Great Themes of the Bible (continued)
Church 59 purchase it, and shall His ministers be wanting in any care and pains to feed it?
11. THE AUTHORITY OF THE APOSTLE
St. Paul exercises this authority over the Church when in writing to the Corinthian Church (1 Cor. xi) he tells them that their schisms are abhorrent to him. Instead of concurring unanimously in celebrating the ordinances of the Last Supper, they fell a-quarrelling with one another. (Note, there may be schism where there is no separation of communion. Persons may come together in the same church, and sit down at the same table of the Lord, and yet be schismatics. Uncharitableness, alienation of affection, especially if it grows up to discord, and feuds and contentions, constitute schism. Christians may separate from each other's communion, and yet be charitable one towards another. They may continue in the same communion and be uncharitable.)
Again, St. Paul charges these Corinthians not only with discord and division but with scandalous conduct. Heathens used to drink plentifully at their feasts upon their sacrifices.
Many of the wealthier Corinthians seem to have taken the same liberty at the Lord's table, or at least at their agape, or love feasts, that were annexed to the supper. The rich despised the poor, and ate and drank up the provisions they themselves had brought before the poor were allowed to partake. Thus some wanted whilst others had more than enough. This was profaning a sacred institution and corrupting a divine ordinance to the last degree. Such conduct was not to be countenanced in the Christian Church.
Now, mutual indifference, and much more contempt, and hatred, and envy, and strife are very unnatural in Christians. It is like the members of the same body being destitute of all concern for one another, or quarrelling with each other (1 Cor. xt. 27ff.). This is the apostle's scope in this argument. He endeavours in it to suppress the proud, and vaunting, and contentious spirit that had prevailed among the Corinthians by reason of their spiritual gifts.
12. THE Various OFFICES IN THE CHURCH
Let us note the variety of offices instituted by Christ, and gifts or favours dispensed by Him. '"'God hath set some in the