1 Corinthians 11:17-18 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
Unfortunately, the church sometimes has problems. Paul was not able to praise the Corinthian church even though he wanted to. Their meetings were not for the better but for the worse. It is hard to imagine, but sometimes when a church meets it is not a good thing. Even though God commands us to assemble together (Hebrews 10:24-25), some church meetings would be better off if they didn’t happen. I have been in a few church meetings that would have been better off not happening. The reason? There was division and strife among the members.
The Corinthians were divided over many things. There was the issue of which Bible teacher they should follow. There was immorality going on in the church and they did nothing about it. There was ‘charismania’ going on with many disruptions coming from supposed tongues speakers. There were people who actually showed up drunk and ate all the food before others could get there. Does this sound like a Christ honoring body to you? They needed to be set straight and that is what Paul’s letters to the church are all about.
Any time there is division in a church it shows carnality.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Division is a mark of immaturity. Carnal Christians are not mature in their faith and they make decisions just like lost people. They want their own way because they are selfish and they do not have the mind of Christ. They must repent and allow God and his Word to transform them. The only hope for a carnal church is spiritual maturity. When we get serious about getting full of Jesus, and dying to self, carnality will fade away.
If we are like an orchestra and Christ is the director, we will only have divisions when each is trying to play his own horn. When we allow the Master to direct, we will all play in unison and we will not be divided. Let Christ lead you and you will be going in the same direction as other believers.
In Christ,
Rody
