Unity of the Faith

Introduction

In the contentious age in which we live, divisions arise in the church over the silliest things.

I know a church that fired their pastor for taking down a divider curtain in a large room.

The church had a very large senior adult Sunday School class.

The curtain was never used, and every Sunday morning someone wound up sitting behind it, so that they couldn’t see the teacher.

The pastor, thinking that he was helping the class, went into the room in the middle of the week and took the curtain down.

The deacons got mad because the pastor made a change without consulting them first.

Before long the church was in an uproar, and they ran the pastor off.

Can you imagine anything more childish and silly?

The silliest things have been causing divisions in the church for years.

It happens when people become more preoccupied with secondary issues than with walking closely with Christ, both individually and corporately.

It happens when we forget to keep the main thing the main thing.

Scripture

1 Co

1 Corinthians 1:10–17 KJV 1900

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1 Corinthians 1:10–17 KJV 1900

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Background

Koinonia

koinonia in verse 9

Close mutual association based on relationship one with the other.

Partnership

Participation

Sharing

Sharing

Taking Part

Contributing

Offering

Divisions

In verse 10 Paul doesn’t want there to be any divisions among the brethren.

Paul uses the very specific word “koinonia” in verse 9 to bring to the minds of the Corinthians their close relationship with Christ.

He’s going to contrast that heavily with what’s happening within the fellowship at Corinth.

In fact, he tells them to be perfectly joined together.

Sharing ly Joined

Perfectly Joined Together

To make of form something.

The connotation is something that is in a proper state, complete, adequate for the purpose for which it was created.

Hero Worship

There was a petty division of the silliest kind threatening the health and stability of the church.

Some claimed to follow Paul

Some Apollos

Apollos

A Jew from Alexandria who was an eloquent speaker and knowledgeable in the Scriptures.

A Jew from Alexandria who was an eloquent speaker and knowledgeable in the Scriptures.

Apollos ministered in Corinth after Paul left.

Some may have preferred his teaching style to Paul’s.

Some Peter

While others named the name of Christ.

Even today there is a kind of hero worship among the body.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in what Pastor said or what Dr. So and So said.

I’m not diminishing the value of training and formal education.

I am, however, saying that it doesn’t matter what anybody says or how well educated or trained the person being quoted is, if it doesn’t square with Scripture, it’s wrong.

Paul’s Main Task

Not to Baptize

Paul was keeping the main thing as the main thing, here.

There are so many people that want to be something or do something that isn’t their assignment or doesn’t suit their gift.

I knew a lady in the church that I grew up in that wanted to sing so very bad.

She joined the worship team.

There wasn’t a choir, so she couldn’t blend in with the group.

She had a microphone.

This just wasn’t her gift.

It’s not what she was supposed to be doing.

Don’t settle for an assignment that isn’t yours.

Find out where you’re gifted and use those gifts to God’s glory.

What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer.

E. M. BOUNDS

Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

To Preach

The central thrust of the church is to spread the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Central to that task is the preaching of the word.

The modern church has gotten so hung up on having programs, activities, and attractions that it has lost a large part of the thrust of spreading the gospel.

Events, programs, and attractions are fun.

They’re great to get people to take notice of the church.

We have to be careful, though, that we don’t get so busy planning and running programs and events that we turn into an entertainment company rather than a hospital for the soul.

First and foremost we must preach the word of the living God to a lost and dying world.

JOHN CALVIN

Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.foremost, we must proclaim the gospel.

We must preach the word of the living God to a lost and dying world.

We can use events and programs to further that effort, but we can’t forget that having events is not our purpose.

Saving souls is not our purpose.

If we are faithful to the task of spreading the gospel, God will take care of saving souls.

He’s the only one capable or qualified to do so.

Wherever we find the word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ; there, it is not to be doubted, is a Church of God: for his promise can never deceive: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

JOHN CALVIN

Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.foremost, we must proclaim the gospel.