Passover to Pentecost – Divisions       Week 4 Day 6

For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? 1Corinthians 3: 3 (NIV)

This trend is one you wish was not there, but it is.  In Numbers 12 (possibly in the fifty days after the second Passover) Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses.  It spilled over from a family matter to a religious one and God put a stop to it.  It maybe that Miriam did not like Zipporah (or another wife), or that she was pushing the intent of Leviticus 21, priest marrying from priestly families.  It does not matter because it seems she wanted more say in the leadership of the camp.

Numbers 16 is the story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their story of wanting more authority.  It is interesting that these people never thought of just leaving!   It makes you wonder what else they had their eyes on.

Being the leader is hard work, having people disagree with you is not fun, but how you handle the problem requires maturity.  The entire third chapter of 1 Corinthians is given to what could have blown into a doctrinal war.  It is interesting that it seems it was the “lay people” creating this division and not the leaders.   They wanted the leader they liked the best to be the most important.  Paul’s view of different levels of the building of the church could seem to infer that not everyone will always have the right answer.  So when he refers back to you looking to Jesus as the final answer and not causing church splits that is a bold, non-worldly idea.