Unity

First and foremost, I hope everyone had a joyous and happy Thanksgiving--I know that I did. The combination of excellent weather and a Packers victory made me happy (it makes it easier for the Bears to get a wild card birth) made for a great day.

Today's reading transitions into the first letter to the Corinthians (actually, the second, as the note describes), and Paul begins this letter imploring the believers in Corinth to eliminate any divisions between them. Both my NIV Study Bible and the Chronological Bible suggest a date of approximately 55 AD for the writing of this letter, around 20 years or so after the death of Christ. Think about what happens when the person who establishes anything is gone, particularly after a period of 20 years. Leadership changes, methods differ, goals morph and the initial vision might be blurred, if not lost altogether. This is what Paul was attempting to forestall in Corinth, since it appears that factions were either beginning to develop or had widened further.

To say this has relevance for us today is an understatement of the highest order. The church today is widely fractious--every denomination represents a different faction to the extent that they claim to be the "one true  path" to salvation, but if at the core we all accept the belief that salvation comes only through Christ, then we can consider ourselves as one body. It's a tricky thing to get our minds across, and one that can put up walls where there need be none. What Paul is telling the Corinthians is to ignore the things that aren't important and stress the most important one.

As we continue in Corinthians, we'll read about a church whose lifestyles didn't necessarily reflect a Godly life, which is something we need to constantly be on  our guard about. It's one thing to claim to be a Christian, but quite another to lead a life that is indeed Godly. As I've noted over and over throughout the year, what we profess is far less important than what we live and demonstrate in our daily lives. Actions do indeed speak louder than words, and our entire lives should be devoted to being a living sacrifice, not that we can earn salvation, but as a humble offering of thanks to Christ for that ultimate gift he gave  to us.

Scott