A Word from 1 Corinthians 3

Years ago, I spent a summer traveling around Virginia as part of musical mission team. And as we were driving down some country road, we passed a church with a sign in front that said, “The Church of the Holy Spirit of Jesus.” Of course, that’s a nice name for a church. But ironically, just down the road, we passed another church with a sign in front that said this: “The True Church of the Holy Spirit of Jesus.” And one can only imagine that it wasn’t the Holy Spirit of Jesus that explained their existence, but a spirit of division instead.

Of course, a spirit of division continues to fracture the Body of Christ. We seem to be compelled to split over doctrine, and worship styles, and political persuasions, and so much more. But we’re not the first to do that. Because we find in today’s word from 1^st Corinthians 3 that they, too, had divided over issues of belief, and practice, and leadership.

And that, I think, is why Paul sent them this reminder. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (3:16-17)

You see, we are a “Church of the Holy Spirit of Jesus,” saved by him to demonstrate God’s love to the world. And if we can’t hold ourselves together, it’s hard to imagine how we can overcome the even bigger divisions that confront the people God has called us to love, and serve, and lead to Jesus.

So today, let’s take Paul’s instructions to heart: “So then, no more boasting about human leaders! (Or human opinions, for that matter!) All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours! And you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” Amen.