“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 

 

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 

 

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.“

1 Corinthians 15 :1-11 

 

–

September 24, 2025

A major issue addressed in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth was division within the body. There were rifts, jealousy, and quarreling. Instead of embodying a unity that reflected the harmonious union of the Triune God, they were arguing over who was better, who belonged to Paul, who belonged to Apollo. Instead of focusing on the gospel reality that they were now one body in Jesus, they were focused on their own opinions, desires, and prejudices.  

How familiar this feels to me! We live in a time of deep divisions, even in the Church. We reflect more division than unity. Paul’s message to Corinth is just as applicable to us. The gospel is what unites us! Not our political party, not our opinions, not our preferences, not our prejudices. Because of the gospel we are brought in to a family that is unlike anything this world has ever seen; we are made brothers and sisters with people who are unlike us in every possible way.  

If we think that the body of Christ is made up of people who share our opinions, traditions, and cultural habits then we have not read or understood the Bible.   

Divisiveness in the church community is clear evidence that the Corinthians are little more than spiritual beginners. We cannot have much hope for deepening our relationship with God if we are incapable of living harmoniously with those around us. Such harmony is not a superficial ‘getting along with’ everybody. Paul is profoundly aware that it takes hard work, commitment, and even sacrifice to respect the very real differences between people. 

The Life With God Bible, p. 291 

When we look at people, what do we see? Do we see their attractive appearance, their habits that annoy us, their wealth or lack of it, the color of their skin, their age? Do we see someone who might hurt or threaten us? Do we even see them at all?  

Or do we see all people—even those society teaches us to fear or overlook—as made in the image of God, precious and deeply loved? Do we see people as crushed by pain, suffering and sin, and in desperate need of God and community?  

If we allow it, the gospel changes how we see people every day.  

Questions for reflection and discussion:  

 

  • Think of someone in your daily life that you struggle to interact with. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace to see that person in a new light, to see that person as Jesus Christ would see them.  
  • What are some ways we can allow the gospel to dictate how we live in community with others? What are some ways you’ve avoided believers who are different from you?  
  • Have you ever allowed something like a church denomination, political affiliation, or other such thing to supersede the gospel of Jesus Christ? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you gently and to reveal the truth to you.   

Church Reading Plan: 2 Samuel 20; 2 Corinthians 13