Objection to Peace 1 Cor 11:17

An Objection to Peace

Various Esp 1 Cor 11:17-20

There are some people who want the church to entertain their personal and private doctrines, or as has been found to be the case is most situations, the private interpretations of scripture that is opposed to the teaching of the church. In a word, it is error.

What often lies behind this is the worldy notion of relativism or pluralism--that everyone is somehow entitled to their own ideas when it comes to the question: What is truth?

Relativism believes doctrinal assertions can only be those presented by individuals. Since no human is omniscient, all truth claims are equally valid and person relative. You might read something and based on your experience, you interpret it one way where someone else may look at it differently. This sort of  relativism with its emphasis on being non-dogmatic came into Western life in the 60s. It is from Jainism an Eastern philosophy. Many church groups embrace this form of doctrine, that is, until you teach something they don't like. Calvary Chapels hold to this form of doctrine.

Theological pluralism is that belief that there are many ways to express truth. Each has its own path that eventually leads to God. This does not square with the scriptures that everywhere reveals there is one set of doctrines also called the truth that has been once for all delivered to the saints. There is and will be nothing new to add to it. The schemes of men and decisions of churches will not add any truth to what God has already revealed.

Yet, some in our day have a strange view that some degree of error must be tolerated in Christ's churches in order that the church might discern who has God's favor. That is a misuse of 1 Cor 11:17-19. Let's turn there now:

The book of First Corinthians was written to quelle 8-10 problems in the church in Corinth. Paul's words in these verses assumes that the apostolic teaching inspired by the Spirit of God is the teaching that has God's approval and ought to have theirs.

To use these words to promote the acceptance of error, read heresies, in the church--for that is what the word divisions means, is preposterous. This view ahs always been but forth by those who hold to error or want to entertain the errors of others -- men under whose influence they have drunken the intoxicating false doctrine.

1 Cor 11:17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 

18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 

19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

These three verses are taken out of their overall context and made a pretext for something they were never intended to teach.

Let's look at the verses. Four points:

1. The Specificity of Words

2. The Starting Point

3. The Show of God's Approval

4. The Example of God's Approval

1. The Specificity of Words

Hermeneutics is the science of literary interpretation. Some things in scripture are intended to be universal statements that teach all churches everywhere directly. Others teach indirectly. Not all experiences found in a New Testament Church will be found in each and every church throughout this New Testament Age. For example, not every church needs to be addressed about head coverings. It is not intended to be a universal in all of the churches.

Likewise when Paul writes:

18a In the following directives I have no praise for you, 

He is shaming the Church in Corinth alone. It is not a universal indictment of all gospel churches, but Corinth in particular and by extension any who share in this particular problem. It is such a big problem that the Apostle can find nothing about it or in it to praise the Corinthians--it is to be condemned and by inference to be put aside. It was detrimental to their life as a church. Read on….

18b for your meetings do more harm than good. 

Whatever follows is not positive. It is not worthy of Paul's praise. There is nothing we can do or should do to make this something different. Yet, many people selectively begin with verse 18, instead of the background of verse 17. If you start at the wrong place, you are likely to draw the wrong personal conclusion.

2. The Starting Point

1Cor 11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 

Word got back to Paul. We learn in another place that it was people from the household of Chloe. This word contained the news that was not gossip, but true, that there were serious divisions among them. Even if these had been exaggerated, he is not saying they were, but based on his own knowledge of the people at Corinth, to some extent he believed it without even looking into the matter.

The word for divisions is actually the word for heresies--that some people had chosen a different way that they accepted one delivered to them by the ministry of the apostles. These people chose another path, which is in reality a different system of beliefs.

These divisions are in part manifest when they come together as a church. In the context, Paul calls their attention to the way they practiced the Lord's Supper and their sinful attitudes towards those who had nothing. That is how the chapter continues after this section. Paul gives them more stinging criticism.

These things were not good--they could not be made good. By implication, since the Apostle did not approve, neither did God. Remember the Spirit inspired these words..

If you try to turn these words around to say it was a good thing that they had divisions, you fly in the face of the overwhelming evidence of scripture that should be used in comparison to see what this passage means and cannot possibly mean. In a phrase, division in a church is never a good thing. If you have ever heard someone use this passage to make that point, they are using the scriptures in a twisted and evil manner and may show a heart out of submission to God wanting to act autonomously in their own sinful way. 

3. The Show of God's Approval

19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

It is in the further study of the Lord's Supper in Corinth that we find the particulars. The way some rushed ahead, or neglected the poor received the rebuke of Paul. Is that not God's disapproval?

Who then had the approval of the Apostle and the Lord? We know more about how didn't, than we know who did. By negation and inference, the approved party was the party who had the right attitude and practice. 

Otherwise the scriptures speak with one voice about the unity of the scriptures, the unity there ought to be among believers, especially as covenanted together as a local church. It is in the church where we should expect to find peace, especially where there is unity about essential matters--that is those issues most clearly believed among us. Our confession of faith, as a summary of the scriptures, defines what we believe.

Consider the importance of peace and unity to God as revealed in the scriptures:

We looked at Eph 4:2-6, last week. It reads, 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

There is nothing here about asserting your rights to believe whatever you want.  But, instead to…

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 

Examples of this unity

4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

Psalm 133:1 is short sweet and to the point: 1 A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Churches are said to dwell together. God says it is a good and pleasant thing when believers conduct themselves in proper ways. The pursuit of unity with the bond of peace is one of them.

Last week we looked at 2 Thess 3:16 in order to see what Christian Peace is all about. It is the state of being unaffected by anything and possibly everything that comes our way. To overuse my favorite word in this regard, it is a state of unpreturbability. Eph 4 tells us this is the end of unity as it uses the glue of peace. This sort of wonderful peace from God and with God holds it all together.

16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Peace is both a gift from God and a fruit of the Spirit. The triune God produces it in those who are theirs. It is only consistent with being a true child of God.

Actually, it is one of the characteristics of a true disciple to be making peace with and between others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives his disciples the first principles of life in His kingdom. There are a collection of sayings we commonly call the beatitudes. Somewhere just after halfway, we find this description of true disciples:

Matt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers…. There is something special promised to those who pursue the way of peace as their lot in life over against those who continually agitate for their own or other's views. They will have a sense of blessedness or contentment about them. The pursuit of peace has its own reward. Peacemakers don't have to keep asking about their pet doctrines and practices because in making peace they have surrendered to God, his Word, and his Church. They don't agitate for any reason. They are content.

Appended to those words is a phrase describing the character and qualities of the peacemakers-- For they shall be called sons of God. What a privilege to be called the sons of God. Why are they called by this high and noble name? Because in seeking peace, they show forth the family characteristics--that is, the characteristics of the family of God. Hey have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gal 6:16 shows us that this trait is part of the affects of the gospel--16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Acts 9:31 shows the affects of the church going forward into Samaria in the Book of Acts: There was a lot of dischord between the Samaritans and the Jews, but not so in the church--a manifestation of God's work among them. He gave them peace.

31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

If unity and peace was so important elsewhere, how can some say Corinth was to be an exception and then by making Corinth and exception somehow include the modern church as one who should tolerant deviant views on matters? It makes no sense, but heterodoxy is hardly ever reasonable. 

There are many ways the scriptures talk about peace and unity, being of one mind and being like-minded--to think the same things.

This is especially true of essential matters. It is to the good order of the church on more peripheral matters and dangerous to the church in detrimental matters. Amos asks the question about two walking together unless they be agreed. Agreement and unity is important. Eventually, it raises its head in controversy if not nailed down or submitted to.

The greatest revelation of peace and unity is found in the Godhead. It is absolutely essential for the godhead to be at peace and of one mind in order for God to be God.

The argument Paul makes in Phil 2, in order to write so beautifully about the condesension and exhaltation of Christ, is written to make this point. The Christological hymn comes in 2:5-11 and it reads:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Look at 2:2-4 where the topic is like-mindedness and again at 2:20-23. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, worked in perfect peace and harmony to do his Father's will--they were of the same mind. If they had different opinions about what was needed to save any from humankind, we would be in deep trouble. But, thankfully, they were in agreement. Paul uses this as an illustration of how like-mindedness is needed in the apostolic ministry and in the church. Verse 12-19 is the outworking of this principle--it is what it will look like.

Just as like-mindedness and peace is needed for God to be who He is, so too it is needed for the church to be what she is supposed to be. 

There are no scriptures that are a complement to the misuse of 1 Cor 11:18. But, there are many to how a church is supposed to be, even in their conduct at the Lord's Supper.

Why is this important? We need to know and do what God has said. The very salvation of our souls depends on whether we can trust God at his Word or not.

If God says all men are sinners. How many times does he have to say it before we believe that proposition is true. Then once we know it is true we can search God's Word for the remedy to our sin. It is to be forgiven by God, through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He can be trusted to make us whole and in his time to give us peace in believing. That we might….

• Hebrews 12:14 NKJV14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

It is a lifelong vocation, to be God's Peacemakers

As God works in us,

• 1 Peter 3:11 NKJV 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.