2. Well, we cannot altogether prevent inharmony in the Church. Paul
says (1 Cor 11, 19), "For there must be also factions among you, that
they that are approved may be made manifest among you." Wherever the
Word of God has a foothold, there the devil will be. By the agency of
his factions he will always build his taverns and kitchens beside
God's house. So he did at first, in Paradise. In the family of Adam
he entrenched himself, establishing there his church. And such has
been his practice ever since, and doubtless will ever be. He who
takes offense at differences in the Church, who when he sees any
inharmony at once concludes there is no Church there, will in the end
miss both the Church and Christ. You will never find any congregation
of such purity that all its members are unanimous on every point of
belief and teaching and all live in perfect harmony.
3. Paul had experience in this matter in the case of the beautiful
and famed Church at Corinth in Achaia, which he himself planted and
where he taught two years. Soon after his departure they began to
disagree about their preachers and to attach themselves to certain
ones--some to Paul, some to Peter, some to Apollos. Though these had
all taught correctly, though they had been unanimous in their
doctrine, yet men would cleave to a certain one because he was more
or differently gifted than the others, could speak better, or was
more attractive in personal appearance. And among the ministers of
the Church, if one had a special gift or office, he thought he ought
to be a little better and a little greater than the others.
Necessarily, from such division and inharmony, grew hatred, strife
and jealousy, resulting in great injury and disorder to the Church.
4. We must, then, so far as possible, guard against this fatal evil,
though we cannot altogether keep it out of the Church. Were we to
offer no resistance at all, the devil would seize all authority and
bring every element into discord. But when we resist Satan, God will
continue to extend his grace and favor, and some fruit and
improvement will follow. Even were it not possible for us to
accomplish anything, yet as faithful ministers we must not keep
silent if we would not be regarded indolent hirelings who flee when
the wolf comes. See Jn 10, 12.
5. Such is the tenor of this text from Paul. He begins by preaching
on spiritual gifts and admonishing the Corinthians how to conduct
themselves in respect to them. In proportion to the greatness and
excellence of the gifts are flesh and blood inclined to discord and
to coveting personal honor. Let one have a good understanding of the
Scriptures and be able to explain them, or let him have the power to
work miracles, and he will soon begin to have an extravagantly good
opinion of himself, deeming himself worthy the honor of all men,
desiring the multitude to follow only him, and positively refusing to
regard anyone his equal. He will seek to create something new in
doctrine, to change the old order, as if he could introduce something
better than others, who must be infinitely below him or at least his
inferiors.
6. The same thing has taken place in our day--and will continue to
take place--with respect to the Gospel. But through the grace of God
that Gospel is brought to light again, and rightly instructs and
harmonizes the people. The devil, unable to rest, had to rouse his
factious rabble, his selfish souls, who desired the name of being
superior and inspired people, a people who could preach, write and
explain the Scriptures better than others; for they had learned a
little from us. They conceded that the Gospel had indeed made a
beginning, had somewhat purified ecclesiastical doctrine, but claimed
it had not gone far enough; it was necessary that greater improvement
be made--Church doctrine must be brought to far greater perfection.
But as Paul says (1 Cor 3, 11), they could, with their doctrine, lay
no other foundation, could preach no other Christ, than the Christ of
the Gospel. Nevertheless, they pretended to teach something better
and higher. They hindered and perverted the true doctrine. Their work
could not be called building up the faith, but was rather breaking up
and destroying its foundation and leading the people back into error
and blindness. So Paul begins his admonition in these words:
"Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb
idols, howsoever ye might be led."
7. Paul reminds the Corinthians of their manner of life before they
became Christians, for he would have them pause to think that their
gifts, past and present, are not of their own procuring, nor are any
gifts bestowed upon them because of merit on their part. It is his
intent to restrain them from pride in their gifts and from
disputations concerning them; to keep them from divisions and from
pretending to teach and introduce into the Church something new and
better. But at the same time he deals a blow to those who take
offense at inharmony among Christians.
8. "Recall, all of you," Paul would say, "your manner of life before
you came to Christ. What were you? Mere darkened heathen, having no
knowledge of God but suffering yourselves blindly to be led by anyone
who should say aught to you of God. All your devotion was but a
discordant worship. Each one--even the child in the cradle, the
infant at the mother's breast--must find his own idol wherever he
might turn." St. Augustine tells us that the city of Rome alone had
more than four hundred gods, and that it erected a church for all the
gods in the world, which building still stands--the Pantheon.
"These superstitions," Paul's words imply, "you followed as you were
led; you flocked after them, praying and sacrificing, hanging your
hearts upon dumb idols which could not teach and advise you, could
not comfort, relieve or help you. In return for your devotion you
obtained only the privilege of being a blind, wretched, divided,
miserable people, unable to fortify yourselves against any error, and
allowing yourselves to be distracted by the advocate of any doctrine.
You were like a flock of helpless sheep scattered by wolves.
9. "But now you have been turned from that manifold idolatry to the
one true worship and have been enlightened by God's Word. More than
that, in Christ have been bestowed upon you great and glorious
gifts--discerning of the Scriptures, diversities of tongues, power to
work miracles--things impossible to the world. It is unmistakably
evident that you embrace the true God, who does not, like dumb idols,
leave you to wander in the error of your own speculations,
uncounseled by the Word; a living God, who speaks to you that you may
know what to expect from him, and works among you publicly and
visibly.
"Therefore, it is not for you to make divisions among yourselves
after the manner of the heathen as you see in the great Babel
confusion and divisions of the world, where no one agrees with
another, where one runs to this his idol and another to that, each
claiming superiority for his own. Knowing that you all embrace the
one true God and his Word, you are to hold together in one faith and
one mind, not disagreeing among yourselves as if you had a variety of
gods, of faiths, of baptisms, spirits and salvations."