[AN INTRODUCTION]

New Testament Christians have to constantly be on guard against problems in the local church where they worship and work. A local church is not unlike any other "collective enterprise" in that it is comprised of people with different ideas, backgrounds, and inclinations. When you have such a "melting pot" you are bound to have problems along the way.

However, the church of the Lord is unique in a way that sets it apart from all other "collective enterprises." It is the only one that will exist beyond the grave (cp. 1 Cor. 15:24). All others, though they may be more intimate than what you share with your brethren, will not survive death. Therefore, what we have with other saints is meaningful, and should be cherished and protected from any disposition that tries to invade a local body of believers.

When we read the Lord's prayer in Jn. 17, especially His words at v. 21, we should be impressed with His desire for all believers to be unified. Unity should be a hallmark of the church of Christ on both the universal & local levels.

Sadly, we know that is not the case. Problems are running amuck all across the globe in the Lord's kingdom. Local churches are splitting right & left. Brethren who used to be united are now divided. His prayer goes unfulfilled. What do we do? Fortunately, the Bible provides the very help we need to face problems that plague local churches. We have the record of the church at Corinth.

Lest anyone think examining a 1st-century city is not helpful, Corinth was as "modern a metropolis" in her day & age as any city in our time. The problems she had are exactly the same ones plaguing us today.

A review of some problems that plagued this ancient local church, as well as the apostolic answers, will help us in dealing with our own problems. I believe we'll find at the end of our search together that, though separated by centuries, the church at Corinth was no different than churches in our day. What worked to solve their problems will definitely help us solve ours.