The Church of Corinth was among the most gifted recorded in Scripture. However, as charismatic as they were, they were equally carnal. What was one of the manifestations of their carnality? Division within the visible body. There were social and economic divisions that totally ruined their agape feasts. There were also divisions that revolved around their favorite teachers.
Think about this: When the Body of Christ is divided, who bleeds?
Now there is a division that exists between believers in Jesus and those who do not believe in Him for light and darkness cannot truly peacefully co-exist. Truth and heretical teachings can never walk together. However, within the church God desires that there be a perfect joining together, with the basis being the very mind of Christ.
Are we any different than Corinth? Are we seeking truth, or following our favorite teachers? Satan knows that he cannot steal a true believer’s salvation, but he certainly delights in keeping us carnal. A divided kingdom cannot stand. “Is Christ divided?”
What is it that brings division into the Body of Christ? Divisive attitudes. Like the church at Corinth we can, if we are not careful, develop a “carnal” disposition. We can say for example, “I am of Chuck Smith,” or Billy Graham, etc. We can carry this into our preferences of styles of teaching or music. We may say, “I am of Word for Today,” “I am of Searchlight;” or “I am of rap,” “I am of country.” To have preferences that minister to us individually in our walk with Jesus is wonderful, but to allow those preferences to ‘chop us up’ and divide us is just being ‘in the flesh’.
This can even creep into a menu of weekly activities in any church. We can surely fall into the mentality of, “I am of Sunday night … Wednesday morning … Friday evening” church, can’t we? The precious unity of God’s Spirit, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is worth maintaining. Sowing unity is the heart of Jesus; sowing discord is certainly not!
To go on to maturity, we must not only get beyond certain foundational truths, but we, both as individuals and collectively as a local congregation, should also ask ourselves a personal question, “Are we members of one Body, or one clique?”
Thank you for taking ‘The Corinthian Test’.
