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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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1 Corinthians 11:18
Comments
‘For first of all’ – this is not the only case in which Paul does this: he introduces his first point, and never tells us what the second point is; and we are left to figure it out for ourselves. The second point is probably what begins in chapter 12, ‘Now, concerning spiritual gifts’. That too was wrong in the church at Corinth. There has already been mention in the first chapter of schisms, divisions, and these are divisions that occur because, as individuals, we follow our own interests. I come to church. What for? For myself. Maybe yes, I come to worship, but I also come because I enjoy singing the hymns, and I enjoy meeting my friends. Well, that is the highway to these kinds of divisions: schism which refers to the kind of separation that occurs because I am interested in something that is of interest to me. I am not so interested in the purpose of us all being together: the cause of Christ, the advance of his work. The things that we do together do not interest me, only the things that personally catch my attention. There are yet different kinds of cliques mentioned among them, but there is another one raised here.
Application
Questions
What does this phrase ‘I partly believe it’ mean? Did he or didn’t he believe it? It possibly means something like this – that the people who have reported on the sad state of affairs in Corinth have been so scandalised by it, they have tended to overstate it; and the apostle means, ‘I do not necessarily think it is exactly as described to me, but the reports certainly are credible and something is wrong. I partly believe it. So it is important to address this.’
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Introduction