THE KING’S BUSINESS
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and another saying, “I am of Apollos,” and still another, “I am of Cephas.” To cap the climax some said “I am of Christ.” Some were partisans of one great leader in the church and some of another. Some, apparently in a spirit of pride, said “I don’t care for any of your old leaders, I am of Christ.” We see the same thing today: one says, “I am of Luther,” and another says, “I am of Wesley,” and another, “I am of Calvin,” and still another regards them all with contempt and says, “I am of Christ,” with the'implication that no one but he is of Christ. Paul was not puffed up and pleased that some took his name: he was humbled and horrified by it. No really Godly man wants any party or church to take his name. He does not wish any Institution to take his name. There is but One whose name any of us should bear, that is the One Who was crucified for us and into whose name we were baptized. Christ is not divided, and with all our diversities of temperament and point of view, if we are really in Christ, we all belong to the one Christ, and all alike should bear His Name. Thursday, Sept. 20 . 1 Cor. 1 : 14 - 17 . Many boast of the number of people, and especially the number of distinguished people, whom they have baptized. But Paul rejoiced and thanked God that he had baptized none of them but a few, not that baptism was not important, but lest some person might say that he had baptized them into his own name. He could think of only two at first whom he had baptized, then he thinks of a whole household that he had baptized; then it occurs to him that there may be others, but it had meant so little to him to be the one through whom the baptizing had been done that it had slipped from his mind, and he didn’t know whether there were any others or not. Furthermore Paul had a higher calling than baptizing people, it was preaching the gospel. Why do we cumber the man who has the gift of preaching and the call to preach with the
ship; so we have no less a calling than that of comradeship and partnership with Jesus Christ the Lord. We shall ulti mately be joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17). Tuesday, Sept. 18 . i Cor. 1 : 10 , i i . The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of Unity (Eph. 4:3, 4; John 17:22). Nothing is more abhorrent to Jesus Christ than divi sion among brethren. But the Devil is always seeking to bring in division. He is immensely successful in. his attempts in this direction. Paul’s epistles abound in appeals for Unity, showing how common division among brethren was in the early days of the Church. These appeals for Unity were never more needed than today. There is much talk about Unity in our day, but the realization of true Unity is not so common, and those who talk most about it are oftentimes those who realize it least. Here we have a very earnest appeal, “I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing” (cf. Phil. 2:12). How needful it is that the Church of Jesus Christ speak with one voice in the pres ence of a hostile world. Only by Unity can the church be perfected (v. 10 R. V .; cf. Ephesians 4:12), Blessed is the peace maker in the church, the one who brings the seemingly discordant elements to the same mind and the same judgment. They are indeed the children of God (Matt. 5:9). There was especial nead in Corinth that Paul make this fervent appeal for Unity: there were “contentions” among them. Information concerning these con tentions had been brought to Paul, and this was one of the things that led to the writing of this letter, which has brought so much blessing to countless thousands. So the evil of these contentions has in the wondrous wisdom and grace of God been made to work out good. Wednesday, Sept. i<). i Cor. 1 : 12 , 13 . The contentions that had arisen in Cor inth came from one saying “I am of Paul”
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