Time to Bloomনমুনা

Enriched

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all of your speaking and with all your knowledge—because the testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” 1 Corinthians 1:4–7 (NIV)

These words were addressed to the brothers and sisters in the church at Corinth. It’s a holy compliment for how they had been enriched in the Lord. But earlier, the apostle Paul had spoken to them differently, calling them worldly and infants in Christ. Strange, right?

The Corinthian church had been equipped by the Spirit; everything they had was given by the Lord. They had been given the word of truth and knowledge; the Spirit had given them gifts—so many that they lacked none; they were enriched in Him.

When we read this, we immediately think this is the perfect example of a mature church. Unfortunately, this judgment is wrong; it's far from the truth. What they had received from God did not match what they were giving of themselves.

Paul says there was quarreling and division among them. Is that possible? We might think, "Well, maybe they weren't really enriched in Him." But we can't argue with that, because Paul, the Lord's servant, clearly wrote it in the first chapter. So, we must accept that his words were true. We scratch our heads, finding the explanation difficult. Maybe if we look at the scene Paul was talking about, it will be easier to understand.

God had placed people among them who had shared all that word of truth and knowledge. But, as people tend to do, divisions began to pop up about which of these servants of God was the best. While the servants were completely unaware of the arguments, the Corinthian believers, who had been enriched in Christ, started dividing into groups. Paul heard about this and wrote to them:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10–13 (NIV)

As funny or strange as it may sound, our churches aren't far from experiencing these same things. Our hearts subtly lean toward a certain leader, and when we speak or act, some of those preferences start to show. Have you heard any of these phrases?

"Who is preaching on Sunday?" (This question often hides the decision of whether to attend that service or not.) "Who will be in charge?" "Who will lead the meeting?" "Who will be giving the Bible study?"

These questions are pretty common, aren't they? May the Lord help us to grow and mature in such a way that we honor Him in everything we do.