Division and Rebellion:
Two Things a Church Should Never Be Founded Upon
(I Corinthians 1, Numbers 16)
(Preface by the elders/prayer for edification and strength in the church)
INTRODUCTION: Read I Corinthians 1:1-17
An issue of National Geographic included a photograph of the fossil remains of two saber-tooth cats locked in combat. To quote the article: "One had bitten deep into the leg bone of the other…a bite that trapped them both in a common fate.” In the same way, when Christians fight against each other, everybody loses. As Paul put it, "if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not destroyed by each other" (Galatians 5:15)
With this thought in mind, let’s open our Bibles to the text of I Corinthians. To begin, Paul explains his love for the church at Corinth. “Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father…” (1:3) “I thank God always concerning you…” (1:4) Paul wrote out of love for the Lord, and love for the church. All through this letter he speaks passionately about doctrine, about personal relationships, and about struggles within the church. He wants the church to be how God wants it to be, not man. He wants the church to be united under Christ, and not divided by personal issues or opinions. Yet, even in the midst of such a volatile situation, Paul remembers to assure these brethren of his unfeigned, genuine love for their souls. He reminds this church of their identity…an identity which was to imitate Christ (which most of them had lost). He reminds them of the blessings which had been given them through Jesus Christ, their Lord. They were the church! They were the called out! And they had the promise of future blessings within God’s fellowship: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (1:9)
This was Paul’s introduction. Paul was showing them how much of a blessing it was to be a part of the church at Corinth, which Christ purchased (no matter how humanly imperfect or flawed). It was a blessing to be a part of a family of believers…to have fellowship with God’s dear Son…to be with others of like precious faith! And, brethren, it is still a blessing today! It’s a blessing to be able to come together, within this collective group, and be able to share our joy in Christ. It’s the highest honor and privilege to be a part of this church, in which we all raise our voices (as one) to God. And it’s blessing which most of us take for granted.
I. DIVISION
“Now…” “Now” that Paul has everyone’s attention. “Now” that the church assuredly knows that Paul loves them and cares for them. “Now” that the congregation is reminded of how greatly they have been blessed, and what Christ has done for them…Paul launches into his discussion of their sinful failures as a church. His first loving rebuke is aimed at their problem of division.
The fact that Paul spends the next four chapters on this issue leads us to the overwhelming conclusion that this is a topic of great importance. All Scripture is important, but when the Holy Spirit takes the time to inspire chapter after chapter with a specific topic, we better pay attention. Verse 10 begins, “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.” Paul APPEALS! Paul BEGS! Paul BESEECHES the church! What is he begging them to do? Choose unity. Paul begs them to choose unity and reject the division that was at work in their congregation. Paul urges them, presses them to make the right decision. He wants the church there to understand this concept THEMSELVES! He can’t make them be united. No one can make the choice for them. A church has to choose to be united. The individuals here that make up this church HERE have to choose to be united. It is a choice. And Paul wants all of us to make the right choice based upon an understanding of God and His word. Unity is a choice, just like division is a choice, and both have consequences.
But notice how Paul addresses the church: “brethren.” He lets them know that they’re in this together. They were to have the same mind and the same judgment. They all had the same Savior and Lord. They all worshipped before the same throne. And in revealing this fact, Paul is arguing how wrong they are for having divisions. Any division goes against the identity of the church.
And Paul argues this from the highest possible authority: “the name of Jesus Christ.” They had been “called into the fellowship of God’s Son…” The church is to be united under the name of Jesus Christ. And as we (as CHRIST-ians) are in fellowship with Christ, we are to be in fellowship with each other. Paul, in essence, is saying that division goes against the name of Christ and the fellowship of Christ.
Then, in the second half of verse 10, Paul defines what he wants them to be united in: They are to agree, or speak the same thing. And the word that Paul uses here is a word that was used to describe how certain political parties agreed on the same things (kind of like when Republicans and Democrats appeal for unity within their own parties because if they are divided within themselves, they’re less effective). Paul is begging the church at Corinth to let go of their own ideas and unite under Christ.
He urges them to be in agreement because once they are in agreement (under Christ) they will be “joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” The church at Corinth had torn, and damaged, and broken the unity which was supposed to be within the church. They had divided the church. So, Paul urges them…and presses them to mend what they had broken…to repair what they had damaged by choosing to divide. Because in choosing to divide…they had made the choice to speak and judge by a different standard than Christ (repeat). Division comes from contention among the church, and Proverbs 13:10 bluntly states, "ONLY by PRIDE cometh contention." Someone, or some group within the church, with a prideful idea causes division
The church is to have the mind and judgment of Christ. Philippians 2:5 tells us: “Let this MIND be in you; which was also in Christ Jesus.” And then Paul defines the mindset of Christ beginning in 2:6: “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in appearance like a man, He HUMBLED Himself; and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” What was the mindset of Christ? The mind of Christ is the mind that shows the willingness to give up rights, personal privileges, and pride…to take a lower place. The mind of Christ (the mindset that is to exist within the church) is a mindset of humility. For Jesus, this mindset meant giving up His very life, to DIE for someone else’s good. Paul tells us that if we have the mind of Christ in the church, and when everyone is truly putting Christ first, then there will be no division FROM ANYONE! When people in the church are willing, WILLING to crucify their pride and their opinion and their own ideas for the unity of the church…IT IS THEN that they show the mind of Christ, NOT when they divide! We are not to consider OUR NEEDS as more important, but we are to commit ourselves to the needs of others over self. We come into the midst of the church with the mind of a servant, NOT with the prideful mind of a ruler. We’re not be more concerned with ourselves…we are to be concerned with how GOD responds to us.
Paul defines this threat of division by using the word “schismata” from where we get our word “schism.” This word means to take a garment and tear it asunder. Paul is saying to all churches, that division is NOT some minor thing…it’s not something to be overlooked…it’s not something to be tolerated…it’s not something that belongs in ANY body of Christ. Division destroys the church…end of story. And whoever instigates such a thing will have their reward for dividing the body of Christ.
But another point…a point that we have seen happen in this county, is that division tarnishes the name of the body of Christ. The unity that the church is to have within its membership is one of the most powerful evangelistic tools that we have. The community, the denominations around the county, our friends and family members that may not know Christ…know what happens within the church. If they see unity…they will see Christ. But if they see division and schisms and people splitting the church apart…all they see is evil. Division tarnishes the name of Christ, and thus tarnishes the reputation of the church. Woe to those who bring such a stain on the blessed name of Christ! Woe to those who would divide Christ, for it was Christ who prayed: “My prayer is not for them alone [the twelve disciples]. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:20-21) Who would dare divide what Christ desired to be one?
John Wesley (1772) stated in his essay on schisms/division within the church: “It is evil within itself. To separate ourselves from a body of living Christians, with whom we were before united, is a grievous breach of the law of love. It is the nature of love to unite us together; and the greater the love, the stricter the union. And while this continues in its strength, nothing can divide those whom love has united. It is only when our love grows cold that we can even think of separating from our brethren.”
Thomas Boston stated in his sermon in 1708, “I beseech you to not divide, for the sake of those, both amongst us that have no religion. I beseech you for the Church's sake, whose beauty is marred when in division. I beseech you, for Christ's sake, that ye beware of division. I beseech you for the sake of the Prince of peace, who in his solemn prayer prayed for the uniting of his people.”
But what led to the division of the church at Corinth?
II. LOYALTY TO LEADERS
Paul gets down to the core of the matter in verse 11-12: “For it hath been declared unto me…that there are contentions among you. Every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” Paul states this problem as a fact. There are witnesses that this is what is happening. Paul has been informed, and his information has been evidenced. The divisions at Corinth come from quarreling, contentious, fighting brethren. There were, literally, bitter words being spoken among church members. And these words weren’t just few and far between…these words caused conflict and trouble. And just so we have a good idea as to how God feels about this “contention”…this same root word is used in a list of destructive sins that will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (Galatians 5:20). Quarreling which causes strife within the church is sinful. Paul says that this is a very serious matter, with very serious consequences. And the fact that this strife is going on between brethren who are supposed to be united under Christ…makes it that much worse!
But Paul gets even more specific. He has been informed that the problem has been caused by ego and pride. The problem of division within the Corinthian church came from everyone in that church choosing a particular person to follow. The first group highly respected and followed Paul. The next group favored the eloquence of Apollos. Another group followed Cephas or Peter. All three of these men preached Christ. All three of these men were set for the defense of the gospel. All three of these men wanted Christ to be glorified. Yet, the Corinthians looked to follow these men instead of Christ. That’s what causes division in the church: following men instead of following Christ. ANY division which occurs within the BODY of the church is NOT Christ based. It is man based.
And these cliques can be seen very easily in today’s assemblies. We, here at Union Hill, have a longer history than the Corinthian church did at this time. And within this congregation’s history you can easily see that some people had loyalties to preachers and not to God. You can see that people followed men rather than Christ. How do I know this? Because there have been various divisions within this church in the past. The problem comes when we take our eyes off of Christ, and begin to focus on the prominent people of the assembly. The Corinthians took their eyes off of Christ, and began to follow men. This led to competition. And Paul deals with this attitude of competition between leaders in the church in chapter 3. Paul blatantly says that we are not to compare one man as better than another for “we are laborers together with God.” (3:9) It’s down right sinful for the members of the body of Christ to place MORE VALUE on one member of the body than another. It’s sinful to follow a man more than you do the Lord. When we begin to compare this man and that man…we begin to become followers of men. Paul tells us who we are to follow in Colossians 1:18: “He [Jesus] is Head of the body, the church…” Jesus is Head of the body! Jesus has the first place in everything! And as Christ IS the Head of the church…Christ’s body IS NEVER TO BE DIVIDED! And if we ever see it divided…the men that are responsible are to be marked for the atrocities they have committed against Christ’s body (Rom. 16:17).
III. THE EFFECTS AND CURE
Why is division to be rejected at all costs? Why is unity to be upheld within the body of Christ, the church? Well, there are two things that happen when a church splits: First, it divides Christ…and second, it overemphasizes human leadership.
Paul asks a very important question: “Is Christ divided?” (1:13) Literally: “Has Christ’s body been chopped up into pieces?” And we’ve hit on this throughout this lesson…Christ’s body is not to be divided. But let’s focus on the second question: “Was Paul crucified for you?” Paul has already established his authority as an apostle in 1:1, but he didn’t want to be a part of a church that followed him. Why? Because he wasn’t crucified for anyone! Christ is the only One that was crucified for the remission of anyone’s sins. Christ was the only One who was crucified to bring about the salvation of souls. Paul was just a man. There is a single cross, there is ONE CALVARY, and we all unite at that cross or we divide Christ. We are to NEVER exalt actions of a man over the actions of Christ! We are to NEVER let our opinions and emotions trump the words of Christ! Our salvation depends upon ONE person, who died upon ONE cross! And He died for ONE body! No human leader (no matter how powerful), no community leader (no matter how popular or wealthy), no church leader (no matter how eloquent or well-spoken) should EVER…EVER be given the loyalty that solely belongs to Christ! When a man is chosen over Christ, when a congregation chooses to follow other men away from Christ…it is then that division occurs.
Perhaps our loyalties need to be re-examined a bit. We need to ask ourselves, deep down: “Am I here because I like the preacher? Am I here at this congregation because I am thrilled about how certain men or leaders have made the atmosphere great? Or am I here to follow Christ…am I here to follow Him and do what He has told me to do? AM I here to serve Him and my brethren in an humble way?” If you say that you are here to serve and worship Christ…if you say that you are here to give Him honor and praise…then there better NOT be any division caused or followed by you. To divide the body of Christ doesn’t give Christ honor…it brings Christ grief! To divide the body of Christ is SINFUL! That’s what the Bible says!
Now, how is it to be remedied? How do we combat division in the church? Preach the gospel, and nothing else. Let the gospel lead to Christ, and let THAT be what saves…nothing else. Don’t let the substance of the worship, or the mode of the delivery, or the songs that are being sung be what you are committed to. The gospel is all-sufficient! Christ is all-sufficient! And the faithful preaching of the cross of Christ will result in people CEASING to depend upon men…and totally relying upon God and His word. Paul wanted the division to be healed. Paul urged that the brethren at Corinth become REUNITED in CHRIST. He wanted their wounds to be healed!
Peter tells us how our wounds are healed in I Peter 2:25-26, “[Christ] bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, we should live unto righteousness: BY WHOSE WOUNDS YE WERE HEALED! For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” If we’re wandering off…breaking away from the church of our Lord…and giving loyalty to men and NOT to Christ, we are wrong! The cross cuts through every opinion…the blood of Christ is too precious to be thrown away by petty differences in song selection or which preacher is better…the humiliation and suffering endured by Jesus on the cross stands head a shoulders above any ONE MAN OR GROUP OF MEN’S OPINION of what should go on in the church! We should always stand humbled as we look up at the eternal workings of Jesus on the cross…we should be convicted of our own arrogance and pride…and the distinctions we try to promote between members. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR DIVISION WITHIN THE BODY! And for those who cause it, and don’t attempt to heal it…there is no hope to save them. Have the mind of Christ. Have the humility of Christ. The mind of Christ is against division, and the humility of Christ is seen in how we dwell together in unity.
CONCLUSION:
“Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning…” (Romans 15:4). In Numbers 16, there’s a story of three men. These three men rebelled against God and against God’s chosen leaders. These three men started a schism, a division among the church in Israel. These men wanted to do it their way, so they started their own church. Korah was of the tribe of Levi, and he wasn’t satisfied with how things were going in worship. The high priest, Aaron, and his sons were the only ones that got to openly participate in the worship service. And that left Korah out of the limelight. The other two in this story, Dathan and Abiram, were descendents of the firstborn son of Jacob. They were famous men in their tribe (Num. 26:9), so they probably thought they deserved more attention than everyone else. Pride is a dangerous thing when it comes to the unity of the church. Thinking you deserve more…or thinking that this can be done better if I was in control is a dangerous thing.
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram started their own little congregation, and RECRUITED 250 famous people in Israel. They started their own church. I’m sure they thought that they could bring something to the worship what Moses and Aaron couldn’t. That they could do things better without these guys lording over them. I’m sure they thought they were bringing freedom from the dictatorship of Moses. They even said themselves that Moses had become like a lord over them (Num. 16:3). BUT EVEN IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THEY HAD NO RIGHT…NO RIGHT TO GO AGAINST GOD’S CHOSEN LEADERSHIP!
As Korah and his divisive, rebellious congregation brought their worship before God…they offered burnt incense to God (an act which could only be done by the descendents of Aaron as God commanded). And the Lord did not accept their worship.
Moses makes an interesting statement in Numbers 16:28, “Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done any of them by my own MIND.” Moses was simply doing what God had told Him to do. Moses wasn’t doing these things to lord over the people….Moses wasn’t trying to exalt himself over anyone. He was doing what God said to do, and these three men didn’t like the way he did it. So, God made an example out of the divisive actions of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. God made an example out of the one’s that split the congregation of Israel. The Lord opened the earth’s mouth under Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and made it swallow up these men and their families. And the one’s that followed these divisive men (the new congregation of Korah had planted) were consumed by fire from on high.
I’m not a serious person until I see a serious problem. Brethren, we have a serious problem in Marshall County…and it is a problem that will not go away until the people responsible choose to reunite the church. As many of you know, more than a hundred people (led by Charlie Brien, Dr. Andy Chunn, Bruce David, David Edwards, Petie Gunn, Kevin Knees, and Mike Williams-men who have been openly disfellowshipped by the Benton church)…these men chose to divide the body of Christ at Benton church of Christ right down the road. These men have been publicly marked as causing division, and have been withdrawn from. Based on knowledge obtained from both parties, the elders here have seen fit to warn you of this divisive group called the Central church of Christ in Benton, KY. These men divided the body of Christ. They went against the leadership of that congregation who were put there by God-given qualifications (they went against the elders just like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram went against God’s chosen leaders). These men, in a premeditated attack on the body of Christ, recruited souls from that congregation (and other congregations) in order to form another. It’s been overwhelming, the evidence that is against them…and the evidence which the apostle Paul has testified to in I Corinthians 1.
Division is not tolerated by God, thus it will not be tolerated by this eldership. And they want you to know that we will not, nor will we ever support the attending of this new congregation until they heal the wounds they have caused. These men have tarnished the name of the church, they have divided Christ, and those that follow their leadership…do not follow Christ. I want this congregation to be aware of the new Central church of Christ, a quote ‘family of God’ unquote. And whenever you hear a commercial, or read an advertisement about them, I want you to remember I Corinthians 1, and the division they have caused which is contrary to God’s word. May God have mercy on them, and give them time to repent. Pray for them.
To bring this lesson to a conclusion we offer the invitation of our Lord to those who are present. The cross of Christ has the power to restore the wayward sinner. The blood of Christ has the power to wash away all sins. The gospel of Christ has the power to lead us home: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.” Let Christ’s blood bring you home...