Reflections on Corinthians

1 Corinthians reflections

Though shrouded by the culture of the Corinth of the 1^st Century, Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church contains theological truth that remains as true and applicable to Christians today. Our book study is coming to a close at this point and I must say that I have found the book study to be rather refreshing as I am reminded of fundamental truths of Christian living.

To remain humble and not take pride in the things that we have received

The first thing that stood out to me as I went through the lessons is that I need to be watchful that I do not become proud by the things I have received or achieved in my life. The Corinthians church was reprimanded by Paul for taking sides with different church leaders. Many of them who said they followed Apollos were impressed by his natural charisma, compared to Paul’s meek persona. However, beyond merely siding with different church leaders, Paul saw it as an issue of pride and went at great lengths to tackle it. The Christians of Corinth had begun to lose sight of the immeasurable grace of salvation that they had received from God that was availed through the death of Jesus Christ and instead took pride in the superficial stature and eloquence of their church leaders. Like the Corinthians, we can easily lose sight of the grace of God in the midst of our business and may take pride in the things of this world. As a lifegroup leader, it is sometimes tempting for me to take pride in how well my group is doing when in fact the well-being of the group is really the result of God’s constant grace in my group and in each of their lives. As such, it is important for me to remind myself that I am but a servant of Christ and though I am called to be faithful with what I have been entrusted with, I cannot take any credit for the fruits of my labour. 

Being willing to give up your rights for the weak in faith

The second theme that came out strongly in the letter was that of being willing to give up our rights for others who may not be as strong in the faith as us. In our Pentecostal church service, it is very easy for us to be engrossed in our own worship experience with God. As such, we may sometimes become unaware that people in our midst may be uncomfortable with the speaking of tongues. If we are not careful, new-believers or pre-believers may be driven away as their discomfort may prevent them from feeling at home. For myself, I have a tendency to be too straightforward in presenting what I think God’s wants people to do. This has sometimes led people to think that I paint a very harsh and unrelatable image of God. As such, it is important for me to grow in sensitivity and discernment in knowing what I should say to people when I am helping them to grow in Christ.

Placing the unity and holiness of the church as our top priority

Throughout the letter, there was apparent that the Corinthian church lacked unity and the people had become self-serving and individualistic. Even though there was incest that occurred in the church, what Paul was more concerned about was that people had condoned and even applauded the sinner for the act. Sometimes, it is not about what wrong we have done as individuals, but whether we are encouraging the people in our midst to live Godly lives. In my life, though I do not consciously condone or applaud the sin of others, I can sometimes become overly concerned with the happenings of my life that I forget that to notice how others are doing in my life. This is especially so with people whom I do not have a formal obligation to be concerned about, such as my Christian colleagues, or even my family members. Upon reflecting, I really do need to grow in creating communities of faith in my workplace and family so that we can encourage each other in our walk.

Not losing sight of the purpose of what we do

Finally, I was reminded once again that we should never lose sight of the reason why we do what we do. Being ever so busy with various aspects of ministry, studying and working, it is very easy for me to get caught up in the business of the activities. Being caught up in business in turn leads to me being easily frustrated, stressed and angry at people, the circumstances or even myself. As such, it is always important for me to take time off to remember that everything I do is a service unto God that is done out of gratitude for Him. Being caught up in business also means that I may unknowingly be doing something in a certain manner that is no longer the most optimal way to do it. As a lifegroup leader, I constantly need to discern what the state of my group is in and how I should lead the group in order for them to best grow in their faith. Sometimes it is tempting to just do what me and other leaders have always done, and intimidating to try something new, or to stop doing something. However, I pray that I can be brave in leading my group, knowing that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us along.