Daily text and picture for Sunday, July 16. JULY 2017

[Queen Esther]

Each one of you says: “I belong to Paul,” “But I to Apollos,” “But I to Cephas,” “But I to Christ.”—1 Cor. 1:12.

What was the solution to such disruptive thinking? Paul exhorted the Christians: “I urge you, brothers, . . . that you should all speak in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you may be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (1 Cor. 1:10, 11, 13) Neither should there be divisions of any kind in the Christian congregation today. (Rom. 16:17, 18) Paul urged anointed Christians to focus on their heavenly citizenship rather than on earthly things. (Phil. 3:17-20) They were to act as ambassadors substituting for Christ. Ambassadors do not meddle in the affairs of the nations to which they are assigned. Their loyalties lie elsewhere. (2 Cor. 5:20) Christians with an earthly hope are also subjects of God’s Kingdom, so it is inappropriate for them to take sides in this world’s disputes. w15 7/15 3:9, 10

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2017/7/16