Devotional 26 January 2026

January 26, 2026 • Steve Torres

1 Corinthians 11:17.jpg

“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” (1 Corinthians 11:17–19, ESV)

Paul’s tone shifts sharply in this passage. After commending the Corinthians for seeking instruction, he now rebukes them. Their gatherings, he says, are “not for the better but for the worse” (1 Cor. 11:17). This is a striking claim. We often assume that gathering for worship is automatically beneficial. Paul denies that assumption outright. Worship is not neutral. It does not merely shape us; it reveals us. The problem in Corinth is not that worship has created division, but that division is exposed when they gather. Paul says he hears of divisions “when you come together as a church” (v. 18). Their unity fractures precisely at the moment it should be most visible. This reveals a deeper issue. Christ is not divided (1 Cor. 1:13). If the body is fractured, the fault does not lie with Christ, but with those who claim Him while refusing His rule. Paul goes further. He says that “there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (v. 19). This is not an endorsement of division, but an acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. God uses even sinful disorder to expose what is true. Worship becomes a refining fire, revealing who is truly submitted to Christ and who is using the gathering to advance self, status, or allegiance to worldly wisdom. Those who sow division are not displaying spiritual maturity or prophetic boldness. They are following the same Corinthian instincts Paul has confronted throughout the letter: boasting in men, forming rival camps, and measuring faith by influence rather than obedience (1 Cor. 3:3–4). This is not the wisdom of the Spirit, but the wisdom of the world. True fellowship flows from union with Christ. As John writes, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7). Unity does not create that fellowship; it reveals it. When worship exposes division, it is not Christ who has failed, but hearts that have not fully come under His lordship. Worship, then, is a mirror. It shows us who we really are. And that is precisely why it matters so deeply how we gather before the Lord.