Unity in the body of Christ is important. We should pray, study, and debate proper understanding of scripture and we should reject wrong teaching and false prophets. We must neither be so contentious that we argue over what pastor we follow nor so accepting that we ignore and receive false teaching.
Appeal to Unity
1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
Let us not focus on being clever of speech, but rather share and live out the gospel as it is written. Let us unite in following and learning from Christ together. He alone, and not pastors or teachers, is the way, the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through Him. ‘
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, unite us in Yeshua. Let not Your people be divided over pastors and denominations. Give us the wisdom to discern and the courage to reject false teaching. Draw Your people together to stand in unity against the enemy. I pray this in the name of Yeshua, Amen.
Shalom. Devotion by John in service to Christ
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