"That you all speak the same thing." This apostolic exhortation consists of three propositions. First, that the Corinthians should have no disputes among themselves about matters touching the faith.
The Church of Jesus Christ must not be torn apart by various opinions arising from disputes over words.
Second: "that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind." That is, Christians must be established in one confession of the Orthodox faith, and one must not differ from another in anything.
Third: "and in the same judgment." The thoughts and hearts of the faithful servants and followers of Christ must be joined by one piety. All Christians must agree among themselves both in teaching and in morals.
An interpretation of the doubtful passages found in the first chapter of this Epistle is offered to students of Scripture.
3. The Apostle exhorts the Corinthians to withdraw from strife and divisions. "Now I beseech you, brethren, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no strife among you."
The same teacher of the nations affirms that the blessed society of Christ, that is, the Christian Church, must inevitably be subjected to heretical errors. "For there must also be heresies among you, that those who are approved may be made manifest among you" (1 Cor 11:19).
Explanation 1. The Apostle persuades the Corinthians to oneness of mind in the faith. He places this oneness of mind in three properties.
The first property of Christian oneness of mind he places solely in this: the Corinthians must in no way begin disputes among themselves in matters that touch the faith.
The Church of Jesus Christ must not be torn apart by strange and various opinions arising from disputes over words. "That there be no strife among you."
Second, the Apostle requires that Christians be established in one confession of the Orthodox faith, and that one differ in nothing from another. "That you be perfectly joined together in the same mind."
The Apostle adds a third property to oneness of mind: all Christians must agree among themselves both in teaching and in morals. The thoughts and hearts of the true children of God must be united by one piety, both inwardly and in outward worship.
"One God, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:4).
From this reasoning one can see that the holy Apostle, in guarding against strife and divisions, not only does not forbid the refutation of heretical errors by writing or oral preaching, but even commands that those who speak against the truth be corrected and overcome.
He writes this clearly to Titus; Titus 1:9.
Explanation 2. But, to the misfortune of the Christian centuries, many have turned this apostolic exhortation into a reprehensible abuse.
The antiquity of the apostolic times was very far removed from this abuse. The Christians of the first Church never thought of heated disputes. They did not know quarrels over words or contentious sermons.
In the God-inspired books of Holy Scripture they found no imagined contradictions. They were satisfied with the pure teaching of Jesus Christ.
They held to the one rule of holy and undefiled truth revealed in the holy Gospel. They were firmly convinced that true Christian piety did not consist in disputes over words or in multiplying controversial writings.
Rather, it consisted in transforming the teaching of Jesus Christ and His holy Gospel into a holy life.
But let us see what happened in later centuries.
1. Those act contrary to apostolic teaching who tear apart the Church of Jesus Christ by heresies and divisions. Past centuries show no small number of such tearers, and so does the present century.
In order to distinguish heresy from divisions, we can see it from the following definition.
2. Heresy is called such an error in faith as is contrary to the word of God and does not agree with the confession of Christian piety. Such heretics existed in Paul’s time, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
Such were Arius, Macedonius, Sabellius, Nestorius, and the others, all of whom openly armed themselves against the dogmas of the holy faith.
3. A division or schism is an erroneous and unfounded opinion which, although it does not concern the articles of the holy faith, still does not agree with the teaching of the Orthodox Church.
4. From this understanding of heresies and divisions, it is clear to everyone what distinction must exist between a heretic and a schismatic.
A heretic, from the Greek name, means a person who does not follow the Orthodox teaching of the holy Church and who thinks contrary to Orthodoxy.
Concerning such a heretic, who introduces every kind of corruption into the faith of Christ, the Apostle writes: "A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject" (Titus 3:10).
5. In Christian society, a schismatic is one who estranges himself from union with the Orthodox Church. He holds to his own interpretations and church rites.
He establishes his error not on the word of God, nor on apostolic and patristic traditions, but for the most part on highly superstitious prejudgments.
A schismatic is sometimes called a severed one, as a member cut off from the body of Christ’s Church.
6. Church divisions occur in many different ways.
7. First, to this belong those who are separated from the unity of Christ’s Church when they do not follow the true teaching of Christ.
The Romans produced such a division, that is, the Christians of the Western Roman Church, when they reinterpreted the dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit contrary to the word of God.
8. Others create division in the Church of Christ by the improper use of the holy Mysteries. Many errors have arisen from such divisions, especially from those who accepted in the West the teaching of Protestants and the Reformed.
The former do not acknowledge the change of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist. The latter do not acknowledge the presence of the Body of Christ.
9. Other opinions of Christians who do not think rightly also belong to the number of church divisions. Here are found all those who reject rites and institutions preserved in the first Church.
10. It also belongs to church divisions when new customs are introduced into the Christian Church that are contrary to ancient practice.
From this it rightly follows how unjustly all those act who abandon the common assembly established for public worship and appoint their own gatherings instead.
THEOSIS