The Challenge of Coming Together
It’s amazing how much trouble the early Christians had getting along with one another in the New Testament. In Jerusalem, the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food (Acts 6). Christians from Judea came to the Gentile congregation in Antioch preaching that you had to be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1). In Rome, the brethren were fighting over special days and eating meat sacrificed to idols (Rom. 14-15). In Corinth, they were divided over personalities (1 Cor. 1:12). Also, the brethren were jealous and striving because of their immaturity (1 Cor. 3:1-3), and they were making distinctions at the Lord’s table (1 Cor. 11:20-22). The wars over meat had reached there, too (1 Cor. 8, 10). Even spiritual gifts were an issue. Some esteemed miracles like tongue-speaking above natural gifts like faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 12-13). The foolish people in Galatia had been “bewitched” by the circumcision party and were devouring one another (Gal. 3:1; 5:15). Euodia and Syntyche were fussing in Philippi, while the rest were grumbling (Phil. 2:14; 4:2). In Colossae, members like Philemon had enslaved their brethren (Phile. 15-16). The idle in Thessalonica refused to work and had turned into busybodies (2 Thes. 3:6-15). And all this was happening in the inspired age when the church was under apostolic direction!
When you look at a list like that, you wonder how the church survived the first century! Most of our petty squabbles pale by comparison.
Why do Christians have trouble getting along with each other? We’re supposed to be known by our love and unity (John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:3-6).
When you think about what Jesus has asked us to do, it’s not surprising to see conflict in the church. He has asked to come together in very intimate, personal ways. We’re asked to worship together, sing with one another, teach one another, eat together, confess our sins to one another, get into one another’s business, hold one another accountable, forgive one another, and pray for one another. These are matters about which we all feel very strongly. And we all have our opinions! It’s no wonder we have our disputes.
The solution, of course, is love. Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Love is enough to guide us through every disagreement and to empower us to obey Christ’s challenge to come together in unity (John 17:21). If we will let love overrule our own personal opinions and preferences, not only will we come together, we will stay together.
Drew Kizer