16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 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. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? This also brings up another Pagan influence which is naming the days of the week after the planets. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. the Problems in the Corinthian Church Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. There was extreme competition among the orators for honor and power. I told them that it is a concern of mine as well. 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. 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. Corinthians Offshoots had disturbed the church. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? How can the presence of divisions be described as worldly?, Bruce Winter details the Greco-Roman practice of discipleship in the second chapter of After Paul Left Corinth. 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. I hang on every word you say. 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. So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person Jesus Christ. Now, in Verse13 you understand why. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. 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). DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES 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). Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Therefore, the only basis upon which you can get Christians to agree is by setting before them the Person of the Lord Jesus, and calling them back to that fundamental base. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. We get so off track of what Christianity is all aboutMark 12:30-31 and begin focusing on worldly things like Rob Bell debated are actually being held to see if this Pastor is even Christian! Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who His Word does not disagree with itself. Whenever this attitude of gathering around a man is allowed to perpetuate itself, it is the source of much trouble and difficulty. A gasp bursts from the guests! 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). The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. In this parable, the groom is Christ. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. Faith rests on Gods shoulders alone- its not by our wisdom and ability (Polhill 237). Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. 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. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH I Corinthians 1 I have had to do some degree of battle with this myself. The Gentiles coming into this new Church do not seem to be able to see the differences between it and a Greco-Roman philosopher gathering disciples and educating them in a particular philosophy. It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. Behind Divisions Divisions 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). These were not schisms yet; they had not split off into other congregations, but there were four cliques, or factions within the congregation. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. He appeals to them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Corinthian Church. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). Her hair is messed up! One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. 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). Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. All rights reserved. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. 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. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. 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. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. 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. The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. 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. in the Corinthian Church Behind Divisions 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. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. 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. The cross of Christ is what will heal the fragmentation of Christians wherever they are. Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. 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.. Corinthians I am sure there were many in Corinth who were saying, "Oh, I love to hear Apollos! The same viewpoints are still dividing people. the background of the Corinthian Church The better the orator, the higher the fee, and the more disciples he will attract. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. But you could always tell a Navigator because there were three things that he always had: First, he had a Scofield Reference Bible tucked under his arm. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. The members started to develop division following different leaders. I told them GBC and they said something along the lines of, Oh a Bible college? He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. 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. With that spirit of self-righteous smugness, they were separating from the rest, dividing up the congregation and quarreling with one another over these things. Chapter Summary 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. They did not try to hide the problems. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Sometimes two or three hundred sailors, all of them Christians, would be there. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. 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 addresses them as brethren. The members started to develop division following different leaders. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. 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."
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