Skip to main content

Agreeing

           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. (I Corinthians 1:10)

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

In the book of Acts, when issues came up, like the treatment of widows or the issue of whether Gentiles had to become good Jews before they could become Christians, the matter was taken to the church leadership. They discussed it and issued their decisions, and that was supposed to end that. Of course, it didn’t. Paul was still teaching about those followed where he went, telling people that Paul was wrong, and that their men had to be circumcised. Even the letter that we call First Corinthians was sent in part because people in the church were dividing in terms of what spiritual leader was the best.

Of course, one of the problems is that verses like this one get trotted out whenever someone wants to insist that we submit to them. It’s the same sort of thing we find in the world, when people say that we need to be united, and what they really mean is that we’re to agree with them and do what they say.

Part of the problem is that when people within the Church disagree – especially on matters not of real importance (granting that every matter is considered important at the time,) it gives the world, the flesh, and the devil the means to widen the divide and to convince those outside the Church that there’s no reason to set foot inside. Even worse, when the Church is divided, things that the Church agrees should be getting done don't get done because they're too busy arguing. 

All this doesn't mean that we have to all walk alike, talk alike, look alike... cookie-cutter Christians with about as much personality as a  naked wet noodle. What it does mean is that we're to consider the whole as too important, too precious to be scarred and damaged for the sake of our egos. And when the going gets rough, the Church will be our refuge. It makes no sense to turn it into a battlefield.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more