Daily Liturgy and Scripture

If Paul‘s last letter to the Corinthians was more about community, and he is definitely starting this one out with a strong emphasis on Christ. Of course, there was plenty of Jesus throughout the last letter, but he comes out of the gates, with a clear indication for this letter: it is all about Jesus, and he is the foundation.

The collection for the Lord's people, which might have been another example of Paul's other references to an offering for the Jerusalem church, shows how connected the early church was even in the first century. The Spirit was their bond of love, but the practical bonds of taking care of one another were also highly important.

Paul's vision of resurrection, continued from yesterday's portion of this passge, gives a little more detail about how he sees resurrection happening. Perhaps the Corinthians needed more details. Paul uses the analogy of a seed, because death brings about a new kind of life very different from the seed. Resurrection will certainly bring about a very different life, as we follow Jesus even to that.

Resurrection might seem like an idea too wild to build a faith on, but it is that very supernatural event that gives Christianity its unique flavor. Not only that Jesus rose from the dead, but that he did so as a preview of our own future. God came to bring us to where God is, and resurrection is the way in which we will all get there.

Having addressed the use of tongues in the first part of the chapter, Paul now turns to more definitive picture of what worship should look like: orderly, corporate, and done together. No grandstanding from its members, but a corporate approaching of God together.

Is it possible to be "too spiritual"? The point of worship is certainly to come to God, but we also have to go there together, when we are worshiping together. What the Corinthians were doing speaking in tongues almost seems to have been a competition (hence Paul's sort of sarcastic ending), but they are coming down to earth thanks to the Apostle.

The things that bind us together in the body of Christ now come down to the most important one: love. This passage, one of the most famous sections of the Bible, is often quoted at weddings. It's not just for couples. The spirit of love that is between couples should also be between members of the body of Christ.

This passage is almost whimsical, having body parts talk to one another and even insult one another. Paul's point is solid, though: the Spirit equips the Body of Christ for its work, and that work takes on many forms. Hopefully, they can learn to work in harmony.

A lot of the content of this passage from 1 Corinthians is cultural, but the spirit holds for us today: when we are thinking of life in the body of Christ, we should be working to unify that body. This may mean changing habits or personal preferences a bit, because the point of life in the body is Jesus and not ourselves.

Paul continues instructions that help the Corinthians live better in community, and building one another up seems to be the theme. Questions of faith aren't merely "what does it do for me" issues, but are weighed against the good of the body. If we are the body of Christ, this is how we keep that body healthy.