(Corinthians 4:10-13)
"We are fools in Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ, We are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we are in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless. And we fail. When working with our hands, when ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond, gently. We have become like the world's rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment."
What's this all about? That was Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Time wise it was the first century and the purpose was to admonish his children. Why is this letter important? It gives insight into the mood of the first century when Christianity was first beginning. This community was founded by Paul in 51 AD while he was on his second missionary journey. At that time it was being led by a preacher namee Apollus.
Corinth was important to the early Church because it was a crossroads community where many different cultures met to buy and sell. Essentially, it was much like most of the seat ports of the middle east in those times. Christianity was having a hard time getting started due to the diverse thinking of the area, but those who took it more to their hearts were the poor and the disenfranchised. In this letter, he saw himself as one of them. It was to them that his teaching was most heard and upheld.
Now rumors has it that much of this teaching was being altered and he sat out to take care of the problem. The leaders were antagonistic toward the poor and had set themselves above reproach. Indulging themselves in drinking too much wine and merry making and making of Christianity something it was not meant to be, brought on this scolding.
The letter was written from Ephesus in the year 56, five years after he had established the church. More importantly, this letter gives us a clearer view of Paul. It lets us in on what kind of personality the early Church members were dealing with.
In order to fully understand why Paul wrote the letter, it is necessary to read from the beginning. Bible readers, who pick up the bible and take in a message here and there settles on words that strikes a bell, such as what happened here with the above quote, become so intriqued with the words, want to know why the words were necessary.
This is learned by reading from the beginning and then, only then, can they grasp the mood of the times. To take the small bit out of context and make of it what a reader, or writer, wants to make of it, is missing the point. Up to this time, supposedly it was a letter to inform and to send routine messages to those in charge, but when it is learned that the church is being corrupted, much as it has been at various times in the past 2000 years, then the letter takes on an added meaning. Not only that, it once more become new, immediate, and of paramount importance.
He is cordial. At first he writes "you have been called to be holy" and he greets with the peacd of the Lord. Then, as any good letter writer writes, he puts them in a proper frame of mind for reading his message. He offers them praise and encouragement. Then he sets out to cite, alphabetically, the problems with the Church in Corinth.
He wants no divisions and he wants them all to be of one mind and of one spirit. How to do that has been a big problem throughout the 2000 years of Christianity and persists even today. Questions here might be, how can this be reconciled since all people are created with varying qualities of mind, spirit, and body?
Each sees the message according to their education and their knowledge and of course, their faith. God only permits them to see according to thier understanding. How then can they be of one mind? Paul, of course, understands that and cautions against the foolishness of human wisdom. In 1:25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."
In the second chapter, he explans his reasons. As he says "But it is written "what eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him." He then explains this is revealed to them through the spirit.
How does this work? It works through sincere prayer. The world has problems. It is hurting. Many are at their wit's end. They pray for understanding and for an ability to overcome their discomfort, or at least to understand its cause, it it cannot be removed.
In chapter three he explains and refreshes their memory of how he taught them while he was still among them. He talked to them as people of the flesh, not of the spirit. There were not yet ready for solid food, he tells them, they were being fed milk. (1 Corinthiand 3:2)They still are unable to take solid food, he tells them. In the most basic terms he explained that he planted, Apollus watered, but God caused the growth. (3:7)
Then we see the letter and the admonishment. He is endeavoring to backtract, to reinforce his builers so they will continue building according to his specifications as together they poured the foundation.
In Chapter four, he reiterates what a good Christian should do to become better stewards of the mysteries of God. They should be trustworthy and should understand that only God judges, and he alerts them to be beware of pride. Then he himself enters the picture. It is obvious he is being undermined by some of the leaders of the group, and possibly falsely accused of crimes he did not commit. Some of what he has heard, may be overly reactions to gossip.
It seems that his displeasure with them stem, in great part, to their assuming stances he felt they should not take. Self-satisfaction, laying up riches, become kings without including all of the Christian group. This is a long letter, yet the quote about the poor at the beginning of this article, is at the heart of it. The next question is how can we make it a guide against today's wickedness?
