Delight in Zion
From Corinth Until Today: A Call for Unity
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Messiah Yeshua, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord, both theirs and ours” - 1 Corinthians 1:2
When Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, his first and most vital declaration was to remind every follower of Yeshua that they were “called to be saints.”
In the middle of a world crisis, our calling remains a massive challenge.
We need to constantly remind ourselves of our calling in Messiah.
It is March 2021, and here in Israel, we are emerging from a third lockdown, while the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine has so far been given to almost 5 million people and over 3.7 million people have received the second dose, including myself.
Israel is well ahead in percentage terms as it seeks to fully vaccinate its population of over 9 million.
The latest data emerging
from Maccabi Health Services reveals a very encouraging 95% effectiveness rate.
There is a raging debate among believers as to whether to receive the vaccine or not, and there is a clear danger that vehemently opposed views can lead to divisions, resentment and even hatred.
Ancient Corinth was a city full of cultural and religious excesses that were infiltrating the believing communities and dividing the followers of Yeshua.
Paul, who had been used of God to birth that first century community of believers, wrote to them under the anointing of the Holy Spirit to address the various issues that had undermined the testimony of God in their lives.
The overriding issue was their obvious lack of unity.
1 Corinthians 1:10-11:
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.”
“There are contentions among you” is equally true today, and none has seemed to be more contentious than the issue of the vaccines.
I came to faith in the Lord over 40 years ago in London, and since that amazing day in my life, I have witnessed at close hand the never ending tension between those who believe that all sickness is from the devil and pray for healing for those who are sick, while refusing to consider any medical help from a doctor, and those who would run to every medical department available to address their health concerns, and would not appear to seek prayer and healing from God.
Most believers find themselves in the middle of those opposite extremes, weighing up their thoughts and decisions.
Pastorally, I have never felt or indeed seen a conflict in praying wholeheartedly to our God for complete healing for someone, while also advising seeking medical advice and treatment where possible.
The debate about the vaccines is alive and well here in Israel, as it is around the globe, and seems to be a heightened example of the very long-standing tensions that have always been evident among believers with regards to spiritual healing and medical treatment.
We discussed and prayed about these matters as a leadership team on Mt. Carmel and agreed that we could see no biblical or spiritual reason not to take the vaccine, but we would respect our people’s decisions either to take or not take it without condemnation.
That principle will continue to guide us in the coming season. We will not be divided into the vaccinated and unvaccinated!
What has been so disturbing has been the scale of fear being spread on social media by those who oppose taking the vaccine. Some of these posts express very unbalanced views, and reference dubious sources of information.
It is fair to say that news media outlets and government communications in Israel and across the world are strongly supporting the vaccination drive, and that has had the opposite effect upon those who are sceptical about the vaccine.
There is a degree of propaganda on both sides of the argument.
I want to note that I have already received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and I am absolutely fine. That said, I have good and loved friends who will not take the vaccine, and I fully respect their choices. Our common unity in Messiah must override our differences over the vaccine.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he was dealing with believers who were so divided they would only listen to their leader of choice. “‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ’ they declared, disrespecting each other, and the leaders they would not listen to (1 Corinthians 1:12).
Sadly today, there are many believers who will not listen to any leader, justifying their unaccountability by saying they answer to God alone, very much like those in Corinth who said “I am of Christ.”
Paul was writing knowing full well that many of the people who would hear the letter did not want to hear him or thought they were far too spiritual to receive any advice from a mere man, even if he was the Apostle Paul!
There is a tendency for believers who feel strongly about an issue to look at those believers who disagree with them as being unspiritual. Believers who have taken the vaccine are often accused of just swimming with the tide of world opinion.
Paul was faced with that type of thinking, which can be very disrespectful and outright abusive when he was addressing the issue of widows seeking to remarry.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul addresses various practical issues concerning marriage, divorce, circumcision, and those who were unmarried or widows. Within the context of a very carnal and divided community of believers, Paul offers a variety of clear instructions and then reminds all believers of an essential truth.
1 Corinthians 7: 39-40:
“A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.”
Paul ends his God-inspired advice with a truth we need to remember about all who call on the name of the Lord:
"I think I also have the Spirit of God."
Here is the principal in God’s word we need to own and live out.
In our disagreements over issues that do not in any way affect our salvation, we need to respect the indwelling Holy Spirit of God within each of us.
We also need to respect those whom God has called and gifted to lead and pastor among us.
The problem that seems to be increasing among believers around the globe, is the sad reality that many are “sheep without shepherds” (Matthew 9:36) who declare all kinds of views but are completely without anyone they are accountable to.
It would be interesting to know just how many followers of our Lord have never been properly discipled, or are currently without a congregation, and without the true freedom that comes from being accountable either to a Pastor or leader, or from within a ministry team of leaders.
True freedom can only be experienced with clear accountability, and it is a blessing to seek wisdom with a multitude of counsellors.
Proverbs 11:14:
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Unity is critical in the body of Messiah. It is absolutely fine to have strong opinions about the issues of our day but let us respect the Holy Spirit within each of us and seek to be accountable to godly leaders in our own congregations, or in the wider body of Messiah.
I pray that those who would fundamentally disagree with this blog would ask themselves to whom are they really accountable and hear my heart as I declare like Paul, “I think I have the Spirit of God.”
Shalom and Blessings
