UNITY & THE BODY OF CHRIST

(Message by Tanny Keng)

1. Unity

a) Throughout the centuries since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church has often had a difficult time in agreeing with each other.  There are obviously numerous denominations and even many differences even within denominations.  

b) There are many reasons for this dynamic. Sometimes things like church traditions and differing biblical interpretations seem to get in the way of unity.  

c) But what does the Bible say about unity?  There are many passages to gain an understanding of what Christian unity should look like.

1 Peter 3:8 
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

2. Unity And The Body Of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12 
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.  13 For kin one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and mall were made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:14  
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

1 Corinthians 12:26 
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, pall rejoice together.

Galatians 3:28 
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:11-13 
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 

The End ...