They will not all be the same flavor; they will not all have the same characteristics. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. I used to attend a Navigator group which met in Honolulu on Sunday afternoons. It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church. I'm nobody, just like you!" 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. When you get men's eyes off all these status symbols, and call them back away from following men to the Person of Christ and his cross, all the divisions will disappear. (Even non-denominationals do this, just without claiming a denominational title). The divisions of Christendom are the scandal of Christianity. I would like to approach it from an evangelistic standpoint. We must allow him the privilege of doing that. The Corinthian Church. To resolve this issue, he encourages communal love. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) No man is the Savior; no man can deliver us except Jesus. (Peter, evidently, had been through Corinth and had preached there.) Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. There is no other name big enough, great enough, glorious enough, and powerful enough to gather everybody together, despite the diversity of viewpoint and the differences of background or status in life, than the name of Jesus. Something shows up sooner or later as an identifying badge that marks them as "special," with special privilege and special status in that group. Its all about who looks the best, how much money is made, and how big our churches are. Then there were the traditionalists (there always are), those that say, "Well, I don't know about Paul or Apollos. They read only his books or listen only to his tapes. 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. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. 6-Members defiling the Lords Supper. 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. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. The third thing that every Navigator had was a little black notebook covered in rough-grained leather. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. Some boasted of their special spiritual gifts; others felt left out. He was a rhetorician who was especially capable in the allegorical style of teaching of the Old Testament. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. 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). It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. 1-False prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13). Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). It is those who have a financial interest in their own wellbeing, that divide the sheep up into different folds. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. Gods people who are moving in revival (like we have been to experiencing right here in Brisbane these last few months) have no qualms about getting together to see the nation of Australia come to Christ. In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? Thats not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. They were hard to get in those war years, and every shipment that came in went out like hot cakes. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. Why? The members started to develop division following different leaders. People begin to think things about him that are not true, and expect things from him that he is unable to deliver. For example, in the first section from 1:10 to 4:21, it's errors regarding division. 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. His Word does not disagree with itself. That is why the apostle appeals to it. (1Corinthians 1:13 RSV). The Corinthian Church. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. 2 Corinthians He says, in effect, "You don't cure divisions in a church by identification badges. 2- The Churchs division. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who The bibles need to match the pews which need to match the carpet which need to match the wall color. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. 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. God, therefore, has designed that there be many teachers, many preachers, many viewpoints, in a church. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. 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. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. That was a mark of status with them. 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. Dio Chrysostom visited Corinth about A.D. 89-96. The human condition is, unfortunately, one of comparison that seeks to place oneself or their beliefs over another. In Philippians 2:9 Paul said of Christ, Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. No Christian, no Christian minister, is to put himself in Christs place, or allow himself to be put in Christs place, and take the authority and honor that is due to Christ alone. Paul is putting his finger right on the problem when he asks, "Was Paul crucified for you?" If so, what results are we shooting for? I was taking my break and a person I work with asked where I went to college. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). He gathers disciples and establishes a church, a meeting place for educating his disciples. Now, he is not saying that it is wrong to baptize; he himself did it, and acknowledges that he did. 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. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. Conclusion. The groom and his attendants are in their places. 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! In the body of Christ at large there are many who can make a contribution to the understanding of Christ. The Corinthian Church. Some had no problem with consuming meat that had been sacrificed to idols; for others, it was a real offense. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. To all of this Paul would say to us, as he says to Corinth, Is Christ divided? That is why Paul calls us back to it. WebThe Corinthians were basically making a mockery of Communion. 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. 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. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 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. 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. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. 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.