daily bible readings

As you think about your congregation, what is it that causes divisions among the people? What things cause the carpark shuffle to be hotly and passionately practiced? In many churches it’s the number of hymns and choruses sung. In others, it the order of the service. For others, it’s the colour of the carpet or the design of the new building. For most churches, the use of the funds or collection often causes argument, heartache and distress.

The partisan spirit was alive and well in the Corinthian church. As Paul makes clear, some claimed to be following Paul. Others were following Apollos, and others Peter or Cephas. Some even had the audacity to claim that they were following Jesus. It was customary in Corinth to be attached to an orator. These gifted and well trained speakers would come to a city and show off their wares. They would preach in the public forums, seeking to gain disciples or students. Of course, the students would engage in banter among themselves as to who had the best orator as their master. it would appear that the church was engaging in such banter. But here, it was much more serious.

Paul’s reply to the divisions is telling and revealing. “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)” (1 Corinthians 1:13–16). Given the retort by Paul after stating the division, it seems that the disciples were baptised by a particular leader and fell into their particular pack. They became disciples of a particular person and bantered with others about who had the greater leader. This banter, which might seem playful and harmless to us, was causing chaos, division, and rupture in the church.

The worldly orators who came into town to win disciples after themselves, spoke with much elegance and wisdom. They practiced and perfected many skills to lead the audience on a journey through their oratory performance. Paul’s words in verse 17 - “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” - reveals that such worldly wisdom was alive and well in the church. The various leaders were, at the very least, being judged and graded by their devotees according to their oratory and public speaking skills.

But Paul refuses to play the game. In verse 17 he declares that he was sent not to baptise but to preach the gospel. But even so, Paul would not call on his oratory skill and great training for fear or emptying the cross of its power. Paul would preach the gospel in no uncertain terms and he would let the gospel do the work that God has ordained it to be doing.

Every church needs different people with different skills and abilities. These should not cause a partisan spirit among churches. It should not lead to division and fracture. Rather, as each individual focuses on the Gospel, as  Paul himself did, the divisions and the fractions pale into insignificance. If we focus on the Gospel and make that our centre (which is the foundation of the word koinonia) the reason for the divisions and the need for the divisions fades away very quickly.

The fact that hymns vs choruses, carpet colours and money cause division among us is symptomatic of a deeper problem. Where divisions lie in the church, we can be certain that hearts are not wrapped around the Gospel but rather, around something else that is not nearly as important. When the minors become the majors, division inevitably occurs.

PRAYER

Adoration:

· Adore God that He is love and all that He does, He does in love.

· Adore God that He is perfect in all His ways and in all He is.

Confession:

· Take time to confess your sins to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness

Thanks

· Thank God that there is no division in the Godhead and that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in all things.

· Thank God that we can overcome any divisions in the church or the various groups focussing on Christ Jesus.

Supplication:

· Ask the Lord Almighty to make us stronger together in Christ as a congregation, as Small Groups and as ministry groups.

· Ask our gracious heavenly Father to bless us richly so that we can be a blessing to those who are around us but have not yet come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour.   

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why was the church in Corinth divided?

2. What was causing the divisions?

3. What is the antidote to division in any church?