Disunity in the church
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Appeal for Unity
Appeal for Unity
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.
Here the doctrine of unity in the church is stressed
local visible body
In this church, we are to maintain unity
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
Same Mind & Same Judgment
Same Judgment
Doctrinal unity based on Scripture, is the foundation of all church life
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
,
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
The local church is to be unified!
Divided Over Leaders
Divided Over Leaders
For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
Sadly, the Corinthians were not
. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
Paul had heard that the Corinthian believers had divided into groups and were holding up various leaders as being superior to the others.
There were those that followed Paul, who had founded the church.
He was the founding pastor
They had a loyalty to him and didn’t mind telling others
Others followed Apollos ().
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.
eloquent and competent
He was a gifted teacher
Some thought that Peter was the best, perhaps because he had been with Jesus.
A disciple of Jesus
one of the inner 3 along with James and John
So revered, that even today, the Pope is considered the successor to his office
And perhaps the worst of all, at least because they were the most self-righteous, there were those who claimed they were superior because they followed Christ or were servants of Christ
Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
The implication here, is that they CLAIMED to be followers only of Jesus
High sounding
Yet, they didn’t put His teachings of unity into practice
This church had a problem!
They had factions
They judged each other
They looked at each other with disdain.
Flawed Logic
Flawed Logic
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.
(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Such sectarianism revealed faulty reasoning.
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
a. Is Christ divided?
This is the most important question
They were acting like splitting up was a good thing
They were in cliques and factions
That isn’t JESUS
b. Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Here, he addresses “his” followers
Did I die for your sins so you may be redeemed
what is the obvious answer?
Did you get baptized in my name?
NO F/S/HS!
c. No human can do anything of spiritual value for us
Jesus Christ and He alone died to atone for sins
We are baptized in His name (along with Father and Holy Spirit).
Paul’s attitude:
I’m glad I didn’t baptize many (v. 14-16)
I came to preach the gospel!
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
The only one worthy of our allegiance is Jesus
In truth, not in name only
Conclusion:
Conclusion: