Hi friends! I’ve been posting a lot for the past few years on my WordPress blog. I’m copying over this post from that blog. I’ll be using this page for blogging now!
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he addresses a variety of issues: division and animosity, pride and selfishness, lack of discipline and blatant acceptance of sin, marriage, food, spiritual gifts, love, and resurrection. He wrote about these specific topics because the church in Corinth was having difficulties navigating them and reflecting the heart of God in them.
As I was reading, it made me wonder, if Paul were here today and wrote a letter to the church of America (I know, it’s a much larger scale than the church in Corinth, but go with me on this), what would it say? What issues would it address?
Right away, I think of apathy. We simply don’t care. If we really believed the Gospel was true, we would live differently. I could go on about this, but let’s dive into this a little more with this question: What are some ways that we display our apathy?
Right away, I think of social justice and poverty. But is this what Paul would have thought of right away? Jesus talks on length about taking care of the widow and the orphan. He’s commanding us to care for the disenfranchised and vulnerable. Paul doesn’t address this very much (other than 1 Tim 5). Still, I can only surmise that this is because the church understood and was obedient to their duty and call in this area. It would be unthinkable to dismiss this command.
So, how else do we display our apathy?
By not sharing the Gospel with boldness. We rely on others to do it and take a backseat in the process when this is definitely not what we are commanded to do. We don’t live with a sense of urgency about the Gospel. We “go with the flow” in an attempt to not offend people, but what we get is a watered-down version of Christianity. This is something Paul would definitely address.
Something else that would probably come up in Paul’s letter would be pride and bigotry. We see this even recently with the John MacArthur and Beth Moore issue. Pride blinds us and pulls us from unity. Pride causes division and this situation has left many American Christians saddened and angry OR empowered and satisfied. There’s no middle ground in a situation that should have been completely avoided in the first place.
Another issue it would address is our selfishness and individualistic outlook on life. We weren’t created for ourselves. Still, so many of us live as if we were: trying to find ways to be more comfortable and cozy when we were actually called to sacrifice and humility.
Along these lines, I think the letter would definitely address money. It could address this issue from a few different standpoints. First, it could communicate our love for money. So many American Christians rely more on the accumulation of wealth than they rely on God. They find their safety, their protection in money. We weren’t designed to function this way. It could also address our stewardship of money. Whether we’ve been given much or little, America could use a reminder that it’s not even ours in the first place. All that we have comes from God. So, choosing to steward our money well is a representation of Kingdom values.
Another issue Paul’s letter to the church of America would address – and this is huge – is growing in our relationship with God. Paul writes about this when he tells the church in Corinth that they are still drinking spiritual milk. What he means is that they haven’t grown up. A big issue in the American Christian church is that we hear about Jesus, we say “yes,” and then we don’t do anything. Or, we might pray every once in a while or read our Bible on Sunday before church. But if we said “yes” to a relationship, doesn’t it demand more of a commitment than that? If you were to say “yes” to a dating or marriage relationship but then only talk to that person once a week, would they be convinced that you were interested in pursuing a relationship with them? So many American Christian live this way: living as a “fan” rather than a “follower.” Saying yes to the idea of Jesus but not actually pursuing to know Jesus more deeply.
If Paul were here today and wrote a letter to the American church, I think his biggest cry would be this: America, wake up! You’ve slept in an apathetic, selfish dreamland for far too long. This life is not about you. It was never meant to be about you. His letters were sometimes on the longer side; I think the letter to the church in America would follow this suit. I want to continue to process through this, because I’m sure that as I do, Holy Spirit will bring to mind issues in the American church that we consider “normal” but are in direct opposition to the Gospel. So, stay tuned for more musings soon!
