In this parable, the groom is Christ. 2- The Churchs division. 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." It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. Other divisions were to follow. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. As a result, this led to the division among Christian converts and to the Christian community as a whole. Corinthians These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? He chooses various channels through which to work. A. 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. When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). That, of course, is as it should be. There are still others today who follow after some school of thought. We go back to the Lord alone. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. We all know what a clique is. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Who are we, that we should put our interests and our desires ahead of that of the Lord for his church? A. The Factions At Corinth Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. It is interesting how quickly we forget where our gifts come from and think we are the cause of success. Therefore our boasting should only be in the Lord (1 Corinthains 1:26-31). 2- The Churchs division. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 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. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). So he says, "I didn't baptize many of you. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. All that mattered to Paul was Jesus! 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. 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. 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. I would like to close this service by reading what one man wrote about the cross: It is well that we should think sometimes of the Upper Room and the Last Supper, and of his soul, "exceeding sorrowful unto death"; of Gethsemane and the deep shadow of the olive trees; his loneliness, prayers, and disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat; the traitor's kiss; the binding, the blow in the face, the spitting, the buffeting, the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross; the exhaustion and collapse; the stripping, the impaling, and the jeers of his foes, and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross; the darkness, his being forsaken of God; his thirst, and the end. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH And some of them are really gross. He recognizes that we share a common life if we have come to Christ; we are brothers and sisters because we have his life in us. Unfortunately, this has effected our outreach. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. What is a clique? Was Paul crucified for you? This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. the background of the Corinthian Church Behind Divisions Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. As we read through First Corinthians, I think we will see how very much like modern day churches this ancient church of Corinth was. The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) (Philippians 2:6-8 RSV). Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. The bride is limping! 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. 3- The presence of an immoral member. Corinthians Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. in the Corinthian Church The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. We all know what a clique is. DIVISIONS AND PERSONALITIES IN THE CHURCH Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. If I was not raised in a Christian home, I think that I would have the same concerns. WebDivisions in the Church. Polhill says, every Corinthian had their own favorite preacher (237). Corinthians the background of the Corinthian Church A number of churches in this postmodern era have begun to resemble the Corinthian church in alarming ways. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. 13Is Christ divided? The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. the Problems in the Corinthian Church We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. I hang on every word you say. 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. 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 applies also to the leadership in the church. 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. 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 That was a mark of status with them. 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. The church is never called to having everybody think exactly alike. 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. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. 2 Corinthians Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." That does not mean that everybody has to think alike. Now, you do not have to be very old to recognize that that is still a problem in the church. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Some of them were saying, "Well, Paul baptized me." "One is your master; all of you are brothers," (Matthew 23:8 KJV). The word divisions comes from the Greek word schismata, from which we get our English word schism. 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. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. I do not identify my self as being a follower of anybody but Jesus (although there are certain theologians that I do hold in higher regard than others). Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Divisions never really ended with Pauls letters; they just appear to have evolved into having more sophisticated names. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. It wipes out all the petty distinctions that men make among themselves. 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. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). 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. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. A gasp bursts from the guests! 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? WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! 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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