Church Matters: Division

1 Corinthians 3:1-9, 16-23 ESV

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

John Calvin, John Piper, Armenian?

Division impacts both those within as well as those without the church. It hurts people who are a part of the church. It adlai hurts the reputation of the church.

The character and cause of division

The corinthian church felt it was a theologically sound church. But Paul calls them children. He was looking at how they were acting and said this  spoke of their maturity. The division and contention  starts from this: Natural preferences become Exclusive Absolutes.

We see this often in worship. From traditional hymns to contemporary christian music, there is contention over the proper way to worship. Or introverted vs. extroverted christians. Or in myers-briggs, judging vs. perceiving.

What does all this come from? The need in our hearts to justify ourselves.

The consequence of divisiveness

Paul speaks of not only the church, but also the consequence for those who act divisively. "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him." The person who acts in a way to destroy the unity  and peace of the church will DESTROY this person. We should not soften the language here. God will destroy this divisive person. The church is called the children of God, the bride of Christ, and the body of Christ. God cares much more for the church than we can imagine.

The cure for division

How do we guard against division? The us vs. them mentality comes from worldly wisdom which is foolishness to God. Paul tells them that Paul, Apollos, and Cephas are all of the church and sent by God. They all have something to share, something to give. One LORD, one faith, one baptism. Whether presbyterian, pentecostal, or baptist, they are all given to us through Christ.

ABANDON ALL ATTEMPTS TO PROVE THEIR WORTH IN WORLDLY WAYS AND REST IN THE INFINITE WORTH WE HAVE IN CHRIST.

We are always striving to find sanctuary from insecurity. We want  someone to look down on. We want self significance. This is us trying to prove ourselves. God is unimpressed; it all seems so silly.