1 Corinthians 1:1-10 (Conflict Resolution Part 1)

I love Paul's heart.  He was a man who had been drastically changed by God, and he is greatly someone I want to emulate.  Before, he was a brutal, Christian-hater, and now he is a tender follower of Christ.  Incredible!
The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter to the church in Corinth.  Corinth is a big city, and it has two sea ports, so there is a lot of other-culture influence as well as travelers and big business.  The city is very sexualized, and the temple of Aphrodite down the street had, at one time, 1,000 prositutues used for "worship."  Imagine living in a city like that!?  Sadly, I think we almost do -- we prostitute our bodies all over the media. (I just saw the new line of "lingerie" for young girls you may have heard about on the news recently, and it almost made me sick.) We, too, are a very over-sexualized society.

Paul has received word that there is a lot of the culture creeping into the church and causing divisions and quarrels among the people.  They are a body of new Christians, so they need direction.  Paul, often referred to as the first pastor, is writing his church that they might be redirected toward a life that reflects Christ.

So, we start with the greeting of his letter:
 ¹ Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
 ² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
 ³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
I love how his greeting reminds himself, before he does anything else, that he is an apostle and he is striving to do the will of God.  I wonder if he wants to let the church see his heart on this before he jumps into the "big" stuff?  He wants them to know that he's trying to live as an apostle of Christ.

Then, he says who this letter is addressed to, and he reminds the Corinthians that if they are sanctified in Jesus Christ, they are called to be holy.  Sometimes, we just need that reminder, don't we?  We know we have Christ, but we want to do what we want to do anyway.  He is reminding them that there's not a choice -- holiness is what we are called to -- making every effort to living pure and blameless lives.  Then, he reminds them that they are not the only ones who are called to live this way, but rather "together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- their Lord and ours."  He's saying, "It's not all about you!  Stop focusing on yourselves, but remember that you are part of a bigger picture.  You're not doing this alone, but all of us who call on Jesus are in this together."

I don't know about you, but I need these reminders sometimes.  I'm so thankful for the occasional opportunities where I get to go be with a group of Christians from all different denominations -- we all believe the same basic truths, we often all know the same songs in worship, and we are all people who smile and like to talk to one another.  I am over-whelmed by the enormity and diversity of the Body of Christ (the Church) all over the world!  Well, the Corinthians did not have this benefit -- they were far away from other Christians -- and I'm sure at times they felt very alone and insignificant.

 ⁴ I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— ⁶ because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 

Let's recap:
So, first he reminded them who they are and who he is and where he gets to authority to address them. Then, he brings them together for a common cause (being holy for Christ). 
Now, before he jumps into the reason he's writing and/or any written rebuking, he gives thanks for them and encourages them.

I really desire to do these three things now before I EVER start in on a conflict-resolution conversation with someone.  This looks like the much more loving, wise and tactful approach.  I've been on the opposite side (haven't you?), when someone comes at you, guns-a-blazing, perhaps even with a finger in your face, and just starts in on what you did and why it was wrong.   Yep, been there, too, and it does not feel nice.  In fact, I can feel my eyes start to blaze, my heart starts to race, and my hands get a little clammy.  Not good.  But THIS way, Paul's way, would dispel all that, and if we really care about one another, that's what we should do. 

These three things:
1. Start with who they are and who you are (Amy, you are such a great friend to me, and I hope you know how much I love you.)
2. Remind them of your common cause (I know that both of us are trying to live like Christ, just like millions of other people around the world.  I appreciate that we can do this journey together.)
3.  Give thanks for them and for God (I am so thankful for your heart and the kind of person you want to be.  That is what I love most about you. And I am so thankful that God is still working in both of us to make us more like Himself, and I know that He will accomplish this.)

AND THEN...after those three things (and they must be said from the heart because you'll be read like a Dr. Seuss book if you don't mean what you say!)  After those things, Paul begins with his concern:

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, 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. 

I love how he uses the word appeal.  He's asking them.  He's not TELLING them!  He saying, "I wonder if I could ask you to think about..."  There are no fingers in anyone's face, I'm assuming by the use of that word that Paul is not yelling, rather he is gently speaking out of concern for the other person.

What if we approached conflict in this way?  I can only imagine that the other party would hear us more, and they would understand our hearts and our love for them!  Of course, in order to respond in this way to someone, we probably need to think about and pray about our attitudes first -- I don't recommend this approach when you are still so burnin' mad, because the finger will come out!

In our quest to be more like Christ, this is the way to approach conflict.  Let's learn from Paul's example and do likewise!  Who do you need to lovingly confront today?