A People in a Place, Week 3: United through the Cross
Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, written mid-first century AD while he was in Ephesus, addresses growing cultural disunity that had begun to creep into the church. Paul sought to restore unity by directing believers to focus solely on Jesus and him crucified. The Way of the Cross, shown by Christ, was marked by humble and selfless love for others. To the Greco-Roman mind, this was utter foolishness.
Today, as in first-century Corinth, we find disunity in our cities and our culture and face the specter of it seeping into the Church. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is as poignant today as it was in ancient times, with its need for unity. We really find unity when we focus on Jesus, adopting his humility, self-sacrifice, and genuine love for our neighbor.