A Perfect Church?

We met a couple who were looking for a church. They had tried two large and obviously thriving churches only to say both were “toxic” and they would not go back. They stuck around for a couple of weeks and have not been back to our church either.

Sadly, experience shows that sometimes a church does have problems. In some situations, the problems perceived have more to do with the person perceiving them than anything else. Paul warned about this . . .

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. (Titus 1:15)

In the above case, perhaps this couple had been hurt or deceived and all they could see went through that grid. Or they were looking for perfection, something not present even in any congregation of forgiven sinners.

In some situations, the church does have real problems. We have attended many in our many moves and during vacations. We have experienced pastors crying on our shoulders, churches so tense with conflict that their singing was off-key, and a few where the word ‘toxic’ comes to mind. This is not usual, but it does happen. The church at Corinth comes to mind.

Paul began his first letter to them with thanksgiving for the grace of God that had enriched them and gifted them. That was brief. Most of the remaining letter addressed their problems . . .

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:10–17)

Instead of putting Christ first, some of them were arguing about who they followed and how that made them better than those who followed someone else. They had a problem with pride and a subtle form of idolatry that says, “My pastor is better than your pastor.” This kind of thing still happens even though the above passage sharply rebukes those who get off track.

They knew they had problems. This letter refers to a letter they had written to Paul asking for answers. Some were concerned about marriage because they worried that all sexual relationships were sinful (1 Corinthians 7:1ff). Another issue was whether it was right to eat food offered to idols (8:1).

This church also had a problem with spiritual gifts and argued over what gifts were the best (12:1ff). They were disagreeing about how to collect offerings (16:1) but perhaps their biggest problem concerned the resurrection. Some of them had stopped believing it would happen (15:12). 

We have attended and been members at several outstanding churches where unity prevailed. If there had been any in-fighting, we didn’t see it, not that people faked unity or smiled all the time so no one would see their angst. It just was not there. In these churches the common denominators are their focus on glorifying God and their faithfulness to teach and preach through the Bible.

Christians who want to glorify God know that conflict does not do it. We also know that loving one another is our strongest testimony to God’s grace and power. Loving one another does not suggest dismissing faults and conflicting views but dealing with them in a biblical manner.

Putting God’s Word as the final authority also promotes unity. Conforming to His will and letting the Holy Spirit be our guide is protection against all sorts of conflict, petty or serious.

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Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your power to build Your church and to be the head, the bridegroom of Your Body. The bride of Christ is a work in progress, but like You, we are to be patient and an encouragement to one another. My brothers and sisters in Christ are not perfect, but neither am I. Besides, You want me to be part of the solution, not part of any problems that threaten our task that You have so clearly laid out for us. Forgive our silliness when it happens. Show us our sins because we sometimes cannot see them. Help us to live for Your glory, not wanting our own way but wanting Your will to be done! Amen.