Christ is the Cornerstone

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:1-11

It was 1866 in England, and pastor Samuel J. Stone’s congregation was in an uproar. In fact, the entire Church of England was in a state of upheaval. A certain bishop had just written a book concerning the authenticity of the first five books of the Bible.

In his “intellectual” examination of these books, the bishop called their accuracy into question.. Liberals in the church sided with the bishop, while the conservative group continues to assert the inerrancy of all Scripture. The debate raged. Samuel Stone was concerned for the health and stability of his congregations. Such controversy was tearing them apart, and surely severe consequences would follow.

To combat this growing division, Stone composed a series of hymns that focused on church unity. With stirring words he celebrated Christ’s eternal position as Head of the church in his most famous hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation.”

Seeing Christ as the Cornerstone of the body of believers puts peripheral church issues into perspective. You are not swayed by every wind of philosophy and every controversy because you measure them by the Lord (James 1:6-7). On Christ’s steadfast ground, you stand prepared for every issue.

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11