Sabbath School Lesson for July 11-17, 2026
Introduction of Lesson 3, Unity in Christ
Memory Text: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV
Like many creatures in the animal and bird world, humans tend to function better in groups. Working with each other, we are able to get much more accomplished. Even so, circumstances and feelings often cause us to drift apart and sometimes even to fight with each other.
This was a pronounced problem, apparently, among the Christians in Corinth. Divisions and cliques had split the church, and Paul was anxious to see them working together, so God’s work could advance as Jesus intended.
There must be a way, even today, for church families to work more in unity, in harmony and peace with each other. It remains an elusive, but necessary goal for us, as much as it was for the Corinthians.
This week, we will explore:
- Sunday: The Problem of Cliques in the Church
- Monday: Centered on Jesus
- Tuesday: Wisdom and Maturity
- Wednesday: Christlike Servanthood
- Thursday: A Lifestyle That Reflects the Cross
Sunday: The Problem of Cliques in the Church
It was easy to see that the Corinthian Christians were not particularly united. Paul even mentioned in his letter the fact that they were filing lawsuits against each other–going to judges outside their church family to solve disputes. What a shameful message that must have given the community. It was apparent to outsiders that petty problems were keeping them from loving each other. It certainly didn’t reflect God’s love vey well. See 1 Corinthians 6:1-6.
These divisions even made it difficult to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Instead of peacefully partaking of meals together, as this would have called for, there were differences that kept them apart from each other’s homes. It separated them from each other, but also kept them from understanding the love and humility of Jesus in the upper room, when He washed the disciples’ feet and tried to prepare them for the sacrifice He was about to make. See 1 Corinthians 11:17-22.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
1 Corinthians 3:3, 4
- What was Paul trying to convey in this critique of their behavior?
1 Corinthians 6:1-6
- What is the best method of solving disputes in the church?
1 Corinthians 11:17-22
- How did their behavior make it difficult to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
Monday: Centered on Jesus
When we center our minds and hearts on Jesus, we can’t help but notice how united the Son is with His Father and the Holy Spirit. Their unity should be a model for ours. They each have different functions and tasks, but the same holy mission and purpose make their operation seamless and effective.
In a similar way, God is calling for us to be united. This doesn’t mean we are all the same. We see this also in how different body parts contribute to the body moving and acting as a whole. Therefore, we need to be united, despite our diversity.
It’s easy to be drawn to individual leaders in the church. We all seem to have our “favorite” preachers who usually sound and think more like us. However, we must be cautious of this tendency to center our attention on human leaders. Like the Corinthians, the only safe course is to center our minds and hearts on Jesus, the living Word of God. Only with God will we never be disappointed in our choice.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
1 Corinthians 1:10, 3:3
- What kind of feelings led to their divisions?
- How did their lack of unity show them to be like the world (or be “carnal”)?
Tuesday: Wisdom and Maturity
Paul rightly saw the tendency of the Corinthians to create sharply-divided factions that followed their favorite leaders, as a sign of immaturity. Their pettiness and competitive spirits showed they were not acting as wise, mature Christians.
Instead of bickering and quarreling, they should have been humble and patient with each other. Those fruits of the spirit most needed can be more readily obtained when we advance our Christian walk by feeding on the solid word of God, rather than remaining on the “milk” diet of immature, baby Christians.
True wisdom and spiritual maturity can be ours when we allow the Holy Spirit to focus our minds on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. As mature servants of God, we must remember that we all belong to God. He died for all of us, and all are to be loved, not just those in our small circle of friends.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 and Hebrews 5:13, 14
- Why did Paul feel they we weren’t ready to feed on more than “milk” in their spiritual diets?
- What needs to happen before we can advance and become more wise and mature in our Christian walk?
- What part does discernment play in our spiritual maturity?
Wednesday: Christlike Servanthood
The Greek and Roman cultures consisted of competition among its philosophers and religious leaders. Paul admonished Christians that this was the opposite of how they should operate. He reminded his brothers and sisters that having “the mind of Christ” was how we are to best serve God together in unity (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Paul said we are like stewards, and must be faithful to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1, 2). Humbling ourselves then, as Jesus did, we serve Him as assistants, subordinate to Him. To do so, we must have the humble mind of Christ.
Christ manifested humility by coming from heaven to earth as He did (Philippians 2:5-8). As faithful stewards, we must remember that we all belong to God. We are here as His servants, and just as Christ served the Father while on earth, we must love and serve each other as He did.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
1 Corinthians 4:1, 2 and 2:16
- What kind of stewards does God expect us to be?
- What enables us to be faithful stewards?
Philippians 2:5-8
- What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?
- What can we do, personally, to serve God more like Christ did?
Thursday: A Lifestyle That Reflects the Cross
We shouldn’t form groups that support one religious leader above another. But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognize and support our leaders in the church, who faithfully discharge their duties, despite the hardships involved.
Those leaders that most reflect Christ are ones who give God the glory for everything they do. These humble stewards are grounded in the message of the cross and the salvation that only comes from God. In addition, their convictions make them willing to suffer for the cause of Christ; and they often do suffer more than we realize.
Anyone who maintains a lifestyle that reflects Jesus this way is valuable to the cause of Christ. May we all be called faithful, humble followers of our Lord Jesus when He returns to this earth as He promised in John 14:1-3.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
John 17:4 and 1 Corinthians 4:6
- Who is capable of being “puffed up”, and why do we have that tendency?
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 and Colossians 1:24
- What was Paul’s experience with suffering, and what was his response to it?
- How should we respond when we experience difficulties?
- What strategies and actions have helped you get through your trials?
Friday: Final Thoughts
In the Roman Empire of the first century, vast amounts of the population were held as slaves. Some estimate from 16-20 percent were in this underprivileged category. Today, even in the United States, we see growing economic and social disparities among people. This certainly touches God’s church and makes it difficult to be united in the faith.
Satan delights in keeping us from being united, because he knows we are stronger when we work in unison. He certainly rejoices that there are so many Christian denominations today. This, in addition to many churches split on issues not related to the gospel–such as the color of their pew upholstery or when to have the communion service, and most recently, along political lines.
Paul warned against these group-think factions in 1 Corinthians 1:12. He identified those who sided with Apollos (one of the founding fathers of the Corinthian Christian church), with Peter (the first apostle to minister to the Gentiles), or with Paul (the missionary who had spent significant time with them). Interestingly, these leaders got along fairly well with each other, and were able to work side-by-side most of the time. Even though they disagreed with some questionable behavior or action taken by the other, they did not hold long-lasting grudges against each other as some of the church members were doing.
We must beware of anything that might hinder our unity. This danger only increases as the end of time gets closer. We must make it a priority to remain a close-knit group of believers, wherever we find ourselves in the world today.
Next Week: Sin in the Church
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