4:I do not write these
things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you
might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many
fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16
Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to
you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my
ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
I'm glad to know exaggeration is not a sin. If it were I
would be in trouble and my son moreso. Paul is exaggerating to make a point.
The church in Corinth has become a hotbed of arguing and division. Everyone is
an expert and everyone knows the "right way". Paul draws on that and
says "You may have ten thousand instructors but you don't have many
fathers."
What is his point? There is a great difference between an
instructor and a father. Both teach but a father would die for his son. Paul
"gave birth" to the church in Corinth. He carries them on His heart.
The letter we are reading is proof of that. He doesn't just love them enough to
write a letter. He loves them enough to tell them what they need to hear but
probably don't want to hear.
It takes deep commitment to the well being of another person
to look them in the eye and confront them on something. Jesus said "Those
I love I rebuke and correct." Love that does not correct when necessary is
not love at all. Correction that is done in anger or with belittling or shaming
is not love either. But when someone you know loves you cares enough to try and
steer you from a disaster of your own making even at the risk of bringing your
anger against themselves, that is love. If you have even one such person in
your life you are wealthy. Don't be a fool and push them away...
Paul went a step further. He couldn't come to Corinth himself
so he did the next best thing. He sent his prize pupil Timothy to minister to
them on his behalf. It was a risky move. It could have been a disaster for
young Timothy and further divided an already divided church. Those who loved
Paul may have lined up behind him and those who loved Apollos or Peter may have
fought him at every step. There was no way to know. What we do know is that
love takes risks because doing something that may not work is better than doing
nothing. Love is action. Love never sits by or ignores a problem.
Again if you are blessed to have even one person in your life
who will look you in the eye and tell you what you need to hear you are rich.
Don't be a fool and block your ears or worse, push them away.
"Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."
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