1 Corinthians 1:10 (New Living Translation)
Divisions in the Church 10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
This is a short verse but it is so important. Many times we talk about unity in the church - among all believers - no matter what denomination you are, we are all believers in Jesus Christ. I like Paul because he can be tender and also tough. Paul said "to live in harmony with each other." There were divisions and some of them were not knit together. He also talks about unity with attitudes and actions and how to maintain unity in Ephesians 4:2-3. Unity is very important for a healthy, growing church. If we don't have unity, then we have blinded minds.
When Paul talked about no divisions among us, he was talking about a major problem in church. One of the commentaries I read said that some of these divisions were that believers were prideful and jealous over spiritual gifts, personal preference for certain leadership skills, recognition of economic categories (rich and poor), prejudice over social rank, pride over intellectual prowess. Unfortunately, I think we can see some of these divisions in the church today. Paul said we should be completely united with only one thought and one purpose and that purpose is the Kingdom of God. That purpose is the Gospel, the Great Commission and not personal agendas, preferences, etc.
TobyMac has a song out called "A City on Our Knees." I listened to that song and also a video that TobyMac had out talking about this song. He said that city meant a moment and that moment could be now. A time that we all come together and our differences fall by the wayside and turn our attention to what unites us. What unites us? The Kingdom of God, the Gospel, the Great Commission! Wow! What could happen if in a moment we came together as all believers and not worrying about what denomination is greater or correct in its doctrine or beliefs. Remember the purpose is the Kingdom of God, the Gospel, the Great Commission and not personal biases, preferences or agendas.
