what caused divisions in the corinthian church what caused divisions in the corinthian church

It would be great if all of you would think like me, but unfortunately there are stubborn ones among you, there are depraved ones among you, there are those who have different backgrounds than I have, and some of you just do not think like I do! I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. That was a mark of status with them. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. If you survey the church scene all over America today, you find people dividing up this way. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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.. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. 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. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. in the Corinthian Church It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. 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. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. 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. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride is limping! It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. If so, what results are we shooting for? He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? 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). 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. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. 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! These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. If Paul could see the divisions between the various denominations of today, what would he say? Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isnt it? This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. Gods people who are moving in revival (like we have been to experiencing right here in Brisbane these last few months) have no qualms about getting together to see the nation of Australia come to Christ. 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. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. They did not try to hide the problems. If I am not out of line I seem to remember that Constantine played a large role in allowing Pagan influences back into the Christian Life. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? 1 Corinthians Problems in the Church 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). The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. He chooses various channels through which to work. Yet, in reality as long as correct biblical doctrine is being taught no pastor should be viewed in comparison to one another. 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. I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. Try it some time. Not when some people in the congregation wont look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. We go back to the Lord alone. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Paul exhorts them to agree. 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. The elders should make their decisions with the same mind and the same judgment. 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. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Divisions in the Church DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 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. Now, it cannot. 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. When I say it gets ignored like an infomercial you probably infer what that means. Divisions the background of the Corinthian Church 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) Offshoots had disturbed the church. 2- The Churchs division. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. 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.. It is possible, though, that the divisions among For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. Divisions Divisions Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. 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. 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. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. Corinthians Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. Many of the other problems were flowing out of this division within the congregation. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). 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. 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. Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. 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. 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. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. He started this church. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. They are his family in Christ. 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. This is what Paul does here. 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. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. Splits and Quarrels in the Church 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. There are several important terms in this passage. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. 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. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. There should be unanimous agreement. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. Corinthians 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. We all know what a clique is. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Conclusion. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. We see similar situations today, with political debates often devolving into a shouting match in which the person who yells their opinion the loudest and the longest is the winner. Phillip J. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. Corinthians They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. 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. They may have carried Pauls teachings of justification by faith and freedom from the Law to an extreme and felt free to do whatever they wanted. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Causes 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. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? The individual leaders should only point them to Christ. And some of them are really gross. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. Divisions Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Apollos was an intellectual. And some of them are really gross. 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. 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. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? Paul always expresses great concern about the possibility of a split in the church. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. Corinthians 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. He is the ground, always, of unity. For permission to use this content, please review To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else). Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Ridiculous? Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) And if you were really on the inside circle, your ladder was drawn by none other than Dawson Trotman himself! Here in Verse10 he briefly shows us the ground of unity, and the nature of unity in a church. Corinthians These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. 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. This is a very propitious time for us to consider the cross for this is Palm Sunday, commemorating the day when our Lord entered Jerusalem for his last week. A. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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? I think that some of the ways we have failed to de-paganize is because we are still so focused on the little things that make up the church.