I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 1-4.

    Paul describes the problem with division in the Church that is based on factions. Paul is not talking here about division in the Church which is a result of disagreement over what is right and wrong (he speaks to that elsewhere). Here he is speaking about factionalism: “If they support X, I oppose X. If they oppose Y, I support Y.” Factionalism results from trying to impress those we think are wise, or powerful, or wealthy. I am really struggling to get this to be coherent today. My understanding of Paul’s point here is that doing as God instructs us appears foolish to those who do not have faith in God’s power. From a human perspective, Christ’s death on the cross is foolish and weak. You do not defeat the most powerful military force on the planet by being executed as a common criminal. Yet, that was God’s plan for creating His kingdom. Those who have accepted God’s Spirit realize that you cannot force people to love you. The only way to get people to love you is to love them and even then you need to rely on them choosing to love you back.