고린도 교회가 겪는 어려움 (고전1:10-17) The problem in the Corinthian Church - Sectarianism

The Corinthian Church was one of the churches with many problems. To solve this problem, Paul had no choice but to write a long book of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.

He sent this letter after hearing that the Corinthian church could not resolve the news that came to Gloé. By Gloé, there were approximately eleven problems In the Corinthian Church. and Paul was the first to deal with the problem of division. Most of the problems of division that occur within the church cause great wounds to each other in the church and cause the church to fall into difficulties.

The causes of division in the world are conflict and division due to immature coping with diversity, such as differences in worldviews or values, or cultural differences among individuals or groups. In fact, there is no big difference in the church. However, the problem of division within the church is also found from a spiritual point of view. The cause of division at the spiritual level is the work of Satan. In the Garden of Eden, Satan separates between God and humans, Eventually, there was a division between God and humans. Satan, who appears as a snake, persistently stimulates human desires and eventually leads to disobedience to God's Word. Nowadays, scholars have whispered that obeying God's word is a deprivation of freedom. We must not forget that we have the freedom to overcome sin when we are in a relationship with God.

[NASB]요 8:32"and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

These days, there are themes that have various opinions in the relationship between the church and society. Among them are, for example, issues of homosexuality and political tendency.

Homosexuals are misleading the Christian faith to young people as old values ​​that do not protect the human rights of minorities. In doing so, they are rationalizing their sexual desires. They legalize false values ​​that deviate from the principles of God's creation and threaten the Christian faith as illegal. On the one hand, political issues are increasing considerably in everyday conversations these days. Even among those who hold the Christian faith, rather than a biblical perspective, I look at the trend toward becoming a sectarian. It is time not only to check whether the values ​​we are pursuing are truly correct from a faithful perspective, but beyond the camp logic, all Christians must demonstrate greater leadership toward the gospel of peace.

The Corinthian church was influenced by several leaders such as the apostles Paul, Apollos, and Peter. The Corinthian Church was founded while Paul visited Corinth in 50 AD and stayed for about a year and a half. After Paul left the Corinthian church, Apollos was sent as a pastor of the Corinthian church. Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria who spoke well and was fluent in the Bible. He was a man who learned the Bible eagerly. but the sad thing is that he only knew John's baptism. He learned more accurately about the gospel of Jesus through Priscilla and Aquila, and then came to Corinth and ministered so that the Corinthian church could stand on the foundation of the gospel, intellectually and firmly. However, the Corinthian church was not only influenced by these two leaders. Jewish Christians seem to have been influenced by Peter, who was of the same Jewish and knew the Old Testament law well. That is why there were so many forces in the Corinthian church called “Cephas” who followed Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Other figures who influenced the church in Corinth include Priscilla and Aquila. They are the ones who worked with the apostle Paul in tent making (Acts 18:2, 3, 26). However, the Corinthian church did not always have good teachers. Unfortunately, the church in Corinth suffered from false teachers.

The influence of these various leaders of the Corinthian Church formed a sect within the church. One of the causes of this sect is also due to individual tendencies. Those who said 'I am to Paul' were those who tried to enjoy the freedom to ignore the law in the Gospel that Paul preached, and those who said 'I am to Apollos' interpret the Bible with a high degree of knowledge according to the knowledge he taught, so that he was satisfied with pedanticism. The people who wanted to enjoy it or said 'I am to Cephas' would have been Jews who emphasized the law and insisted that the law be kept. But there was a man who said, "I am to Christ." There are those who think that they belong only to Christ and not to any sect. We may be the only people who think that we are true Christians. This can naturally be self-righteous. What other people believe is trivial and only what they believe is authentic.

Today we do not know how many denominations. Because only the doctrines taught by the denomination are considered biblical, it often happens that they rebel against cooperation or unity with other denominations. The Corinthian church seems to have expanded its sect through baptism. In this situation, in order to solve the problem of division in the church, Paul presents Christ crucified, Christ who is the power and wisdom of God, as the only countermeasure. It became a stumbling block to the devout Jews, and was considered foolish to the educated Greeks. More details on this will be provided next time.

[NASB]고전 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.

Why might baptism not be an important ministry for Paul? However, Paul may have said that all these things do not precede the gospel of the cross of Christ.

[NASB]고전 1:10Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Maturity in a community is about bringing together a variety of thoughts and values and making it a better path for the community. In this process, it will be important to adjust their thoughts and reach agreement. Of course, the Bible will be the standard in the church. Here, the correct interpretation of the Bible must be supported. And I must always think about whether the teachings I have been taught are biblical.

[NASB]행 17:11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, [ to see] whether these things were so.

On October 31, 1517, an unknown young monk in Germany, Martin Luther, affixed a statement of 95 articles to the front door of the Wittenberg Cathedral, which was a challenge to the then corrupt Roman Catholic Church, The Reformation began in earnest through this declaration. God reformed the then unknown monk named Martin Luther into the Word and led the Reformation to change the religion and political culture of Europe. The five principles of the Reformation are Sola Fide (Only Faith), Sola Gratia (Only Grace), Sola Scriptura (Only the Bible), Sola Christo (Only Christ), and Sola Soli Deo Gloria (Only the Glory of God).

If we say this today, "Because of the salvation obtained by grace. I will now live only for Christ and for the glory of God." Is declared.