The Report from Chloe's House - Factions in the Church

In the first section of the letter Paul addressed concerns that had been brought to him by visitors from Corinth. The first of those concerns was the emergence of factions in the Corinthian church. By starting with this issue Paul powerfully highlighted at the outset the fundamental problem at Corinth, namely a self-concerned, autonomous mindset among the Corinthians. Without even realizing it, they had transformed God's good gifts into mammon - instruments of their own self-benefit - and, tragically, this even included the gift of the Church itself. Not just their individual spiritual gifts and graces, but the Spirit's gift of the community of believers was being exploited for the sake of personal agendas.