We all know what a clique is. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! Let's get back to the beginnings. 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. The Corinthian Church. 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. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. For permission to use this content, please review Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that there be no divisions among you. 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. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. 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. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. Other divisions were to follow. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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. 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." As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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). They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. The followers of Jesus may have believed in Jesus words only, and did not believe that the writings of Peter, Paul, and the other apostles were really Scripture. A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. 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 is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. But when it comes to the clear teachings of Gods Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. Webdivided. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness. We tend to deify men, and people look at them as if they can do no wrong, can made no errors, that they know everything and can settle all questions. Since I was working at that time in the ship's service department in Pearl Harbor, we ordered great quantities of these Bibles. This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. Was Paul crucified for you? Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didnt want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. He said so himself. Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. Just looking at America, there are political divisions that have destroyed relationships, there are social divisions that have sparked riots around the nation, and there are even religious divisions that have pitted millions against each other. I'm nobody, just like you!" 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. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). 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. That is why the apostle appeals to it. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. (1Corinthians 1:13b-16 RSV). 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. Offshoots had disturbed the church. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). 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. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. 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. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 2 Corinthians One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Some considered Paul their leader, others Apollos, still others Peter. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. He begins the process of developing them into leaders who will also preach the gospel and found more churches. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. A. 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 minister is waiting, Bible in hand. I was unaware of this connection before now but it really makes sense. 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. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The members started to develop division following different leaders. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. In this parable, the groom is Christ. 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. Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? 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. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. 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. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." There is not a single teacher who ever lived who can heal the hurt of a broken heart, or supply energy and adequacy to someone who feels worthless and unable to function in society, not one. 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. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. Bruises show on her arm! With all the differences among us, it is impossible to get people to think alike. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. 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 wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Try it some time. Ridiculous? There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 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. Conclusion. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. He chooses various channels through which to work. Everybody has their denomination and they cling relentless to their doctrinal beliefs. What is a clique? It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. If so, what results are we shooting for? 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. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. 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.

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