Boot Camp (1 Corinthians)

I have just finished the book of 1 Corinthians and am finding myself pondering over all the wonderful lessons. It would be so hard to produce a decent summary of this epistle because every chapter is jam-packed with verses that individually could be picked over at length. If you don’t believe me, check out my board on Pinterest that is currently covered in 1 and 2 Corinthians verses. Strange, but even though I’ve read through this book more than once I primarily think about it in terms of the famous ‘love’ chapter thirteen. Don’t get me wrong, that is an amazing chapter, but the feeling I got reading through the book this time was… ‘Man, if people read the rest of this book they wouldn’t think aww but ouch!’. Maybe it is the time of life I’m at but it felt like I was preparing for boot camp or some kind of intense training through my readings. However the pain it produced was profitable and really pushed me towards examination of how prevalent Christian virtues are in my day to day life. Here are a few passages that stuck out to me… 

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work… Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:11-13, 16 (NIV)

I find it interesting how often verse 16 of this section is quoted without correlation to the previous section. Although I can see its connection to modern day decisions I don’t think it should be the poster verse for anti-smoking campaigns etc. Reading it in this context gave me new insight and though obviously Paul is talking about the physical too, my focus was on teaching. There were so many false teachers running amok with what Paul had begun in the Holy Spirit. The people we allow to speak into our lives are important. What do their lives look like? Does what they teach line up with what we see in the Bible? Our foundation above all else must be Christ and if keeping that true means sacrificing pet doctrines, prejudices or false beliefs it must be done. Or as this verse suggests- it will certainly be done for us. At the end of our lives we’ll see what proved to be gold, but this much is true, everything should be built on Jesus. How well do we know him? 

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NKJV)

Doesn’t that make you want to get up and go for a run or something? Paul knew that training was paramount to the Christian life. As I’ve gone through my Spiritual Formation class and learned about Spiritual Disciplines I have felt a little beat up, but that bruising will make me stronger. We have this idea in American spirituality that being uncomfortable means God isn’t with us or isn’t blessing us. Why not accept all things in life as training in this race of life? We’re all running, but are we faux-jogging at the back of the pack, distracted by everything we pass by. Paul had no uncertainty in what he was running towards and who was his example. He was running for the crown that would be given to him and us by the great forerunner Jesus Christ. What is keeping us spiritually fat? What radical move can we make (and maintain) to submit more of our lives to God? 

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13,14 (NKJV) 

I get that the Greek connotation here is ‘be a man’ but I’m not about to let Men’s ministries hold exclusive rights to this amazing text. If the former section was about hard training, this one is about endurance. These are some of the final words Paul imparts in this letter and it sums up the essence of the book. Spiritual training is profitable because in the day of testing the practice of standing firm and trusting God has already been solidified. We must keep our eyes open, stand firm on the rock that is Jesus and take courage. We are the children of God- why are we walking around like that is a powerless relationship? Finally, being grounded in Christ provides resources of divine love with which to touch those around us. We can love others because He first loved us. What a glorious inheritance!

Text Reference: (1984). NIV. Grand Rapids : Zondervan.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Photo Reference: National Library of Scotland. Finish of the Officers 100 yards - an event in a R.A.F. Sports. Circa 1918.