Reflections on 1 Corinthians 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.” (1 Corinthians 11:18, NIV)
“First of all, in your church meetings I am told that cliques prevail, and I partly believe it.” (Moffatt)
What draws me most in this verse is Paul’s mature reaction to the gossip. He does not let it change how he thinks of his children. He determines to know the truth of them, and he knows them well enough to see this is a pitfall they could easily fall into.
Not at Face Value
Paul is not accepting gossip at face value. He is weighing the reports he hears against what he knows to be true about his children in the faith. His wisdom and understanding of them, and of human nature, will not let him dismiss the stories as gossip to be ignored. But he knows them well enough to believe it could be happening. So he says, in effect, I can see how this could be happening; it is possible. Moffatt has him say he “partly” believes it; the Jerusalem Bible, that he “half” believes it.
A good parent who knows her children and hears a wild story about one of them doesn’t swallow it whole, and she doesn’t throw it out either. She weighs it against what she knows of her child. A loving heart will not fully believe repeated gossip as factual truth. Gossip is often enlarged by the teller, and a story traveling across the country could be greatly embellished by the time it reached the ears of Paul. As Proverbs says, the first to tell his story seems right until another comes and questions him (Proverbs 18:17).
But neither will a loving parent ignore the story or let the opportunity pass her by. She will go to her child personally, and with a parent’s loving care discover the true heart of her child and nurture what needs nurturing, using even the gossip to support her child as they continue to grow and develop. That is exactly what Paul is about to do with this letter.
A Hospital for Hurting Souls
Paul’s heart of love sees his struggling children in Christ and realizes they need guidance. He needs to give them the mature wisdom none of them has yet developed, before the church implodes and fails to serve its purpose as a hospital for broken, hurting souls looking for the healing only the life of Christ in us can bring (Mark 2:17).
The problem he has been told of is that they are not of one heart. The factions have set their stakes and refuse to be moved or to hear the other side of an issue. They have stopped working together as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). And notice where it is happening: when you come together, at the very gathering meant to make them one.
A Church Too Young for Its Leaders
Paul also understands that the leaders in Corinth are not yet mature enough to carry the load they are under. The whole truth of Christ and His church was brand new. Except for those who had spent personal time with Christ, no one was truly mature enough to lead a new and growing congregation. Paul would later warn against putting a new believer into leadership, lest pride take hold (1 Timothy 3:6). Even those who had walked with Jesus needed that connection reestablished every day; the council marveled at Peter and John, ordinary, unschooled men, and recognized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). And the work was tremendous. The whole known world was being evangelized, and it all went out in one generation (Colossians 1:6, 23). What a huge undertaking, and what a need to grow up quickly!
Every Member a Blessing
Without strong, wise leadership, any group will fail to carry on for long. Yet a strong personality carries its own danger. Unless that leader stays connected to the mind of Christ, human pride gets in the way, and soon we have our followers, our little congregation, and Christ is lost in the shuffle. People begin modeling after their leader instead of after Christ. Corinth had already been down this road: “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas” (1 Corinthians 1:12–13). Paul’s answer then was simple: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?
In the beginning of our walk, leaning on a leader is natural, because we don’t yet know Christ, and those who bring us to Him hold a very special place in our hearts and minds. But if they do their duty well, they will take the connection we have to them and show us where it truly belongs. That is what Paul meant when he said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). That is not happening in Corinth. The reports show them falling into rule keeping instead of loving each other and following Christ, their true Leader.
Christ set up His church to be a blessing to every member. Those of more mature experience in the things of God keep growing as they hone their people skills supporting the babies in the faith. There is never an excuse to sit back in inactivity, letting our talents rust. In this life we continue to be a blessing, to develop our talents, to expand our minds, to learn new things, to see new and wonderful truth in the word of God. All this is our daily fare until we draw our last breath. The Lord provides the Holy Spirit to be with us constantly, directing our attention, minds, hearts, and even our physical bodies to the place we need to be.
Leaving the Results in His Hands
Paul is seeing more than the gossiping reports. He is seeing the danger his beloved children are falling into. He is not present with them, and letters take time to arrive. This is us in our daily life: we can only do our best in any situation the Spirit makes us aware of, and then we leave the results in His hands. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Paul understands this, and he is allowing the Lord to guide his pen as he continues to counsel his beloved children.
