The Deformed Body of Christ

The scripture of 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 reads, "now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe that there are contentions among you. 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? Was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Unnecessary division among Christians has plagued the church since shortly after Christ's return to heaven. People have reminded believers over and over again down through the centuries about the direct biblical command to be united and of one mind, yet division and contentions persist. It's interesting to note that many who preach unity in the body of Christ do not practice it. Sadly, the body of Christ has been redefined to pertain to each individual church, its members and pastor. Often, what determines whether a "brother" or "sister" in Christ will give another Christian the time of day depends on whether that individual is a member of his or her church and a supporter of his or her pastor. Church membership is the determining factor for many decisions that are made by and among believers, resulting in a deformed body of Christ which does not function properly due to such a spiritual abnormality.

Ironically, many who are rejecting their brethren in the Lord, based on church membership, have not even grasped the gospel with the strong grip that those on whom they look down have. There are times when they even go so far as to attempt to discourage and halt the work of Christ that is being accomplished in the brethren that they hold in low esteem--work that they themselves are not performing.

The scripture of Mark 9:38-40 illustrates such attitudes, and how Jesus responded to them. It reads, "And John answered him (Jesus), saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us, and we forbad him because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part."

Even the very apostles of Christ had to learn such a lesson. Fortunately, they learned it, and did not continue to forget it year after year like so many do today. This is one of the factors that allowed them to see the days that God granted them to do mighty works also in Jesus' name.

Christian studies at: Heavenly Manna