Yesterdays verse and communion thought question was:
1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
How does this attitude promote unity, and how might it relate to communion?
The sermon series we started yesterday is all about 1 Corinthians, titled “Paul’s Ideal Church.” Right from the get-go in chapter 1, immediately after his greeting, Paul calls them out for being divided. What were they divided over? Which apostle or teacher they were following. They had forgotten they were all one in Christ. He goes on to remind them later in the letter in chapter 12 that though they have differences – different giftings, abilities, teachers – that they are all part of the same body, that body of which Christ is head. They were all part of the temple of God, as he says in 3:16, no matter which teacher they came to Christ under. in 3:21-23 he tells them, “Don’t boast about following a particular human leader…you belong to Christ.”
So back to chapter 2. Paul lets the Corinthians know he had no intention of causing or encouraging their divisions. He wasn’t trying to make himself look or sound better than any of the other teachers or leaders. He points them back to Christ: “I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.” Paul, Apollos, and Peter weren’t the ones who salvation was through – It was Christ alone. He goes on to say he didn’t try to impress them or use hard to understand speech. On the contrary, the message he offered was plain. He relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. (v. 4) He wanted them to trust not in any man, but only in God.
We are all one in Christ. How many times have we argued and disagreed and split over issues that weren’t really issues, but just us being mule-headed? How many congregations and families torn apart because of the refusal to agree that some little thing is not as important as treating those around us with the love and grace of Christ? When we come together in communion to share with one another, we are reminded of that – that we are all one in Him, part of the same body, sharing in the same love and salvation offered to the whole world because “He so loved.” We can set aside our differences and our disagreements and come together in Him, with Him, and focus on what is important. And forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.
