Thoughts for the Day

* Corinth today.

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Saint Paul has an odd style and sometimes people are put off his epistles, but when we look at his background and that of his people (as we did two days ago in 'Thoughts for the Day'), many things begin to make sense. Paul was a pupil of the great Gamaliel a Doctor of Jewish Law, from whom he learnt what it meant to be a Pharisee and to care for all issues concerning the Law. But after an experience on the road to Damascus where he heard the voice of Jesus, he was to associate with Gentiles and eventually saw his ministry as taking the Gospel message to them. By the time he writes to the Corinthians he has travelled extensively establishing churches in the Greek diaspora and in Asia. Now he has begun to hear that things are not well amongst the christians in Corinth, and he writes to them.

Paul has every right to boast of his work, but he reminds them that when he first came to them he determined to put the emphasis of all his words and work on Jesus Christ. So he did not use the preaching skills in which he had been trained, but spoke using everyday language suitable for ordinary men and women. He says he came in weakness (in 'fear and trembling') and he won their hearts and minds through the power of the Spirit. We know Paul had some kind of physical impediment, though not what it was, but in the passage from scripture above we see that all the words of wisdom were suppressed in order to simply give the message that Jesus Christ was crucified for them so that they might received salvation and eternal life.

I remember being in a traditional parish church in a small village, years ago, where the word "Jesus" was never said unless it was in a reading from scripture. I must take some blame for not helping to change that attitude more, but today's portion of scripture should encourage us to remember that the work of all Christians is to actually spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we can't do that if we don't mention the name 'Jesus'.

Father-God,
You sent Your Son, our Lord Jesus,
to save us from our sin.
and we have responded to His call.
May we not forget that that He called us
to spread His message to the whole world,.
and also to live a life that shows our faith
to those around us.
Amen.