1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 6:12-13, 18-20
Related Sunday School Lesson, Bible Studies for Life, Mar. 9

 

If you could change one characteristic about your church, what would it be? Worship style? Evangelism? Discipleship? We all have our opinions, but in a post-9/11 world, where should we begin? Since the early church faced many of the same issues we do, let’s see where Paul started.

 

One foundation - 1 Cor. 3:9-11

1 Corinthians 3:9 reminds us that we are part of God’s “building” and we have one foundation, Jesus Christ (3:11). This is an important truth because in today’s world turmoil has divided the modern church.

But we’re not the only ones who’ve struggled with unity. The Corinthian church also wrestled with this issue. They argued, rather than prayed. They fought each other, rather than fighting their enemy, Satan (3:1-3). Paul knew that God wanted so much more for them, but they needed to realize that they were all on the same team. They had the same foundation, Jesus.

Within the Body of Christ, each Christian has different responsibilities and perspectives (3:5-6), but we all have one purpose (3:8). How do we handle these differences? Do you believe that your perspective is always right? Is your prayer chain really a gossip circle? When you disagree with someone, do you go directly to him/her, or do you tell others? Do you support the church leadership, or do you passively sit back, waiting for them to fail?

I wonder if you’re like me. I tend to think that when there’s a problem, it’s the other person’s fault. In my mind, they’re the ones gossiping, disobeying, or disrupting. They need to change! But when I think about past conflicts that I’ve experienced in church, I now realize that I was more of the problem, instead of the solution.

I personally believe the issue of unity is the most serious issue in today’s church. Do we really resolve conflict the way the Bible says that we should? Do we? Do we go directly to the person who’s upset us (Matt. 5:23-24)? Do we confess what we did wrong (James 5:16)? Do we passionately pray for people who disagree with us (Matt. 5:44)? Do we forgive people who’ve wronged us (Eph. 4:32)?

I’ve served in churches where the staff was the biggest gossip circle in the church. ?I’ve seen churches where deacons spent more time building “alliances,” than praying for humility and unity. I’ve heard church members ridicule other members – behind their backs, of course.

Is this the way the church should function? Before Paul addresses other issues in the Corinthian church, he speaks first to the issue of unity. Jesus believed that unity was central to our witness. Before He went to the cross, He prayed, “may [believers] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and [that you love] them” (Jn 18:23). Could it be that the main reason the world is turning away from the cross is because they don’t see the unity and love that Christ prayed for?

 

Lasting works - 1 Cor. 3:12-17

How do we hurt God’s Body by “using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw” (3:12)? In this verse, Paul is saying that we hurt the Body when we depend on man’s ways (man’s tools – gold, silver, etc …), instead of God’s ways.

Isn’t it amazing how we can justify not handling conflict the way the Bible teaches? We gossip, saying that we need to get other opinions on the issue. We refuse to address conflict face-to-face, because the other person is not mature enough to handle it.

And what does the Bible mean ‘confess my sins to the other person’ (Jas. 5:16)? How can that help? If I confess what I did wrong, my enemies might use it against me. They might crucify me. And yes, they might. But isn’t this part of taking up our cross and following Jesus – dying to self, to our ways, to our desire to control the situation?

Are we so concerned about controlling the church that we can’t follow God’s explicit directions for resolving conflict? Psalm 133 tells us, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity… there the Lord bestows His blessing.” Could it be that the American Church is missing God’s blessing because we care about position and power more than love, mercy, and unity?

 

Living for God’s glory - 1 Cor. 6:12-13; 18-20

Sexual sin is a significant problem in today’s world – and today’s church. If you teach this lesson and sexual sin is a serious issue among your listeners, then talk about it. Frankly, I’d rather spend all my time talking about sexual sin (1 Cor. 6) over unity (1 Cor. 3) because I handle sexual sin better than I do conflict resolution.

I guess that’s why I can’t get away from the issues of chapter three – dissension, pride, and gossip. The church ignores these issues. They’re elephants in the room. Sometimes they rear their ugly head during a business meeting; but most of the time, we quietly justify them as a necessary evil.

When your friends see you interact with other church members (the more “difficult members”), when they hear you talk about those members, when they watch your face as you walk by these difficult people, do your friends see love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness? If not, then change can begin with you. Will you commit today to be a unifying part of your church by practicing God’s ways for resolving conflict? Only then will a post-9/11 world be drawn to God, as they see us love one another (Jn. 13:34-35).