12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. 1 Corinthians 12

Recall that Paul planted in Corinth and Apollos watered. Apollos was probably a favored teacher over Paul. Paul made it clear that he regarded Apollos as a fellow Believer despite differences the two may have had.

The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of flawed personalities. As a pastor in North Carolina said when he approached the pulpit one morning, “God has some strange kids.” Ain’t that the truth!

The ability to reconcile differences among Believers is what Jesus taught in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Think about that for a second. It’s not in the great teachings, evangelism, marketing, or public relations efforts that people will know we are Christians. Forget the flashy buildings or Christmas productions. It’s in our love for one another.

Reflect on these thoughts as we head into the Christmas season.