Every society has a group of individuals defined as elites.  Elitists are those who are seen as the richest, most powerful, or best-educated people in a society. The problem with elitist thinking is the feeling of superiority it expresses to the masses who do not possess elitist credentials. Elitism is seen, sadly, even within the Church. 

Elitist thinking can too easily dismiss the input of those not defined as among the elite class. God doesn’t promote or honor elitism in any form. It lacks the power of humility. Its greatest danger to unity is the separation it creates among God’s people, a separation when peeled back and examined is nothing more than a base representation of pride. 

The apostle Paul a well-educated man with significant social status and wealth warned against elitist thinking. He did not value people based on anything they brought to the table that represented a human accomplishment. He realized the unity he experienced with others was based solely on a shared relationship they had with God through Christ where all of us stand together, equal at the foot of the Cross, a place where our personal credentials mean nothing. 

“For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (I Corinthians 15:9).