We now make the transition from Romans to Corinthians. Paul begins by addressing the issue of division in the church. This theme will run throughout both letters to the church at Corinth. Here there is an amazing question which is beyond relevant for our day and age. Is the Christ divided? Some would say I follow Paul, others Apollos others Cephas(Peter), still others Christ.
We live in a day and age when charisma can win the day, and personality is what drives the organizations around us. The church is not different. In fact, many of our churches are build around the personality of a charismatic preacher, or the strong personality of one or more individuals. While it is true organizations take on the characteristics of their leaders, the church should have a hallmark difference. There is only one person who we should be following, and that is Jesus Christ.
Division takes place in the church when we begin to follow humanity more than divinity. The most tragic version of this is when the pastor thinks they are the one everyone is following. This will only lead to conflict and division. The church has always had as it's head, as it's senior leader Jesus Christ. Great men and women have provide temporal leadership to the church throughout the centuries, yet the times of solidarity have been founded in remembering we follow Jesus first then people, not people then Jesus.
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