Principles from Paul's Epistles

Maintaining Our Point of Reference

1 Cor. 1:10-17

Introduction

This morning, I am beginning a new series of sermons covering various principles related to living in the Church of Jesus Christ. I will take these principles from portions of Paul's epistles to the churches of the New Testament period. I will select passages which demonstrate how we are to conduct ourselves as we participate in the life of a local congregation of believers. Most of what I'll be presenting, therefore, will have to do with perspectives, attitudes and personal responsibilities. I think we may be surprised to learn how much of Paul's writing has to do with these categories. We'll come to see that Paul is, without question, a practical theologian, by which I mean that he concentrates on how doctrine is to affect our daily lives and our many relationships.

One of the benefits found in a study like this one is that it will have immediate and church-wide application. I'll be talking about how you view this church to which you belong, about how you interact with those sitting here with you this morning; I'll be talking about what responsibilities God has given you as a participant in this body and about what responsibilities God has given you in your family because most of us participate in this church within families. We're going to see that Paul addresses an extensive variety of issues as he writes to the New Testament congregations. He is going to touch upon just about every aspect of life. This is so because he is writing to people, people who have been redeemed and people who are, therefore, called to ways of thinking and acting which reflect that redemption. And these people comprise the local congregations we read about in the Bible-congregations like ours, congregations consisting of people from many walks of life, people from many different backgrounds, and people at differing levels of understanding.

Not long ago, I took time to explore the topic of the unity we have as believers. I said that we have a unity in Christ which we do not establish, but which is a consequence of us all having the same Savior and all having been redeemed in the same manner and all living by the same grace of God. During that study, I emphasized that our concept of unity as a church has to begin with recognition of what has been done for us and what status we now have as Christians. Biblically speaking, the most fundamental aspect of our unity begins with our shared experience of salvation. However, as I also pointed out in that previous study, this does not mean that “just anything goes” in the lives of Christians as long as they still recognize a fundamental union with one another in Christ. Obviously, that union has consequences, as I've been suggesting, for how we think, how we talk, and how we make decisions.

In this present series of sermons, therefore, we will be moving beyond the foundation of unity, which has to do with what was done for us by Christ, and we will be considering how our common experience of redemption is bound to manifest itself in our lives-that is, in our choices, in our goals, and in our priorities. Remembering that we are all one in Christ and that we all share in the same faith, we have to conclude that there should be common characteristics which can be observed in us and in our families regardless of our backgrounds. This is precisely what Paul is getting to in his epistles. He is telling those who have a common Savior, who are indwelt by the same Spirit and who confess the same gospel how they should look and think and act. And he is not at all reluctant to get specific and so, in this series, we will get specific, too.

The first principle from Paul's epistles which I want to explore has to do with maintaining our point of reference. By this I mean that Christians are supposed to have a common point of reference as they grow in the faith and as they live out the years ordained for them. It's this common point of reference which, as time goes by, causes all of us, regardless of our various backgrounds and personal traits, to begin thinking and acting alike to a degree. All of us are to have the same final orientation so that whatever we hear, whatever we decide and whatever we allow to guide us in understanding and applying our faith is ultimately accountable to the same single source of truth. We all would admit that we are fed in our Christian development by any number of sources.

We read books, we listen to lectures, we go to church and hear sermons, and we talk to others around us. With all that input, we must be concerned that we maintain a common point of reference or a common single source to which everything else is accountable. We all have our favorite authors and our favorite speakers; we all find ourselves resonating with this or that perspective. This is natural and it is to be expected. There is, however, a problem that can develop. The problem occurs when we begin to lose sight of that common point of reference which I have mentioned. When we lose sight of that common point of reference, division can result.

This problem and the solution are topics of Paul's opening words to the Corinthian Christians in his first letter:

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

In this series of sermons, I'll be presenting two points only, followed by application. In each sermon, my two points will be: the issue, which will be identified by Paul; and the response, which will be provided by Paul.

01. The Issue (vv. 10-12)

Following an extended greeting, Paul gets right to the matter which was causing him such concern. The first verse of the passage I read identifies the problem that existed in Corinth. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to walk in agreement with one another, to eliminate divisions and to “be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (v. 10) Reading this verse alone tells us much about what was going on in this congregation. From Paul's perspective, there was a troubling lack of harmony among these Christians-and he does address them as “those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling...” (v. 2) The apostle is telling us two highly significant things here: one, these were redeemed people; two, these redeemed people were not living in harmony with one another-that is, they were not living as redeemed people are supposed to live.

Something was disrupting the agreement and the sameness of mind and judgment which was, according to Paul's words, supposed to characterize this body. Yes, they were supposed to be a picture of wholeness, holding the same basic opinions on the various issues they faced in life, and reaching the same basic conclusions regarding the various questions they faced in life. This is so because they all professed to believe the gospel and that gospel was the ultimate influence in their decisions and actions. So, as I said before, to a degree, all the Corinthians should have been manifesting oneness of mind as they put into action the principles of the gospel. But something was preventing this characteristic from developing in Corinth; something was preventing the development of that which Paul considered normal. For some reason, which Paul is about to identify, of course, the Corinthians, though they all professed the same faith and all were labeled as “saints,” were not walking together in areas where Paul believed they should be walking together.

The apostle tells them there should be “no divisions” among them and he tells them they should, instead, be manifesting compatible opinions. The word translated “divisions” is schisma. This is a term which means, literally, “a tear.” Figuratively, the word means “division” (as it is translated here) or “dissension.” Outside the Gospels, Paul is the only writer who uses this word and he only uses it in this epistle (three times). When you look at the three times Paul uses the word schisma, it is clear that he is referring to divisions which occur within a single body-and this is significant. The use of this word does not mean that the Corinthians were divided in terms of that which constituted their redemption. This word is used to describe dissension within a context of unity. And that is exactly what we have here. The Corinthians were all saints, as Paul stated; they were all being sanctified in Christ Jesus. He considered them part of the body of Christ, but then he charges them with schism. This tells us that we are not looking at a division between believers and unbelievers, we are looking at divisions among those who belonged to Christ and who professed the same faith. And Paul says that should not be. If the Corinthians were united to the same Savior, then there should be a manifestation of that unity in the lives of those who made up this congregation.

Another phrase of importance is the one translated “the same mind and in the same judgment” (auto noi, aute gnome). This phrase refers to perceptions and understandings and points of view which are alike-not necessarily identical, but definitely quite similar. So, again Paul is saying that the Corinthians should manifest the same basic perspectives and the same basic judgments. You'll notice that he doesn't specify in what areas the Corinthians should manifest these similar perspectives. His aim is to tell them that, as brethren, as those who shared the same faith, they should possess opinions that were close to one another in character. Or, to put it another way, the members of this congregation were not where they should be if they were not sharing the same basic perceptions and understandings. This was not a well-balanced congregation. And, as I said before, Paul tells us why in the next verse.

Before we look at that verse, however, I want to make sure we understand the problem here in Corinth. The problem was not that some of these folks professed to believe the gospel and others did not and, therefore, division existed between the two groups. Nor was the problem caused by some of the Corinthians having a different salvation experience than others-no, they all had the same Savior, as noted before. Something else was causing the divisions which Paul speaks against. What was missing, I believe, was a common point of reference.

Here is how Paul puts it: “11. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, 'I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' and 'I of Cephas,' and 'I of Christ.'” Remember that Paul first said “you should all agree” and “there should be no divisions among you” and “you should be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Now he adds, “and here is why you are not in agreement and why there are divisions among you and why you are not walking with the same mind and in the same judgment... there are quarrels among you.” Paul had been informed by other brethren that there was a serious situation developing in the Corinthian congregation.

Note how Paul explains these “quarrels”: “Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” (v. 12) The apostle identifies four distinct “camps” in this congregation. It appears that each one is characterized by a professed loyalty to a particular figure. Some were saying “we follow the teaching of Paul”; others said “we are disciples of Apollos.” Still others declared that Peter (i.e., Cephas) was their primary spiritual instructor. The really pious ones asserted devotion to Christ alone. This latter claim only served to create a fourth faction, it did not really solve the problem when the name of Christ was invoked against others who were, in reality, also part of His Body.

So, what was going on in Corinth? I want you to notice that Paul has nothing negative to say about any of the men mentioned. The problem was not with these leaders, the problem was with those Corinthians who chose to define their Christian philosophy and practice according to the traits of those respective individuals. Some preferred the straight-forwardness of Paul. Paul was the blunt apostle; he was the no nonsense apostle. Some preferred the eloquence and culturally-attuned approach of Apollos. We know that he was a very well educated man and appears to have met with success wherever he happened to be. Still others were attracted to the style of Peter. Peter was the “old school” teacher who was known for holding a hard line against anything that seemed to infringe upon the Jewish roots of Christianity. And, as I said, some thought they were escaping such wrongful behavior by claiming to follow Christ only. But, as noted, this only produced a fourth faction, one characterized by an exaggerated sense of holiness and a smugness that allowed the members of this group to look down on their brethren.

This, then, is the issue. The Corinthian congregation was divided into camps and each camp was characterized by a particular approach to the Christian life. This was not the fault of the men whose names were used, it was the fault of those who chose to make those men their final point of reference in regard to understanding and practicing the faith. That is what disturbed Paul and it disturbed him because of what it implied. The existence of these factions implied that the people in the Corinthian church were missing a vital truth and this truth is revealed in Paul's response.

02. The Response (vv. 13-17)

Discerning Paul's response won't take nearly as much time as diagnosing the problem. Paul's response is found in four words: “Has Christ been divided?” (v. 13) That is the question Paul poses to all those Corinthians who were running around declaring loyalty to one teacher or another. Has Christ been divided? It appeared, based on the behavior of the Corinthians, that Christ had, indeed, been divided. While all the Corinthian believers were part of His one redeemed Body, they were now dividing themselves into exclusive camps in which it was maintained that the teaching or example of a single individual was sufficient for their understanding and practice of the faith.

You see now, I trust, that vital truth which I said Paul feared was being missed in this congregation. The faith was not about Paul or Cephas or Apollos. To declare loyalty to one man's teaching or one man's perspective is to miss the essential point that those men were merely co-laborers given abilities and responsibilities to communicate certain aspects of the gospel. But no one single man listed here or anywhere else had succeeded in comprehending the faith to such a complete degree that he and he alone could be followed.

The Corinthians thought that if they devoted themselves to the teaching of Paul, they would have comprehended the faith; or if they devoted themselves to the teaching of Peter, they would have comprehended the faith; or if they devoted themselves to the teaching of Apollos, they would have comprehended the faith. They behaved as if one man could have such a command of the faith that no other input was necessary or beneficial. But Paul flatly contradicts that notion. Not only does he contradict that idea here, but listen to what he says later in the third chapter:

3:3 ... For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

Paul writes candidly that the behavior of the Corinthians was proof of their immaturity. The Corinthians were not maintaining the appropriate point of reference, which is, of course, Christ and God's work through Him and for Him. They had substituted Paul or Peter or Apollos for that ultimate point of reference by which all things are to be measured. Paul's teaching gave critical insights regarding Christian doctrine and practice, but so did the teaching of Peter and so did the teaching of Apollos. That's the apostle's point. While it's true that his ministry was unique in that he was involved in laying the foundation for the Church, he still says “I planted and Apollos watered” meaning that what Paul did was not all that needed to be done and what Paul taught was not all that needed to be taught. The Lord had others in His service, others with insight, others with helpful perspectives. Together, these servants, like Paul and Apollos, each fulfilling their assignments, provided the people of God with a well-rounded understanding of the faith. The work of Apollos had a place, not in isolation, but in conjunction with the work of Paul. And the same could be said about Peter or any of the other figures of the New Testament.

Paul wanted the Corinthians to benefit from his labors and the labors of Peter and Apollos, but he did not want them to become exclusive in their loyalties as if they had to choose one man over the others. Again, the faith in which the Corinthians were growing was not represented in absolute completeness by any one man. Paul and Peter and Apollos were fellow-laborers, as Paul says, and their task was to impart understanding which led the Corinthians into the fullest and most rewarding relationship with Christ. After all, it was Christ who died for them, it was not Paul, as he notes so dramatically. The Corinthians were not part of the body of Paul or the body of Peter or the body of Apollos, they were members in the one Body of Christ-the same Body to which their favorite theologians and preachers belonged!

As I said previously, there was nothing wrong with the ministries of Peter or Apollos. The problem was that a primary relationship was being obscured when the Corinthians declared exclusive loyalty to those men. But the fullness of Christian understanding, as I've been saying, did not reside in any one individual. Paul had gifts and perspectives; Peter had gifts and perspectives; and even a non-apostle like Apollos had gifts and perspectives. Apollos, the highly cultured Jew from Alexandria, was far more polished than Peter who used to catch fish for a living, but both had truth to convey regarding Christ and the gospel and both were servants of the Savior and both desired that the Corinthians would grow in their understanding of who Christ was and what Christ had done.

And so, Paul calls the Corinthians back to the central truth which bound all those teachers and perspectives together, which is the gospel of Christ and the work God was accomplishing in Him. The ultimate “point of reference” in the Christian life cannot be a man, it must be Christ. Everything we hear or consider must be related back to Him as our touchstone. Paul says as much when he continues and gives a brief synopsis of his ministry. “I wasn't crucified for you,” he says; “no one was baptized in my name,” he adds. In fact, the apostle insists that he had done very few baptisms because his assignment from Christ, his purpose for having been called was to preach the gospel and that is the task to which he had devoted himself (cf. vv. 14-17).

Whatever Paul taught, whatever his followers in Corinth found attractive, was related to that central issue of the gospel, the work of Christ. If some chose to terminate their loyalty on Paul, therefore, they had stopped short of the appropriate goal. They should have looked past Paul and through Paul, as it were, to Christ because that's who he represented and that is who he desired to magnify-not himself, but Christ. And the same thing could be said of Peter and Apollos. Those brothers labored on behalf of Christ, not on behalf of themselves, and that is why it was such a mistake to focus on them as if their perspectives considered apart from others were sufficient to give one a complete understanding of the faith.

No, their perspectives, combined with the perspectives of all of Christ's servants would give the whole and complete point of view. Christ had many servants like Paul and Peter and Apollos, and they all were charged with pointing toward Him. So it was a tragedy when the Corinthians began forming cliques around various human teachers and various views on the Christian life. It was a tragedy and it threatened the very survival of this congregation. Did you know that the issue of division in the Corinthian congregation is mentioned in every one of the first twelve chapters of this letter? This congregation could not enjoy peace and fellowship and growth because they were not maintaining the proper point of reference. And this failure shows up again and again as Paul writes to them.

Before we leave this second point and consider some practical applications to our experience as a congregation, I want to call attention to one last fact. You'll notice that Paul starts talking about the cross and the way in which God has chosen to elevate and honor lowly things in this world as He brings to fruition His plan of redemption. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world,” Paul soon writes, “to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong...” (v. 27) I think that most people reading the passage we just studied assume that Paul is off on another topic beginning with v. 18. I think to the contrary that he is still concerned with the existence of divisions in Corinth. He simply elaborates on the notion of how foolish it is to declare loyalty to mere men when those mere men are among those weak and lowly elements God is using to call His elect.

Notice how this chapter ends. God is working in this manner “so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (vv. 29-31) This ties everything together. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord, not in Paul or Peter or Apollos. Paul is emphasizing that there is no room for divisions because such thinking contradicts the very nature of redemption. All the redeemed, be they apostles or teachers or church members are in the Body of Christ by the mercy and grace of God. So, if we are going to rally around a Figure, let it be the One who saved us.

Application

For our application, I want to return to the way in which Paul approached the divisions in the Corinthian congregation. Having labeled them all “saints,” he recognizes the existence of divisions within this congregation; at the same time, in almost the same breath, he adds, however, that they were supposed to be of the same mind and same judgment. So, the Corinthians were not what they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be was based on the fact that they were all “saints.” Paul learned of characteristics in this congregation which were in contradiction to what the congregation should have been. He learned of several camps and each camp, as I noted in the sermon, was characterized by loyalty to a particular teacher. Each of these teachers, as I also noted, represented a particular point of view on the Christian life. In Corinth, therefore, you had a gospel-believing congregation divided due to the existence of several differing viewpoints on how the faith was to be understood and applied.

When we discover that we have differing opinions and practices, we should not conclude that the congregation is falling apart. We should conclude that we need to work on our ability to manifest oneness in our thinking and actions. That is exactly how Paul responded to the situation in Corinth. He heard that this congregation was divided into camps characterized by loyalty to one teacher or another (or, we could say, one perspective on the Christian life or another). Paul's answer was to call the Corinthians back to the ultimate point of reference, which is Christ. He knew that it was essential that they keep in mind the fact that in Christ, they had a unity already. Their differing perspectives, then, were not signs of disaster as long as they were handled correctly. Differing perspectives were a sign that the people needed to grow as a body; differing perspectives in those areas where there should have been oneness of opinion and practice were signs of immaturity.

That means that there is a responsibility resting on the shoulders of every member of a congregation. That responsibility involves being willing and diligent to examine and re-examine our convictions and perspectives and practices in reference to Christ. Wherever we get our ideas, wherever we find a point of view on the Christian life that seems to make sense to us, we have the responsibility to maintain Christ and His gospel as our ultimate point of reference. If we do that and if our brothers in this congregation do that, then you can see how differences can exist without causing permanent damage. Those differences, if all are looking to Christ and His word for final accountability, will be lessened in time as we mature together. The key, once again, is maintaining our point of reference. Members of a congregation cannot allow themselves to terminate their loyalty on one individual or institution.

Paul challenges the Corinthians who were declaring loyalty to him or to Peter or to Apollos to renew their loyalty to Christ instead. They could learn from Paul and Peter and Apollos, but they should not think that the Christian life could be completely understood and practiced based on the ministry of one man. Those men were servants of the same Christ. It was to Christ that the Corinthians were to look. They were to learn from all of Christ's servants. The means of dealing with differing perspectives involved a reorientation to Christ so that those who were declaring loyalty to Apollos, for example, went beyond that and submitted their points of view to Christ. And those who were in the Paul “camp” and those who were in the “Cephas” camp were bound to do the same. That's the model for us even today.

It is essential, then, to keep in mind that we have a unity that Christ has established for us and it is that unity in Him that allows us the privilege of working on those areas where our opinions are not entirely in sync. Differing perspectives are not necessarily a sign of disaster for a congregation, they are a sign that we are still growing as a body; they are a challenge to all of us to examine and re-examine our positions keeping our eyes on Christ. In that manner, we grow together in Him and that is how differences, in time, are lessened or eliminated. And, of course, we have to recognize that a growing congregation will always have people in it who are at various levels of understanding and conviction. The key, once again, to this inevitable situation is not panic but a constant reorientation to Christ. As we grow together, as new people join us, as our children mature, we keep that ultimate point of reference fresh in our minds-we keep referring to Christ and His gospel and the Word of God. That is how a local congregation can grow and see people coming into the faith and have people already well established in the faith and still have harmony.

We aren't to be satisfied with differences when it comes to how we comprehend the faith, but are to work toward eliminating them to the degree that Scripture requires. This means that all of us have to be willing to submit our personal perspectives and opinions to that same point of reference which, once again, is Christ and His gospel. You haven't understood Paul's teaching in this passage if you think the burden is upon your brother to put up with your contrary point of view. You also have a duty to submit your point of view or your conviction or your perspective on various issues to the same ultimate point of reference which is informing your brother's opinions-and that is Christ and the Word which He has given us. You see, I trust, why maintaining that point of reference is so vital for a healthy, growing congregation. We have to have an ultimate point of accountability and that point cannot be us or our favorite author, it has to be Christ and everything has to be made accountable to Him. If the members of a congregation do that, if that is their attitude, if everyone submits their viewpoint to Christ and the Word of God for inspection, you can be sure that they will walk in relative peace.

Ideally, here is how things should work in this congregation. We should have a habit of sharing our favorite authors and those sources which have been most helpful to us. We should have a habit of saying to one another: “I read this book or I listened to this tape and it really helped me understand something about the Christian faith.” And we should be quick not only to share those resources which have helped us, but also just as quick to hear what has been of help to another brother or a sister. This is what we will do unless we think that God has deposited all understanding in the mind of a single author or teacher or lecturer. And we know better than that.

It takes time, of course, for a congregation to reach the point of sharing perspectives instead of having competing perspectives. What makes it possible to share perspectives instead of dividing into camps against one another is the solution Paul gave the Corinthians. It is realizing that Christ has not been divided, so everything has to be received and shared in reference to Him. Our goal is to share points of view each one of which is subject to the gospel-and that is how a congregation grows in the faith-with members disciplining one another, with members sharing helpful resources and being ready to receive suggestions of helpful resources.

Conclusion

And, of course, every week we conclude our worship by giving attention to the Lord's Table. What is this than that ultimate point of reference displayed before us? Here we have this visible reminder that what we are and what we have and what we share and what we learn terminates in our Savior. Here we are reminded that all the teachers we hear and all the books we read are, if they are worthwhile, telling us something about our common Savior and our common faith. Once again, we're reminded of how important it is to have weekly communion. This sacrament speaks of our unity and that is a concept we have to keep in mind every day of the week as we grow in our understanding and practice of the faith. This sacrament doesn't allow us to be divided-it calls us back to the ultimate submission of all ideas to Christ each and every Lord's Day. It reminds us weekly that we have the duty toward one another of listening to one another and caring for one another. Every time we gather for worship, this sacrament reminds us that we all serve Him and our shared goal in this life is to think and act in ways which honor Him. As we pursue that goal, by His grace, we will manifest the unity He has established for us. We will come to share the same perspectives and priorities when Christ is our final point of reference.

Let's pray...