what caused divisions in the corinthian church

In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. 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. 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. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. We are of Peter." In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. 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. What he says we'll listen to, not Paul or Peter or anyone else -- it makes no difference to us." The church was divided into factions, and one group was urging him to take half the congregation and go to another part of the city and start a new church. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Let's get back to the beginnings. There are three different causes of divisions in churches that Paul mentions in I Corinthians. But when doctrinal beliefs keep churches from working together to further the gospel. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. The families have been seated. His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!. 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). 2 Corinthians His Word does not disagree with itself. I hang on every word you say. He said so himself. Was Paul crucified for you? The Lords Supper was affected by the divisions between rich and poor and an overall general misunderstanding. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that, MANS WISDOM VERSUS GODS WISDOM I Corinthians 1:18-25, WHY DONT PEOPLE BELIEVE? How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. This is what Paul does here. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. 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. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." 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. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. We go back to the Lord alone. In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. 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. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. So we have the possibility for this very thing right here. But it is the exclusiveness that Paul is concerned about here -- people who do not even want to come to a service if someone other than their favorite is preaching. Webdivided. 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. They are his family in Christ. 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. In her book, The Key to a Loving Heart, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled The Brawling Bride. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. 3- The presence of an immoral member. I'm nobody, just like you!" Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. This unintentional mindset causes people to treat the Bible and its words like it is a product that can wear out, and ignored like an infomercial. I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. WebThe members of the Corinthian church we disunited because they were pledging their allegiance to human leaders rather than God. 3- The presence of an immoral member. Obviously, here at Peninsula Bible Church we cannot do that. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. For permission to use this content, please review Help us to judge these in the light of the cross, and, by its light, to walk before thee. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. Ridiculous? Offshoots had disturbed the church. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. A. There are many other things that do cause serious problems stemming from the outside world. 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? 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? Im not saying its wrong to stick to what you believe. Christians are all disciples, or better, stewards and servants of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Was Paul crucified for you? So they said, "When Peter came, we really felt that we were on solid ground. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. 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. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. And some of them are really gross. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. 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. Conclusion. 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. We came to life in Christ by Paul, and Paul is the one we're going to listen to above all others." Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Apollos was an intellectual. Now, how could that be? So, just a few texts and there are so many more. He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. He finds that there is a great deal of parallels between the disciple-teacher relationship in the culture of Corinth and the problem of divisions in the church over the authority of teachers. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. God is all about people, not money, and I feel sorry for anyone who tries to take over the current move of God, put it in a box, stick a label on it, and own it they will be swept away. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? Paul enters this world of wretched Sophists and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [Then he thinks of another group that he had baptized] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who We are so proud of them when they look right, but when things start to fall apart, the church begins to fall apart as well. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. Church has become about the pastor and not about his message. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Then not only did they have the Bible, but every Navigator who was anybody at all had to have an index drawn in on the pages of the Bible, a kind of a ladder that gave you a clue to where the books were so that with your thumb you could turn up any book in the Bible almost instantly. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. In fact, there are still many divisions that exist today in modern churches. He started this church. Were you baptized into the name of Paul? Other divisions were to follow. Sermon 5: Who is the Most Important? There are the Calvinists and the Arminians and the Dispensationalists -- these are some of the things that are held up as the "summum bonum," the highest good, in theology. Today we have followers of Rob Bell, Rick Warren, and even Joel Osteen (for some reason). It is possible, though, that the divisions among They were drawing themselves up and saying, "Well, you may be of Paul or of Peter or of Apollos, but we are of Christ! This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. I have to admit though that sometimes I think about numbers and recognition and want that. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. Some sued their fellow Christians in the secular courts. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). 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. 2- The Churchs division. 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. A. We have Jesus only groups even today. Do we need to be looking for results? The members started to develop division following different leaders. There are even discrepancies inside single denominations (which means we have division inside our divisions, great). 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?. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? (Phil Long). 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.. In my church it seems like they are all about numbers. Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 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. He then goes on to explain that it was the Corinthian wisdom that created so much disunity. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful 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. Christ did not send me to take scalps or to cut notches on my gun handle as to how many converts I've won." Its a lot harder! These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. You only have to listen around you today and you find outstanding leaders being held up by their congregations as almost the equal of the Lord himself in their value to the church. 2 Corinthians 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. Bruises show on her arm! One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. Some people will pick other matters of doctrine to affirm. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. However, I would like to approach this in a different way than the comments already present here. 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. WebPaul rebukes the Corinthians because there are divisions and quarrels in the church. That is not the work of men; that is the work of God himself. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. That was a mark of status with them. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. 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. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. 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. Now, the Apostle Paul is very concerned about this matter of incipient division in the church at Corinth, and he begins dealing with it in this powerful appeal for unity in Verse10: I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. 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). WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. For a local church to be spiritually healthy and effective, and for there to be harmony in the local church, there must be doctrinal unity. WebDivisions in the Church. These preachers draw in masses of people every week who are eager to hear them speak. 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. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. We feel some sense of connectedness to the teachers (pastors/leaders) whose teachings we sit under while they count us as proof of their effectiveness (numbers). He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. God wants the local church congregation and the local community to see the beauty of a church that is unified and fitted together in love. Message transcript and recording 1978 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. Now these things were good. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. One of them being the reason to follow a specific pastor. 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. Like Greg, I recognize this tension in some of the churches I have served in and find it appalling (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). He is the ground, always, of unity. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. 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. 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. Furthermore, would the apostle not also be concerned with other divisions within the individual church body? 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. Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). They love to listen to someone because he turns them on emotionally. RayStedman.org/permissions. I agree with Greg, I see a lot of times where Pastors begin to care more about the number of the congregation rather on the connectedness of it. We become followers of out Pastors and churches rather than of Christ. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. How important was unity to the apostle Paul, and to the Holy Spirit who moved Him to write this letter to the Church in Corinth? 4-The churchs failure to discipline. Aside from this acceptable division within the modern church, there are also two other reasons for division which should not exist. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. 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 cross of Christ cuts across all human value systems. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. Its pathetic that people should get so angry about whether drums are used or if the AC unit is kept at 71 or 70. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. And I say that because some people focus on PREACHER instead of THE SAVIOR. There are several important terms in this passage. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. My answer was that it all depends on the motive. 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 what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It seems like it would be better to ask in what ways have we been re-paganized. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. They were boasting over who had baptized them. It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. There should be unanimous agreement. 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." (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). 13Is Christ divided? Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Pauls character and authority ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. Public arguments were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world at the time that Paul was writing to the Corinthian church. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. WebDivisions in the Church. That is why the apostle appeals to it. Paul gives the church a stern warning about their actions and the proper way to participate. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. WebThe spirit that wrought such mischief at Corinth has been busy in the Church ever since. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). 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. (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). The other reason is the division among churches of the same denomination. 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. It is possible, though, that the divisions among 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. I find there are these tendencies right here in Peninsula Bible Church. And he speaks in the name of or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. 4-The churchs failure to discipline. I will jump on the bandwagon here and say that division is definitely an issue today. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. 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. Paul then goes on to give us three very carefully stated clues in Verse13 as to what is wrong with this kind of thing. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart! Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? When you divide up among men you lose something, that is what he is saying. 3- The presence of an immoral member. Others bragged that they were followers of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. By focusing on Jesus we can see how important the parts of church really are. The Corinthian Church. 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). That, of course, is as it should be. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Still others say, "We are of Schaeffer," and others, "We are of Graham," or, "We are of C.S. 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. 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. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. They are still acting just like the world. This is the challenge of the divisions in 1 Corinthians how does the modern church act just like the world? Phil Long is correct, we have not improved much since the first century. Some say, "I am of Gothard," and others say, "No, I am of Bright." There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. It is possible, though, that the divisions among (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. Every Navigator had to have a Scofield Reference Bible; that was the only "Authorized Version." It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. A second issue that seems to keep the church divided (the whole church and individual churches) is the little things such as the structure of the service, the type of music played for worship, whether a pastor should always wear a tie, and what color should be used in the bathroom.