Now I beseech you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10
Some years ago, a political party rose in our province and used a particularly contentions issue to attract significant support, winning a surprisingly large number of members to the legislature in the provincial election. Shortly after the election, however, different groups within the party began disputing with each other. The contentions were so bitter that within a few months, the party’s support disappeared, and it was eliminated in the next election. Disputes and disagreements in any group are not good for the group. But disagreements among the people of God are bad for morale within the Assembly, bad for the Assembly’s efforts to serve the Lord, and bad for the testimony of the Assembly before the world. No Assembly can survive long if those in fellowship are at odds with each other and in disagreement over important matters.
In an Assembly where Paul has much to address in terms of problems, this is the first issue he raises in his letter. He is not addressing gossip; he has reliable reports of the problem, and he quotes his source, the house of Chloe. Every Assembly needs such a house, a family that is grieved by disagreements among the Lord’s people and willing to do something about it. Paul addresses the issue strongly because correcting problem is critical to restoring the Corinthian Assembly. If we have disagreements or disputes in our Assemblies today, we need to get them cleared up. Thankfully, we have a resource today that the Corinthians did not have at their disposal: the Word of God in its entirety. Faithfulness to the Scriptures will eliminate contentions in the Assembly.
As Paul wrote his epistle to Corinth, he produced a document that serves us well today. Paul’s admonition and teaching on this problem is a wonderful guide to Assemblies almost two thousand years later. Paul explains what is wrong (and sinful) about a party spirit in an Assembly. And in today’s text, he urges the saints to unity. And that unity is found in the truth.
What divisions do you see in your Assembly? What side have you taken in those divisions? Scripture does not find any sides… there is only unity in Christ. -Jim MacIntosh