1 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough! 5 For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” 6 And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Annie Davies

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas!

This passage reminds me of the vows I made on my wedding day. I promised to forsake all others and remain faithful to my husband as long as we both shall live. That I will only have eyes for my husband for the rest of my life. Paul uses this marriage analogy where the Corinthian church is the wife and Christ is the husband. This really makes me feel the importance of our relationship with Christ and the intimacy that should characterise this relationship. Like a wife to her husband, we should be fully devoted and committed to Christ. When our mind wanders to different ideas and teachings, or wanting the most fulfilling experiences, the most successful career, the most likes on social media; that is adultery!

Since having kids, I have struggled with wanting to live an easy, comfortable life. I like to keep the peace and don’t want to offend others. But when I think of Christ, I realise that is not being devoted to him. That is not being serious about defending my relationship with him so that no one and no thing will take that away. I want to be frequently reminded of the gospel, so that I will not put up with different thoughts that seep in from our culture, but instead, I will live boldly for Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.