A Divided Christ?

1 Corinthians 1:1-19

Paul was concerned about the wellbeing of the church in Corinth. According to reports that he had received there was substantial infighting among the believers there. His comments, then, are appropriate. “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?” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13a). If the church is one body–and in fact the body of Christ–then such divisiveness is a travesty which weakens the community of faith.

A pastor and mentor of mine from the Church of Scotland was asked many years ago where he stood on the question of lifting the elements during communion. There were those who believed that raising the bread and cup for all to see was appropriate, while others believed this appeared too much like the Roman Catholic mass. My friend admitted that he lifted the elements during communion, but never very high.

Such debates may seem silly, unless you are in the middle of one. Then it becomes very serious. What is the church to do in cases where it finds itself broken into pieces? My Scottish friend’s pragmatism offers one answer: find the middle ground and don’t take things so seriously. But for larger issues this becomes more and more difficult. For Paul the answer lies in the cross of Jesus Christ which alone has the ability to unite and to unify. For though the cross may seem foolhardy to those who are mired in this world, for those who understand its meaning the cross represents God’s redemptive activity in our midst. How can we be split apart when we have such a powerful image to guide us?

I believe Paul’s advice to the church today would be to consider our various points of division in light of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us all and to recognize the foolishness of most of these issues. If Christ was willing to die in order to bring us together, can we really allow ourselves to be torn apart so easily?

Prayer: Lord, your Church needs your reconciling power now more than ever. Guide us by the power of the cross to live lives in full obedience to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.