“For
as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body.” I Corinthians 12:12 NKJV
The Church of Corinth was a problem
child. To be a Corinthian Church is no complement. Paul wrote twice to this church, each lengthy
epistles, to straighten out serious problems. Forty years after Paul wrote his
letters to Corinth, Clement of Rome sent them a lengthy stinging letter as
well. Sadly, so much of what was seen in the Church of Corinth is now seen in
the American church today.
They were a divided and divisive
group. They were bragging, “I’m of Paul” and the next would say “So what, I’m
of Peter!” Then they would brag about why they were better than others because
of what they could do. “I can preach”. “Well, I can heal.” “Well, I trump you all, I can speak in
tongues.” Even at the Lord’s Table they were divisive segregating the meal out
according to economic position. Paul said, “Listen, you were all called in
Christ, so you are one, not many. You
were all gifted by the Spirit, so none of your gifts are your own talents and
they are all equally useful. You are all one body, so when you eat the body of
Christ – act like it.” To this church Paul actually gives the challenge to
examine themselves to see if they are really believers in Christ. If we want to
know how not to act as believers, we need to study Corinthians.
Dear
Father, Help us to act like we ought in love and truth and oneness in Christ.
Amen.
The
Friday Benediction
Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend. Amen
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