How did Paul responded to the problem of divisions in the early church?

Answer 1

"Christ is the answer" has become a cliche, but that really was the answer to every problem in the early church, especially with Paul, who could say in Philippians1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." and also inPhilippians 3:10"That I may know him [Christ], and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings" So if I have thatsupremeand unshakable devotion to Jesus Christ and you have the same, all our supposeddifferences become trivial and meaningless in light of our relationship with God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.Paul, inaddressing the problem of divisions in the church of Corinth (1 Corinthians, ch.1-4) brings Christ and the cross to the forefront1 Corinthians 1:13 "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" He then proceeds to explain that the only thing that really divides mankind is their relationship to thecrucifiedChrist 1 Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." The schisms in the Corinthian church as in any other church or even secular organizations, always have human pride at the root - take away pride and all of the dividing issues can be settled with minimal effort. Paul, by reminding Corinthians of the man, "who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God:but who made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:6-8) takes aim the pride, he furtherreinforcesthat thought with his own example, Paul, who had one of the brightest mind in the history of humanity, andreceivedthe finest Greek education in Tarsus, and religious education Jerusalem, could have used human wisdom and his power of persuasion, but instead chose, in his own words - 1 Corinthians 2:2 "Not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The great theologians in the Corinthian church knew a lot more than that of course, that was their problem and that what Pauladdressedin his letter to them.