I just finished reading Paul's letters to the Corinthian church again and was struck by how their issues are much like contemporary church problems. I was also sobered by how forceful and clear Paul’s teaching is.
Simple…not easy. 😂
For those who don't know, Paul had established churches in Corinth and soon learned they had all sorts of shenanigans happening he tried hard to correct.
Among other things, they were fighting among themselves, debating doctrine, and engaging in sexual immorality which Paul strongly condemned. Paul taught on a variety of topics including spiritual gifts, marriage, and communion. Here are just a few key takeaways so relevant for today:
1 Corinthians
• Unity in Christ is critical! Division is deadly.💯
• Christ and the Holy Spirit are the source of all true wisdom. Truth.✨
• Sexual immorality in believers can’t be tolerated and defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit and the church. Yikes. 🚫
• Flee any kind of idolatry. Wow.
• Communion is sacred and should not be taken “in an unworthy manner.” Self examine! 🔎
• The famous love passage which describes it so beautifully.❤️
• The gifts of the Holy Spirit are precious, powerful, equal, and for the Body. 💝
• “In a twinkling of an eye,” those in Christ will one day be resurrected in heavenly bodies like Christ.🌟✨🌟
Even after Paul’s visit and blunt letter, the Corinthians’ spiritual condition got worse! Imagine! 😉Paul was very distressed and wrote another impassioned plea that they repent.
2 Corinthians
• Christ is our comfort!
• Endure and rejoice in the short-lived suffering of mortal life in light of eternal glory!
• Don’t be unequally yoked to unbelievers.
• Avoid Christians who persist in unrepentant sin.
• Be generous.
• Watch out for false apostles.
No surprise that Paul got a lot of flack for his teaching, which is partly why he wrote a letter rather than visiting. I personally appreciated this reminder:
“Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-11.
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