what caused divisions in the corinthian church

Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. He called to ask whether I thought that would be right or wrong to do. He's a great preacher, a warm, capable, eloquent man, who can make the Old Testament come alive!". Obviously sin is at the heart of these divisions, but I am encouraged to hear that at least in your corner of the world there is some unification and revival. I still have at home the Scofield Reference Bible with the index ladder drawn by him. It seems unbelievable at first to think that this kind of division exists within the modern church, but more often than not it is actually one of the most common reasons for division. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Causes Its a lot harder! This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. in the Corinthian Church And some of them are really gross. We have Jesus only groups even today. 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. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. 3- The presence of an immoral member. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. That is what Paul speaks about. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). I Corinthians 12:12,13 says, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. In Philippians 2:9 Paul said of Christ, Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. No Christian, no Christian minister, is to put himself in Christs place, or allow himself to be put in Christs place, and take the authority and honor that is due to Christ alone. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). There has been no other cure that I know of through the years. the background of the Corinthian Church In Jesus' name, Amen. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! This Bible was pushed by the Navigators, and everybody had to have one. Conclusion. 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? The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. 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. We all know what a clique is. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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. We all know what a clique is. 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). We worry about how the power points are going to look, if we should have one or two singers, drums or no drums, electric guitars or none at all (I feel like you get my point) its almost as if we worship these things! 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." 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. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 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. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. 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. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. 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. is the history and significance of the church Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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 Problems in the Corinthian Church And there are others who are drawn to some speaking style that has attracted them. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to preach the Gospel, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. 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. 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 background of the Corinthian Church 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). Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. 2 Corinthians 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. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). 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 most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. 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. 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. 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. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. 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). Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. The families have been seated. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. in the Corinthian Church WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. And some of them are really gross. Other divisions were to follow. 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. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. 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. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? What is a clique? They take an innocent teaching medium, in this case baptism, and make it into an identification badge. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Let's go back to Jerusalem. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. 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. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. Her hair is messed up! (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). I hang on every word you say. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Paul is going to go on to describe this radical force that is so different than anything else there is nothing like it in the world. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. Try it some time. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. 2 Corinthians You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. There should be unanimous agreement. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) And some of them are really gross. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. It builds him up too much; it makes him a rival, to some degree, of the Lord himself. 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 Problems in the Corinthian Church Now, the Apostle Paul is very concerned about this matter of incipient division in the church at Corinth, and he begins dealing with it in this powerful appeal for unity in Verse10: I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. the Problems in the Corinthian Church It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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. No man would ever have planned the cross. Splits and Quarrels in the Church We reveal our immaturity when we insist that only those with certain characteristics are the ones we will listen to, or we feel can bless or strengthen our lives. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. 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? There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? Let's get back to the beginnings. A gasp bursts from the guests! Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. 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. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. There are the Calvinists and the Arminians and the Dispensationalists -- these are some of the things that are held up as the "summum bonum," the highest good, in theology. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. 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. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. Splits and Quarrels in the Church Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. 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. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. If so, what results are we shooting for? DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 (1Corinthians 1:10 RSV). Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. That is the mind Paul is talking about. God only sees one fold, (John 10) and there is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism etc. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Divisions in the Church (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. I agree with Greg, I see a lot of times where Pastors begin to care more about the number of the congregation rather on the connectedness of it. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (NKJV). 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?. The groom and his attendants are in their places. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. Why? 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). So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. I always have, and always will believe that this overly exaggerated concept of denominations is a problem. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 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. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. 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. 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.. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. The cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. 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. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Divisions It was expected. 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. We had some great meetings and great times together. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Was Paul crucified for you? 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Paul, however, was a good leader. WebDivisions in the Church. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. 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. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. In comparison to modern churches, its easy to say that there are hardly any divisions among Christians and differing churchesbut could these divisions still exist today? 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. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. The anxiety of the childs mother continued to grow, for she knew that her boy was somewhere out in the darkness where wild animals were constantly on the prowl. Behind Divisions In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). What Was Dividing the Corinthian Church I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? 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? The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). They would have the Scofield Reference Bible and a notebook under one arm, and you knew that if you examined their Bibles you would find the ladder index on the pages.