Reading First Corinthians

Kingdom New Testament

The next book of the New Testament is most definitely a letter to a specific church with a very particular situation, but the doctrines and lessons included are extremely applicable to the church today. Paul was writing to a church that was embroiled in debate and division. Surrounded by wickedness, and other pagan religions, the church had began to adopt false practices, and remaining "believers" had begun to compromise the underlying principles of the faith with their actions, and interpretations.

Paul wrote a letter of renewed conviction, correction, and motivation. He tackles the division, questions of morality, and questions of everyday Christian life occurrences. The book is an amazing tool for us to use today to help us conquer our daily questions, and trials.

Perhaps the greatest conclusion from the book is the underlying need for unity. Throughout the church body, the family, teams, groups, e.t.c., there has to be unity. Every time conflict rips through the church, relationships are affected, and the perception of the church is also impacted. This can not happen when our priority is to minister to the communities that we are present in. This doesn't mean that every Christian has to agree on every topic. To me, unity is moving towards a common goal. The exact movement may differ, with the paths being slightly changed for each person, but the end result will always be the same. Paul is quick to make sure that there are common principles that have to be agreed upon, and that's definitely true. But if we do disagree on some topics, I think we should look at the disagreement, and ask if it truly matters to our faith, and if so, by how much. If it is a needless debate, then it's time to move on, and refocus on our relationship with God.