Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; - Philippians 1:27
Last Sunday we began a brand new sermon series titled “The Messed Up Church: Paul’s Letters to Corinth”. During this series, we are going to study through the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us as we dig into His Word and apply it to our lives and church.
In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians, Paul sends his greetings to the church at Corinth. He also expresses thanksgiving to God for them. He encourages them by stating that God is faithful and that, in Christ, they will stand blameless before Him in the Day of the Lord.
Following his warm salutation, Paul begins to address several issues that are having a detrimental impact on the Corinthian church. The first of these is division among the congregation. This is the topic of today’s message.
I. OTHER PROMINENT PREACHERS (Acts 18:24-19:1)
As we learned last week, when Paul left Corinth after establishing the church there, Aquila and Priscilla went with him. The trio traveled to Ephesus where they made a brief stop. From there, Paul continued on to Antioch, but Aquila and Priscilla remained with the Ephesians. Not long after, an eloquent and gifted preacher arrived in Ephesus and began preaching about Jesus in the synagogue. His name was Apollos, a Jew from the city of Alexandria. Though he was passionate and persuasive, his understanding of Christ’s baptism was somewhat lacking. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him speak, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.
Once he was ready, Aquila and Priscilla sent Apollos to Corinth - the city they had recently left. When he arrived, Apollos was welcomed by the congregation. He proved to be a great help and encouragement to the Corinthian believers. He publicly refuted the Jews and convincingly demonstrated through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. As a result of Apollo's ministry, the church at Corinth continued to grow.
Though the details of Peter’s missionary journeys are not detailed in the Bible, he also traveled from town to town evangelizing, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and planting new and/or strengthening existing churches. Most historians believe that Peter also visited the church in Corinth, perhaps around the same time that Apollos was there or shortly thereafter. Peter likely had a particular appeal to the Jewish Christians intermingled among the predominantly Gentile congregation. His preaching and teaching grew the church even more.
II. MISGUIDED DIVISION (1 Corinthians 1:10-13a)
Within a span of about 3-4 years, the Corinthian church was blessed by the preaching of 3 great leaders - Paul, Apollos, and Peter. Each of these men contributed to its prosperous growth. Many people came to faith in Jesus Christ and joined the church as a result of their respective ministries. Unfortunately, the presence of these notable preachers led to division and the formation of differing factions within the congregation.
Apparently, many of the Corinthian believers were confused about the purpose and effect of water baptism. The Bible teaches that water baptism is purely symbolic. It is a visible depiction of regeneration - the new birth that occurs within the heart of a sinner when he or she accepts Christ. Baptism does not save anyone, but rather it is a public declaration that a person has already been saved. Unfortunately, it seems that many of the Christians in Corinth equated water baptism with salvation. As such, they attributed their salvation, at least in part, to the person who baptized them or led them to be baptized. Thus, some of the congregation aligned themselves rigidly with Paul, others with Apollos, and still others with Peter. Only a fraction of them properly understood that their baptism was wholly of Christ.
Paul urged the Corinthians to put aside their disputes and be in agreement with one another - to be of one mind and one judgment. He asked them, “Is Christ divided?” The obvious answer to this question is no. In another of his letters, Paul wrote, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) The church is united in Christ, and each believer is a member of His body. Jesus is not divided, and His church shouldn’t be divided either.
III. A PREACHER’S ANONYMITY (1 Corinthians 13b-17)
Paul went on to ask the Corinthians if it was he who had been crucified for them. Had they been baptized in his name? The same questions could have been asked for Apollos and Peter. And the answer? Of course not! It was Jesus who was crucified on the cross of Calvary to atone for their sins and they had all been baptized in His Name. Neither Paul, Apollos, nor Peter were responsible for their salvation. They were simply servants used by God.
Paul was upset because some were ascribing their allegiance to him rather than to the Lord. He wrote that he was thankful he’d only baptized a few people in Corinth, including Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. Had he baptized more of them, he might have further perpetuated the problem. Paul explained that his calling was not to baptize people, but rather to preach the gospel in sincerity and truth so that those who came to Christ were not drawn by the charismatic tongue of a preacher, but rather by the appeal and power of the cross. Paul humbly rejected his celebrity status, desiring instead to remain as lowly and unassuming as possible.
I suspect that all of us have a certain pastor, Sunday School teacher, or someone that holds a special place in our hearts. Perhaps they were instrumental in teaching us about Jesus and our desperate need for Him. That said, we should never attribute that which belongs completely to God to anyone else. The Lord alone is worthy of all glory, all praise, all worship, and all devotion. Those pastors and/or leaders who accept such acclaim and adoration from their congregations should be ashamed of themselves. The pastor’s role is to make Christ famous, not themselves, and to teach believers to lean completely on Him.
CONCLUSION
In this morning’s message we’ve touched on 3 major issues. Let’s take a moment to review each of them.
First, we as the Christian church should not be needlessly divided. We shouldn’t quarrel or be contentious with one another. Such behavior misrepresents Jesus and disparages His holy name. Rather, we should be of one mind and one judgment. My friends, if we are ever to be the church God desires us to be, it must begin by coming together in agreement as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Second, we must understand that water baptism does not bring about salvation. It merely symbolizes that which Christ affects in the heart of a new believer. New Christians are baptized as a public expression and declaration of their salvation, thereby identifying themselves with the church. Water baptism is merely a physical illustration of a spiritual reality.
And third, we must learn to follow and rely on Christ alone. He is the One who saves us and sustains us in our darkest hour. There is no other. It doesn’t matter how godly your pastor seems - he is a vile, wretched sinner saved by grace, just like everyone else who has trusted in Jesus for salvation. If your faith is dependent on your pastor, or anyone else for that matter, it is gravely misplaced. Don’t place him on a pedestal because he is unworthy to be there, and if he’s worth his salt, he doesn’t want to be there either.
Last Sunday we began a brand new sermon series titled “The Messed Up Church: Paul’s Letters to Corinth”. During this series, we are going to study through the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us as we dig into His Word and apply it to our lives and church.
In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians, Paul sends his greetings to the church at Corinth. He also expresses thanksgiving to God for them. He encourages them by stating that God is faithful and that, in Christ, they will stand blameless before Him in the Day of the Lord.
Following his warm salutation, Paul begins to address several issues that are having a detrimental impact on the Corinthian church. The first of these is division among the congregation. This is the topic of today’s message.
I. OTHER PROMINENT PREACHERS (Acts 18:24-19:1)
As we learned last week, when Paul left Corinth after establishing the church there, Aquila and Priscilla went with him. The trio traveled to Ephesus where they made a brief stop. From there, Paul continued on to Antioch, but Aquila and Priscilla remained with the Ephesians. Not long after, an eloquent and gifted preacher arrived in Ephesus and began preaching about Jesus in the synagogue. His name was Apollos, a Jew from the city of Alexandria. Though he was passionate and persuasive, his understanding of Christ’s baptism was somewhat lacking. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him speak, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.
Once he was ready, Aquila and Priscilla sent Apollos to Corinth - the city they had recently left. When he arrived, Apollos was welcomed by the congregation. He proved to be a great help and encouragement to the Corinthian believers. He publicly refuted the Jews and convincingly demonstrated through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. As a result of Apollo's ministry, the church at Corinth continued to grow.
Though the details of Peter’s missionary journeys are not detailed in the Bible, he also traveled from town to town evangelizing, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and planting new and/or strengthening existing churches. Most historians believe that Peter also visited the church in Corinth, perhaps around the same time that Apollos was there or shortly thereafter. Peter likely had a particular appeal to the Jewish Christians intermingled among the predominantly Gentile congregation. His preaching and teaching grew the church even more.
II. MISGUIDED DIVISION (1 Corinthians 1:10-13a)
Within a span of about 3-4 years, the Corinthian church was blessed by the preaching of 3 great leaders - Paul, Apollos, and Peter. Each of these men contributed to its prosperous growth. Many people came to faith in Jesus Christ and joined the church as a result of their respective ministries. Unfortunately, the presence of these notable preachers led to division and the formation of differing factions within the congregation.
Apparently, many of the Corinthian believers were confused about the purpose and effect of water baptism. The Bible teaches that water baptism is purely symbolic. It is a visible depiction of regeneration - the new birth that occurs within the heart of a sinner when he or she accepts Christ. Baptism does not save anyone, but rather it is a public declaration that a person has already been saved. Unfortunately, it seems that many of the Christians in Corinth equated water baptism with salvation. As such, they attributed their salvation, at least in part, to the person who baptized them or led them to be baptized. Thus, some of the congregation aligned themselves rigidly with Paul, others with Apollos, and still others with Peter. Only a fraction of them properly understood that their baptism was wholly of Christ.
Paul urged the Corinthians to put aside their disputes and be in agreement with one another - to be of one mind and one judgment. He asked them, “Is Christ divided?” The obvious answer to this question is no. In another of his letters, Paul wrote, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) The church is united in Christ, and each believer is a member of His body. Jesus is not divided, and His church shouldn’t be divided either.
III. A PREACHER’S ANONYMITY (1 Corinthians 13b-17)
Paul went on to ask the Corinthians if it was he who had been crucified for them. Had they been baptized in his name? The same questions could have been asked for Apollos and Peter. And the answer? Of course not! It was Jesus who was crucified on the cross of Calvary to atone for their sins and they had all been baptized in His Name. Neither Paul, Apollos, nor Peter were responsible for their salvation. They were simply servants used by God.
Paul was upset because some were ascribing their allegiance to him rather than to the Lord. He wrote that he was thankful he’d only baptized a few people in Corinth, including Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. Had he baptized more of them, he might have further perpetuated the problem. Paul explained that his calling was not to baptize people, but rather to preach the gospel in sincerity and truth so that those who came to Christ were not drawn by the charismatic tongue of a preacher, but rather by the appeal and power of the cross. Paul humbly rejected his celebrity status, desiring instead to remain as lowly and unassuming as possible.
I suspect that all of us have a certain pastor, Sunday School teacher, or someone that holds a special place in our hearts. Perhaps they were instrumental in teaching us about Jesus and our desperate need for Him. That said, we should never attribute that which belongs completely to God to anyone else. The Lord alone is worthy of all glory, all praise, all worship, and all devotion. Those pastors and/or leaders who accept such acclaim and adoration from their congregations should be ashamed of themselves. The pastor’s role is to make Christ famous, not themselves, and to teach believers to lean completely on Him.
CONCLUSION
In this morning’s message we’ve touched on 3 major issues. Let’s take a moment to review each of them.
First, we as the Christian church should not be needlessly divided. We shouldn’t quarrel or be contentious with one another. Such behavior misrepresents Jesus and disparages His holy name. Rather, we should be of one mind and one judgment. My friends, if we are ever to be the church God desires us to be, it must begin by coming together in agreement as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Second, we must understand that water baptism does not bring about salvation. It merely symbolizes that which Christ affects in the heart of a new believer. New Christians are baptized as a public expression and declaration of their salvation, thereby identifying themselves with the church. Water baptism is merely a physical illustration of a spiritual reality.
And third, we must learn to follow and rely on Christ alone. He is the One who saves us and sustains us in our darkest hour. There is no other. It doesn’t matter how godly your pastor seems - he is a vile, wretched sinner saved by grace, just like everyone else who has trusted in Jesus for salvation. If your faith is dependent on your pastor, or anyone else for that matter, it is gravely misplaced. Don’t place him on a pedestal because he is unworthy to be there, and if he’s worth his salt, he doesn’t want to be there either.