1st Corinthians 5:10-17 (NLT)

¹⁰ I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,^c]">[c] by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. ¹¹ For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹² Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,^d]">[d]” or “I follow only Christ.”

¹³ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! ¹⁴ I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

(copied from:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201&version=NLT)

I was thinking about this verse today as I was web-surfing in the computer lab at Sierra College. And, from personal observations about denominations and even within denominations there is so much division. These verses need to be taken into every Christian's heart.

It seems like over the years many people start churches, not for trying to reach more people for Christ, but to make a church that they liked. How wrong this is! These verses have just so much to say, and although written by Paul, they should still be REALLY important in growing in our faith. (That's why they are in the Bible!!) Verse 17 "For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News..." that calling is for ALL of us. Yes, baptizing comes with being a pastor/minister, but the MAIN focus is preaching "the Good News" to the people of the world.

I pray that you guys read the passage again, and reflect on it. What does God lay on your heart? How can you implement this into your daily lives? Not all of us were specifically called to lead a church or to become a missionary in some foreign country. Some were called to be teachers, and truck drivers, and administrators, and computer techs and mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and friends and janitors and whatever else. But how can you "minister" (tell others about God's Word) at your job? How can you use 1st Corinthians 5:10-17?

Leave comments and revelations!

God Bless all of you!!

Cody Marie