ONE IN CHRIST

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we give thanks for, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for all of us share that one bread.

1 Corinthians 10:15-17 (HCSB)

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Division in the church was one of several issues we find the Apostle Paul addressing in his first letter to the Corinthians. You’ll recall that earlier in this letter Paul addresses factions that had formed within.

Some believers chose to follow Paul while others aligned with another apostle named Apollos. There were others who placed their loyalty with Peter (also named Cephas) and, of course, a number of Christians who chose to forgo human representatives of the Lord, pledging allegiance to Jesus Himself.

Paul railed against such behavior and works had in this letter to promote unity within the Corinthian church. To achieve this, his approaches were varied but he often used comparisons and analogies to drive home his points. Today’s scripture passage is perfect example.

I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we give thanks for, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for all of us share that one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:15-17 (HCSB)

Here we find Paul taking something all Christians would be well versed in, the Lord’s Supper, using it as an illustration to endorse togetherness.

Sharing His final Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus presented a process that He wanted His believers to follow in order to remember Him.

First, there was the wine-filled cup, representative of the new covenant from God that was sealed in Jesus’ shed blood, blood that had the power to cleanse a sinner gaining salvation from the Father through His Son.

This cup of blessing wasn’t reserved for any one individual. Neither was it set aside for just a certain group of believers. No, the cup Jesus drank from, the symbolic representation of His blood that He passed around to His disciples, was meant to be shared by all Christian believers afterwards. In my home church, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we all drink from the cup together, one body sharing in the blessing found in Jesus’ blood.

The same applies to the bread, the broken bread which symbolizes how Jesus’ body was broken for us. At His crucifixion, and this was after great abuse heaped upon Him beforehand, Jesus suffered the punishment we deserved. He bore the penalty for our sins as His body was violently beaten, battered, and pierced, and He wants us to remember it together.

One body sharing in one bread while acknowledging the solitary brokenness of our one Savior.

The church is made up of believers who are to be one in Christ. The Bible is crystal clear on this truth.

Like the first century Corinthian church, we would be well served to listen to Paul’s reminder and ensure we remain together through Jesus. After all, it’s He that puts the Christ in Christian.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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