Fighting

I Corinthians 1:10-17 (The Message)

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master.

I'll put it as urgently as I can:

You must get along with each other.

You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

I bring this up because some from Chloe's family brought a most disturbing report to my attention—that you're fighting among yourselves!

I'll tell you exactly what I was told: You're all picking sides, going around saying, "I'm on Paul's side," or "I'm for Apollos," or "Peter is my man," or "I'm in the Messiah group."

I ask you, "Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul's name?"

I was not involved with any of your baptisms—except for Crispus and Gaius—and on getting this report, I'm sure glad I wasn't. At least no one can go around saying he was baptized in my name. (Come to think of it, I also baptized Stephanas's family, but as far as I can recall, that's it.)

God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him.

And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

Human beings tend to naturally segregate themselves into like groups.

What about human beings in a church?

Well...the same can certainly be true.

We find people who share a similar world-view, who have similar backgrounds and interests...and we can become a little "pocket" of sorts within the larger body.

To some degree, that kind of grouping really is natural and can even be healthy. Folks do need other people to feel connected to, and everybody needs to feel like they can be accepted and at home with one another.

But the problems come when sub-groups within a larger whole begin to do that other thing that comes naturally.

Comparison and maneuvering.

When group A decides that group B is wrong...and that they're right...and then they spend their time together complaining about the ins and outs of group B's position...

Uh-oh.

In the early Corinthian church, this kind of thing had already taken root.

Based on today's scripture, we know that there were "Paul people," "Apollos people," "Peter people," and "Messiah people," just to name a few. So Paul gives that group...and us as well...a reminder that we all need.

"You must get along with each other."

Notice that he says, "must." Not "should," or "maybe," or "it would be nice if..."

It's an urgent matter that the people of Christ get along with each other.

If we don't, we lose our witness to the world. Instantly.

Further, we trivialize Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

What personal agenda could be worth that?

Prayer: May we remember how important "agreement" really is in the life of the church. Forgive us when we cause division and harbor it in our hearts. May we truly be one in Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: (No blog) Proverbs 27:17

Worship services this Sunday @ SOTH -- 9 & 11 AM with SS for all ages at 10:15. This week's step on the path: Giving. See you there!