Court clerk Barbara Wilson tells of a story that happened during a jury-selection process. During jury selection for one trial the judge asked potential Juror No.1 if there was any reason he could not be a fair and impartial juror. "There may be," he replied. "Juror No.12 is my ex-wife, and if we were on the same jury, I guarantee we would not be able to agree on anything." Both were excused.

Sadly, there are many Christians and many Churches that don't get along. It is not unusual to hear about trouble down at the Church. Lawyers Lynn R. Buzzard and Laurence Eck, estimate that in one medium size metropolitan area, 8,000 cases each year involve persons on both sides of legal disputes who call themselves Christians--with legal fees reaching perhaps $12 million.

A news story from Wales told of a Church looking for a new pastor. It read: "Yesterday the opposition groups both sent ministers to the pulpit. Both spoke simultaneously, each trying to shout above the other. Both called for hymns, and the congregation sang two--each side trying to drown out the other. Then the groups began shouting at each other. Bibles were raised in anger. The Sunday morning service turned into bedlam. Through it all, the two preachers continued trying to out shout each other with their sermons. Eventually a deacon called a policeman. Two came in shouting for the congregation to be quiet. They advised the forty persons in the Church to return home. The rivals filed out, still arguing. Last night one of the group called a 'let's-be-friends' meeting. It broke up in an argument. The headline of the story read: "Hallelujah! Two Jacks in One Pulpit."

Someone penned this parody of "Win Them One By One."

You split the one next to you,
And I'll split the one next to me;
In no time at all,
We'll split them all,
So split them, split them, one by one.

The Church at Corinth had it's share of problems. If ever a Church had problems, it was this one. Through-out the letter Paul deals with these problems. The first problem that he dealt with was division in the Church. There was trouble down at the Church. Notice:

1. THE REPORT OF THEIR DIVISION

Word had reached Paul about the problem of division in the Church. We read in verse 11, "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you."  

Occasionally pastors receive calls or letters that go: "Pastor, I think you should know that so and so is doing so and so. Please don't tell him to told you." Most of the time when people come to me about someone else, they don't want to tell me who is upset. They say, "So and so is upset." I have been in this thing long enough to know that I am usually looking at so and so.

Paul had informants and they didn't hesitate to tell who they were. He spoke of those "which are of the house of Chloe" (Vs. 11). We don't have any ideal who Chloe was, but they had sent Paul a report about trouble down at the Church. The words "hath been declared" means that their report "made evident or clear." This was not gossip but facts. This was not rumors being spread but the real facts. This was not some disgruntled Church member but someone with a love and concern for the Church. Chloe was not trying to start trouble, she was trying to stop trouble. Paul had his facts straight.

I think of a story I once read that reminds me of the importance of getting your facts straight. There was a rather old fashioned lady who was very delicate and elegant, especially in her language. She and her husband were planning a vacation and she wrote a particular campground to get some information. She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped. One thing she wanted to ask about was the toilet facilities, but she did not know how to ask. She couldn't bring herself to write the word "toilet." After thinking about she decided on the words "bathroom commode." But when she wrote that, she still felt uncomfortable with the wording. So after a while, she settled on the letters "BC," which stood for "bathroom commode." She wrote: "Does the campground have it's own BC?"

When the owner of the campground got the letter he couldn't figure out what she meant by BC. He showed the letter to several people and they all came to the conclusion that the lady must be taking about a Baptist Church. So he wrote this reply letter:

Dear Madam:

I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I would like to inform you that a BC is located 9 miles north of the campground. It is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going regularly. But no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunch along and make a day of it. The last time my wife and I went was 6 years ago and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know that there is a supper planned to raise more money to buy more seats. If you decide to come down, perhaps I could go with you the first time, sit with you, and introduce you to all the other folks. Remember, this is a friendly community."

It is important to get our facts straight. Paul's response was to facts, not gossip.

Notice how:

A. THREATENING THE STRIFE WAS TO THE CHURCH'S FUTURE

It is from the word "division" in verse 10 that we get our word "schism." It is a word that describes a tear in a garment, yet the garment is not completely torn apart. The Church at Corinth was not at the point of a Church split, but the internal strife threatened such. The schisms and strife within the Church was like a tear in their fellowship, but Paul knew that if not healed, it could split the congregation.

Internal strife is always a threat to the future of a Church. The truth is, many Churches that exist are the result of internal strife that ended in a split. Most Churches have split so much, we now have splinters.

Also, we see how:

B. TROUBLING WAS THE STRIFE TO THE CHURCH'S FELLOWSHIP

The word "contentions" in verse 11 denotes "quarrels, wrangling." The strife of the Church had developed to a point of shouting, hot-temper stage.

Two porcupines were huddled together to get warm, but their quills pricked each other. Before long they were shivering again, so got up close again. Soon they were pricking each other again. Same story; same ending. They needed each other, but they kept needling each other.

How sad it is when believers get to the place that instead of shouting over their blessings, they are shouting at their brothers.

Notice the word "contentions" (Vs.11) again. The word is translated "debate" in Romans 1:29 where it speaks of lost people. Paul is telling them that they are acting like unsaved people. They were not acting like saints, they were acting like sinners. The word is also translated "strife" in Galatians 5:20, where it talks about the works of the flesh. Paul was telling them they were letting the flesh control them and not the Spirit. They were not Spirit controlled, they were self-controlled.

Secondly, notice:

2. THE REASON FOR THEIR DIVISION

Most internal strife in a Church is over minor things and not the major. It is not over spiritual issues but selfish issues. The Church at Corinth was no exception. Their problems was not due to principles but personalities. Notice the:

A. FAVORITISM THAT WAS DISPLAYED

We read in verse 12, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." There seems to have been four factions within the Church and it all centered around who their favorite preacher was.

There was the PAUL crowd. I can imagine this crowd saying, "We like Paul the best. He really knows the Old Testament, the doctrines of the Bible, and is a great teacher. He really feeds my soul. He's my kind of preacher." Since he was the first and founding pastor, they probably put a halo around his head.

There was the APOLLOS crowd. Acts 18:24 tells us that Apollos was an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures. I can hear this crowd saying, "You ought to hear Apollos preach. He sure does know his Bible and his language is ornate. Words flow from his mouth like dewdrops on rose petals. He is the finest expository preacher I have ever heard. He's my kind of preacher."

There was the CEPHAS (Peter) crowd. I can imagine this crowd saying, "I appreciate Paul and Apollos, but Peter is my kind of preacher. Peter is not a teacher; he is a preacher. He really gets with it when he preaches. He runs up and down the aisle, and gets in the glory. He skins hide every time he preaches. Nobody stirs me like Peter."

Then there was the CHRIST crowd. This was the most sanctimonious crowd in the Church. They looked down their holier than thou nose and squinted their self-righteous eyes and said, "We don't follow no man. We only follow Christ. We don't need any man to tell us anything. All we need is Jesus!" They were the real spiritual ones.

There is also the:

B. FANATICISM THAT HAD DEVELOPED

Each group was not only hanging on the coat-tails of their favorite preacher, but they had developed the attitude that they were right and everybody else was wrong. Each group had gone to the extremes of believing that if you didn't prefer their preacher, then something was wrong. Each group felt that their likes, tastes, preferences, was the only right way. The result was four factions within the Church with each one feeling the other was wrong and they were right. Each group had chosen sides.

Now let me say just a word about preaching and preachers. Everybody has someone and a style they prefer above others. I must be honest and say that there are some preachers that I don't care to listen to all that much. There are styles I prefer above others. But we make a serious mistake when get locked into this thing of only listening to one man or a certain style. The style and man needs to be forgotten. It is the scriptures and message that needs to be heard, regardless of how it is delivered or packaged.

God has all kinds and all styles. God uses all kinds of people and all styles to get His Word out to us. When we get to the place where we all have to sail the same boat and fly the same flag, we are in trouble. That's why so many can't get along.

Thirdly, notice:

3. THE REMEDY FOR THEIR DIVISION

Paul hears about their division, identifies their division, and also gives them instructions to heal their division. First, he we see:

A. THE CONDITIONS TO BRING THEM TOGETHER

In verse 10 Paul tells them to be "perfectly joined together." The words are a medical term that refers to the setting of a broken bone.  In Matthew 4:21, the word is used to speak of mending fishing nets. It is also translated in Galatians 6:1 as "restore."  They were like a broken bones that needed healing. They were like a torn net that needed mending. They were like a broken fellowship that needed restoring.

Paul tells them to "speak the same thing." He was not saying that they all were to use the same words, phrases, etc. They were to agree on the basic fundamental truths of God and let that bring them together. They all had their favorite preacher, but the bottom line was, each preacher preached the same truths. They may have preferences, but it was principles that were to unite them.

As believers we are to dwell together in harmony. We are to rally around the blessed truths of God's Word and lay aside our differences.

Also, we see:

B. THE CHRIST TO BIND THEM TOGETHER

We read in verse 13-16, "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other." Paul points them to Jesus Christ. He asks, "Is Christ divided?" The answer is an obvious no. They are one in Him.

Paul asks a series a questions that involved himself. He asks, "Was I crucified for you? Were you baptized in my name?" He states that he had only baptized a couple of them. The point that he is making is that the center of harmony is not a man but the Master. Paul wanted them to get their eyes off everything and everyone and keep them on Jesus. Paul knew that the close they got to Jesus, the closer they would get to each other.

You can mark this down: anyone who causes trouble in a Church has got away from loving Jesus and serving Jesus!

Lastly, we see:

C. THE CAUSE TO BAND THEM TOGETHER

We read in verse 17, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." One of the great fears of Paul was that the cross would be made of none effect. The words "should be made of none effect" are actually one word which means "empty." Paul's passion was the preaching of the Cross. He wanted others to be saved and nothing to happen that would make the message of the Cross and empty message. Paul was saying to them, "Here is a great cause for which we should all band together." We should forget our petty differences and concentrate on getting others saved.

Nothing can hurt the image, testimony, and influence of Church anymore than trouble. But I have noticed, that those who stir up strife in the Church could care less what it does to the testimony of the Church or how many people it could hinder from being saved. All they care about is themselves.

Many years ago a little girl was lost in one of the large wheat fields of Kansas. Many became involved in the search for her. Their great fear was that she would not be found before dark and would freeze to death through the night. As darkness approached, someone suggested that they all join hands and walk across the field. Shortly thereafter, someone shouted, "Here she is." But it was too late. As the mother held her little girls lifeless body, she looked up at the crowd around her, and with tears running down her face said, "Why didn't we join hands sooner? Oh, why did we not join hands sooner?"

There is more than your opinion and preferences at stake. There will only be harmony in the Church when we forget ourselves and think of others.