You have to love Paul's writing! Would you believe that this is one sentence? What do we need to take away from this passage?
First, we all have a part to play in the spreading of the Gospel and in building up the body of Christ. We don't all have the same role.
Some of us are called to be apostles, those who will go out and preach in areas of the world where the message is new. Others will become ministers, or priests who will shepherd those who have come to faith. Some of us are called to serve in various ways.
I know people who have begun food pantries and food kitchens; people who have opened their homes to abused women and children. I also know people who volunteer their time to help out in these places.
There are so many ways to serve.
There are churches who beg for volunteers to help raise money for the poor, to support missionaries, to donate clothing for shelters, or drive people to doctor's appointments and so many other things, and get very little response.
Paul is also warning us to remain faithful to the Gospel. We have often spoken about those who would try to lure us away with their own interpretations of what God wants.
Whenever we are in doubt of the validity of the teachings of someone, we have Luke's own words in the prologue to his Gospel. He told us that he wrote so that we could be sure in the teachings that we have received.
And finally, we are called to love one another. Most of those who are not preaching as Jesus did, they try to divide and not unify. We are called to be one; let's work to accomplish this.
