Week 35—Saturday 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Week 35—SATURDAY
HELD TOGETHER IN SPITE OF DIFFERENCE
We note the next mark of the Christian church. Tenth, this church held together good people who honestly differed—held them in spite of difference. Paul and Barnabas had a contention—a contention over taking John Mark on another journey when he deserted them on the first journey. Barnabas’ viewpoint: “But, Paul, you don’t break a man when he makes one break. Our movement is a redemptive movement—we believe in the gospel of Another Chance.” Paul’s viewpoint: “But, Barnabas, we must keep our movement clean. We must hold to the gospel of the Pure Church.” Here were two issues out of which two denominations could easily have grown: One, around the issue of the gospel as Redemption; the other, around the issue of the gospel as Purity. But no two denominations resulted. Why?
The account says: “And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord” (Acts 15:39-40). That “being commended by the brethren by the grace of the Lord” is a part of one sentence and could refer to both Barnabas and Mark and Paul and Silas. In other words they held together brethren in difference. They commended both to the grace of the Lord—and they both needed it!
And this bigheartedness in holding together brethren in difference paid off. John Mark was redeemed, became “profitable” to Paul “for the ministry,” and wrote a Gospel. So this church, in commending both groups to the grace of God, was redemptive.
These ten marks of a Christian church showed that the church at Antioch was the Word become flesh in a group. No wonder they were first called “Christians” at Antioch. This group was an organism of the Holy Spirit. Without these ten marks the church is an organization of humans—the Word become word. Hence powerless.
O Holy Spirit, we pray you to make us into the image of the group at Antioch—an organism of the Holy Spirit. And may the Holy Spirit make us into the image of Christ so we can be truly called Christ-ian. In his name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: We “are organs one of another,” therefore can be “an organism of the Spirit.”