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Articles
Pursuing Unity
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” I Corinthians 1:10
The apostle Paul covers a lot of ground in his letter to the church at Corinth so that they would be a united church. Jesus prayed for His church to be unified in his prayer the night before He was crucified (John 17:20-20-21). As we’ve gone through the book of I Corinthians as a church family in Danville in 2023, we’ve explored how each of those topics can help us in our pursuit of greater unity.
Paul addresses three fundamental causes of division in chapter 1. Some were divided because of their misplaced devotion (1:11-13). Instead of being wholly devoted to God, they were devoted to a particular preacher. The Corinthians were divided over human wisdom (1:18-25). Sometimes the simple message of the cross just isn’t enough for some people. They were also divided by their shameful pride (1:26-31). All it takes to divide a local church is for a couple of strong-minded brothers to be convinced that their opinion is alway the right opinion. Whatever the cause, division in the body of Christ is unacceptable.
In chapter 2, Paul provides a wonderful example to help restore and maintain unity within a local church. Unity starts with humility in Christ (2:1-3). It is the gospel message that is special, not the gospel preacher. Unity also requires spiritual wisdom (2:4). God’s eternal wisdom has been revealed to us (2:12-16), and requires us to humble ourselves as we seek His wisdom over the wisdom of the world. Unity also requires devotion to God (2:5). True faith always rests “in the power of God” and not “the wisdom of men.”
I Corinthians 3-4 highlights the need for Christians to pursue unity by building together. In growing in spiritual maturity and building your faith, you are building God’s temple (3:16-17)! That requires each of us to build our faith on the wisdom of God revealed in His word and “not to go beyond what is written” (4:6).
From there, Paul addresses several specific issues that can make or break the unity within a local church:
Healthy Relationships, (ch. 5-6) - Your most important relationship is your relationship with God. From that starting point, all your relationships should glorify Him. Any relationship marked by sin is unhealthy to you as an individual Christian, and the influence of that unhealthy relationship will eventually have an impact on the unity of the church (5:6).
Personal Purity, (ch. 7) - Paul addresses both sexual and marital purity in I Corinthians 7. Personal purity matters so much that the Messiah died in order to purify you (Titus 2:13-14). You cannot be united with the body of Christ if you are living a life of personal defilement.
Selfless Love, (ch. 8-10) - In I Corinthian 8:4-7, Paul introduces a concept with vast implications: you can be right, and still be wrong. If your knowledge of what is right leads to pride, and your pride inhibits you from displaying selfless love, then you are just as guilty of sin as the one who has no knowledge of righteousness.
Respect for God’s Design, (11:2-16) - Authority and submission are essential aspects of God’s created order, and necessary for a church to be united in Christ.
Proper Worship, (11:17-34) - Worship assemblies do not automatically praise God. Unity within a church based on unworthy worship does not glorify God. We must be united in our proper worship, offered with proper authority (11:23a), according to the proper means, and with the proper mindset.
Dependency, (ch. 12) - Unity in the Spirit + diversity of abilities = dependency within the church. God understands that His church is comprised of unique individuals. It is precisely because of our diversity that “the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’” (12:21). We all need each other, whether we recognize it or not. That dependency strengthens our unity.
Maturity, (ch. 13) - Mature Christians take love seriously. Just as faith without works is dead (James 2), works without love are useless (I Corinthians 13:1-3). Whereas spiritual gifts were a means of demonstrating God’s power to prove the gospel message in the 1st century, love (13:4-7) is a means of proving the legitimacy of the gospel message today (I Corinthians 13:8-10; John 13:34-35).
Edification, (ch. 14) - Edification is a non-negotiable for Christians (14:1-5). Edification comes from engaged minds (14:13-19) and orderly worship (14:26-40), and is intended to lead to maturity (14:20-25).
Hope, (ch. 15) - As Paul approaches the end of his letter, he helps recenter our focus on what this is all about. The gospel message of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection offers us all a hope of the resurrection that should change our perspective on life. Hope promises victory (15:51-57) that is a driving motivator for the way we live (15:58). Our unity is shared with people who are living with this hope.
In chapter 16, Paul shows us that unity as a local church is dependent upon the sacrifice, faith, and devotion of individuals. Paul never shies away from sensitive topics in pursuit of a false sense of unity. Unity does not call for us to compromise our doctrine. In addressing these difficult issues, the expectation is for each individual to take Paul’s instruction to heart and make any necessary changes in their life. The successful pursuit of unity in a local church relies on individuals wholeheartedly embracing the teachings of God’s word.
