Divisions in the church

1 Cor. 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 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 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

We read here that there were divisions at Corinth. The Greek word here for division is schisma where our word schism comes from. The Corinthians were still gathering together as the one true church at Corinth according to Matt. 18:20 but they were divided in their hearts.

What does Paul attribute this divisiveness to?

1 Cor. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

He tells them that they are carnal. This is a lesson for us today when we look around at the church in the world. There are divisions galore. I call it Baskin Robbins Christianity. But this isn't the whole story behind the condition we see today. As I said there was still only one church at Corinth but what do we see today? Several churches by different names in every locale. To see what Paul teaches about this we need to turn over to chapter 11:

17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.

What we see here is the full development of divisions, factions or sects. The Greek word here is heresis the origin of our word heresies. While heresy is commonly used in connection with fundamental error, technically speaking any unscriptural doctrine is heresy. The divisions were the results of their holding errors and factions were the result of their actually going out and setting up a church with the error as a gathering center rather than Christ as we see in Matt. 18:20. That's what we see today all kinds of churches defined according to their own pet version of the truth rather than the person of Christ Himself. The only doctrinal agreement needed to gather to Christ is to be fundamentally sound in our walk clear of moral sin as we see in 1 Cor. 5 and fundamental heresy as we see in Gal. 5 where they were preaching another gospel and first and second John where we see a false Christ being preached. In chapter 1 we even see that some where using the name of Christ as a pretense for their division and that can be done today when error is set up as a gathering center using Christ's name as an official name for the church. Gathering to Christ must be done in spirit in order for it to be a gathering on the ground of the one true church of scripture since we are called to worship God in Spirit and truth(John 4:23-24). Christ must be the true spiritual reason for our gathering and we must check self at the door. Divisions are carnal because they elevate our opinions over Christ. Factions or sects are the gross manifestation of this carnal state.

By now you must be asking yourself, "what do I do, since there are sects everywhere I look." Fortunately for us, the problem actually permeated the church as early as Paul's second epistle to Timothy. Now let's turn to 2 Tim. 2:

20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

What we see here is the church called a "great house" with a mixture of all sorts of vessels- vessels of gold and silver or true believers but also vessels of wood and earth-false professors, vessels to honor-obedient Christians, vessels to dishonor-disobedient Christians. Paul says in order to be a vessel to honor he must purge himself from the vessels to dishonor. This word purge is the same word used in 1 Cor. 5 in connection with putting out the old leaven which is used to symbolize putting out the wicked man. This is the proper order of things in the church, the vessel to dishonor being purged out from among the vessels to honor but here we see a situation so bad that proper order has broken down and so that for a person to remain obedient to God is to purge himself out from among the vessels to dishonor. Remember Paul teaches us that "a little leaven leavens the WHOLE LUMP". In other words when a church fails to act faithfully in accordance with 1 Cor. 5 or Gal. 5 or 2 John 9-11 all its members become leavened or vessels to dishonor. Likewise anyone not walking in separation from them also becomes leavened or vessels to dishonor. The only way we can be a vessel to honor is to purge ourselves from vessels to dishonor. What we have here is godly division as opposed to the carnal divisions that were taking place at Corinth because it is done out of obedience to God rather than self. This sounds like a lot of trouble once you begin to work out all the implications of this matter but look at the reward-he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. I ask you now, what greater honor can you think of than this in this whole world? Isn't it amazing that God makes provision for such a great honor at a time of such darkness and despair in the church? You say "okay, I have purged myself but what next?" Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

In other words, seek out other purged vessels to fellowship with. I believe prayer is a key to accomplishing this whole matter from start to finish because it requires God's grace to be done right without stumbling. May the God of all grace bless you richly as you read these words.

Yours in Christ,
rosswell