Read Reflect It’s somewhere around 49-51 AD. Paul is on his second missionary journey and during his 18 months in Corinth he’s writing this letter. What’s on his mind? Certainty—the truth that Jesus is going to return. What’s on his readers’ mind? Doubt. Are we going to be OK or not? What’s going to happen […]
Read More encouragement, doubt, certaintyRead Reflect Here is Paul’s personal c.v. and the justification of his ministry. Here is his rationale and defence of his work. What guarantees the authenticity of Paul, the man and what he teaches? The fact that he’s been on the front lines, where he’s been shamefully treated, yet continues to boldly declare the gospel […]
Read More grace, character, authenticityRead Reflect Paul could have used a smartphone in his time, or a wi-fi tablet because he was one relational kind of guy. An electronic Facebook is great – but better is the Heartbook and the “great desire to see you face to face” (v 17). There’s an incredible sense of friendship, collegiality, even intimacy […]
Read More relationships, friendship, joyRead Reflect So here’s the climax of all this interpersonal Heartbook stuff: they are as keen to see Paul as he is to see them. Why not? He has brought them life in Christ. No wonder they love him to bits and want to see him again. “We live if you are standing fast in […]
Read More investment in people, gratitude, encouragement, love, fellowshipRead Reflect Uh uh. We tend to draw back when people start to tell us what to do, especially in the realms of inter-personal conduct and sexual behaviour. It’s all very well to believe in Jesus and love God, to go to church and say the occasional prayer, but…there’s more? We have to do something […]
Read More discipline, Sanctification, sex, holinessRead Reflect Paul’s readers were worried about the technical details of the second coming of Christ, and in particular one question. What would happen to the people who died before Jesus reappeared? Were they included in the resurrection of believers or did they somehow miss out because they died too soon? Were they in a […]
Read More hope, second comingRead Reflect Yes, but when is the When coming? We are so much in love with “When,” always curious and anxious about the future, and no less so with the idea of a Jesus who is coming back. We are passionate about time in general and we want to know when Jesus is returning. For […]
Read More judgment, Day of the Lord, ready, second coming, peaceRead Reflect So now we’re at the last paragraph, the Coda, the Postscript. One can imagine Paul running out of papyrus or ink now, and cramming in his final list of important things to remember and get across before he has to escape from a mob or dash off to a secret rendezvous. There’s a […]
Read More exhortations, blameless, God is faithful, peace