With the same mindset

Jesus explained to His disciples that they should be one, just as He and the Father are one (John 17:1-11). That’s a lofty goal, but it sets the standard. Paul deals with a chaotic community in the Greek city of Corinth. He urges them to have “the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). This is valuable input that we can explore.

“Becoming one” is not to be confused with “giving up personality.” The disciples were different people, but they were focused on the same goal. Each of us is unique, but we can have our hearts set on the same important things. Even when we think differently, we can still have the same way of thinking.

Here is the idea: we are the community. It is never about the Church, as if it were about an institution, a building or a tradition. It may be familiar, but it was never about external features. It’s about people and what connects them. It is about what offers hope and perspective, what fills our hearts with joy and gratitude and boundless curiosity. When we pursue a goal together, what drives us and what do we push for?

Becoming aware of what we want to be is an important process. Your voice is important. Your contribution results for the community. We may think differently on certain issues, but we can still have the same attitude and vision, the same mindset and way of thinking. Mindset is a cool word. It corresponds to the English “mindset”. This could also be phrased as “sense of thought,” as the Concordant New Testament does. This expression is not just about thinking, but about what we have in mind. It is what our thoughts have been “set” to, what we have “in mind” and it is the “way we think”.

Share vision and a goal

Paul expressed the desire that the believers in Corinth should have “the same judgment.” He is not talking about being judgmental, but about the ability to “judge something.” We should know how to think. And even more, we should know how to love with a healthy mind. In this regard, we should have “the same judgment” or understanding.

When we point this out, it becomes clear that we can no longer think of the church as a place where we are served, but as a place where we serve. Much of this results from the values we have and share:

• Appreciation of people
• Appreciation of our common calling by the grace of God
• Appreciation of what others can do that you can’t do yourself.
• Appreciation of the community and choosing to be a part of it.
• Appreciation of change, growth and learning.

We do not go to church

Many of us are used to churches being the building and traditions to come to. It’s the place where you can come and sit and sing along. This is all wonderful, but not the essence. The essence is: we do not go to church, we are the church. It is about us, those who share the same vocation, vision and perspective. We create, we thrive, we win or lose, and no one does it for us unless we do it ourselves.

That’s a pretty sober point of view. There is nothing between us and reality. We are and live the reality. We are part of the Body of Christ, this worldwide community that has existed for 2000 years. The question is, how can we be and become a vibrant and thriving community in the best way possible?

Coming to church is different from being the body of Christ.

Set and activate

“I speak to you now, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all testify to the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; rather, be conformed to the same mind and to the same opinion!”
1Cor 1,10 Elbf.

When Paul writes “adapt,” he is pointing to a process of change. The Greek word here is katartizo, which means “to adjust, tune, or make fit for a purpose.”

In Matthew 4:21 we read of Jesus walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and calling his disciples. There he found John and James with their father Zebedee sitting on the shore adjusting their nets as if they were fishermen. The nets were made fit for fishing. Customization can be seen as adding what is missing to make it fit for a particular purpose.

“Proceeding from there, He beheld two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, trimming their nets (gr. katartizo) in the ship with their father Zebedee.”

In 1 Thessalonians 3:10, the apostle Paul expressed his hope to see the Thessalonians that he could help correct the deficiencies of their faith. Paul wanted to enable the Thessalonians to fulfill their calling: to fulfill, to complete, to fill in the gaps, to healthily align their understanding and hopes, and to supplement where needed.

“By night and by day we implore above all the masses that we may see your face and help you right (gr. katartizo) in the shortcomings of your faith.”

Adapting and making ourselves fit for a purpose is not meant to make us bend, but to help us realize our own God-given potential – within, with, and for the community. His goal is to empower everyone. This happens mutually.

“A disciple is not above his teacher; properly prepared (Gr. katartizo), each will be only like his teacher.”
Luke 6:40

Growth and spiritual life

Growth and true spiritual life is what Paul has in mind. He writes to the community at Corinth, where disorder and chaos were rampant, but he looks beyond the chaos and works toward a truly spiritual community. He envisioned people with a sound mind and a healthy faith. They express their faith not in arguments, but in a healthy focus on reality. The reality was: they had already received everything (1 Corinthians 1:4-7). There was no shortage.

How did Paul deal with these questions? He trusted God. A few lines earlier he wrote:

“God is faithful, through whom you have also been called to fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9

Here we read of his concern. Central to any community is the call of God. Paul points out. It is not about denominations, not about special doctrines or anything like that. These cause quarrels. Rather, it is a matter of recognizing the grace, the same vocation, the good things we have all already received. God is faithful in bringing this about in us. Trust Him, “remain one” in that trust.

Fine adjustment

Another translation of the Greek katartizo is “to adjust”, namely to adjust, to find the right tone. We should be of the same mindset and opinion. While we each play our “own tune,” we can still be “in tune” with the overall musical composition. We can play our own tune in a way that is in harmony with a greater purpose.

“Rather, be conformed to the same mind and the same opinion!”
1Cor 1,10

This fine adjustment is valid today, as it was 2000 years ago. That’s how a community works. We are the community. Spiritually, we lack nothing. We can discover together, share the same perspective, be encouraged by the same God and Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. These are the foundations of the Church.

What do we focus our community on? We should encourage each other to have the same mindset and judgment. That’s what we need to talk about. These values are to be developed.

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