Divisions in the Church

God creation 012

¨1 Corinthians 1:10-17 New International Version (NIV)

¨A Church Divided Over Leaders

¨10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos ” ; another, “I follow Cephas ” ; still another, “I follow Christ.”

¨13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas ; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

¨Acts 13:43

¨43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

¨Acts 16:17

¨17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

¨Acts 17:34

¨34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

¨Acts 23:11

¨11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said , “ Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

¨Acts 27:11

¨11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

¨1 Corinthians 1:12New International Version (NIV)

¨12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”;still another, “I follow Christ.”

¨1 Corinthians 3:4

¨4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

¨Philippians 3:15

¨Following Paul’s Example

¨15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

¨1 Corinthians 1:12 I follow Apollos

¨12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ” ;still another, “I follow Christ.”

¨1 Corinthians 3:4-11

¨4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

¨5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¨10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

¨1 Corinthians 4:6-15 New International Version (NIV)

¨6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

¨8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

¨Paul’s Appeal and Warning

¨14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

¨1 Corinthians 1:12 I follow Cephas

¨12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ” ;still another, “I follow Christ.”

¨John 1:42

¨42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

¨1 Corinthians 3:22 New International Version (NIV)

¨22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,

¨1 Corinthians 9:5

¨5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

¨1 Corinthians 15:5

¨5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

¨Galatians 1:18

¨18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.

¨Galatians 2:9

¨9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

¨Galatians 2:11

¨Paul Opposes Cephas

¨11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

1 Corinthians 1:12 I follow Christ

¨12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;another, “I follow Apollos ”; another, “I follow Cephas”;still another, “I follow Christ.”

¨1 Corinthians 11:1

¨11 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

¨1 Timothy 4:6 New International Version (NIV)

¨6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters , you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

¨Philippians 2:12-13

¨Do Everything Without Grumbling

¨12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¨Luke 11:49

¨49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’

¨Luke 17:5

¨5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

¨Acts 1:2

¨2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

¨Acts 2:42-43

¨The Fellowship of the Believers

¨42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

Acts 4:2

¨2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

¨Acts 4:33 New International Version (NIV)

¨33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

¨Acts 4:35

¨35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

¨Acts 5:12

¨The Apostles Heal Many

¨12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

¨Acts 5:17

¨The Apostles Persecuted

¨17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.

¨Acts 5:18

¨18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

¨Acts 5:21

¨21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

¨When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.

¨Ephesians 1:13-14

¨13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are

God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.