1 Corinthians 1:10-18
I vividly remember a conversation my grandmother and I had during
my childhood after a beloved minister left her church and the
congregation was experiencing pain. “Ministers come and ministers
go, but the Church is the Church,” Grandma Price said in her steady,
matter-of-fact way. She was telling me that no matter the leadership
in any particular season, her commitment was to Christ alone. That
this conversation has stayed with me through the years attests to the
impression that my grandmother’s faith made on my life. Likewise,
the weighty word that the Apostle Paul shares with the Corinthian
church shapes their faith and attests to the continuing impression
that truth makes on ours today.
We live in a time when people in the United States are leaving
the Christian church en masse. People everywhere seem to be decon-
structing their faith. Yet as we witness this, it is becoming clear that
people are not walking away from Jesus—but are turning away from
those who claim to represent him. Consider how often we read of
another fallen church leader, an ethical failure of a denomination,
the crumbling of what seemed like an invincible megachurch, or the
church’s role in polarizing politics. Is it any wonder that people are
disgusted?
Paul knows the danger of misplacing our allegiances. He knows that humans are fallible, and hungry for power and self-fulfillment. Paul also knows that Christ is the only one worthy of our devotion. When the Church universal finds our common thread in Christ alone, trusting wholly in him and learning to love as he loved, we will begin to work toward unity. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (v. 18).
Consider
What can we do in our churches today to honor Christ and promote unity?
Pray
God, redirect our paths and lead us in the ways of unity. Amen.