Corinth was a great city in its day. It was on a major trade route, and many people passed through it as they moved from the northern part of Greece to the southern. I was surprised how close it is to Athens – THE great city of Greece. In its day, Corinth was a very busy place. (Not that Corinth is gone! People still live in there, though not exactly on the ancient ruins.) So when Paul set up shop there, he was strategically located to reach many people with the Gospel.
Sadly, divisions rose among the Christians in Corinth. Others had been there to share the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection – which is a good thing – but these Corinthians then divided themselves and proclaimed superiority based on their particular evangelist. “I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.” “I follow Cephas.” (Cephas is St. Peter.) “I follow Christ.”
Paul is addressing this division appealing to these believers to have no divisions. In essence he’s saying, “Whoa! You follow who? Get your head on straight! I taught you better than that. Jesus is the one who died for you. Your sins were washed away in baptism into Jesus’ name. He’s the one we follow.”
As I read this over the tension between people who prefer different styles of worship comes to mind. I have noted that sometimes congregations have almost a continental divide within them on this issue. One sees his worship service as pure. Another sees his worship service as more spiritual. That is well and good, but then they look at each other and feel superiority to their brother or sister in Christ. This is what I worry about when I consider the idea of having two different styles of worship week by week. (Along with the logistics of it.) Will people in the congregation divide and see themselves in competition with each other based on a preferred worship style? It has happened in other congregations! The Corinthians certainly display the unhealthy inclination we sinful people have toward division, so we need to think and pray about this as we seek to be a united body of believers who walk together serving Jesus.
God desires for us to get rid of our divisions. He doesn’t call us to lockstep unity, but a unity that goes beyond what we look like on the outside and the things we like or don’t like. Instead, Paul points us to the unity we have in Jesus. Look at v.2 – “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: . . . .”
Paul is saying, “You are the church” – that is those who have been called out of this world through faith in Jesus. “You are sanctified,” – you have been made holy through the forgiveness of sins by Jesus death and resurrection. “You are saints,” – again, you are holy ones who have been set apart to be witnesses of the Gospel. “You are together with all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Consider your calling,” Paul says. Remember we are all sinners who have been loved and forgiven by Jesus. That is where our focus belongs – on Jesus.
Are there genuine differences between different denominations? Yes. But as long as we all hold to the message of Jesus crucified, buried, risen, and seen we have a unity that goes deeper than those differences? Is there diversity in the ways Christians worship? Outwardly – yes. Substantially – no, because our worship is rooted in God’s Word, Sacraments, and His work in our lives. The unity we have in Jesus, and keeping Him in focus, draws us together in a mission that surpasses our personal history or anything else. We are here share the love of God with a world that doesn’t know. So we take the focus off of us and put it where it belongs on our Lord and Savior Jesus.
Sadly, divisions rose among the Christians in Corinth. Others had been there to share the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection – which is a good thing – but these Corinthians then divided themselves and proclaimed superiority based on their particular evangelist. “I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.” “I follow Cephas.” (Cephas is St. Peter.) “I follow Christ.”
Paul is addressing this division appealing to these believers to have no divisions. In essence he’s saying, “Whoa! You follow who? Get your head on straight! I taught you better than that. Jesus is the one who died for you. Your sins were washed away in baptism into Jesus’ name. He’s the one we follow.”
As I read this over the tension between people who prefer different styles of worship comes to mind. I have noted that sometimes congregations have almost a continental divide within them on this issue. One sees his worship service as pure. Another sees his worship service as more spiritual. That is well and good, but then they look at each other and feel superiority to their brother or sister in Christ. This is what I worry about when I consider the idea of having two different styles of worship week by week. (Along with the logistics of it.) Will people in the congregation divide and see themselves in competition with each other based on a preferred worship style? It has happened in other congregations! The Corinthians certainly display the unhealthy inclination we sinful people have toward division, so we need to think and pray about this as we seek to be a united body of believers who walk together serving Jesus.
God desires for us to get rid of our divisions. He doesn’t call us to lockstep unity, but a unity that goes beyond what we look like on the outside and the things we like or don’t like. Instead, Paul points us to the unity we have in Jesus. Look at v.2 – “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: . . . .”
Paul is saying, “You are the church” – that is those who have been called out of this world through faith in Jesus. “You are sanctified,” – you have been made holy through the forgiveness of sins by Jesus death and resurrection. “You are saints,” – again, you are holy ones who have been set apart to be witnesses of the Gospel. “You are together with all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Consider your calling,” Paul says. Remember we are all sinners who have been loved and forgiven by Jesus. That is where our focus belongs – on Jesus.
Are there genuine differences between different denominations? Yes. But as long as we all hold to the message of Jesus crucified, buried, risen, and seen we have a unity that goes deeper than those differences? Is there diversity in the ways Christians worship? Outwardly – yes. Substantially – no, because our worship is rooted in God’s Word, Sacraments, and His work in our lives. The unity we have in Jesus, and keeping Him in focus, draws us together in a mission that surpasses our personal history or anything else. We are here share the love of God with a world that doesn’t know. So we take the focus off of us and put it where it belongs on our Lord and Savior Jesus.
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