Lesson 3: Unity in Christ (1 Corinthians 1 & 3, Philippians 2)

Have you seen a divided church? Have you ever entered a church where you could see the division simply by observing where people are sitting? I recall as a young man attending my grandmother’s church in Ironwood, Michigan. It appeared that all of the professionals sat on the left and those whose work did not require a degree sat on the right. While I was in law school, I noticed in the cafeteria that all the black students sat at one table. I thought that was unfortunate, so I sat at that table. Those at the table harassed me. I did not leave, but I never did that again! As a young lawyer, my wife and I attended a church where the black members tended to sit on one side and the white members sat on the other side. After I transferred to another church, I returned to that church and preached a sermon on racial reconciliation. After my sermon, some black friends said to me, “I hope they were listening,” and my white friends confided, “I hope they were listening.” Is there any solution to divisions in the church? Or is that just the natural order of things? Let’s jump into our study and read Paul’s advice on that subject!