what caused divisions in the corinthian church

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. Conclusion. Paul, however, was a good leader. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. 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. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). I hang on every word you say. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. He didnt focus on himself being superior to all the rest of the church leaders. If so, what results are we shooting for? 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). 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. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. From the book of Acts we learn that Apollos was an outstanding orator in a world that loved and appreciated oratory. There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. 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. This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. 2- The Churchs division. 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. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. Ridiculous? For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. We all know what a clique is. Its a lot harder! 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. He started this church. 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. Because I am a little defensive it seems like they are almost my enemy. Paul condemns their behavior in verse 13 by saying, Has Christ been divided? In other words, have different amounts of Christ been given to different people? They are his family in Christ. 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. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. How important is it that there be unity within the Church? WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Now, the second thing Paul says is, "Was Paul crucified for you?" 2 Corinthians So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. 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. Paul, however, was a good leader. 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. 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. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" We are of Peter." But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. 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. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. In the same way, thats not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Thank you, Father, for this time here contemplating the cross. 2- The Churchs division. Take the various mega-churches for example, whose charismatic pastors live in mansions. 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. This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. 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. Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our 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. 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). WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 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. 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. The same viewpoints are still dividing people. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. Not when one part of the congregation meets in one part of the building, and the other part of the congregation meets in another spot. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. "I appeal to you," he says, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? 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. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons our churches are so split and why we act more like the world rather than more like Christ. Now, we all have our favorite preacher, and up to a point that is not wrong. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. That is what they were doing with baptism here in Corinth. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). There is not a single Christian teacher who ever lived who can help us be forgiven one single sin, not one. What is a clique? One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). This introduces one of the greatest passages in the Bible, setting forth the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. 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. 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. 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). 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. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Unless its mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesnt it? His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. Even though the churches within a certain denomination agree to the same biblical teachings, some churches within those denominations may begin to disagree with the biblical teachings and break away from the denomination to become affiliated with another denomination that aligns with their beliefs. This is what Paul does here. That was a mark of status with them. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. 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 thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." In Jesus' name, Amen. One of his biggest goals is to double our congregation so we have 5,000 members. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? 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. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. Then there were the stylists, those who were attracted by the different kinds of preaching, and they had especially been drawn to Apollos. We do not know who the people were who belonged to the house of Cloe, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. It was expected. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Paul says that he does not preach in cleverness of speech because the power of the gospel lies in the facts of the gospel, and not in any mans presentation of them. If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. This doesnt mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." There was still a fourth group, and in some ways I think they were probably the worst. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man. So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. He said so himself. 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. 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. The Corinthian Church. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. Let's get back to the beginnings. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 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. Instead of directly saying that we follow Paul, or Apollos, we say that we are Baptist, Reformed, or even Catholic. 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. Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." 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? Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. 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. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. 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). In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. In fact, Paul never claims disciples. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). That is the problem, and it is still going on today. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 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. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. That is what Paul speaks about. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. 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. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." 2 Corinthians Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 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.. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. Todays church is a lot like the church of Corinthians. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. It was a glorious work. 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. Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. WebDivisions in the Church. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). 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. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. He does not say we should stop baptizing because of this problem. 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. I do not think things have improved much since the first century. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? All rights reserved. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. RayStedman.org/permissions. The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. That, of course, is as it should be. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Doesnt He deserve better than this? the author asks. That is the mind Paul is talking about. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 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! I've not forgotten that incident because it seems to me to capture the very attitude Paul is describing here. There are several important terms in this passage. In my experience though, I find that it is carnal and unspiritual leaders that put up walls and fences between members of the body. 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. What is a clique? Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, Lets all join hands and go through the long grass again. Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. Orators have to be so careful not to let teaching become a pride thing rather than a gift they share to better the other. In fact, these divisions are a sign of worldliness.