The Death of Preferential Church Embodiment
In the day in age where you can google and listen to some of the “greatest” sermons ever preached, incredible choirs, worship bands, etc., your local church may end up paling in comparison. Going to church may feel like choosing to watch highlight reels of John Paxton when Michael Jordan is right at your fingertips. Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth addresses a concerning report he has heard about the church. They are separating into factions determined by which Christian leader they like the most.
Like most of his letters, Paul’s intro tills the soil of his readers’ hearts to remind them of their reality in Christ and condition them to receive his appeals. Paul’s intro to the Church at Corinth reminds them of whose and what they are, the Church.
Paul begins by addressing whose they are and what they are. “To the church of God that is in Corinth.” And what is the “church of God”? it is “those sanctified in Christ Jesus.” The Church is plural, communal, not singular or individual. Paul writes to “the church” to “those” sanctified and called to be “saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” God’s Church is made up of those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy together, not alone, with all who call upon the name of Jesus.
Because of what the Church is, it has God’s blessing. Paul states that grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be to you (the church, the called, the sanctified).
Gratitude for the Grace of Jesus
Paul is always praising God for the grace the Church in Corinth has received that was given to them in Christ Jesus. In every way this church has been enriched in Christ in all knowing and speaking. This group is not lacking anything; in fact, because they have Jesus they also have every gift they need for the task at hand; the waiting for the revealing of their Lord Jesus Christ.
Reminder of Christ and His Work
Christ is the one who will sustain the Church at Corinth till the end. Jesus’ sufficient sacrifice ensures that the Church of Corinth will be guiltless in the day of Christ. For God is faithful, He is the one who called all Christ followers into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Considering the above reality, Paul appeals to the Church at Corinth as brothers, by the name their Lord Jesus Christ, that they all agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be unified in the same mind and the same judgment.
Paul’s appeal is that the Church would have an accurate understanding and convictional belief about whose they are, what they are, and what that practically means. Here we hear echoes of Christ’s prayer to His Father in John 17 about the unity He desires for all those who will believe in Him. Jesus desired a unity that resembled the unity he enjoyed with his father.
Why is Paul making this appeal?
It had been reported to Paul about some quarreling among the people of the Church. Divisions, fighting. Specifically, the people have all started to have a preferred “Christian” leader. They were elevating Paul, Cephas, and Apollos higher than they ought, and they were bringing Christ down. After stating clearly the issue He has heard about He asks probing questions to bring these believers back to what is true: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions is “No.”
What is Paul getting at?
If their “oneness” is centered on anyone or thing other than Christ then the Cross is emptied of its power, for they are trusting in their own wisdom and not the Good News of Jesus.
Do they really want to be following what they think is best? Especially if what they think is best is something other than, or in addition to, Christ.
These divisions that Paul is hearing about are troubling because they reveal a spirit within the church that is anti-Christ. A spirit in the church that creates division. A selfish spirit. A spirit that is not content with Christ alone.
If a Church is dividing over their preferences, or preferred Christian leader, they have forgotten their identity. Rather than validate their thoughts on their preferred Christian leaders Paul is appealing to his brothers to see that dividing over preferences is the wisdom of the world. Paul’s point is this: Hasn’t the Gospel made the world’s wisdom foolish? Why then are we reverting to the world’s wisdom? Worldly wisdom makes your church experience about your own personal preferences, about you. God has made that type of wisdom utterly foolish. All we have is all we need: Christ crucified and resurrected on our behalf.
To help them see this Paul takes them back to the state they were in when they were called by God. They were not wise by worldly standards, they were not powerful, or of noble birth. So why are they starting to think they are wise now? No, God chose what was foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
The application for us at Patterson Park becomes quite clear.
Let us remember, and remind each other, of whose and what we are. Let us elevate the Giver of gifts and blessings not those who have particular gifts and blessings. The Giver gets the glory. Our fleshly desire is to elevate and compare, but that is the worldly wisdom that God has put to death in us through Christ. May we by faith make our existence all about the glory of THE ONE who called us, saved us, sanctified us, and will bring us home. We don’t boast in our preachers, our church ministry initiatives or programs, etc. We boast in the Lord.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[c] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being[d] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him[e] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Persevere, Joey Turner Pastor of Student Ministry