The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 43

II. 'l'mi: EVIL OF EVEHYTHING THAT VIOi.ATES TIIIS UNITY. The divisions of the Church of Curinth were deprecated by the apostle as an offence against the inndamentCLI principles and laws of the Christian fellowship. All strch divisions have cercain marke,l features of evil. 1. 'l'hey exalt that which ;s subordinate and accidental at the expen.~e of the vital and supreme. The form of truth is placed above the spirit, doctrine above life, the instrument above the power, appearances above realities, the shadow above the substance-creeds, systems, men, above Christ (eh. iii. 4, 5). Examine them closely, and you find that all "contentions" in the Church mean this. 2. They engen- der mutual animosit-ies which are destructive of the fellowship of a common life. Here lies the heart and core of the evil. Mere outward diversities arc not so much to. be dreaded. Schism is a thing of the spirit. It lies not in the formal separations that conscience may dictate, but in the fierce antagonisms that may unhappily, but not necessarily, grow out of them. Sectarianism consists not in the frank outspoken. assertion of individual convictions, but in the bitterness and uncharitableness with which one conscience may assert itself against all other consciences. So that the very spirit of schism may inspire that passion for uniformity which would suppress individual liberty of thought and speech and action. The true schismatics are those, who by their intolerance create divisions. Whatever tends to check the flow of spiritual fellowship violates the law of Christ. We do well carefully to watch against the estrangement of heart that difference of religious opinion and ecclesiastical practice too often generates, "giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond uf peace" (Eph. iv. 3). 3. They bring public dishonfYUr on the Name of Christ. Th.at Name is the symbol of a Divine. reconciliation-the reconciliation of man to man, as well as man to God. But in this case it is made the cause of separations. Chri,t came to bind men together in a true brotherhood; but thus he is made a "diviJer." "Where jealousy and faction are there is confusion and every evil work" (Jas. iii. 16). And thus the very essential principle and purpose of the Saviour's mission is falsified, and occasion is given to the enemy to blaspheme. Few things have a mor~ disastrous effect in discrediting the Christian cause than the bitterness of contcn,lin;.c: parties in that Church which is" the pillarand ground of the truth." 4. They sqii,,ndei- and dissipate energies that ought rather to be devoted to active service in the Lord' :;c lcingdom. Think of the waste of spiritual force these divisions involve! If half tl,e enthusiasm mere partisanship has engendered had been expended on some real substantial work for the good of humanity and the glory of God, how blessed the results might have been I In one sense, of course, all zeal for truth, however subonli- nate the position of the particular truth may be, is for the good of humanity and the glory of God; hut to be contending for the maintenance of comparatively trivial points of difference in violation of the spirit that ought to harmonize all dilferences, and of the grand responsibilities of the Christian calling, is to be guilty of " tithin~ the mint and the anise and the cummin, to the neglect oi the weightier matters of the Law." III. THE CURE FOR THESE EVILS. There is but one cure-to keep Christ in all the glory of his being and the supremacy of his claims habitually before our minds, an,l to open our hearts freely to the inspiration of his Spirit. This will raise us abovti the littleness and meanness of party strife. A lofty object of contemplation and a high moral purpose must needs have an elevating and ennobling influence on the whole man. It will subdue within us all base affections, will rebuke our personal vanity, will enlarge our sympathies, will chasten our lesser enthusiasms. \Ve shall not be in much danger of helping by our influence to violate the unity of the great household of faith, when our souls are filled with the full-orbed glory of the undivide<l Christ. The expansive Spirit he gives will teach us to say, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Ghrist in sincerity."-W. Vers. 22-24.-" Ghrist crucified." It is difficult for us to realize the deep-rooted strength of the prejudices the truth of Christ encountered on its first proclamation. One ~hing, however, is clear-while the apostles accommodated the mode of the!r teachmg to those prejudices, they never so accommodated the teachin~ itself. Theu- ?octrine was the same for all. They never thought of modifying it or softening dow_n its essential peculiarities, to suit the taste of any. With reference to the/orm of his  TUE F!TIST EPISTLE TO THE COIUNTHIANS. [en. I. 1-31