January 30, 2011 – 1 Corinthians 1

We begin the letter with a short introduction and then right into one of the main issues, divisions in the Church.  I would encourage you to read the introduction to get a sense of when Paul wrote this and why.  I know there are some non-Catholics that read this, and I appreciate them and their views, and this may start a discussion, it may not.  I never really know when or what people are going to decide to pick up on and talk about. 

Paul sees a church divided.  Some are choosing this person to follow, some this person, it seems to be based on who they may have  been baptized by.  But there is no doubt that there are divisions and Paul is trying to correct them in this area. 

First thought from this.  I know some say that there are many different denominations, but we are all Christians and part of the church God created by believing in Christ.  That idea of an invisible church seems to be what they had in Corinth.  They had a Christian community with divisions, but all Christians, or they wouldn’t be reading Paul’s letter.  This letter was written to Christians and was telling them that there cannot be division in Christ Church.  How can a Christian read this and still follow the idea that you can have multiple Christian denominations believing different things.  I would like to know, when the Reformation was really getting started if anyone looked at this passage and inserted a couple of different names.  I mean that each of you is saying, "I belong to Calvin," or "I belong to Luther," or "I belong to King Henry," or "I belong to Christ."  Doesn’t the division in denominations seem to fit perfectly into what Paul is talking about. 

This is a little more off topic, but somewhat related.  I was thinking about the fact that we are betting our lives on these beliefs.  I don’t know why I was thinking that, but that is besides the point.  There are two options open to all Christians.  Option one, either one of the denominations is right and everybody else it wrong, or 2, we are all wrong.  There are just too many contradictions between all the groups that an answer where more than one is right doesn’t fit into a God who is perfect Truth. 

In the above arguments or discussion I left the Catholic Church out of it because I don’t feel it is as divided as the Protestant denominations, although there are some divisions.  Obviously as a Catholic I am betting that the Catholic Church has the right answers and way, but can I tell you 100% that I know it is absolutely correct.  I don’t feel I can.  I can tell you why I believe in it, and have throughout this blog, but there is a chance I am wrong.  I think there are things that make a lot more sense from the Catholic view point and there are things that are sometimes hard to explain and understand.  I am not some grand theologian, but just an honest person trying to find my way. 

Really, my curiosity is in this whole notion of the invisible church of Christ that all the different denominations claim they belong to.  I just don’t see how that fits with Christ teaching and with this particular passage.