Intrigued by the power of Paul’s message in chapters 12 and 13 – the vulnerability of the “one spirit body” and the passion of “without love” – I thought it might be helpful to read from the beginning of 1st Corinthians. Chapters 1 to 3 set an interesting stage. Paul begins by acknowledging the divisions within the church, and he appeals for consensus. It recalled a disturbing conversation I had last year about community unity at all costs – even if it meant in that context sublimating our feelings about same sex marriage. Such silence is bad community building. I think the body of Christ metaphor is intended to help us respect and nurture difference. That said we may also have to draw lines – is that Paul’s intention?
One of my many challenges with the Bible is the black and white nature of its metaphor’s. I don’t know the authorship very well but it seems to me that at least Jesus and Peter talked – and taught – this way. It can be painfully uninclusive ... us and them - the perishing and the being saved – and dismissive – neither Paul planting the seed not Apollos watering it is anything but only God who makes things grow. Language is important ... our words are powerful ... the bible is intended to be taken seriously.
Chapter 2 hints at a helpful characterization of the Spirit for those of us who are challenged by the Trinity. The Spirit searches all things ... man has a spirit ... even God has a spirit ... only the spirit knows. It is still rather elusive – there seems to be a preoccupation with the wisdom that the spirit imparts. I see the searching by the man and god spirits as thirsting. And the Spirit is the medium of our “spiritual” practice - our pursuit to quench.
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