Now in giving these
instructions
I do not praise you,
since you
come together not for
the better
but for the worse.
Four first of all,
when you come
together as a church,
I hear there are
divisions among you,
and in part I believe
it.
For there must also
be factions
among you, that those
who are approved
may be you recognize
among you.
1 Corinthians 11: 17
-- 20
Before I
continue with the narrative that Paul is giving to the Corinthian church and
those principles that must be applied in our lives we must remember that the
Christian religion sanctions national customs were ever those customs
correspond with the great principles of truth and holiness. Furthermore, the apostles in their writings
in regards to dress do not receive any expression or singularity in
approval. Therefore, one must do not
become legalistic and demand that we choose that which is not within the national
custom. Although, one must remember
that there are times for proper dress as in proper dress for the occasion,
speaking before people as in having certain authority to speak, or to dress in
a certain way when going to the park or to the beach. It is simple, as Christians, we set forth the highest standard
possible. Now, in regards to the
females, within our congregations, there are many ways that pious females may
be useful. Although no longer inspired
to pray or prophesy in the church. Such
works are in those as in charity and benevolence, modest and consistent deportment,
instructing the young and ignorant of their own sex, by their writings, by
promoting religious and charitable institutions, and by works and offices of
piety among themselves. Christianity
places them in their proper sphere; it deprives them of no opportunity for using their peculiar talents, or of using their influence to the greatest
advantage. Men must understand that
they have been placed in this rank of authority by God and have the
responsibility to carry out their rank within Scriptural boundary and they will
give an account as to how they handle this divine rank. When Scriptural admonition does not lead in
the dispensation of the church and then what Paul now has to address
occurs. Paul makes note that there were
now divisions and factions among them and even there were those who were
approving of those divisions or schisms within the church. The Greek word for divisions is where we get
the English word schism and here schisms and heresies are taken in the same
sense as meaning divisions and parties in the church, but the latter term is
now generally applied to the separation from the church in matters of
faith. The apostle Paul rebukes
these disorders and in their partaking of the Lord's supper which I will
address shortly. The ordinances of
Jesus Christ, if they do not make us better, will be apt to make us worse. If the ordinances of Jesus Christ do not mend, they will harden us. The
Corinthian's became very uncharitable, even alienation of affections
occurred, especially these will grow up to discord, and feuds, and
contentions, and all this constitutes schisms.
Any history will tell us and even some of us have been partakers of
this, whereby churches split and often over the most for meager and minor offenses they consider to be offenses and all of this right in front of nonbelievers
which only can bring contempt and disdain for Christianity. Christians may separate one from another in
the communion with each other, yet be charitable one towards another; or they
may continue in the same communion, and yet be uncharitable. This last is schism, rather than the
former. The apostle Paul heard of this
problem within the Corinthian church, those divisions, and tells him he had
too much reason to believe it although not being their present the schisms were
well known within the Christian community.
Yes, Paul understood that there were perhaps not only heresies, but
quarrels and factions, and perhaps such corrupt opinions as strike at the
foundation of Christianity and sound religion.
These breaches of Christian love in the churches, with such offenses
that will come will do only to make shipwreck of faith and a good
conscience. It seems as though such
offenses must come, God permits this, that such hearts as will hear the trial,
may appear faithful by their constant adherence to the truths and the ways of
God the wisdom of God can make the wickedness and errors of others the means of
manifesting more clearly the piety and integrity of Christians. When we allow such factions and divisions
within the church other aspects of the Church are affected as well and often
have led to a misuse of the ordinances of Jesus Christ. One such ordinance, are the two sacraments, the Eucharist, and baptism, that become matters of contention and even the
conduct within those sacraments are corrupted.
Let us not forget that there are matters of indifference and by those indifferences a congregation is not to set them on a pedestal as though they were
matters of difference and accuse others who do not follow their indifferences are wrong. As Christians, we often pour
contempt on divine ordinances and we should be careful that nothing in our
behavior brings contempt upon Christianity, our God and Savior, and make our
faith a subject of mocking by those who oppose Christianity. Let us never rest in the outward rights or
exercises of worship, how decently and regularly so-ever performed; but look to
our inward temper, and to the conduct of our minds, if we desire to maintain
their peace, and that our assembling together should be for the better, and not
the worse.
My beloved is mine,
and I am
his.
He feeds his flock
among the
lilies.
Song of Solomon 2: 16
Seek and you will find
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