I was looking for the perfect church, so I decided to contact the Apostle Paul and ask a few questions. There’s no one better than him to help me find a perfect church, right? He founded several and knows them very well, after all. Here’s a transcript of our exchange. 

😊 Hello! Is this, Paul, the apostle?

👉 Yes, this is him.

😊 May the peace of Christ be with you! 

👉 And with you!

😏 Sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but I would really appreciate your advice. I've been so disappointed with the church I’ve been going to for several years. I was wondering about the church in Corinth. Might it be the perfect church?

👉 I did have high hopes for that one. Unfortunately they haven’t gotten very far along in their walk … still acting too much like selfish unbelieving children (1 Cor. 3:1-5), putting one another down and forming cliques (1 Cor. 1:11-13). Some have even taken to filing lawsuits against each other (1 Cor. 6:1-2, 4-5)! Even worse, the word is there has been some of the worst kind of sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:1).

😲 Goodness gracious! How about the church in Ephesus? 

👉 Well, I spent a lot of time with them and they absorbed the teaching well. So the people have been well-grounded in God’s word (Acts 20:25-28). They’ve worked hard and endured huge trials. Strange thing is though, they’ve lost their first love … and abandoned the loving service they’d been doing for others. I’m confident they’ll be fine once they get around to repenting (Rev. 2:1-5)!

😶 Yikes. I’ll probably go to the church in Thessalonians then.

👉 A mostly good bunch. In spite of all we showed and taught them, however, some are refusing to go out and earn their own keep. I’ve sent them a letter so we’ll see how that goes (2 Thess. 3:10-12). I’m sure they’ll come around.

😳 Maybe I’ll pass on them for now, at least. How about the church in Philippi?

👉 That’s a wonderful, loving church! We’re having some problems with two sisters there right now, Euodia and Syntyche, who’ve got some kind of feud going on but I’m trusting they’ll get it all worked out (Phil. 4:1-3).

😕 I see. So maybe I'll move to the church in Colossi.

👉 Well, you know what? Some judgmental types and a few heretics are causing confusion there too. And another group has decided it’s okay to worship angels (Col. 2:16-19)!

😲 What?!?  How about the church in Galatia then?

👉 Ah, some Galatian believers have taken to viciously criticizing each other over who-knows-what (Gal. 5:15).

😳 Sheesh, I had no idea it was so hard to find the perfect church!

👉 You better believe it. I was talking to the Apostle John a while back and asked him how the church in Thyatira is doing. He said they’d been doing so well, but for reasons we can’t figure out, have been tolerating an adulterous woman who even calls herself a prophet. With her crazy, evil teachings she has led many into sexual immorality and other terrible things (Rev. 2:19-22).

👉 Oh, and he also told me that in Laodicea, church members have lapsed into lazy lukewarmness, letting pride and arrogance guide them instead of love and self-sacrifice (Rev. 3:16-18). Even over in Pergamum—generally a great bunch of believers—some have been led astray by pretty weird doctrines and beliefs (Rev. 2:13-15).

😶 You know, Paul, I thought for awhile I’d try the church in Antioch … but I heard you even had problems with Peter there? That he’d been hypocritical in his treatment of the Jewish and non-Jewish believers? Is that really true?

👉 Yes, sadly so. Hoping and praying I got through to him, and to them. I really got in his face about that (Gal. 2:11-13) … rather embarrassing for us.

😓 Wow. Well, my final wonder is about the ‘mother church’ in Jerusalem. Please tell me it’s not true what I heard about them? Like that a couple lied and died for it??

👉 Yes, unfortunately that did happen (Acts 5:1-10). A strong hard lesson for us all.

😵 Hey, I’m feeling pretty alone and lost here, Paul. Where the heck should I go? 

👉 May I humbly suggest you begin right where you are. Have a sober, clear-eyed look at yourself, friend. Remember our Lord’s teaching on pulling out the plank obstructing our own view before we start looking around and thinking we can deal with a speck, or possibly more, that may be affecting someone else’s (Matt. 7:3-5).

👉 And something just as important: stop constantly criticizing church leaders and your other brothers and sisters of faith. Put an end to spreading unnecessary negative comments about others' conduct and begin to cooperate with your fellow Christians! We’re all part of the same family and we’re supposed to all be in this together. It’s only as we join forces, using our giftings for the building up of others and the church that we can even begin to taste the fullness promised in Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). And realize perfection is possible ONLY in Christ, and we all have a long way to go. Please friend, try to start seeing people through God's eyes. Ask God to help you do this and He will.

👉 Oh, and one more thing. Let’s suppose by some great miracle you do find the ‘perfect church’. You know what? As soon as YOU start going there, it won't be anymore!