Living in Peace
Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort,be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. -2 Corinthians 13:11
In today's passage, Paul was not writing to the world at large. He was writing to the church at Corinth, and that church was a divided church. The believers were disagreeing about preachers: some liked Paul, some Peter some Apollos, and some did not like preachers at all (1 Corinthians 3). The Corinthian believers were also divided over how to handle immorality in church. A man in the church was having an affair with his father's wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). Apparently, some in the church wanted to ignore it; no one seemed to want to confront it. The Corinthian believers were also divided over spiritual gifts, arguing about which gift was the greatest (1 Corinthians 13).
As Paul wrote his final letter to this church, he exhorted them to live in peace. Nothing hinders the cause of Christ more than contention within the laughs, saints are discouraged, and sinners are perplexed. God is a God of love and peace, and we should be people of love and peace.
Paul exhorted the believers to do three things in order to live peaceably. First, they must repair broken relationships. "Become complete" could be read as a picture of a mended fishing net that had been torn. If Christians are to be fishers of men, they must be united. Second, they must listen to godly counsel. Third, they must lay aside their differences and seek to "be of one mind."
Prayer : Father, give me a heart that love others and seeks to live in peace. In Jesus name, Amen.
In today's passage, Paul was not writing to the world at large. He was writing to the church at Corinth, and that church was a divided church. The believers were disagreeing about preachers: some liked Paul, some Peter some Apollos, and some did not like preachers at all (1 Corinthians 3). The Corinthian believers were also divided over how to handle immorality in church. A man in the church was having an affair with his father's wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). Apparently, some in the church wanted to ignore it; no one seemed to want to confront it. The Corinthian believers were also divided over spiritual gifts, arguing about which gift was the greatest (1 Corinthians 13).
As Paul wrote his final letter to this church, he exhorted them to live in peace. Nothing hinders the cause of Christ more than contention within the laughs, saints are discouraged, and sinners are perplexed. God is a God of love and peace, and we should be people of love and peace.
Paul exhorted the believers to do three things in order to live peaceably. First, they must repair broken relationships. "Become complete" could be read as a picture of a mended fishing net that had been torn. If Christians are to be fishers of men, they must be united. Second, they must listen to godly counsel. Third, they must lay aside their differences and seek to "be of one mind."
Prayer : Father, give me a heart that love others and seeks to live in peace. In Jesus name, Amen.
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