Devotion

What is Church? Paul's journey and teachings

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

When we hear the word “church,” many of us picture a building: a steeple, some pews, perhaps a hall where we gather on Sundays. But if we follow the Apostle Paul on his journeys across the ancient world, we discover that church was never first about a place. It was about people.

Paul did not begin as a champion of the church. He began as its opponent. Known then as Saul, he set out for Damascus intending to arrest believers. On that road, he met the risen Jesus and was changed forever (Acts 9). The man who tried to stop the church became one of its greatest builders.

Paul’s story reminds us that no one is too far gone for God’s grace, and that church is made up of ordinary, imperfect people who have been welcomed and transformed.

Over the next years, Paul travelled thousands of kilometres by land and sea, through places like Antioch, Philippi, Corinth, Ephesus, and eventually Rome. He did not carry blueprints for grand buildings. He gathered small groups of believers in homes, marketplaces, and riversides. Lydia’s household in Philippi (Acts 16) and the believers meeting in Priscilla and Aquila’s home (Romans 16:5) show us that church began wherever people came together around Jesus.

Paul taught us many things about the nature of church:

Church is a body, and every part matters. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul compares the church to a human body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” Every person has gifts and a role, whether they are loud or quiet, confident or shy, young or old. In our classrooms, our friendships, and our playgrounds, each of us is needed.
Church is a family bound by love. Paul wrote that without love, even the most impressive gifts amount to nothing (1 Corinthians 13). The mark of a true church is not how large or polished it is, but how well its people love one another.
Church is united in Christ, despite our differences. Paul told the believers in Galatia that in Christ there is no division between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female (Galatians 3:28). The early church brought together people who would never normally have sat at the same table. God still calls us to welcome those who are different from us.
Church is a community that encourages and builds up. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,” Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Church is where we carry one another’s burdens, celebrate together, and cheer each other on.

Paul’s journey was not easy. He was shipwrecked, beaten, and imprisoned. Yet from prison he wrote letters full of joy and encouragement. He knew that the church was not held together by comfort or convenience, but by Christ himself. Even when Paul could not be with the believers in person, they were bound together by prayer and love.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your church, your people gathered all over the world. Help us to be a community that loves, includes, and encourages one another, as Paul taught. Show us how to use our gifts to serve others, and make our school a place where everyone belongs. Amen.

Blessings!

Will Wallace

Principal