WEBVTT 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:06.219 Today, from the book of 1 Corinthians, we have 00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:10.560 an exhortation to Christian unity. That is, Christian 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:17.460 unity that transcends division. I'm going to 00:00:17.460 --> 00:00:21.239 read today from verse 10 of chapter 1 through 00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:26.839 verse 18. Hear the word of God as he speaks through 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:30.940 the Apostle Paul. Now I plead with you, brethren. 00:00:31.660 --> 00:00:35.579 by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:40.619 all speak the same thing, and that there be no 00:00:40.619 --> 00:00:44.399 divisions among you, but that you be perfectly 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:48.780 joined together in the same mind and in the same 00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:53.039 judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:57.060 you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:01.710 that there are contentions among you. Now I say 00:01:01.710 --> 00:01:06.250 this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or 00:01:06.250 --> 00:01:13.069 I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of 00:01:13.069 --> 00:01:17.769 Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified 00:01:17.769 --> 00:01:21.129 for you? Or were you baptized in the name of 00:01:21.129 --> 00:01:24.670 Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:28.760 except Crispus and Gaius. lest anyone should 00:01:28.760 --> 00:01:32.239 say that I baptized in my own name. Yes, I also 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:35.239 baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, 00:01:35.540 --> 00:01:38.620 I do not know whether I baptized any other, for 00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:42.019 Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach 00:01:42.019 --> 00:01:45.459 the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the 00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:47.420 cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 00:01:47.659 --> 00:01:50.920 For the message of the cross is foolishness to 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.900 those who are perishing, but to us who are being 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:59.040 saved. It is the power of God. Let's pray and 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.200 ask God's blessing on this time. Father, we thank 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:04.799 you, Lord, for this passage of Scripture, for 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:09.580 the clear and direct words from the Apostle Paul. 00:02:10.430 --> 00:02:12.930 Lord, as we realize that as they were written 00:02:12.930 --> 00:02:15.229 to the church at Corinth at the same time, Lord, 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:17.789 we realize that they are speaking to us. This 00:02:17.789 --> 00:02:21.750 is your word to us as the saints of God. We pray 00:02:21.750 --> 00:02:24.110 that we would take heed to these words. Lord, 00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:26.870 help us to understand them. We pray, Lord, that 00:02:26.870 --> 00:02:30.150 you would renew us in fervor, in vision, in clarity, 00:02:30.389 --> 00:02:34.210 and Lord, in love for one another. And we pray 00:02:34.210 --> 00:02:40.590 this in Jesus' name. Amen. I've read and preached 00:02:40.590 --> 00:02:43.189 on the introduction and opening prayer to this 00:02:43.189 --> 00:02:46.129 book in the last two sermons. And we've seen 00:02:46.129 --> 00:02:50.469 that Paul loves the Corinthians. He loves them 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:54.009 quite dearly. And he began with a greeting as 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:57.509 brethren and an eloquent prayer of thanksgiving 00:02:57.509 --> 00:03:00.430 for them, acknowledging that they have received 00:03:00.430 --> 00:03:04.000 many wonderful gifts. From God. And that they're 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.860 eagerly waiting for the revelation of the Lord 00:03:06.860 --> 00:03:11.020 Jesus Christ. In verse 9 he asserts the faithfulness 00:03:11.020 --> 00:03:15.199 of God. And that they have been called into the 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:20.259 fellowship of Christ. The Son of God. Indeed. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:24.780 As Paul tells us elsewhere. It is Jesus who is 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:28.280 the head of the church. And they've been united 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:30.460 with him. And they're called into this fellowship. 00:03:31.050 --> 00:03:35.009 It is Christ's church. It is the called out ones 00:03:35.009 --> 00:03:38.110 who have been bought by Christ and who are now 00:03:38.110 --> 00:03:41.310 called into fellowship, into union with Christ 00:03:41.310 --> 00:03:48.610 and love for the brotherhood. But alas, this 00:03:48.610 --> 00:03:55.830 love is waxing cold. It not all is well at this 00:03:55.830 --> 00:04:01.719 church in Corinth. There are problems. Between 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:06.379 one another and thus problems in the body of 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:11.840 Christ. This fellowship with Jesus Christ, which 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:16.180 also means fellowship with his body, is disjointed 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:22.079 and it is out of order. After this introduction 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:27.360 and prayer, Paul opens up with a foundational 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:32.240 thesis, a statement. That actually is the statement 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.680 or the summarizing statement of at least the 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:40.560 first four chapters. The body of believers has 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.720 developed severe dissensions and disagreements 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.060 between them which has become a source of conflict, 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:50.500 division, and argumentation that disrupted the 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:53.899 unity, the friendship, the worship, and the fellowship. 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:58.089 These things which were to be evidences. of God's 00:04:58.089 --> 00:05:01.149 work and of God's grace among them. And so he 00:05:01.149 --> 00:05:05.730 begins with a plea. And this plea is the same 00:05:05.730 --> 00:05:08.850 that as John writes in the book of 1 John 3, 00:05:09.129 --> 00:05:12.449 verse 14, we know that we have passed from death 00:05:12.449 --> 00:05:17.029 to life because we love the brethren. He who 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:23.850 does not love his brother abides in death. When 00:05:23.850 --> 00:05:27.069 that love and unity were disrupted, All sorts 00:05:27.069 --> 00:05:29.949 of ills and problems entered the church. And 00:05:29.949 --> 00:05:33.410 the testimony of Christ was sullied. It was made 00:05:33.410 --> 00:05:38.350 dirty. And it brought disrepute. Not only on 00:05:38.350 --> 00:05:44.089 them, but on the testimony of Jesus. Paul begins 00:05:44.089 --> 00:05:48.550 with an appeal. It's an address. A call to the 00:05:48.550 --> 00:05:52.759 brethren in verse 10. And this word Adelphos, 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:55.100 which is the Greek word for brethren, it can 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:58.379 mean brothers having the same father, but it 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:01.399 also refers to both men and women, those from 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:04.759 the same womb, those belonging to the same people. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.839 We as Christians have been born again. We have 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:12.180 been united to Christ, and therefore we have 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:16.689 a close association with one another. As fellow 00:06:16.689 --> 00:06:19.870 believers and Christians, we are united to one 00:06:19.870 --> 00:06:24.670 another by bonds of love and affection, both 00:06:24.670 --> 00:06:28.990 men and women. And since this is being disrupted 00:06:28.990 --> 00:06:31.689 in this congregation here in Corinth, which could 00:06:31.689 --> 00:06:34.029 be fairly large by this time, we don't know the 00:06:34.029 --> 00:06:37.350 size, but it's possible, Paul deals with it head 00:06:37.350 --> 00:06:40.029 on, and he writes plainly about this problem 00:06:40.029 --> 00:06:43.449 in this letter, which is to be read in a congregational 00:06:43.449 --> 00:06:47.089 meeting. One can imagine the congregation receives 00:06:47.089 --> 00:06:50.790 this letter and they all gather together as a 00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:54.370 church to hear from the beloved brother Paul, 00:06:54.709 --> 00:06:59.389 Apostle Paul. Slaves, bondmen and bondwomen, 00:06:59.569 --> 00:07:03.629 middle class and the rich, possibly even slave 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:07.709 owners are gathering together. The party spirit 00:07:07.709 --> 00:07:11.430 that is among them has not yet reached such a 00:07:11.430 --> 00:07:14.680 point that they have separated ways. Thank God. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:19.300 And so he writes to them as a congregation. One 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:23.399 of them, probably a leader, reads this letter. 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.300 And we are privileged to have this letter in 00:07:27.300 --> 00:07:30.980 our possession to enter into it and to hear it 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:34.600 as it was read to the congregation of Corinth. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:37.879 As the first lines are read, the warm greeting 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.000 and the prayer and the acknowledgement of the 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.300 gifts. of God that are in them and the affirmation 00:07:43.300 --> 00:07:47.519 that they will be confirmed to the end and stand 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.500 before the Lord Jesus Christ as blameless in 00:07:50.500 --> 00:07:52.920 the day of Christ. That sounds wonderful. That 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:56.399 warms the heart. It feels good hearing this from 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.939 our beloved brother, the Apostle Paul. But then, 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:05.620 as their father in the faith, he speaks to them 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:09.079 directly just as fathers need to do sometimes. 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:17.160 He begins, not with harsh denunciation and flaming 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:22.680 rhetoric, but with a plea, a plea, an appeal 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:27.339 as brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:08:29.610 --> 00:08:32.230 And now we'll read this verse in our first point, 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:35.769 the call to have no divisions and to be perfectly 00:08:35.769 --> 00:08:38.950 joined together. This thesis, this is the word 00:08:38.950 --> 00:08:41.610 from Paul that will guide the subject for the 00:08:41.610 --> 00:08:44.870 next several chapters. Now I plead with you, 00:08:44.929 --> 00:08:48.389 brethren, he says, by the name of our Lord Jesus 00:08:48.389 --> 00:08:53.029 Christ, that you all speak the same thing. And 00:08:53.029 --> 00:08:56.610 that there be no divisions among you, but that 00:08:56.610 --> 00:09:00.830 you be perfectly joined together in the same 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:05.950 mind and in the same judgment. He begins with 00:09:05.950 --> 00:09:08.970 the word plead. He says, I plead with you. I 00:09:08.970 --> 00:09:13.070 appeal to you. This is a call to unity and address 00:09:13.070 --> 00:09:16.970 to the ones causing and living in division. It's 00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:20.850 an admonishment and an entreaty. I beseech you. 00:09:22.570 --> 00:09:27.370 Paul seeks to see this Christian community continue 00:09:27.370 --> 00:09:31.929 well. He seeks to see it established and to continue 00:09:31.929 --> 00:09:35.990 to prosper, to be a faithful witness of Jesus 00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:40.179 in this worldly and idolatrous city. Because 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:43.159 this city belongs to Christ. And he wants to 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:47.580 see this congregation prosper and have a wonderful 00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:50.679 effect so that the word of God goes out through 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:53.919 all of the city and through the country surrounding 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:58.200 it. Paul wants to see the glory of Christ exalted. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:03.220 And so he writes to dissipate, to bring to peace 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:06.679 this conflict that is in the Christian Corinthian 00:10:06.679 --> 00:10:10.990 community. He attempts to persuade them by this 00:10:10.990 --> 00:10:14.850 appeal. He says, I plead with you in the name 00:10:14.850 --> 00:10:18.950 of the Lord Jesus Christ. So this appeal is given 00:10:18.950 --> 00:10:21.769 not just in the name of Paul, not just a good 00:10:21.769 --> 00:10:25.210 idea that Paul has about them. It is given weight 00:10:25.210 --> 00:10:28.950 and it is given authority by Paul speaking in 00:10:28.950 --> 00:10:33.419 the name. of our Lord Jesus Christ. By invoking 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:36.399 the name of Jesus, he brings the word of the 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:39.539 Lord of heaven and earth to bear upon them regarding 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:42.779 this matter. Doing this in the name of the Lord 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:46.100 Jesus Christ invokes the authority and the power 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:50.820 of Jesus himself. The scripture refers to doing 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:54.139 things in the name of Jesus Christ many times. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:58.059 And this is because God has highly exalted Jesus 00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:01.679 and has given him, what does Paul say in Philippians 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:06.279 chapter 2 verse 9, a name that is above all other 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:10.840 names. Therefore God also has highly exalted 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:15.100 him and given him the name which is above every 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:19.679 name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:23.860 bow. Of those in heaven and of those on earth 00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:27.279 and of those. Under the earth. And that every 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:30.840 tongue should confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:34.440 To the glory of the Father. We see the authority. 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:37.899 We see the weight. The gravity. Of speaking in 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:42.320 the name of Christ. He who is Lord. Over all. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:46.559 And before whom. All will bow. And acknowledge 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:51.720 his authority. And rulership. Furthermore this 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:55.549 is the name. That they were baptized into. Acts 00:11:55.549 --> 00:11:58.669 chapter 2 gives us an example in verse 38. Then 00:11:58.669 --> 00:12:01.610 Peter said to them, Repent and let every one 00:12:01.610 --> 00:12:05.129 of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ 00:12:05.129 --> 00:12:08.450 for the remission of sins, and you shall receive 00:12:08.450 --> 00:12:11.409 the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is through the 00:12:11.409 --> 00:12:14.950 name of Jesus that great signs and wonders had 00:12:14.950 --> 00:12:18.980 been done. The apostles prayed during a time 00:12:18.980 --> 00:12:22.559 of persecution in Acts chapter 4 verse 29 saying, 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:25.700 Now Lord, look on their threats and grant to 00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:28.940 your servants that with all boldness they may 00:12:28.940 --> 00:12:32.159 speak your word by stretching out your hand to 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:37.120 heal and that signs and wonders may be done through 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:41.779 the name of your holy servant Jesus. It is in 00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:44.700 the name of Jesus Christ that demons and evil 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:47.679 spirits were cast out of people. And as this 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:52.139 was done, the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:56.220 Because of the humiliation and the suffering 00:12:56.220 --> 00:13:00.720 of Christ, Paul says again in Philippians, it 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.799 is because of that, because of his suffering, 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.210 that God highly exalted him and gave him the 00:13:08.210 --> 00:13:11.309 name that is above every name so when Paul speaks 00:13:11.309 --> 00:13:14.350 and appeals to them in the name of Jesus Christ 00:13:14.350 --> 00:13:17.190 it's not just some added filler words no it's 00:13:17.190 --> 00:13:19.970 calling them to authority it's calling them to 00:13:19.970 --> 00:13:24.529 bow before the one who stands over them in complete 00:13:24.529 --> 00:13:28.649 rulership and authority and in his name Paul 00:13:28.649 --> 00:13:32.370 speaks and calls them to obedience in this matter 00:13:33.769 --> 00:13:37.970 Now he goes on. He says that you all speak the 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:41.529 same thing and be perfectly joined together in 00:13:41.529 --> 00:13:45.389 the same mind and in the same judgment. Being 00:13:45.389 --> 00:13:49.070 perfectly joined together is one word. It means 00:13:49.070 --> 00:13:53.129 to repair or to mend, to be fitted together and 00:13:53.129 --> 00:13:57.350 be made complete or that is mended what has been 00:13:57.350 --> 00:14:00.750 broken or rent. The same word is used in Matthew 00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:04.210 4, verse 21, for an example, where the sons of 00:14:04.210 --> 00:14:07.710 Zebedee were mending their nets. The nets had 00:14:07.710 --> 00:14:09.889 been broken in the process of fishing, and they 00:14:09.889 --> 00:14:11.690 were mending them. They were sewing them back 00:14:11.690 --> 00:14:14.490 together, joining them together so that the net 00:14:14.490 --> 00:14:18.309 would fulfill its purpose. A tearing was taking 00:14:18.309 --> 00:14:21.509 place in the church, for schism, dissension, 00:14:21.769 --> 00:14:26.149 divisions, strife, and envy had set in, and they 00:14:26.149 --> 00:14:30.519 were being torn apart. Through this. This needed 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.639 to be healed. And God's people perfectly joined 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:36.899 together again. And so Paul appeals to them. 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:40.100 In the name of Jesus Christ. That they be mended. 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:44.419 That they be perfectly joined together. In the 00:14:44.419 --> 00:14:48.000 same mind and judgment. So being in the same 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.299 mind and judgment. Means speaking the same thing. 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:52.419 This is. They were to have a common understanding. 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:57.269 A uniting of faith and belief. Of faith. Belief 00:14:57.269 --> 00:15:00.210 and practice, yes, through which Christians are 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:04.230 one body. And this is to take place in any good 00:15:04.230 --> 00:15:08.470 congregation of people. We are to have a common 00:15:08.470 --> 00:15:11.649 understanding of God's word, a common confession 00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:14.909 of who Christ is and of what we believe. This 00:15:14.909 --> 00:15:19.570 is a uniting of faith and belief in which Christians 00:15:19.570 --> 00:15:22.809 we are to exist and to live with one another 00:15:22.809 --> 00:15:28.259 as a body. A body of Christ. This is biblical 00:15:28.259 --> 00:15:32.200 unity. Now, biblical unity is not just parenting 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:34.639 one another. When Paul says speak the same thing, 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:37.700 he's not saying that you say something to one 00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:39.659 person and you hear the same thing from everybody. 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.200 No, we're individuals. We know that. But we're 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.799 to be like -minded in faith and we're to speak 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:50.559 the same thing in faith and doctrine. And that 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.850 we practice. Though it can vary in exactly how 00:15:54.850 --> 00:15:57.610 we practice things, it's all to be done in the 00:15:57.610 --> 00:16:01.070 name of Jesus Christ and for the glory of God. 00:16:01.590 --> 00:16:03.909 We're not to all go around just babbling the 00:16:03.909 --> 00:16:07.590 same thing, just repeating one another in just 00:16:07.590 --> 00:16:09.909 everyday language. We all have many different 00:16:09.909 --> 00:16:12.750 gifts. Yes, Paul's not speaking about that here. 00:16:12.850 --> 00:16:15.870 He's saying, in these matters, you need to be 00:16:15.870 --> 00:16:18.629 of one mind, that you love the brethren and you 00:16:18.629 --> 00:16:23.909 love the Lord Jesus Christ. Biblical unity is 00:16:23.909 --> 00:16:27.309 to be where we take the various gifts that God 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:29.889 has given to us and they are for the edification 00:16:29.889 --> 00:16:33.169 of all. That we do not have these gifts with 00:16:33.169 --> 00:16:36.669 pride and division or with contention and factions. 00:16:37.149 --> 00:16:40.649 Biblical unity refers to the oneness, the harmony 00:16:40.649 --> 00:16:44.730 and the mutual love that God desires among his 00:16:44.730 --> 00:16:48.190 people. It's not just a superficial agreement 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:51.889 or a lack of conflict or a forced uniformity. 00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:56.330 No, it's a rich tapestry of God's gifts being 00:16:56.330 --> 00:17:00.929 exercised in the body, but with a common faith 00:17:00.929 --> 00:17:04.470 and a shared relationship with God through Jesus 00:17:04.470 --> 00:17:08.200 Christ. By the Holy Spirit. That is biblical 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:12.240 unity. It is not a unity at all costs. It is 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.000 not fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. 00:17:15.099 --> 00:17:18.940 Or with false teachers. But among Christian believers. 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:22.960 And especially in each congregation. We must 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:27.059 have a unity of love of our triune God. And for 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:29.859 the brothers and sisters that he has placed us 00:17:29.859 --> 00:17:34.390 with. Sovereignly. placed us with all of you 00:17:34.390 --> 00:17:38.630 are here today by the sovereign appointment of 00:17:38.630 --> 00:17:42.630 God where he brought you together here and he 00:17:42.630 --> 00:17:46.710 is knitting us together and we are called to 00:17:46.710 --> 00:17:50.349 have unity and union one with another where we 00:17:50.349 --> 00:17:54.450 love one another fervently with a pure heart 00:17:54.450 --> 00:17:58.109 and this is what was amiss it was being torn 00:17:58.109 --> 00:18:02.650 asunder by factions It was being torn apart and 00:18:02.650 --> 00:18:06.569 this needed to be mended. Now the scripture speaks 00:18:06.569 --> 00:18:11.430 much of biblical unity. David exclaims in Psalm 00:18:11.430 --> 00:18:17.589 133 in verse 1. Behold how good and how pleasant 00:18:17.589 --> 00:18:22.329 it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. 00:18:23.250 --> 00:18:28.309 Jesus prays for this unity. In his high priestly 00:18:28.309 --> 00:18:31.890 prayer in John chapter 17, he prays this not 00:18:31.890 --> 00:18:35.650 only for his disciples, but for all who believe 00:18:35.650 --> 00:18:39.809 in Jesus through their word, which includes us. 00:18:39.970 --> 00:18:43.390 He says, he prays, I do not pray for these alone, 00:18:43.630 --> 00:18:46.470 but also for those who will believe in me through 00:18:46.470 --> 00:18:49.549 their word. What does he pray? That they may 00:18:49.549 --> 00:18:54.569 all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in 00:18:54.569 --> 00:18:58.470 you, that they also may be one in us, that the 00:18:58.470 --> 00:19:04.410 world may believe that you sent me. John 17, 00:19:04.609 --> 00:19:08.750 verse 20 and 21. And as Jesus prays this prayer 00:19:08.750 --> 00:19:13.549 in the Garden of Gethsemane just before he is 00:19:13.549 --> 00:19:17.410 going to be arrested and tried and crucified, 00:19:17.630 --> 00:19:24.400 then how important Must this be. It is very important. 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:28.859 Paul also beseeches the Ephesians. The Ephesian 00:19:28.859 --> 00:19:32.279 Christians. In chapter 4 verse 1 through 6. He 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:36.960 says. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord. Beseech 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.359 you. Here again. Same thing. I beseech you. Walk 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:43.099 worthy of the calling with which you were called. 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:47.680 With all lowliness. And gentleness. With long 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.230 suffering. bearing with one another in love, 00:19:51.470 --> 00:19:55.690 endeavoring to keep what? To keep the unity of 00:19:55.690 --> 00:20:00.890 the spirit in the bond of peace. He goes on and 00:20:00.890 --> 00:20:05.730 says, there is one body and one spirit, just 00:20:05.730 --> 00:20:10.190 as you were called in one hope of your calling. 00:20:10.410 --> 00:20:16.849 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and 00:20:16.849 --> 00:20:20.539 father of all. who is above all and through all 00:20:20.539 --> 00:20:24.519 and in you all. This is the basis for shared 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:28.640 unity right here. It's one body, one spirit. 00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:32.720 So brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:37.160 let us at Grace Reformed Church of Weezer speak 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:40.440 the same thing and let there be no divisions 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:46.099 among us and let us be perfectly... joined together 00:20:46.099 --> 00:20:51.920 in the same mind and in the same judgment paul 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:54.079 then moves on to our second point a statement 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:57.160 of the problem at corinth in verse 11 through 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:03.900 13 this is the problem for it has been declared 00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:07.859 to me says paul concerning you my brethren by 00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:11.180 those of chloe's household that there are contentions 00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:14.920 among you now i say this that each of you says, 00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:18.819 I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:22.799 Cephas, or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? 00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:29.500 Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:34.579 in the name of Paul? Now the report from Chloe's 00:21:34.579 --> 00:21:38.500 household, this passage is the only place in 00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:41.299 the Bible where we hear of this woman. She was 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:44.140 probably a prominent member of the Corinthian 00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:47.220 Christian Church and either had family or business 00:21:47.220 --> 00:21:50.599 connections with Ephesus. Some of her people 00:21:50.599 --> 00:21:52.380 were there. Could have been children, could have 00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:56.960 been household, like employees or family in some 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:01.299 way. Then they were over in Ephesus, which is 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:04.450 across the Bosphorus Sea. Corinth being in Europe, 00:22:04.509 --> 00:22:08.130 in Greece, and Ephesus being in Asia, in Western 00:22:08.130 --> 00:22:11.650 Asia, just across the Bosphorus. And so they 00:22:11.650 --> 00:22:13.750 went over there, and there they met Paul. They 00:22:13.750 --> 00:22:17.230 conversed with him, and they reported the problems 00:22:17.230 --> 00:22:20.609 that the Corinthian church was having to Paul, 00:22:20.809 --> 00:22:23.970 who was living there at the time of the writing 00:22:23.970 --> 00:22:27.329 of this letter. The problem was that of contention 00:22:27.329 --> 00:22:32.900 and division. So division came through contentions. 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:35.740 This division, again, as I mentioned last week, 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:39.519 it's a schism. It's the word for schismata, I 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:40.980 believe it is. I don't have it written down again. 00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:45.000 It's a tearing apart, this rending apart. And 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.000 it came how? Through contention. So what is contention? 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:53.819 It is strife. It is wrangling. It is often inspired 00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:57.690 by envy. as chapter 3 brings out. It's where 00:22:57.690 --> 00:23:01.029 you get into arguments and strife with one another. 00:23:01.490 --> 00:23:06.109 And all of this is inspired by pride. As Proverbs 00:23:06.109 --> 00:23:10.170 13, verse 10 says, By pride comes nothing but 00:23:10.170 --> 00:23:14.470 contention, but with the well -advised is wisdom. 00:23:14.910 --> 00:23:18.309 We know that pride was an issue because in chapter 00:23:18.309 --> 00:23:22.690 4, verse 18, as Paul is wrapping up this particular 00:23:22.690 --> 00:23:28.230 section, he says, now some are puffed up as though 00:23:28.230 --> 00:23:31.369 I was not coming to you. In other words, pride 00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:35.529 is an issue here. So we have pride and envy, 00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:39.450 as chapter 3 brings out, and all of that is producing 00:23:39.450 --> 00:23:43.140 this strife and wrangling. Now let's just move 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:45.680 over to chapter 3 briefly in verses 1 through 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.680 7 because this problem is recapitulated. Paul 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:51.559 deals with it again, but he speaks here very 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:53.819 plainly to them in a bit of a larger measure. 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:57.119 He says, And I, brethren, could not speak to 00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:59.720 you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, 00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:03.119 as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.700 not with solid food, for until now you were not 00:24:05.700 --> 00:24:07.960 able to receive it. And even now you are still 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.240 not able, for you are still carnal. For where 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:16.079 there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, 00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:20.259 are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:23.500 For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, 00:24:23.619 --> 00:24:27.440 I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? Who then 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:32.380 is Paul? And who is Apollos? But ministers, ministers 00:24:32.380 --> 00:24:35.359 through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:39.700 each one. I planted. Apollos watered, but God 00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:42.940 gave the increase. So then neither he who plants 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:46.680 is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:50.740 the increase. You are all wadded up tightly here 00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:54.220 in dissension and strife with one another, setting 00:24:54.220 --> 00:24:57.279 these ministers of Christ against each other 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:00.039 in these factions, and you are being carnal. 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.960 You are envying one another. You have strife 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:06.509 and you have these divisions. Now this word is 00:25:06.509 --> 00:25:10.329 associated with other things as well in various 00:25:10.329 --> 00:25:12.450 scriptures. We're going to briefly take a look 00:25:12.450 --> 00:25:16.549 at them. What else is associated with strife 00:25:16.549 --> 00:25:19.710 or what does strife produce or what kind of people 00:25:19.710 --> 00:25:24.170 have this strife? Romans 13 verse 13 and 14 speaks 00:25:24.170 --> 00:25:28.650 of it. Let us walk properly as in the day, not 00:25:28.650 --> 00:25:32.869 in reverie and drunkenness, not in lewdness and 00:25:32.869 --> 00:25:40.619 lust. not in strife or envy. Same word, not in 00:25:40.619 --> 00:25:44.019 strife, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:47.140 make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its 00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:50.660 lust. So here in this passage, strife is together 00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:54.700 with lust, with envy, with lewdness, with revelry, 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:59.799 with drunkenness. In 1 Timothy chapter 6, verses 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:04.730 3 to 5, False teachers stir up this strife. If 00:26:04.730 --> 00:26:06.930 anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent 00:26:06.930 --> 00:26:09.470 to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord 00:26:09.470 --> 00:26:12.230 Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords 00:26:12.230 --> 00:26:15.390 with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, 00:26:15.569 --> 00:26:19.250 but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:24.609 words, from which come again envy, strife, reviling, 00:26:24.789 --> 00:26:28.690 evil suspicions. useless wranglings of men of 00:26:28.690 --> 00:26:31.450 corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who 00:26:31.450 --> 00:26:34.250 suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From 00:26:34.250 --> 00:26:37.809 such, withdraw yourself. Strife is coupled together 00:26:37.809 --> 00:26:41.230 with some other really bad things that can occur 00:26:41.230 --> 00:26:45.980 in a group of people. Strife is also associated 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:48.559 with unthankfulness and with all of the sins 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:52.460 listed in Romans chapter 1, verse 29. As we read 00:26:52.460 --> 00:26:55.339 of the degenerate nature of man that sinks lower 00:26:55.339 --> 00:26:58.180 and lower, beginning with unthankfulness and 00:26:58.180 --> 00:27:00.859 then going down and down and down into the real 00:27:00.859 --> 00:27:05.460 dregs of sin. Paul describes that, which God 00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:08.220 gives them over to a debased mind to do things 00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:10.859 that are not fitting, he says, being filled. 00:27:11.309 --> 00:27:13.950 with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, 00:27:14.130 --> 00:27:17.609 wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full 00:27:17.609 --> 00:27:24.009 of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil -mindedness. 00:27:24.049 --> 00:27:27.970 They are whisperers, and on he goes. And finally, 00:27:27.970 --> 00:27:31.730 there's another warning in 2 Corinthians 12, 00:27:33.769 --> 00:27:38.589 verse 20. Even after they took care of some of 00:27:38.589 --> 00:27:40.670 the things that Paul had written to them about 00:27:40.670 --> 00:27:43.769 in the first chapter, there were still some who 00:27:43.769 --> 00:27:46.849 were having a major issue. And Paul says this 00:27:46.849 --> 00:27:51.069 in the second letter, verse 20, For I fear lest 00:27:51.069 --> 00:27:54.589 when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, 00:27:54.789 --> 00:27:57.349 and that I shall be found by you such as you 00:27:57.349 --> 00:28:00.910 do not wish, lest there be, what, contentions, 00:28:00.990 --> 00:28:05.160 jealousies, outbursts of wrath. selfish ambitions 00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:10.240 backbitings whisperings conceits tumults lest 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:12.500 when i come again my god will humble me among 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:14.559 you and i shall mourn for many who have sinned 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:17.599 before and have not repented of the uncleanness 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.599 fornication and lewdness which they practice 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:26.279 here again is this strife or contentions as it's 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:29.819 translated here truly this is no little matter 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:32.700 Now what was happening here, let's look at the 00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:35.619 party spirit or the factions that had entered. 00:28:36.059 --> 00:28:39.480 This congregation, this contention manifested 00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:42.859 itself in a party spirit. It was in which the 00:28:42.859 --> 00:28:45.539 congregation had developed certain factions over 00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:48.220 against each other. These were parties of affinity 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:52.579 with... with certain teachers, and they differentiated 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:55.319 themselves with pride in their associations. 00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:59.160 And they also fought each other with these. You 00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:01.740 know, it was a source of, I'm of this particular 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.079 one, or I'm of that particular one. It was a 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:07.700 contentiousness among them. It was not just an 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:11.940 affiliation, not just an association of, I'm 00:29:11.940 --> 00:29:14.700 thankful that the Lord led Paul to reveal this 00:29:14.700 --> 00:29:17.839 truth to me. And Apollos, he ministered to me 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:19.920 so much, and so I have a... special warm place 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:22.720 in my heart for apollos but i love paul too and 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:25.519 i love the brethren no no no this was a real 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:28.420 here's a real battle between them it was there 00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:31.460 was a lot of contention and pride in lifting 00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:37.079 themselves up as one party over another this 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:40.099 was not genuine disagreement over biblical interpretation 00:29:40.099 --> 00:29:42.920 but it became kind of like rooting for one's 00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:47.710 home team or political party now note that many 00:29:47.710 --> 00:29:49.750 of our founding fathers in the United States 00:29:49.750 --> 00:29:53.890 feared this very thing in the U .S., that factions 00:29:53.890 --> 00:29:59.730 would tear apart this new nation. John Adams 00:29:59.730 --> 00:30:03.009 feared the party spirit would prioritize party 00:30:03.009 --> 00:30:06.049 victory and power over truth and conviction. 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:09.539 that it would foster blind zeal, revenge and 00:30:09.539 --> 00:30:12.740 division and would harden people against reason 00:30:12.740 --> 00:30:16.420 and justice. In George Washington's farewell 00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:20.819 address in 1796, he noted significant, he devoted 00:30:20.819 --> 00:30:24.500 significant space to the condemning of the spirit 00:30:24.500 --> 00:30:27.579 of party as one of the greatest threats to the 00:30:27.579 --> 00:30:30.460 young republic. He described it as a baneful 00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:35.849 or poisonous. and warned that excessive partisanship 00:30:35.849 --> 00:30:38.650 would lead to several things. One was the alternate 00:30:38.650 --> 00:30:42.190 domination of one faction over another, sharpened 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:45.470 by the spirit of revenge, that there would be 00:30:45.470 --> 00:30:48.390 frightful despotism where parties seek power 00:30:48.390 --> 00:30:51.650 rather than the common good, that there would 00:30:51.650 --> 00:30:54.609 be regional divisions, foreign influence, and 00:30:54.609 --> 00:30:57.150 weakened national strength, and that it would 00:30:57.150 --> 00:31:01.230 blind, it would... Bind loyalty to party over 00:31:01.230 --> 00:31:05.950 truth and blind them to justice and to country. 00:31:06.470 --> 00:31:10.509 My, was he a prophet or what? As we look around 00:31:10.509 --> 00:31:13.670 us, of course, right now we see this in really 00:31:13.670 --> 00:31:18.089 an excessive manner. So look at Minneapolis and 00:31:18.089 --> 00:31:19.990 the various things that are happening there. 00:31:20.410 --> 00:31:24.970 This same thing, this same danger that they warned 00:31:24.970 --> 00:31:28.349 of, of our body politic, is something that we 00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:32.250 also must be warned against in the body of the 00:31:32.250 --> 00:31:35.829 Lord Jesus Christ, in his church. And that's 00:31:35.829 --> 00:31:39.269 exactly... What Paul is addressing here. The 00:31:39.269 --> 00:31:43.150 same kind of thing. A domination of one faction 00:31:43.150 --> 00:31:46.529 over another. Even having a spirit of envy or 00:31:46.529 --> 00:31:51.690 revenge. Having divisions and a weakened congregation. 00:31:52.890 --> 00:31:57.490 And blind loyalty to party over truth. Oh yes, 00:31:57.789 --> 00:32:00.890 it's very possible that in a congregation the 00:32:00.890 --> 00:32:03.789 same things can happen when factions develop. 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:06.559 Now, let's take a moment here and look at who 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:08.960 was Apollos. Apollos is mentioned here. Now, 00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:12.059 so is Cephas, which is Peter. But it seems like 00:32:12.059 --> 00:32:15.319 Apollos was a little bit more visible here. So 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:17.720 Apollos first comes on the scene in Ephesus. 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:21.059 It's recounted in Acts chapter 18 and verse 24 00:32:21.059 --> 00:32:25.000 through 28. He was a certain Jew born in Alexandria, 00:32:25.099 --> 00:32:28.079 and he was a very eloquent man. He was mighty 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:30.539 in the scriptures, and he came to visit Ephesus. 00:32:31.289 --> 00:32:33.349 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, 00:32:33.410 --> 00:32:36.170 and he was very fervent in spirit. He spoke and 00:32:36.170 --> 00:32:38.609 taught accurately the things of the Lord, although 00:32:38.609 --> 00:32:42.690 he had not yet received the Holy Spirit. He only 00:32:42.690 --> 00:32:46.390 had the baptism of John. So he came into the 00:32:46.390 --> 00:32:49.250 Jewish synagogues, and he began to speak boldly. 00:32:49.329 --> 00:32:52.470 Then Aquila and Priscilla, who were co -laborers 00:32:52.470 --> 00:32:55.029 with Paul, they heard him, so they took him aside, 00:32:55.349 --> 00:32:57.730 and they explained the word of God to him more 00:32:57.730 --> 00:33:01.039 accurately. When he desired to cross to Achaia, 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:03.460 the brethren wrote and they exhorted the disciples 00:33:03.460 --> 00:33:06.339 to receive him. And when he arrived to Achaia, 00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:09.440 he greatly helped those who had believed through 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:13.220 grace. Why? Because he vigorously refuted the 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:15.720 Jews publicly, showing from the scriptures that 00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:19.799 Jesus is the Christ. God had his hand on Apollos. 00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:23.559 He was a mighty man of the word, able to speak 00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:27.730 in wonderful words that persuaded people. He 00:33:27.730 --> 00:33:33.579 was a gifted man. The Corinthians... prized the 00:33:33.579 --> 00:33:37.220 ability to speak well and to argue points not 00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:40.220 just the church here this was known in the land 00:33:40.220 --> 00:33:43.940 they they prized that that of sophistry and being 00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:47.779 able to give great swelling words of wisdom this 00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:50.519 is one of the reasons why when we go on in this 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:53.039 chapter Paul's going to be speaking about the 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:57.400 wisdom of the wise versus the wisdom of God contrasting 00:33:57.400 --> 00:34:01.140 the the eloquence of which they were known for 00:34:01.140 --> 00:34:04.720 with the simple truths of God's word. We're going 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:06.859 to be looking at that, Lord willing, next week. 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:10.139 The cross of Christ and the foolishness of the 00:34:10.139 --> 00:34:14.179 cross compared to the wisdom of the world. But 00:34:14.179 --> 00:34:17.800 Apollos, he had some of those abilities that 00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:21.900 they admired. And so, consequently, they developed 00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:27.960 a faction after him. I am of Apollos. Now, others 00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:31.000 did the same then for Paul. And then some also 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:34.340 did for Peter. And there was even a Christ party. 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:38.699 Perhaps it was those who for selfish reasons 00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:42.039 exalted Christ as being, as they were the ones 00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:45.019 who were above the fray. We're the party that's, 00:34:45.019 --> 00:34:47.300 we're above it all. We don't get into this. We 00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:49.739 are of Christ and down with all of the others. 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:51.980 We don't know. It could have been an indicated 00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:55.039 superiority. The scripture does not tell us. 00:34:55.059 --> 00:34:58.139 So we just simply can imagine what. The Christ 00:34:58.139 --> 00:35:04.340 party was. Now, let me go on quickly to say that 00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:07.619 there is no proof that those who identified, 00:35:07.860 --> 00:35:11.019 who were identified with the factions, had any 00:35:11.019 --> 00:35:15.059 part to play with them. Paul, Apollos, Peter, 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:19.059 Christ, they were not responsible for fomenting 00:35:19.059 --> 00:35:22.820 these. factions now that can happen in certain 00:35:22.820 --> 00:35:25.900 places where a man or a leader or a person who 00:35:25.900 --> 00:35:29.320 is eloquent or or who is admired can foment that 00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:32.000 but that was not the case here this is something 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:35.400 that they cooked up that they desired that they 00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:38.559 brought about through their own selfish lusts 00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:42.159 or desires for uh well it was desires against 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:44.619 each other in order and provoked envy amongst 00:35:44.619 --> 00:35:50.199 them all of the men listed here were using the 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.159 gifts that God had given to them, and they were 00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:55.820 doing it well. The offenders used the opportunity 00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:59.880 and pride to foster envy and division amongst 00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:04.619 God's church. And this shows us how people can 00:36:04.619 --> 00:36:07.860 use good things, good and wonderful things, or 00:36:07.860 --> 00:36:10.760 good and wonderful people, but in a bad way. 00:36:11.699 --> 00:36:16.119 This does not denigrate the people that they 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:22.860 are denigrating, using in a bad way. These men, 00:36:22.940 --> 00:36:24.980 like I said, were solid and good men. They were 00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:27.320 chosen by God. They were well endowed with gifts 00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:31.159 by the Holy Spirit. The same thing happens today 00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:33.980 with prominent men or with leaders of churches 00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:36.659 or denominations or businesses or political leaders. 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:40.000 Now, some will incite and promote this, and that 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:43.300 is wrong. But others are simply gifted leaders 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:48.130 that God puts in a very visible place. And so 00:36:48.130 --> 00:36:51.130 they have this position of visibility and they 00:36:51.130 --> 00:36:55.170 attract some who foment this kind of dissension 00:36:55.170 --> 00:37:00.750 and party spirit. So a good leader thus seeks 00:37:00.750 --> 00:37:04.750 to put that down or to diminish it, not diminishing 00:37:04.750 --> 00:37:09.210 his gift, but making sure that he in no way is 00:37:09.210 --> 00:37:12.510 fomenting this kind of envy, this kind of factions, 00:37:12.610 --> 00:37:16.599 and in fact speaks against it. And in all of 00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:19.460 this, pride is certainly a temptation and must 00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:22.659 be guarded against. Now there must have also 00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:25.860 been here a misunderstanding of baptism and its 00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:29.119 significance in verses 14 to 16 because Paul 00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:32.179 deals with this. We're supposing here, and again 00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:35.000 this is a supposition, that there was a mystical 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:38.619 understanding of baptism. That whoever baptized 00:37:38.619 --> 00:37:41.420 them was their leader or that they had special 00:37:41.420 --> 00:37:45.699 gifts. Because of the one who baptized them. 00:37:45.780 --> 00:37:50.400 Perhaps it was the ones who were baptized by 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:54.960 Apollos who were longing for that kind of giftedness 00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:57.780 themselves. I don't know. It's just Paul deals 00:37:57.780 --> 00:38:01.139 here especially with baptism. And he says, I 00:38:01.139 --> 00:38:05.300 thank God that I baptized none of you except 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:08.280 for these few. Crispus, Gaius, the household 00:38:08.280 --> 00:38:10.199 of Stephanas. Besides that, I don't know if I 00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:13.840 baptized any other. He thanks God that in God's 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:16.320 providence he has not baptized many of them. 00:38:16.619 --> 00:38:19.000 Now Paul is not diminishing the need for baptism 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.280 here. Not at all. But rather that he was not 00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:25.119 sent to baptize lest a faction should deliver. 00:38:25.739 --> 00:38:29.900 should develop after him and so there was this 00:38:29.900 --> 00:38:32.780 misunderstanding and he clears this up here that 00:38:32.780 --> 00:38:36.960 the cross of Christ is the central thing that 00:38:36.960 --> 00:38:39.739 has happened and Christ is the one that we are 00:38:39.739 --> 00:38:42.619 to hold to we are to believe in because it is 00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:45.559 Christ who died for us Paul didn't die for them 00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:48.500 Apollos didn't die for them Peter didn't die 00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:52.190 for them no They were baptized into Christ. And 00:38:52.190 --> 00:38:55.489 so it did not matter who baptized them into the 00:38:55.489 --> 00:38:58.409 Christian church as far as one versus the other. 00:38:58.469 --> 00:39:00.670 And they didn't receive some special miraculous 00:39:00.670 --> 00:39:04.269 gifts because of the one who baptized them. That 00:39:04.269 --> 00:39:07.570 seems to be what was going on here in this misunderstanding. 00:39:08.429 --> 00:39:11.269 Paul then moves on to the preaching of the gospel 00:39:11.269 --> 00:39:14.289 and the efficacy of the cross of Christ in verses 00:39:14.289 --> 00:39:17.969 17 and 18. He says, Christ sent me to preach 00:39:17.969 --> 00:39:22.489 the gospel, not with the wisdom of words. In 00:39:22.489 --> 00:39:26.590 other words, not with great eloquence, not with 00:39:26.590 --> 00:39:30.190 the ability to move men by the power of his word, 00:39:30.289 --> 00:39:33.889 but rather that it would be through the cross 00:39:33.889 --> 00:39:38.469 of Christ. He did not in any way want to take 00:39:38.469 --> 00:39:42.690 away from the power and the impact and the effect 00:39:42.690 --> 00:39:48.760 of the cross of Christ. Because, he says, the 00:39:48.760 --> 00:39:52.639 message of the cross is foolishness to those 00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:55.719 who are perishing, except to those who are being 00:39:55.719 --> 00:40:01.599 saved. It is the power of God. After the statement 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:03.880 of the problem, Paul turns to the message of 00:40:03.880 --> 00:40:07.079 the cross of Christ, that cruel instrument of 00:40:07.079 --> 00:40:10.980 death on which our Lord was murdered. And he 00:40:10.980 --> 00:40:15.739 glories in the cross. The message of the cross 00:40:15.739 --> 00:40:20.639 is that death brought forth life. And it brings 00:40:20.639 --> 00:40:25.420 forth life in us. The cross is the power of God 00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:30.019 to save his people. It is the demonstration of 00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:34.559 the power of God to forgive sins. Having placed 00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:40.079 them on Christ who died for our sins. The cross 00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:45.889 was a shameful way of death. In the Roman time, 00:40:46.130 --> 00:40:50.010 it was reserved for those who were really bad. 00:40:50.489 --> 00:40:54.929 And so the effect of the cross could not be diminished 00:40:54.929 --> 00:41:00.190 in that Christ went that way. He died the death 00:41:00.190 --> 00:41:04.489 of the cross as an atonement for us. Lest we 00:41:04.489 --> 00:41:09.269 should glory in ourselves, no way. We glory in 00:41:09.269 --> 00:41:16.170 Christ alone. Is the driving message here. And 00:41:16.170 --> 00:41:21.050 so he beseeches them. Be perfectly joined together 00:41:21.050 --> 00:41:26.250 with the same mind. And in the same judgment. 00:41:26.449 --> 00:41:30.449 Be reconciled to one another. Be the body of 00:41:30.449 --> 00:41:35.710 Christ. Not a collection of factions. And so 00:41:35.710 --> 00:41:40.400 we hear that today as well. Let's consider. a 00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:45.739 few applications in closing. Number one, we as 00:41:45.739 --> 00:41:49.199 believers in Christ are one in Christ and Christ 00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:53.840 is not divided. Note that we do not get unity 00:41:53.840 --> 00:41:58.010 by focusing on unity. But we get unity by exalting 00:41:58.010 --> 00:42:00.869 and worshiping and serving Christ. He is the 00:42:00.869 --> 00:42:04.030 central figure. And as we look to Him, and as 00:42:04.030 --> 00:42:07.210 we believe in Him, and we trust in Him, we are 00:42:07.210 --> 00:42:09.989 drawn together. And we have fellowship with one 00:42:09.989 --> 00:42:14.349 another. He is the central figure. Not any of 00:42:14.349 --> 00:42:17.110 the prominent leaders in His church. It must 00:42:17.110 --> 00:42:22.980 be Christ and Christ alone. Unity is destroyed 00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:25.760 when there are contentions, when there is envy, 00:42:25.960 --> 00:42:29.300 and when there is strife. And so we must repent 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:32.260 of these when we fall into these sins and look 00:42:32.260 --> 00:42:36.000 to Christ to bring back that unity. We are one 00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:42.260 in Christ, and Christ is not divided. Number 00:42:42.260 --> 00:42:45.619 two, the whole context of this passage, though, 00:42:45.739 --> 00:42:51.659 is not speaking about false teachers. I want 00:42:51.659 --> 00:42:54.840 to make sure that that is emphasized here. Because 00:42:54.840 --> 00:42:58.739 false teachers are to be avoided. They are to 00:42:58.739 --> 00:43:02.340 be confronted. They are to be taken out of the 00:43:02.340 --> 00:43:06.300 assembly and not listened to. And so this unity, 00:43:06.539 --> 00:43:10.340 this brotherliness, this faithfulness together 00:43:10.340 --> 00:43:14.400 is not speaking about being joined together with 00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:18.630 false teachers. It's very important to understand 00:43:18.630 --> 00:43:21.969 that. This is speaking of those who are in Christ. 00:43:22.730 --> 00:43:26.389 There is no common unity with those who are false 00:43:26.389 --> 00:43:30.210 teachers. The same Paul writes in Galatians chapter 00:43:30.210 --> 00:43:33.590 1 verse 8. But if we or an angel from heaven 00:43:33.590 --> 00:43:37.510 preach any other gospel to you than what we have 00:43:37.510 --> 00:43:42.210 preached to you, let him be accursed. In other 00:43:42.210 --> 00:43:46.179 words, he's saying, let him be damned. Very, 00:43:46.280 --> 00:43:50.840 very strong language. And this was written to 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:53.539 a church who was being attacked by false teachers. 00:43:53.639 --> 00:43:55.960 And they were being swayed. And Paul was very 00:43:55.960 --> 00:43:59.079 jealous about them. And so he speaks these strong 00:43:59.079 --> 00:44:02.519 words. Elsewhere, later in Galatians chapter 00:44:02.519 --> 00:44:05.619 5, he says, I could wish that those who trouble 00:44:05.619 --> 00:44:09.340 you would even cut themselves off. For you, brethren, 00:44:09.440 --> 00:44:11.579 have been called to liberty. Only do not use 00:44:11.579 --> 00:44:14.420 liberty as an occasion for the flesh, but through 00:44:14.420 --> 00:44:18.320 love serve one another. So it's important that 00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:21.619 we understand that there is a false unity by 00:44:21.619 --> 00:44:24.659 which all just join together and say, oh, we're 00:44:24.659 --> 00:44:26.940 all one. And that could even extend like, have 00:44:26.940 --> 00:44:28.920 you heard the thing? Oh, we all worship the same 00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:32.750 God. Jews. The Jews worship the same God. The 00:44:32.750 --> 00:44:36.150 Muslims worship the same God. The Buddhists and 00:44:36.150 --> 00:44:38.269 all of these. We're all just one. We're all children 00:44:38.269 --> 00:44:40.469 of the Father and all seeking Him in our own 00:44:40.469 --> 00:44:44.730 way. No, Jesus is the truth. He is the way. And 00:44:44.730 --> 00:44:47.590 you cannot get to the Father if you do not come 00:44:47.590 --> 00:44:50.590 through Christ. We must be careful to maintain 00:44:50.590 --> 00:44:56.469 those distinctions very strongly. Christ is the 00:44:56.469 --> 00:45:01.190 way. We have no common unity. with those who 00:45:01.190 --> 00:45:03.349 are not in Christ. Oh, there might be some things 00:45:03.349 --> 00:45:06.110 that we can do in the community together. You 00:45:06.110 --> 00:45:07.590 know, there are some, you know, for example, 00:45:07.590 --> 00:45:11.710 there are some who are outside of true Christian 00:45:11.710 --> 00:45:14.349 faith, and yet we have some common interests 00:45:14.349 --> 00:45:16.150 with them. We might be able to work with them 00:45:16.150 --> 00:45:18.829 politically or even for the good of the community 00:45:18.829 --> 00:45:21.650 because of common grace. But we are not united 00:45:21.650 --> 00:45:25.369 together in Christ. We must maintain that distinction. 00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:29.340 This passage is not speaking to false teachers. 00:45:30.460 --> 00:45:34.420 Number three, well, what do we do? Why do we 00:45:34.420 --> 00:45:37.679 disagree with one another? We have this problem. 00:45:38.300 --> 00:45:43.280 We don't all see alike. We understand the scripture 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:48.500 in various ways. Later in this book, in our study 00:45:48.500 --> 00:45:50.519 of this book, we're going to get into two things, 00:45:50.659 --> 00:45:53.840 one of being liberty of conscience, another being 00:45:53.840 --> 00:45:57.639 religious liberty. And there's a distinction 00:45:57.639 --> 00:45:59.679 in them, and I'm not going to get into it all 00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:03.260 right here, but there is a liberty to the children 00:46:03.260 --> 00:46:05.480 of God, and it's something that we need to grant 00:46:05.480 --> 00:46:09.199 one another. There are some, for example, Paul 00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:11.579 speaks of the eating food offered to idols, that 00:46:11.579 --> 00:46:13.539 there are some who cannot in good conscience 00:46:13.539 --> 00:46:16.280 eat food that was offered to idols, even if it's 00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:18.380 being sold in the marketplace. Their conscience 00:46:18.380 --> 00:46:20.719 is defiled. There are others who can eat it and 00:46:20.719 --> 00:46:23.280 say it's fine. I give the Lord praise for this. 00:46:23.380 --> 00:46:26.099 It's God who created the food. And so there's 00:46:26.099 --> 00:46:28.059 a disagreement about this, and yet you have to 00:46:28.059 --> 00:46:32.460 live together as the people of God. Now this 00:46:32.460 --> 00:46:35.000 could be a whole message in itself, and I'm not... 00:46:35.420 --> 00:46:38.619 I don't have time to get into everything today. 00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:41.219 I would just say that when Christians disagree, 00:46:41.460 --> 00:46:44.440 we need to pray together. We need to be able 00:46:44.440 --> 00:46:48.320 to give a good defense of what it is that we 00:46:48.320 --> 00:46:51.280 see and do to it without acrimony or without 00:46:51.280 --> 00:46:53.760 hatefulness. But in other words, to appeal to 00:46:53.760 --> 00:46:56.619 the word of God, to persuade. There needs to 00:46:56.619 --> 00:47:00.519 be discussion from God's word. But we also realize 00:47:00.519 --> 00:47:04.260 that... Not all disagreements of biblical interpretation 00:47:04.260 --> 00:47:07.159 can live together in the same local church body, 00:47:07.300 --> 00:47:10.059 and yet we can still be Christians. There are 00:47:10.059 --> 00:47:12.619 some things where we seek to understand one another, 00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:15.039 but there's various understandings, especially 00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:18.139 of secondary issues in Christ's church, and it 00:47:18.139 --> 00:47:20.800 doesn't necessarily work real well together in 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:24.800 the same church body. I'll give you an example 00:47:24.800 --> 00:47:28.119 here just in a bit. But we must at all times, 00:47:28.119 --> 00:47:30.800 to fellow Christians, extend Christian liberty 00:47:30.800 --> 00:47:34.159 and the liberty of conscience to one another. 00:47:34.539 --> 00:47:36.400 Which brings me to the fourth point, and that 00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:40.880 is, is there a time to leave a church to a local 00:47:40.880 --> 00:47:43.239 body of Christ's church where you can believe 00:47:43.239 --> 00:47:45.440 that they are Christians, that they are Christian 00:47:45.440 --> 00:47:49.019 believers, but it's not a good fit for us? Is 00:47:49.019 --> 00:47:53.019 there a time to leave a Christian church? And 00:47:53.019 --> 00:47:54.880 I think that in the interest of peace and unity, 00:47:54.980 --> 00:47:57.820 there are times when one should leave a church 00:47:57.820 --> 00:48:01.679 body and associate with another. This is especially 00:48:01.679 --> 00:48:04.739 the case where there are practical outworkings 00:48:04.739 --> 00:48:08.320 of Christian doctrine. For example, it's one 00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:11.420 that we use fairly commonly, such as baptism. 00:48:11.780 --> 00:48:15.300 Should baptism only be for believers who confess 00:48:15.300 --> 00:48:18.480 the Lord Jesus Christ with a testimony? Or is 00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:21.760 there such a thing as household baptism, a covenantal 00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:26.320 baptism of whole households? How that is practiced, 00:48:26.420 --> 00:48:28.559 there are some that will see it in a different 00:48:28.559 --> 00:48:31.920 way. Now, to the one, it can be practiced, and 00:48:31.920 --> 00:48:35.519 yet, you know, especially comes down to leadership. 00:48:35.539 --> 00:48:38.469 If the leadership says, Yes, we will baptize 00:48:38.469 --> 00:48:41.690 upon belief and faith, but we will also baptize 00:48:41.690 --> 00:48:44.530 in a covenantal baptism. Then, you know, the 00:48:44.530 --> 00:48:47.969 views can get along as long as we accept one 00:48:47.969 --> 00:48:50.949 another. But if a leader says, no, I absolutely 00:48:50.949 --> 00:48:55.329 will not do covenant household baptism, then 00:48:55.329 --> 00:48:57.929 it's more difficult for the person who has a 00:48:57.929 --> 00:49:01.429 family and is at that church because they really 00:49:01.429 --> 00:49:04.030 desire and believe that their children should 00:49:04.030 --> 00:49:07.320 be baptized. You have to weigh these things, 00:49:07.460 --> 00:49:11.619 and there are some other things like this. The 00:49:11.619 --> 00:49:14.139 church has practices for how some of these things 00:49:14.139 --> 00:49:16.500 work, and it may or it may not work out for your 00:49:16.500 --> 00:49:20.659 family. Back in 1998, we left the church over 00:49:20.659 --> 00:49:23.599 doctrinal differences, some significant ones. 00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:27.500 Having been convinced that some of the Anabaptist 00:49:27.500 --> 00:49:31.280 beliefs, such as non -resistance or pacifism, 00:49:31.280 --> 00:49:34.000 as it is commonly known, was a requirement for 00:49:34.000 --> 00:49:36.440 membership. And we no longer held to that. So 00:49:36.440 --> 00:49:39.900 we were no longer able to maintain or to be members 00:49:39.900 --> 00:49:42.760 of that particular congregation. We were not 00:49:42.760 --> 00:49:45.159 in agreement with their requirements for church 00:49:45.159 --> 00:49:47.360 membership. But they were still Christian believers. 00:49:47.719 --> 00:49:50.219 And we still love them. And I still interact 00:49:50.219 --> 00:49:54.449 with them to this day. But. I could not be a 00:49:54.449 --> 00:49:56.550 member of their congregation because of these 00:49:56.550 --> 00:50:00.929 things. When this happens, we must still treat 00:50:00.929 --> 00:50:04.650 one another as Christian believers and not leave 00:50:04.650 --> 00:50:08.829 with ill feelings out of spite or with hate in 00:50:08.829 --> 00:50:14.630 our heart for our brethren. What about denominations? 00:50:15.289 --> 00:50:17.329 That question often comes up in this because 00:50:17.329 --> 00:50:20.570 aren't denominations factions just like this 00:50:20.570 --> 00:50:23.469 with, you know, Paul and Peter and Cephas? They 00:50:23.469 --> 00:50:27.690 can be, but they are not necessarily. It's actually 00:50:27.690 --> 00:50:29.670 just a little bit of a larger frame of what I 00:50:29.670 --> 00:50:32.210 just talked about as far as whether it's right 00:50:32.210 --> 00:50:36.650 to leave a church or not. There are a way to 00:50:36.650 --> 00:50:39.329 maintain our unity in Christ in all of the essentials. 00:50:40.119 --> 00:50:42.960 but to also then dwell together in congregations 00:50:42.960 --> 00:50:45.820 that are aligned with each other in common agreement 00:50:45.820 --> 00:50:49.460 on secondary issues or areas that affect the 00:50:49.460 --> 00:50:52.000 whole body, such as the method of church government 00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:54.780 or the practices of the church regarding the 00:50:54.780 --> 00:50:57.800 sacraments of the Lord's Supper and baptism and 00:50:57.800 --> 00:51:00.420 a common confession regarding great doctrines 00:51:00.420 --> 00:51:04.019 of the Bible. Now, this is something where we 00:51:04.019 --> 00:51:06.940 long to see greater unity in the body of Christ. 00:51:07.639 --> 00:51:11.260 But until we reach that point, by God's grace 00:51:11.260 --> 00:51:14.360 and sovereignty, and whatever that looks like, 00:51:14.500 --> 00:51:20.280 it seems that denominations can be, or not always 00:51:20.280 --> 00:51:22.780 are, especially if they become very exclusive 00:51:22.780 --> 00:51:25.219 and say, well, we're the only true church of 00:51:25.219 --> 00:51:29.719 Christ. But they can be a way of working peacefully 00:51:29.719 --> 00:51:34.260 with the disagreements that... and yet we have 00:51:34.260 --> 00:51:37.260 a number of congregations that are of the same 00:51:37.260 --> 00:51:42.480 mind in some of the secondary matters. This is 00:51:42.480 --> 00:51:44.460 where I think the creeds and confessions are 00:51:44.460 --> 00:51:47.940 helpful. The great ecumenical creeds, such as 00:51:47.940 --> 00:51:51.559 the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and Athanasius, 00:51:51.739 --> 00:51:55.360 they are a summary of biblical teaching on essential 00:51:55.360 --> 00:51:59.179 Christian... doctrine which must be believed 00:51:59.179 --> 00:52:02.000 in order to be a christian again it says they're 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:04.480 not scripture they are a summary of scripture 00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:08.079 this is who christ is this is who god is this 00:52:08.079 --> 00:52:12.780 is who the holy spirit is and so forth confessions 00:52:12.780 --> 00:52:15.579 of faith though are then summaries of a common 00:52:15.579 --> 00:52:19.159 understanding of various biblical teaching some 00:52:19.159 --> 00:52:23.320 of which not all true christians are in unity 00:52:23.320 --> 00:52:27.170 at this present time We long for the day when 00:52:27.170 --> 00:52:30.309 we will mature in the faith in a greater way 00:52:30.309 --> 00:52:34.070 and the Holy Spirit brings us together in a closer 00:52:34.070 --> 00:52:38.230 union. But in our current state, it is my understanding 00:52:38.230 --> 00:52:41.889 and practice that denominations are helpful to 00:52:41.889 --> 00:52:44.050 maintain the distinctions that are important 00:52:44.050 --> 00:52:47.530 while yet maintaining a Christian unity of all 00:52:47.530 --> 00:52:53.679 Christian believers. And for this, we long. Ephesians 00:52:53.679 --> 00:52:57.659 4 verse 13. Till we all come to the unity of 00:52:57.659 --> 00:53:00.159 the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of 00:53:00.159 --> 00:53:06.079 God to a perfect man. To the measure of the stature 00:53:06.079 --> 00:53:09.800 of the fullness of Christ. Christ's church may 00:53:09.800 --> 00:53:13.000 yet be in its infancy or in an adolescent stage. 00:53:13.360 --> 00:53:16.880 There is much we need to grow in. Much in how 00:53:16.880 --> 00:53:20.480 we must love each other and grow in faith with 00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:25.460 humility. And we long for the day, for the time, 00:53:25.579 --> 00:53:29.360 when we all come to the unity of the faith and 00:53:29.360 --> 00:53:33.579 the knowledge of Jesus, to a perfect man in Christ. 00:53:33.820 --> 00:53:37.380 Oh Lord, hasten this day. Let's pray.