Daily Scripture and Thoughts On It

The Scripture readings I am doing right now are all from the letters of Paul. I am reading his letters and trying to put them into the context of the story told by Luke in Acts. I am presently re-reading 1st Corinthians. Any commentary I make is in italics.

1 Cor. 4 - We are Christ’s servants, stewards of the mysteries of God (1). Having just finished some of the earliest Christian writings – the Didache, Ignatius of Antioch and Clement – I can say how wonderful it is that Paul sees himself as “steward” of these deepest mysteries. The others dwell so steadily on the “dos” and “don’ts” of the Christian community. He too will impose a standard [see chapter 5] but he does not dwell on such things as much. Paul will not be judged by them or even by himself. He will be judged by God He urges them again not “to go beyond what is written,” (6) [said in both JB and NAB to be obscure—maybe a reference to the OT promises and their fulfillment in the cross, maybe a gloss]. Somehow they must be making claims and boasting of having come into some advanced state or mystery—maybe the very kingdom of God itself—but Paul brings them up by reminding them while they are reveling in this claim, he is still weak and deprived, serving the gospel, being ridiculed and persecuted for the sake of the gospel. They need to stop their boasting.

1 Cor. 5 - A case of incest that has been brought to his attention disturbs him, especially in light of the spiritual boasting the Corinthian church has indulged in. The person should be expelled. But still it is the boasting that is the focus of his concern (6). It is not necessary (or possible) to withdraw from misdeeds in the world, for one would have to leave the world entirely to get away from all those who are sinners; but Christians must exercise discipline inside the church, “banning” those who are “sexually immoral or greedy” or those who are “idolater[s], reviler[s], drunkard[s] or robber[s]” (11). God is judge of those outside the church.

We clearly do not “separate” ourselves from sinners who are in the faith community any more than we do from those outside [in society generally]. We probably should “labor” more actively with those in our communities who we suspect are behaving badly. Paul’s division of “in” and “outside” the church gets more complicated with democracy, for in a democratic society, we cannot simply dissociate ourselves from decisions made on ethical/moral issues. We must put our political “weight” behind judgments that reflect our sense of God’s will. Abortion, sexual “sins” – all of this is very complicated. I think many Christians have adopted Paul’s conviction that only God can judge in the last analysis. There is no “unity” among us on many ethical and moral issues.