Unity

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1Corinthians 1:10-13 (NIV)

As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun." Paul addressed the Corinthians about the need for unity. Apparently the people of Corinth were choosing sides--some liked what Apollos had to say, others preferred Paul's teaching, still others liked Peter. Some even followed Christ!

But Paul asked this question, "Is Christ divided?" Looking at the Church today, I think the answer is "yes". How can we be effective in ministering to the world if we can't put aside our denominational differences and work together? We agree on the important doctrines of the faith, but get hung up on the details. The enemy has convinced us that these distinctions should be magnified, rather than diminished for the good of everyone. Think how much more effective the body of Christ would be working together instead of against each other.

Jesus spoke these words about Satan's kingdom: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." Mark 3:24 (NIV).