Freedom From Division-4(2024)

FREEDOM From DIVISION-IV—1Corinthians 1:14-17(:10-17)

formerly: The INDIGNITY Of DIVISION

Attention:

On Feb 20, 2019, Duke University, basketball forward & freshman basketball sensation, Zion Williamson(from Spartanburg, SC), was injured within the first minute of play, in a regular-season game against rival University of North Carolina.

Mr. Williamson planted his left foot on the game floor hard, while dribbling near the free throw line. As he did so, he had catastrophic trouble with his left, size 15 Nike custom basketball shoe. The sole of the shoe completely separated from the top of the shoe from heel to toe along the left side.

The shoe failure caused his foot to come completely out of the shoe thru the torn side. The incident caused Zion to lose traction, so that he twisted his knee during the play. He had to sit out that game & other games, due to the injury. He returned to play again during the ACC Tournament only after... 1)Having nursed his knee injury for 3 weeks; & after 2)Having an entirely different pair of Nike shoes that were supposedly more substantial.

The ‘division’ of Zion Williamson’s faulty shoe, wreaked havoc on his health & his potential future in basketball. It also threatened Duke University’s standing, because Mr. Williamson had to sit out a few games. Once the ‘division’ was removed from the equation, Mr. Williamson went on to eventually play professionally, & Duke continues to pump out great basketball players.

Likewise, division devastates any church’s potential success, as well as any ministry’s potential for success!

And So, FREEDOM from division, frees up any church/ministry for success!

Need:

God’s people must RECOGNIZE divisive behaviors in themselves & others. God calls us to SURRENDER those behaviors to His power, thru the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us. FREEDOM From DIVISION-IV—1Corinthians 1:14-17(:10-17)

“Indignity”—A state of being unworthy of honor or respect(in relation to godly matters).

The Corinthian church was afflicted/troubled by the indignity of internal division.

And the apostle Paul urged the Corinthian church to distance themselves from that indignity.

Successful ministry is undermined thru internal division.

?What can free or distance us from division?

And...?How can we be free from that indignity?

3 measures of freedom from division.

So far we’ve found that...

Freedom from division,

thrives in Christian...

1. UNITY(:10-12)

And Freedom from division,

thrives particularly in a United Christian...

2. MINDSET(:12-13)

Today we’ll find that...

3—Freedom from division ALSO thrives in a United Christian...

PURPOSE(:14-17)

Explanation:(:14-17)

:14—“I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus & Gaius,”

Paul “thanks God” that he had only “baptized” a few that he personally remembers(:14, 16). “Crispus & Gaius” & “the household of Stephanas.”

“Crispus”—Only mentioned 2X.

Acts 18:5-8—“When Silas & Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, & testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him & blasphemed, he shook his garments & said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he departed from there & entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed & were baptized.”

“Gaius”—There may be 5 different men in the Scriptures named “Gaius”—“Gaius” of Macedonia(Acts 19:29); “Gaius” of Derbe(Acts 20:4); “Gaius” the recipient of the letter of 3John(3Jn. 1:1); & “Gaius” ‘possibly’ associated with Corinth(Rom. 16:23; 1Cor. 1:14); or not.

•“Gaius” was ‘possibly’ the ‘travel companion’ of Paul’s, who was seized in the uproar at Ephesus. That uproar was instigated by Demetrius, the silversmith, who made silver shrines of the pagan goddess Diana(Acts 19:23-29).

•“Gaius” was ‘possibly’ a man from Derbe in Cilicia, who accompanied Paul to Asia Minor, along with other named companions(Acts 20:4).

•“Gaius” was ‘possibly’ a man who ‘hosted’ Paul in Corinth(?), as well as being recognized as ‘the host’ of the whole church in Corinth(?)(Rom. 16:23).

*Always do a little research in the Bible before you assume that a particular name refers to the same person in every instance of their mention in the Bible.

:15—“lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.”

?Why was “Paul’s” “baptizing” of concern to him?

And ?How did it tie into ‘the word’ he had received, about the existence of contentions(:11) & divisions(:10) in the Corinthian church?...

*Because “Paul” did not want his God-ordered ministry to be misconstrued, misinterpreted, or misunderstood! If it had been misunderstood, all the labor of his ministry would have been in vain or to no avail!

*The success of “Paul’s” ministry was entirely bound to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus is the Christ of God, that Jesus is the Savior of all mankind, & that Jesus is Lord of all.