Daily Manna 20 June
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
10. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14. I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15. Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Daily Manna 20 June
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
KEY VERSE: “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” – (1 Corinthians 1:12,13)
The reason many nations find it difficult to make real progress is because of disunity. This disunity is not really because of multiple ethnic groupings, diverse cultures, etc., but because of their inability to recognise the potentials in their differences and the need to harness them towards achieving a common end. As long as people are bitterly pitched in opposing camps and fail to see face to face, there cannot be meaningful progress.
The Corinthian church had become so contentious and torn apart by schisms. Sadly, this division was as a result of different camps built around the personalities of the ministers God had used to bless them. They became fans of the different preachers. Getting the reports, Apostle Paul sharply rebuked them, recognising this as a sign of carnality and immaturity. It was the devil’s ploy to make them lose focus of heaven.
How we need to watch so that we do not allow the devil to make us turn the good things God has given us in the church into engines of divisions and contentions. We must not descend into carnality and begin to make comparisons between ministers and leaders in the church.
They are God’s gifts to the Church for the edification of the body. While we should accord them due honour, we are not to build opposing camps around them. We should pray for them that God will continue to help them to be channels of blessings to us.
Nothing delights the hearts of our ministers more than to see that by the grace of God, we are bringing forth good fruits as a result of the seed of the Word they are sowing in us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There should be no opposing camps in the Body of Christ.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 3-4
