Paul's Wisdom

Paul wrote four letters to the Christians at Corinth. We probably have parts of all four gathered together in the New Testament canon in the two letters we know as 1 and 2 Corinthians. Sunday’s Epistle is taken from the very end of 2 Corinthians [13:11-13]. Because it’s short, I’ll include it:

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

Very good advice for all of us. “Put things in order…agree with one another, live in peace…” Not easy to do. After all, Paul is writing this to a community that has been, and at the time of the writing still may be, divided. They are having doctrinal disagreements as well as disagreements about how to do things.

I haven’t posted recently because I’ve been preparing lecture notes for a seminary course I’ll be teaching on the Early Church. I have been reminded of all the controversies and tensions of the first 400 years of our Church as I scan text books in preparation. Of course, anyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of the rest of the history of the Church knows the next 1600 years weren’t materially different. Topics changed, but arguments and controversies remained—or should I say “remain.” After all, the present age is not a lot different in that regard.

Most mainstream denominations are quarreling among themselves about how best to allocate their shrinking resources—when they aren’t quarreling about sex. More evangelical denominations continue their historic practice of splintering off into new congregations or denominations when they quarrel. Why don’t we learn to, as a secretary I had one time loved to say, “keep the main thing the main thing?”

I certainly don’t have the answer, but I do have a theory. We don’t learn because we remain self-centered, and thus, fundamentally unconverted. “Agree with one another?” Hardly. That might mean I have to give up my cherished agenda to support yours and since you’re clearly wrong, I can’t do that. Ditto from your point of view. “Live in peace?” Naw. So as we continue to keep Christ away from the center of our discussions and ignore Paul’s admonitions, we get to watch the shrinking of our churches as people see it (in record numbers) as hopelessly irrelevant. Maybe they're right.

Peace,

Jerry+