Proverbs 19:11

Commentary

Unity in relationships

In this passage is one proverb that is of utmost importance for unity in our relationships: ‘Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense’ (v.11, AMP).

I have been challenged by this verse many times in my life. It is so easy to be offended. It is easy to hold grudges. It is easy to seek revenge. If responded to in this way, even one small offence can lead to the breakdown of a relationship. It can end a friendship.

On the other hand, there is something glorious about overlooking an offence. This means refusing to be offended. It means refusing to hold a grudge. It means refusing to take revenge. It is hard to do. But it is of utmost importance if we are to maintain unity in our relationships.

Prayer

1 Corinthians 1:1–17

Commentary

Unity around Jesus

Corinth was a large cosmopolitan city that attracted people from every nation, culture and religion. In many ways, it was similar to a city like London, Hong Kong or New York. It was a commercial centre. It was a centre for arts, recreation, literature and architecture. It was a place with many museums and theatres.

The people of Corinth were wealthy, hard drinking and sexually promiscuous, and it was notorious for immorality.

In AD 50, Paul went to Corinth to plant a church. He stayed with his friends Priscilla and Aquila. He got himself a job and started preaching the gospel. He started a church in a house and stayed eighteen months until the spring of AD 52. Then he handed the church over to Apollos and moved on to plant more churches.

Some time later, Paul received a report that in his absence all kinds of problems had developed, including division in the church. Three or four years after planting this church (c. AD 53–54), he wrote this letter to try to deal with some of the issues.

Quarrelling and disunity began very early in the church’s history. In Corinth, it seems that the different factions were divided not so much by doctrine, as by mindset. Instead of being united in Christ they split into factions based purely on the leader they most respected – Paul, Apollos or Peter (Cephas) (vv.11–13).

Even before Paul starts his appeal for unity and love, we can see in his introduction and greetings how the theme of unity runs deep in Paul’s thinking. The basis of our unity is the person of Jesus:

1. Relationship with Jesus
   Paul writes to ‘those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours’ (v.2).

Every Christian in the world is someone who is sanctified in Jesus Christ and who calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is not divided (v.13) and neither should we be. We share the same Lord.

You are all called into ‘fellowship’ (koinonia) with Jesus (v.9). Spend time today enjoying his friendship. This is the deepest and most intimate relationship possible. Koinonia is the word used of the marriage relationship. We all love Jesus deeply and intimately.

2. Grace of Jesus
   Paul writes, ‘Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus’ (vv.3–4). To be a Christian is to experience the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. You are loved. Grace means undeserved love. It is supremely shown in and made possible through the death of Jesus Christ for each one of us. Every Christian in the world, of every church and denomination, is someone for whom Christ died. His grace is the basis of our unity.

3. Spirit of Jesus
   Paul writes to the Corinthians, ‘Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift’ (v.7a). The Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in every Christian. Paul goes on to expound in this letter how each of us has spiritual gifts, because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Every Christian in the world has the Holy Spirit living in them just as he lives in you.

4. Hope in Jesus
   Paul goes on to say, ‘as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (vv.7b–8). We all await the return of Jesus. One day we will be completely united in him. In the meantime, we have a common hope.

Paul is passionate about this unity. He writes, ‘I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought’ (v.10).

He is not happy to settle for a superficial unity. He appeals for perfect unity. In our lifetime, we may not succeed in seeing the complete unity of the church. However, never settle for less. Pray for it and seek to do all you can to bring it about. Jesus prayed that we might be brought to complete unity (John 17:20–21).

Prayer

1 Chronicles 17:2, 18:6–14

Commentary

Unity under one King

God’s desire has always been for unity among his people. Just as we see his desire for unity among his people in the New Testament, so we see in the Old Testament that he desired unity for the people of God.

Sadly, the history of the people of God in the Old Testament was also one of disunity. There was only one period in Israel’s history where there was any real semblance of unity. That was the period we now read about in the Book of Chronicles. David united ‘all Israel’ (18:14).

This was a period of great blessing for the people of God. Nathan said to David, ‘Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you’ (17:2). ‘The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went’ (18:6b). ‘David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people’ (v.14).

This unity continued in the reign of Solomon. The chronicler sees the unity of this period as the ideal. Writing hundreds of years later, he is not naïve about the failings of King David, and neither is he slow to point out the temptations of Solomon that spelt the beginning of the end of this golden age – gold, horses and many wives (see Deuteronomy 17).

After hundreds of years of disunity, he hopes that one day Israel will have a king who can do what even David and Solomon could not fully do. He longs for a king who will bring, among other things, total and permanent unity to the people of God. The fulfilment came about, not through an earthly king, but through a heavenly one.

Prayer