"Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me (John 17:20-21). Jesus’ prayer makes clear his desire for those who believe on him – that they might be united into one. The desire of Jesus is that we ought all be followers of his teaching (John 12:46; 8:12), and therefore, be united doctrinally. His desire that we be united personally as brethren is also plain. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35).

As we have noted in previous articles, Paul expresses the same desire as he is guided by the Holy Spirit to write. "Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Cor. 1:10). To understand what Paul is talking about when tells us that there is to be no division among us, we not only examine the verse itself, but we also examine the context of the book in which it is found. We have discovered that Paul addresses two types of division in the church in Corinth. He addresses and condemns doctrinal division and personal division. We must teach the same thing and we must love one another.

There is another unity that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians that sometimes goes unnoticed. We are to be united in Effort. Though the figure used by Paul is the body, it is plain that it is God’s intent that those who are members of local churches function as a team.

Teamwork is seen in the action of Paul and Apollos in the illustrations Paul uses in chapters 1-4. Rather than seeing themselves as being all-important, the stars of the team, they understood that they were mere team members who were assigned a particular role. Paul said, "What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon" (1 Cor. 3:5-10). Paul and Apollos didn’t do what they did so that others would think highly of them. They were doing their part in God’s plan, just as you and I must do our part. But we must be careful how we labor. We must take heed, that when we build on the foundation Paul and Apollos laid, that we build according to the pattern (Heb. 8:5).

The next place that Paul brings up the idea of Teamwork is in chapter 12, when he discusses their unworthy conduct in the exercise of spiritual gifts. He reminds them that the gifts did not emanate from themselves. The Holy Spirit gave them their gifts, and it was the same Spirit that gave all the gifts (vs. 4-6, 11). And those gift were not given because the Corinthian brethren earned them. They were given as a matter of grace, to be used for the benefit of the church as a body (vs. 7, 11).

Then in general terms, he discusses the church as a body with many parts. "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ" (vs. 12). "For the body is not one member, but many" (vs. 14). His point is that since we are all members of the same body, we ought to work together, all of us taking direction from the head of the body, even Christ.

We recognize the differences between the members of the body. Different ones have different functions, according to their design. The same thing is true in the church. We all have different functions, according to our talents and abilities.

As one part of the body is dependent on the proper functioning of the other parts, those who are laboring in the Lord are dependent on other members of the church. There is no member that we can say is not necessary, or that that is insignificant because they don’t do what we do. Paul says of the members, "Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary" (vs. 22). But what are they necessary to. They are necessary to the proper function of the local church. The feet, the hands, the stomach and the heart all have necessary functions in the body, but so do the toenails and the taste buds. All are necessary.

As all the parts are necessary, all the parts must function. They must do their part, and they must do their work in harmony with the work of the rest of the body. "But speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love" (Eph. 4:15-16). What Paul is saying is that when each member does his part, in harmony with the head, the church grows.

When congregations work together and grow thereby, it is a marvelous thing. We need to see our opportunities for growth and apply ourselves according to our talents. If we do that, we will grow.

God will see to it.