No Divisions (1 Cor. 11:17-22)

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, or in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
(1 Corinthians 11:17-22, NASB)

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth just a handful of years after Christ’s ascension … and already there were “divisions” and “factions” in the church. People were coming “together not for the better but for the worse.”

And sadly, not much has changed over the centuries.

So much is being written and discussed about how people “love Jesus, but hate the church.” The church is full of hypocrites, they say. Those church people are so exclusive, so intolerant.

And within the church, denominations abound. So much “my church is better than your church.”

The tragedy is that the “church” isn’t a building. It’s not a place. The true church is the body of Christ, the One who gave His life to provide salvation for all people. For all people.

That’s what we seem to forget. We are all sinners. We are flawed, imperfect, unrighteous. Yet when we put our trust in Jesus, when we believe in Him and accept His gift of salvation, we become part of His body, part of His church.

We are hands, feet, eyes, and ears of the very same body. And as such, we should work together, love each other, serve each other. We should be healthy and growing. And others should want to be a part of this body because of how attractive it is.

No divisions within the church. And a desire to be part of the true church from without.