Thursday: Unity
Daily Lesson for Thursday 10th of September 2026
We have seen that Paul encourages the members in Corinth to get involved in a collection for the impoverished churches in Judea. One of his purposes is to kindle a sense of unity. He wants them to participate, to be part of the mission. He wants to show that the Gentile churches are part of the same family of God as are the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. That is, these people, who were once their opponents, are now, indeed, fellow members with them in God’s new covenant remnant. Paul wants to see the whole Christian family, Jew and Gentile, united in a powerful way that can bear a witness to the church in generations to come.
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Titus and two other acclaimed brothers were in charge of the funds. God put this care for the church into the heart of Titus (2 Corinthians 8:16). Through the churches, God also chose the two other brothers (2 Corinthians 8:18-23). They are called “messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 8:23, NKJV). Whether “the glory of Christ” describes these two faithful brothers or the churches themselves does not matter. Giving offerings is ultimately a signal of loyalty to Christ, the Head of the church (Ephesians 4:15).
2 Corinthians 8:1-24; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 indicates that the offerings should be given to people appointed by God through the church. The phrases “all the churches” (2 Corinthians 8:18, NKJV), “chosen by the churches” (2 Corinthians 8:19, NKJV), and “messengers of the churches” (2 Corinthians 8:23, NKJV) suggest precisely that. Thus, the following exhortation is not surprising, “Give proof before the churches of your love” (2 Corinthians 8:24, ESV).
Bringing offerings to the church—God’s appointed instrument on earth—promotes unity and, at the same time, is the result of a sense of unity (2 Corinthians 8:13-14). Money can be a great unifier. On the other hand, if people’s eyes are not single to the glory of God, money can create division, as well.
How does Romans 15:26-27 reveal Paul’s desire for unity here?
Finally, Paul depicts the collection as service or ministry, as an act of grace, as a blessing, as an act of worship, and also as fellowship. All that from an offering? Think about it.
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How does our giving to fellow churches and missions overseas, often in faraway places, help bring unity to our world church? |
I know that lessons such as this one carry the message that it is a good idea to give your tithe and offering to the church. It is not secret that the church and church institutions cost a lot of money to run. I worked for Avondale University (College during my tenure as a lecturer) and I know how much I got paid and and have a rough idea of how much it cost the institution to have me on their payroll. The Seventh-day Adventist church employes between 300- and 400-thousand workers, world-wide. That is a very big workforce and the wage bill is enormous.
Sometimes we get caught up in the spiritual side of stewardship, talking about motivation, attitude, planning, unity and so on. We have a lot to say about personal spirituality and forget the important role that our church plays. If our church is an integral part of our spiritual life and is worth having, then someone needs to look after the infrastructure. The lesson today is essentially saying that it is a good idea to give our tihes and offerings to the church with a glad and generous heart. You would expect to hear that from a Seventh-day Adventist lesson pamphlet. But I would add that it is not just a case of giving our money but also our interest and oversight that the money is well spent. Stewardship does not stop at the giving. It also requires wisdom and accountability. The money is the Lord’s, but he puts it in the hands of men and women like us to use for his purpose. And that is why we need to work together in unity to see that our generosity is well used.
Just as a footnote, I would add that the article I wrote some time ago on tithing in historical Israel provides some insight into the use and management of tithes. https://ssnet.org/blog/tithe-in-israel-a-summary/
Maurice, I prefer to think of returning tithe to GOD, rather than to “the church.” It can make quite a difference in perspective when we think about how faulty the church and its leadership can sometimes be.
When we give our money to GOD, we can consult Him on the best “storehouse” that needs filling- a storehouse that supports the messengers that carry the gospel and the last warning calls to this world.
While it is true we are returning our tithe to God, we need to be aware that God is also giving the church organisation the responsibility of using that money wisely. And because the church organisation is made up of people like ourselves, we hold the responsibility of auditing that use. Our own church history is a reminder of that issue. Church administrators are not God, and they must be accountable to us.
Unity in the local church and global fraternity is a visible expression of the gospel. Jesus prayed for this unity. “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21). Unity among the Christian community is a witness to the world. “that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). The credibility of the gospel message is terribly demolished when believers are deeply divided. Christian unity should go beyond local congregation. We have got a responsibility outside our local churches, denomination and nationality.
“For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
When Paul makes an appeal to the Corinthians to assist the impoverished churches in Judea, he confidently did so knowing that all believers are one in Christ Jesus. We should remember believers who are in distant lands whenever they are in trouble. It will be selfishness if we only mind our local congregations and ignore those are far away from us. Jesus came from far distant heaven to plant earth to save mankind. Where we cannot go, our money has wings, it can fly there. No place is too far that our money cannot reach. All we need is to open our hearts. Every little, helps.
How possibly can we express our Christian unity other than Christian generosity? Solidarity with those who are in need is Christianity on the driving seat. Giving and sharing is a practical way of saying that we are one in Christ.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:34-36,NLT)
Having gone through the first and the second cornthians it is clear that the church in Corinth was a deeply troubled church, facing a myriad of spiritual, moral, and relational problems. The believers were divided over leadership, doctrine, worship, and many other issues. F. Martin, in his book, “War in the Pews,” recounts shocking examples of churches splitting over seemingly trivial matters, such as the location of a piano, the direction in which the Lord’s Supper should be served, or whether a church building should have a kitchen. These examples reveal a sobering truth: division often begins when personal preferences, opinions, and interests take precedence over the unity of the body of Christ.
It is against this backdrop that Paul now makes a powerful and urgent transition to the issue of unity. Having addressed authentic ministry, God’s call to salvation, and the believer’s call to holiness, Paul turns to the one issue that threatens to undermine everything else—the division of God’s people. For without unity, the church cannot effectively worship, witness, or fulfill its God-given mission. Paul therefore pleads, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Unity, therefore, is not merely desirable; it is essential to the life, health, and mission of the church.
Hi people…unity…giving… believeing….
Some neuroscientists think that the human brain can be thought of as a decision machine……..a device whose structure is the embodiment of beliefs……
The epidemiology of religion,the way membership of specific sects changes over time shows that you catch your beliefs from parents,siblings,relatives
Teachers and authority figures in your culture.
Ian Stewart author of
Book …do dice play God? The mathematics of uncertainty.profile books.
Not a believing type of person, but he illustrates a good point. People can change over time. Important to know a person as a whole…past, present and possible future. Plus weightings of their belief structure before weighing in with our beliefs about giving and receiving and religion.
Reneanne Anderson
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It is a wonderful feeling to know that people less fortunate than you are being blessed by the sharing of your resources.
A year ago my wife came to me saying that we should help a poor orphanage in Uganda to purchase sleeping mats for the children. My first thought was let me vet them to be sure they are legitimate because there are many scammers in the world. After getting confirmation from a friend that it is a legitimate organization with real needs, we decided to get involved.
In the time since, our donation has blossomed into a ministry to help provide for the needs of this orphanage and it’s nearly 80 children. I have helped organize fundraisers to help them purchase the property and small building that they were previously renting. Also to have a well installed so that they would have a clean, safe source of water. The next fundraiser is for expanding their living quarters because they are crammed into a very small brick house. The director would also like to build a small church to benefit the village, who too have been benefiting from the well that was installed. We are thinking of something along the lines of a multi-purpose building that could be used for other purposes.
To a person, everyone that has gotten involved in helping to fund these projects has told me what a blessing it has been to participate in helping these children. The exuberance of unity of likeminded believers to help transform the lives of the vulnerable and less fortunate has been inspiring. It has been a blessing to be a blessing. Indeed it is more blessed to give than receive. “We’ve been blessed to be a blessing, we’ve been loved to give His love.”
Blessed to be A Blessing, Scott Wesley Brown
If we are supposed to be “one voice”, then our material efforts should also demonstrate that. Unity of purpose is fundamental to any social movement’s success, and it shows that different minds can be brought together when motivation comes from within. Jesus should be our strongest motivation.
Hi there j.c.zielak
Strong support for your insight into the concept of unity. The unity versus uniformity issue has created a fair bit of conflict over the years.
A lecturer in evangelism at Avondale college advised us to mediate by announcing to warring church members that… everything must be subverted to evangelism…and take the people through that process.
Reneanne Anderson