Okay, so I think it's safe to say that Paul manages to cram a LOT of stuff into his letters! Man, it just seems like every passage just has WAY too much to be able to examine in detail!! And he's so passionate about his message. It's virtually gushing out of him ~ you can tell by all the long, run-on sentences!
Each section in today's reading contains a very strong message, and I found it difficult to decide how to post, but two passages, in particular, caught my eye among all the other verses ~ and one caught my funnybone. I will focus on those.
To avoid seeming anti-climactic, I will share the giggles first! In 4:21 where Paul asks if the Corinthians would prefer him to come with a whip or with a gentle spirit, I couldn't help but think of kids arguing in the back of a vehicle and dad threatening, "Don't make me come back there!!" It's harsh and serious and no laughing matter, but I just couldn't help it. :)
The first SERIOUS attention-grabber for me is in the first section in chapter 5. In addressing some blatant sexual sins in the Corinthian church, Paul gives very specific instructions for how to deal with the offending believer, and insists the church expel him from among them. Not just because what he's doing is immoral (and by all indications, considered so even among unbelievers), but because sin has this insidious way of spreading and infecting the entire church. I think Paul's concern here is more for the preservation of the purity of the Bride of Christ than with correcting the individual.
And then come the words that caught my eye: "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people."
As far as unbelievers are concerned, Paul says, definitely spend time with them. Get to know them. It doesn't matter how ungodly and immoral their lifestyles are ~ befriend them! Extend God's grace and love to them.
But those who call themselves believers and act like the unsaved? Don't have ANYTHING to do with them! Put as much distance between yourself and them as you can.
It seems like Christians in North America have completely reversed this instruction. We surround ourselves with church friends and become an exclusive clique, avoiding contact if at all possible with those who don't believe the way we do. But do we make sure our close circle of church friends doesn't include slanderers, swindlers, and idolaters? Do we make sure WE don't fit those categories?? How many times do we turn a blind eye because we'd rather stay friends than keep the Bride of Christ pure?
The second passage that caught my attention is in chapter 7 where Paul's talking about the benefits of the single life with regards to the spread of the gospel. There's lots of fodder for discussion there, but the part that really stood out is verses 29-31: "What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."
Paul reminds believers in that day and ours that the world is coming to an end. There is apparently reason to believe Paul sensed coming persecution from Rome and that his warning stems from that, but it's good advice to constantly live in a state of preparedness for Christ's return.
The sight of people standing on street corners wearing sandwich boards proclaiming, "The end is near!" used to be relatively common. Now, it's most commonly seen as a cartoon; a caricature of "Jesus freaks." Paul certainly didn't think it was funny. He almost seems a little frantic here, I feel. I think his whole point in this section is that we constantly need to be in the process of detaching ourselves from this world. To remember...
This world is not my home- I'm just a-passin' through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Tomorrow's passages: I Corinthians 8:1-11:1
2 comments:
Great post, Tammi. I noticed some of the same things. There is definitely a lot to learn from these passages. Paul had a lot to say and he didn't waste any words, did he?
You're right - I think as a whole, we have reversed the way we're supposed to befriend those outside the church (love and grace) and those inside the church (love and grace but with conviction and accountability, support and encouragement).
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