paul’s epistles – Lee Duigon

church scene

Throughout the New Testament, especially in Paul’s epistles to the various churches, a recurring theme is a plea for unity–and that was when the brand-new Church had only several thousand members, world-wide. And it was already splitting into schools and factions: “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?…” (1 Corinthians 1: 12-13).

This Sunday at Church: Pray for the Church to be united Biblically

Our friend and colleague “SlimJim” reminds us NOT to pray for “unity at any cost” (and certainly not to let it motivate our actions), but rather to pray for “unity as it is motivated by Christian love.”

Yes, there are those with whom we should not seek unity. But let’s not forget “The fight’s out there, people”–not in here, within the Church.

The opening words of this classic hymn are from Paul’s first Epistle to Timothy, Chapter 1.

The thing about Paul’s epistles is, they’re full of real people. We know a lot about Timothy–his grandmother, Lois, his mother, Eunice, his pagan father (whose name is not given), and his less than robust state of health, for which Paul advises him to take a little wine with his dinner, instead of water.

If we belong to Jesus Christ, we are in fellowship with these saints of old; they are our family. We can love them. Meanwhile, we are in fellowship with saints in Africa and Asia and other faraway places, whom in this life we will never see face-to-face but who are nevertheless knit to us in a holy bond. They, too, are our family in Christ.

It’s good to have a big family, don’t you think?