October 30, 2021 — 1 Corinthians 1:1 – 25

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, the one that we call 1 Corinthians is not his first letter to this troubled church. We learn in 1 Corinthians 5:9 – 12 that he had previously written to the Corinthian church to deal with an issue around sexual immorality. Unfortunately, we don’t have the first letter. Paul most likely arrived in Corinth in circa 50 CE shortly after he established churches in Philippi and Thessalonica. This letter called 1 Corinthians most likely was written sometime around 53 or 54 CE. The makeup of the Corinthian church is quite complex – most of the members were poor with only a few people having some wealth or status.

Now, it was the fact that only “some” of the people had wealth and status that created some of the most pressing problems Paul needed to deal with. It seems that the wealthy were able to adjudicate matters in court; possessed homes and staff large enough to host the church including services, meals and Eucharistic celebrations; and were able to be the first to arrive for dinner to get the best food and drink. The poorer members, however, arrived late because they were working and did not have the same privileges. This imbalance between classes caused many of the struggles between the Corinthian believers. Paul’s opening to the Corinthian church is a call for unity – to be in the same mind and purpose.

I think this is an excellent letter to refer to when the church is split and suffering because of disagreements. It also reminds us that since the beginning of the church, members have had a difficult time being “of the same mind”. As humans, this is one of our biggest struggles — which we see so often today in many aspects of life — and the church. It reminds us that we must be diligent in seeking unity.

Let us Pray,

Lord Christ, you prayed to your Father that the church would be united – would be one with one another as you were one with the Father. We continue to seek that unity today – in the church and in the world. Help us to be united in our love for you and for each other – no matter our status or gender or nationality. Amen.

Pastor Dave