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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (13-9-1998 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
After his introduction, Paul goes immediately to the
problems of the church – and there were plenty of them. The divisions, cliques
and quarrels in the church at Corinth are typical of problems in churches in
every age. No church has a smooth passage. A church secretary once said that
when things get hot, the only place where there is no friction is the graveyard!
In the church, and between churches and between Christian groups, criticism,
sniping and snarling are alas too common. The number of churches in the last
twenty years where there have been splits is phenomenal.
The hymn The Church’s one
foundation, speaks of
“One Lord, one faith, one birth”
But goes on to say,
“Though with a scornful wonder
Men
see her sore oppressed.
By
schisms rent asunder,
By
heresies distressed”
There will never be true unity in the church if there is
no agreement about authority, i.e. the Bible. Or about the Gospel, or about what
a Christian is. But so often the differences are about secondary matters,
associated with personalities, blown up out of all proportions, and pride,
jealousy and passion soon get mixed up in it.
The early church had it right at
the very beginning. In Acts, on the Day of Pentecost, All the believers were
one in heart and mind (Acts 4:32). Their unity allowed the apostles to
continue their ministry with great power (Acts 4:33). But this did not
last, as the New Testament epistles make clear.
One of the most fruitful causes of trouble was cliques, and the dominance of strong personalities who dictated. At the root of the problem was the fact that the leaders had taken their eyes off Christ. They themselves had become the most important thing, and this resulted in disunity. It was confusing to the non-Christian, and distressing to the Christian.
It is instructive to note how
Paul goes about the problem. He does not pull rank on them, and command them as
an apostle. But instead he comes right down to their level. I appeal to you,
brothers (1 Corinthians 1:10). He is one with them. Implicit in calling them
brothers is the fact that they belong to one another. They were born again, and
adopted into God’s family. They were basically on the same side. This reminder
helps soften the rebuke. Quarrelling Christians need to be reminded that they
have the same father, the same family, the same Saviour, the same Holy Spirit,
and the same heavenly home. This helps to moderate and restrain. The main
concern is to help and make people understand, not to denounce and thunder. It
is important that before the world Christians speak publicly as a united body.
This does not mean we all have to be “yes men”, nor does it ignore
differences in outlook.
Paul goes on to lament the
divisions in the church. The Greek word scismata
is used for unsightly rents in a garment. There is no place for party
strife or bitter words. We must think about others in the right way. Be
perfectly united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians 1:10). The Greek word kathptismenoi
comes from the word katartizw
used in Matthew 4:21 for James and John mending nets. It was also used as a
surgical term for setting a dislocated joint or broken bone. The idea is the
bringing together of what was broken or rent, so that the church’s health may
be restored.
Paul makes his plea for unity in faith and love. We may not all agree on every detail and secondary matter, but there must be harmony of spirit, out of humility and appreciation for one another.
Paul had received information
from those in Chloe’s household. The Greek word edhwqh
means clear detailed information, not idle talk or rumours. He had heard
of their quarrels and contentions, that they were not just differences of
opinion, but real bitterness and bickering. It was evidently widespread, for his
appeal was to “all of you”.
The church was divided into four
parties, each identified by a great name. “I follow Paul” – Paul’s
party, the Gentile party. They so emphasised grace that they wanted to turn
liberty into licence. They were saved by grace – so they could live as they
like. “I follow Apollos” – Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria, he was a
learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures (Acts 18:24).
Alexandria was a great centre of intellectual activity. The intellectuals in the
church like Apollos's philosophical approach and polished preaching. They looked
down their noses at others. “I follow Peter” – Peter’s party stressed
the Jewish laws, they had tight rules and regulations, laid down the law about
what could and could not be done. They had it all sewn up in matters of conduct.
“I follow Christ” – Christ’s party were probably a small superior group
who thought, because they belonged to Christ, they were better than the rest,
super spiritual, the only true Christians. They claimed a hotline to God, and
relied on a direct word from the Lord, so they did not need teachers and
preachers. They had such a clear message from God, and were so sure of
themselves, that the rest of the church felt inadequate and weak in the face of
such certainty. Like those who hive off to form their own church because the
local church is not spiritual enough.
Undoubtedly, Peter, Paul and
Apollos had nothing to do with these divisions and were grieved by them. Fan
clubs, formed without their consent or knowledge. (A man’s friend is often his
biggest embarrassment rather than his open enemies.) So the teaching or
viewpoint in the church, or the style of preaching, was centred round these men.
It was a most damaging personality cult. The root of the problem was that men
had replaced God in the centre of their thinking. How stupid, idolatrous, and
carnal. What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through
whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I
planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God makes it grow (1 Corinthians
3:5-6).
The evangelical world is riddled
with personality cult and fan clubs around preachers and leaders. It is one of
the dangers of having more than one pastor in a church. An attraction is natural
if help is received, but it soon goes to hero worship. (C.f. theological
students who imitate their hero’s gestures and mannerisms and practices in the
pulpit.) This results in unquestioning obedience to all they say and do. “If
so and so said it, it must be right” becomes the thinking. Someone leaving a
brethren assembly one day was heard to say, “I wish we had heard more about
Jesus Christ and less about ….”. If only those who hero-worship knew the
inner lives of their heroes – weaknesses, inconsistencies, ignorance,
foolishness – they would see the folly of it all.
You see the same thing in
attachment of one preacher to another preacher or school of thought. Mind is
surrendered to them. Their word is final in the interpretation of Scripture.
Charles Simeon was not a Calvinist, nor was he an Armenian. He says, “Accept
all God says in His word without fear or embarrassment. I simply keep to
Scripture, and not a system, and nobody quite likes me”.
Test everything. Hold on to the good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The Bereans… examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11). The root of all these problems of hero-worship, party lines, idolizing of men, is that eyes are off Christ and onto something else – mere men or human thought.
Paul not only reveals the ugly facts and condemns them,
but now gives positive arguments about why they must be united. The problem is
that their priorities are all wrong. Man-centred, concerned with selves, and
leaders and preachers. The Head of the Church had taken second or third place in
their thinking, talking and discussions. He tells them to put first things first
in the church. (1) Christ Himself. (2) His atoning death. (3) Baptism and its
meaning.
(1) Christ Himself. He was not divided. The whole life must centre on Christ. They called on His name for salvation, had been bought by His blood, so they must follow Him and not men, yield themselves to Him and not to men. The whole life of the church should centre on Christ. This is more important than men, racial, social and denominational barriers. There needs to be real effort in church to keep Christ central in discussion, thinking and preaching. There are a hundred and one things that can take first place in a church except the One person who matters. It is only possible for Him to be central in the church if He is central in the lives of the members. How easily He can be displaced. Me, my service, my organisation, my group, my opinions, my way, my leaders, my class, the people I admire…. When all in our hearts and lives is centred on Christ, there is bound to be basic unity of the church, because He is not divided. Is Christ central to us now?
(2) Then we find His cross is ground for unity. We cannot separate Him from the Cross. In His atoning death, Christ stood in our place, bore our sins, and received our judgement. His death is grounds for our salvation and our only hope. We are all indebted to Him. The Cross brings us all down to the same level. No matter who we are and what we possess, the fundamental and basic truth about us is that we are all sinners. We have this in common! Before the creator and judge we are guilty and leprous and condemned. And our only hope is in the Cross of Christ. He bore our sins, yours and mine. He was made a curse for us, you and me. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all, you and me.
(3) Then there are grounds for unity in baptism. On one hand, Paul makes it clear that it does not matter who baptizes us. The Corinthians were making so much of who had baptized them. Paul was glad he personally had only baptised a few of them, because he did not want them to make much of it. His main concern was to be an evangelist, and he left the baptising to local elders. It was the fact and meaning of baptism that are the grounds for unity. We are baptised not into the name of a man or an apostle or a preacher, but into Christ’s name. Baptism is an outward symbol of union with Christ, that we have passed completely into His possession and are under His authority. In the apostolic church, the Lordship of Christ was not only in the heart but outwardly in baptism. It was the Lord’s will and the Lord’s command. If you say Jesus is Lord, have you obeyed His command?
So this brings us all to look at Christ, not at ourselves
or at others, or at the church or an organization or group. There is trouble in
lives and in churches when Christ is in second or third place. There is only one
place He should occupy – first place. Fourteen times in these first seventeen
verses of this letter, Christ is mentioned. On Him we call, by His Cross we are
saved, in Him we are sanctified, in Him we have been enriched, on Him we wait,
and we have been baptised into His name.
Do you know Christ? Is He central in your life? Are you saved by Him? Is your only hope in His atoning death? Are you totally under His Lordship as signified in baptism? Have you been baptised as a confession of your faith? Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46). Let’s stop talking about obedience and telling others to be obedient. Let’s learn to be obedient ourselves.
