Division in Corinth

The Corinthian church was plagued with problems. I would suggest that all of the problems they faced were based in the character trait that is central to all forms of sin known as pride. Of all of the problems to choose from, division in the church, lack of discipline in the church, and lack of purity stand out to me above the rest.

The Corinthian believers had divided into groups, and were following different men, and arguing over which man was to be esteemed the highest. This problem was based in a misunderstanding of the gospel and was perpetuated through spiritual immaturity. The solution from inside the church begins by putting an end to the judgment of others. God expects us to be faithful to Him, and He is the only one who can see what is in a man’s heart. For me to avoid falling into this trap I must remain focused on God, and remember to not judge others, and not to put my faith in fallible men.

The Corinthian believers lacked discipline within the fellowship. They allowed immorality to exist with the body of believers, almost as if they were blind to what was going on around them even though they were not. Paul tells the church to remove the person from fellowship until that person repented because if they remained within the church the offender would corrupt the rest of the people. Although I am not to judge the heart of another in terms of salvation, through the book of James I am taught that I can judge what kind of person someone is by their deeds. Jesus reinforced this idea through His words about good trees bearing good fruit, and bad trees bearing bad fruit. If we see someone engaged in sinful behavior, we should repent of our sins, and then confront them based on the example given in Matthew chapter 18. I should remain open to those who might confront me as well. I am only a fallen human being saved by grace.

Some of the Corinthian believers decided to appeal to their liberty in Christ to justify going to visit prostitutes. Paul points out that the body is not to be used for immorality, but to serve God. He uses a food illustration by saying that “food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food,” to point out that just as we need to eat when hungry, we also have a need to fulfill sexual desires. These are both normal, but by abusing those urges one can become enslaved or addicted to the point of detriment. Once addiction sets in, we lose our focus on Christ, and our addiction then becomes our god. Along these same lines I have several personal rules to follow that I pray will keep me safe from the addiction trap. A parallel for me today might include internet content. I use a filter on my home and office internet that restricts offensive site availability. I do this because I want to ensure I keep my mind and body focused on the things of God. Internet porn is a terrible addiction that is destroying lives and families. Therefore, I have taken precautions, with God’s help as well, to avoid the lack of purity that was evident among those of the Corinthian church.