1 Corinthians 3:3-4
You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”are you not mere human beings?
Here is the challenge the Corinthian Christians faced: they were acting too much like the world around them. The world is a tough place, lots of competition, people joking for position and power, always trying to get ahead, usually as the cost of other people. There is a law in social studies that is called limited goods: there is only so much of the pie to go around. If someone gets a bigger slice, someone else will have to have a smaller piece. When people try to get ahead, someone else is going to get hurt. This happens in churches as well. When some people want positions of power and influence, either in an official position or possibly just through the use of shame or guilt to get their way, someone else in the church is often the victim. Any time people choose sides, there will be problems. What unifies a church, family, marriage? It is in developing the mind of Christ. We put Christ first when we bow in humble worship. Putting Christ first will empower us to put others first. The result is a strong and common bond of love. The Corinthians had problems with love, with which the letter will later deal. If we are acting only on our own power, where will that lead us? Selfish ambitions, division, discord, and strife. If we are acting on the power of the Holy Spirit (see ch. 2), then our lives will be characterized by holy love.
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