Same House, Separate Lives (2)

Introduction

There are six of us in the Morgan family. Let’s pretend that while we all shared the same house, we each lived in separate rooms. We only engaged in individual activities. We never spoke to one another. We never shared our future dreams. And, with the exception of one meal together each Sunday, we always ate on different schedules. Would you consider us a healthy family? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately, this is a very typical picture of life inside the house we call “church.”

People and ministries share the same roof but do nearly everything in isolation.

Outside of Sundays, they rarely combine their efforts.

Like members of a dysfunctional family, most church staff members know their team isn’t healthy.

But they’ve learned to cope and get by, living separate lives within the same house.

I’m tired of seeing churches in which the children’s ministry, student ministry, choir, women’s ministry, men’s ministry, discipleship program, local missions team, and other departments are each operating independently of the rest.

Healthy businesses would never allow one business unit to compete against another. Healthy churches don’t allow that either.

This problem is very serious, but it isn’t brand new.

The Apostle Paul wrote the following to an early church hindered by the issue:

1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV 1900

10 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.

1 Corinthians 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, 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.

Throughout time, the Church has continued to be held back by this challenge.

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, 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. (, NLT) Throughout time, the Church has continued to be held back by this challenge. The issue shows up in today’s churches in the form of ministry silos — undeclared divisions between departments. It’s not hard to tell when a church has silos. The difficult part is discovering and eliminating their true causes.

The issue shows up in today’s churches in the form of ministry silos — undeclared divisions between departments.

It’s not hard to tell when a church has silos. The difficult part is discovering and eliminating their true causes.

But before we get started, let’s pause to remember how much is at stake:

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silos. We’ll explore each problem in the coming chapters, along with the symptoms of each and steps you can take to begin addressing them. But before we get started, let’s pause to remember how much is at stake:

What could happen if leaders within churches began putting a unified purpose ahead of personal agendas?

How might the Kingdom advance if wins for the team were really more important than protecting turf?

Who could be reached if we cared more about ministry and less about maintaining our individual platforms?

1:10. The apostle began with a respectful but forceful appeal. In this verse and the next, he called his readers brothers to remind them of his intense familial affection for them.

Paul also revealed the intensity of his concern by appealing to his readers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. By so doing, Paul reminded them that the authority of Christ himself stood behind his exhortations.

The appeal divides into three parts. He asked the Corinthians to agree with one another, to eliminate divisions, and to be perfectly united in mind and thought. Each part says basically the same thing: the Corinthians needed to eliminate the divisions in their church. They needed to become like-minded with one another.

Paul did not mean that unity implied uniformity on all matters.

As he pointed out in several places, there is much room for disagreement and diverse opinions over secondary issues in the Christian church (; ).

1:11. Paul revealed the source of his concern for the unity of the Corinthian believers, whom he again called brothers.

He had received information from members of Chloe’s household.

In any case, members of her household had informed Paul about some serious problems in the church.

Paul had learned that there were quarrels within the church.

1:12. Paul got right to the heart of these quarrels: the church had divided into personality factions.

It is possible that the use of the singular “I” as opposed to the plural “we” in this context indicates that these groups were not organized, solidified factions. The problem may have been much more individualistic.

Whatever the case, Paul identified four factious loyalties in the church at Corinth.

First, some declared themselves followers of Paul.

As much as this group may have fed the apostle’s ego, he rejected its practice as inappropriate.

Second, some followed Apollos, a teacher who came to Corinth after Paul ().

He was the subject of concern several times in this epistle (3:4–9, 22; 4:6). Apparently, his following was substantial.

Third, others followed Cephas (the apostle Peter)

believing he had the greatest insights of all.

Finally, one group claimed to follow Christ.

Although this claim sounds positive on the surface, it is likely that Paul included this group in his list because even they thought themselves superior to others because they refused to identify with a human leader.

Boasting in Christ would have been fine (), but boasting in oneself for following Christ was sin (; ).

All of these groups or individuals took pride in the fact that they followed one leader or another.

The appeal divides into three parts.

He asked the Corinthians...

To Agree With One Another

Live in harmony

To Eliminate Divisions In the Church

To Be Perfectly United in One Mind And Thought

Each part says basically the same thing: the Corinthians needed to eliminate the divisions in their church. They needed to become like-minded with one another.