These days, ‘diversity’ is receiving a lot of press, as they say. But the world’s brand of diversity is vastly different from Christ’s will for His local churches. 

The World’s Diversity Christ’s Teaching

Tries to force the world into conformity. | Is concerned for the unity of local churches.

Divides people who were together.       | Unifies the church in service to Christ.

Race, politics,&status used to categorize.| Accepts all who repent and believe the gospel.

Creates an elite class & rejects others.| Removes superficial divisions for the glory of Christ.

At Coggins Church, we’ve been studying the division among the Corinthian Christians. Paul is addressing each problem area one at a time, often showing that the root problem is pride. Some in the church find a way to elevate themselves at the expense of others in just about everything the church does, and the use of spiritual gifts is no exception. The answer, says the Apostle, is to grasp and embrace both the unity and diversity of Jesus Christ Himself, and to extend this understanding to the interpersonal workings of the local church. 

The Holy Spirit brings unity out of diversity. The Spiritual gifts work together, equipping the local church to accomplish the will and work of the Savior, as demonstrated in the Book of Acts. Jesus Christ established the one organization in history where true diversity and unity not only can happen but do happen, the church. 

Christ Himself is the model of unity with diversity for every local church. This is the point of 1 Corinthians 12:12 in the Bible. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” There is no innate division in the person of Jesus Christ. Simultaneously, Jesus, though God’s Son, has a real human nature and a real human body. Referring to local churches, verse 12 says that just as Jesus’ human body had many parts [members]and yet was one body, the local church is to be one spiritual organism with many gifted people [parts]. Christ, not the world, not personal elevation, is the local church’s model for unity amidst diversity.

Love you, folks, 

Pastor Scott