1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians is another of Paul's letters. The focus of this letter seems to primarily be on the church. There are instructions for not only the people, but also for the group together. I think that the community aspect of church is really focused on throughout this letter. When discussing spiritual gifts, Paul emphasizes that we all can't be a hand or a foot. He also emphasizes that together we make up the body of Christ.

I think it is interesting that we use the body of Christ as a symbol in this situation. We represent His body by taking bread during communion. We also tend to distinguish between the church body and the body of Christ. In theory, shouldn't they be one in the same?? One of the things that we have been discussing this past semester and last spring in a small group I attend is the importance of community. It is important that every week we encourage one another, we lean on one another, and we use one another's abilities to come together as a body of Christ. This is the same purpose that the church holds-to bring people together in community.

Paul discusses a lot about the different laws we hold. Different things that account for sinful acts. Sexual immorality and the difference in men and women are two large parts of these laws. But, more importantly, he also discusses how we shouldn't pass judgment on others because we each face God's judgment in the end. It seems like Paul is trying to explain accountability to the church. We are suppose to hold one another accountable to certain actions (or sometimes lack of) yet not pass judgment on one another. This is so easy to forget sometimes. We pass judgment on people we see in the news, homeless, our friends...the list goes on and on. We as a society pass judgment on what sin is worst than another. We put murderers in jail, but let adulterers run free and freely divorce. Hypocritical-and we were warned by Paul...

1 Corinthians 10:13 is one of my favorite verses that tends to help me persevere. "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." This is something that not only can apply to faith, but life in general. It's saying God will not give you more than you can handle, and he will give you a way to handle everything he does give you. He's got your back in other words. This was especially helpful to read today with all the graduate school stuff hanging over my head...

And of course, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love. This passage explains true love. This is the gift God gave to us and the love he has for us. Perfect love is patient, kind, unenvious, unboastful, unproud, etc. We think we find love in so many things. Research, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, siblings...all areas in which we think we've found love. I truly believe though that my parents unconditionally love me, but they don't have a perfect love for me, or for each other. God seems to be the only one capable of perfecting love-simply because we are imperfect...