United

Our world is defined by division. We have opponents at every turn, and we amplify our differences in ideology, culture, and politics by creating and growing echo chambers that do not engage in conversation but rather strike a wedge between us. The church is not immune to this divisiveness; it has never been immune to this, as Paul addressed the many conflicts that arose in the church in Corinth. Corinth dealt with their new faith by quarreling within themselves, as documented in their letters back and forth with Paul.

In the two letters Paul exchanges with the church, we see the evolution of how a church’s issues lead to division.  The triune God is diverse as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the church is a reflection as it is also diverse in its background, makeup, and point of view. God’s unity in diversity calls for the church to unite in its differences. However, Paul’s admonishment and closing words to Corinth remind the church that it is called to be like God and united in the face of its diversity. Paul closes his last known letter to the church with the following refrain.

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 13:11–14.

The call toward unity includes restoration, comfort, agreement, and peace. These four parts connect us to ensure that when we speak and engage with people, we treat them with dignity and respect, not because they earned it but because God created them. With everything in our power, we must strive for peace with all those in our faith community. Even in our disagreements, the church should be a place where God’s people exemplify living together as one people, sharing God’s love with each other, and exemplifying God’s love to the rest of the world.

Paul next instructs the church to greet one another with a holy kiss. We have too often just cast this aside as a cultural norm and something we don’t do in our modern world. However, the holy kiss reminds us, as Christians and church members share an intimacy that mimics the Trinity’s closeness. Therefore, when there is disunity among church members, it is a brokenness that mimics the brokenness that happens when a marriage fails. There is inevitable collateral damage to those around the dispute, causing irreparable damage sometimes. The church must understand its call by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to unite in holiness and set aside the petty differences we often use to wedge between us. 

We are broken people and require Christ’s love to support us through some desperate times. This love should be broadcast from the church to the people in the congregation and around the congregation. The song “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love” must ring true inside and outside our church family. The love that unites the Trinity also unites the church. In the diversity of the church, there is a fellowship that comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit, a presence that clings us together in peace, and a knowledge that there is grace when we fail.

Thus, as a church, we must remember to lay aside our differences in opinion and instead cling to what draws us together, which is our Triune God. God models connection and unity, while three are also connected as one. Thus the church should be united in proclaiming God’s love and peace in the world so that the church may be a sanctuary from the division that plagues our society. Just as the divisions arose in Corinth, Paul reminded the church that unity leads to holiness and shows the world what God’s love looks and acts like.