what is already ours as children of God. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Let's go back to Jerusalem. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Ones honor and reputation were valued highly and if someone attacked your reputation it was expected that you would defend yourself and retaliate by publicly bashing your attacker. A. All rights reserved. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. 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? In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Its a lot harder! And some of them are really gross. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. 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. And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! 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. 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. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. I believe that if people would take their eyes off man and stop putting man up up so high and put THE MASTER BACK FIRST in their lives it wont be so much division in our churches. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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?

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