Live In Unity- Our Focus Is To Be Christ
Series: Study of 1 Corinthians - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17Pastor Ed Riddick - Sunday, September 19th, 2004
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1 Corinthians 1:10-17 10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? 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 would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.” NASB95
Why were there divisions in the church?
What were the disagreements about?
What was the root of the problem?
How does Paul go about correcting the divisions?
Anyone who has gone through infighting and division in a church family knows how painful and hurtful this can be.
Everyone loses in the loss of peace in the church
Those in the core…those who are new…the pastor and people.
And those in the community who need to see the impact of the
cross in believer’s lives. Their destiny depends on Christ.
And when the people of the cross don’t get along it hinders
others from coming to know Him.
I appeal to you brothers = appeal based on
Relationship – brothers in Christ.
Authority – the Lordship of Christ.
I. That You All Agree
Paul’s three-fold appeal:
That you all agree “that you may all say the same thing”
The Corinthians were saying different things.
“In essentials unity, in non-essentials freedom, in all things love.”
That there be no divisions
Culture – gaining a perspective
“An old Chinese proverb says if you want to know what water is don’t ask the fish. The fish does not know any other kind of life because it is submerged in the monotony and single vision of a watery existence. To the fish, no other existence is possible; hence, it can conceive of nothing by which to measure its own existence.
Sometimes a culture can so imperceptibly absorb and transmit ideas into its consciousness that it is hard for those within it to be objective about its practices…” Ravi Zacharias, Deliver Us From Evil
That you be made complete: “that you may be restored to unity of mind and opinion”
Mark 1:9 = mending frayed and broken nets. = the mending of networks of people. Putting relationships back together.
How is it possible to be unified in agreement?
1. Unity is fundamentally something God’s Spirit creates.
Ephesians 4:1-6 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” NIV
But unity is also the result of persistent, personal choices.
Are you choosing to let go of irritations and hurts from other Ctns?
Are you hanging in there, putting up with the wierdnesses of others?
2. Unity is the growing result of the faithful teaching and study of God’s Word
Disunity is fundamentally a matter of mind and opinion. In other words, of doctrine and conviction of what the Word teaches.
No where does Paul teach that the church can be unified by church politics.
Ephesians 4:7, 11-16 “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” NIV
Question: Am I making time for the 4 essentials of Body Life?
Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” NIV
Do I consistently attend worship service?
Have I committed myself to a small group?
Do I hang out or rush out?
During any given 3 month period when the community of believers has gathered for prayer have I made this a priority to the point of altering my personal or family plans to be there?
During the last month have I either extended an invitation to someone’s home or accepted that invitation?
In the last 6 months have you given you time, talent or treasure to help a fellow believer in need?
3. Unity is the result of growing believers answering God’s call on their lives to discover their special gifts and ministry to make a significant contribute to the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” NASB95
Are you somewhat aware of your God-given spiritual gifts?
Are you aware of and have you surrendered to God’s call on your life?
Have you volunteer your time and talent to serve in some area of ministry?
II. What Has Divided Them?
Divisions – scisma = schism = tearing apart, crack, split
Not already a reality. But a possibility
Don’t allow this to happen.
Vs 12 News has come to me.
Chloe’s household – not sure who he is.
Chloe may not have been a Christian. But some in her household were. We don’t even know if they were members of the church in Corinth or not.
No divisions yet. But there were disputes and feelings are rising.
Quarrels, battle strife in the Iliad, contention and rivalry in the Odyssey
A. Party spirit! Personality cliques!
What I mean is this: each one has his own watchword. Rallying around preferred preachers or leaders and rejecting others.
Leaders have voluntarily or involuntarily become the focus.
Personalities, status, whatever makes one leader fit you better than another. Not actual separate groups. But cliques within the church.
Common in society. I’m of Kerry. I’m of Bush. I’m of Feingold. I’m of Michaels. But the church is in the upside down kingdom. Personality parties are not the way of Christ.
Exclusive, proud, fleshly spirit of rivalry.
Culture – How it affects us
“A medical doctor suffered a serious heart attack while still in his thirties. He described the pain of that event as different from any other pain he had ever felt. He had always experienced every prior injury or hurt, whether a broken arm or a sore knee, as a hurt to a part of his body. In some measure he could separate himself from the pain. “But during my heart attack,” he said, “I was in the pain. There is no other way to describe it.” The very organ that should have been pumping life was instead disseminating pain.
Culture is like that. It has an all-consuming hold on us. It becomes the source of thinking and feeling in its members. So engulfing is this power that we cannot discuss the essential theme of our culture at its crossroads without being locked into it ourselves. We are in the culture, and we are hard pressed to find a fulcrum outside of it with which to leverage a shift…Bearing in mind that we are…in it is the first step of diagnosis.” Ravi Zacharias, Deliver Us From Evil, .18, 21
1. The Paul group. “I am of Paul”
Some stand by him. Others didn’t. Means that Paul has opposition in Corinth. Paul was not thankful for this at all. They were no better than the rest.
2. The Apollos group, “I am of Apollos”
Apollos was instructed by Priscilla and Aquila. Acts 18:26
He visited Corinth, Acts 18:27-19:1
A learned scholar and powerful orator.
And eventually he attracted loyalists.
Again, Paul does not suggest a difference between he and Apollos.
Apollos is his co-worker, 1 Cor 3:6-9
3. The Peter group, “I am of Cephas”
(Paul consistently used the Aramaic “Cephas” instead of Gk “Peter”)
Possible that he visited Corinth but not certain.
Peter was an itinerant missionary. Out-going, personality plus, risk-taker, leader. One of the original apostles.
The Cephas group may have represented Jewish believers.
They questioned Paul’s apostleship.
4. The Christ group, “I am of Christ”
Maybe…we are the ones who are doing it like Jesus!
The super-spiritual who have no need for human leaders.
Jesus is the only leader we need.
“Others may profess their allegiance to this or that person. My allegiance is to Christ alone.”
A church full of individualistically conceived and used spiritual gifts results in division. They had the tendency to form cliques.
B. Why is this dangerous? Because…
a. Lack of love
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another”
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3, 13 “I show you a still more excellent way. If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever…There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” NLT
Story: An experience I had during my year between MBI and DTS
b. Impact on the watching world
John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” NIV
c. Lack of understanding very basic Christian teaching.
They did not belong to their teachers. They belonged to Christ and their teachers were God’s gracious gifts to them.
Series of questions – they aren’t thinking as Christians.
a. Is Christ divided? Do you suppose there are fragments of Christ that. Can be distributed among different groups?
There is only one undivided Christ, and if you have him and belong to him it is trivial whether you attach yourself to Paul, Apollos or Cephas.
All preachers, missionaries and Ctn teaches are to be viewed equally – as servants of Christ. It is wrong to exalt and boastfully favor one over the other.
Matthew 23:9-11 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant.” NIV
b. Was Paul crucified for you?
“We would see Jesus. He is our focus. He is the power and wisdom of God.”
Philippians 3:10-11 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” NIV
c. Where you baptized into the name of Paul?
Answers: c, b, a.
c. 1:14-17
b. 1:18-3:4
1:18-2:5 Christ crucified!
2:6-3:4 God’s revealed wisdom
a. 3:5-4:21 “God’s view of ministers and ministry.
III. The significance of baptism
Baptized into the name or in the name of Christ was very early.
Baptized into the Trinity was later, but not much later.
Under the authority of Christ.
Paul’s purpose is to defuse the bickering spirit among the factions.
Baptism
1. The role of the baptizer is insignificant. I baptized no more than a few of you.
Crispus – Acts 18:8
Gauis – Romans 16:23 Paul’s host and of all the church in Corinth.
2. The presumption of teaching based on silence.
Did the household of Stephanas include young children and should this verse then be used as evidence for infant baptism in the NT?
oikos – household
First, should such a significant issue be based on silence?
Second, it should be noted that in 1 Cor 16:15 that this household was decided to the service of the saints. Thus, old enough to serve.
3. Paul’s focus was on the cross, not baptism.
More important than baptism was his calling – to preach the gospel.
That is his focus. That was his mission.
His mission was to preach the gospel
without rhetorical skill
without ritual
so that the cross would be the focus.
Paul preaches the theology of the cross.
The lesson for the whole church is to learn what is important!
And it is the cross that is central.
Their perspective is our of focus.
For this it was who had baptized them.
For others is it that they have been baptized.
Yet Paul says neither should be our focus.
They overemphasized who baptized them.
Paul corrects them encouraging them to focus on the gospel message of the cross.
And it is to the word of the cross to which Paul now turns!
We are to have a single loyalty and that is to Christ.
And our only Lord and Master has called us into a community.
into a committed company of believers.
When you bush aside the top layer of the veneer of your life are you going it alone? Are you doing your own thing. Are you on board as long as it goes your way?
Philippians 1:27-28 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you…” NIV