11:1 Oh, that you
would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with
me. 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have
betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived
Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus
whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which
you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you
may well put up with it!
Have you ever tried to address a hot button issue in the
midst of the controversy? Try having a calm rational discussion about the
different qualities of each political candidate and their parties a week before
an election. Try discussing any topic that has generated debate and even
division while that topic is foremost in everyone's minds. You know exactly
what I'm talking about. More often than not all you will discover is what side
everyone has already chosen. It seems once an issue starts to boil it is too
late to discuss it rationally.
Here's the problem. Try discussing any issue when it isn't an
issue. Hard to find an audience isn't it? Talk about dating with people who
aren't dating and they have no reason to listen. Talk about dating with people
who are actively dating and if you disagree with anything they are thinking or
doing they won't listen. So if you can't talk about an issue when it's not
happening and it's too late to address it when it is happening what do you do?
Paul is now attempting to address an issue that isn't current
but he knows will come. The issue is getting dragged away from the simplicity
of the Story, the simple good news of what Jesus has done for us.
It's certainly wise to try and address what would be a heated
issue before it arises but the challenge is to get people to take an issue
seriously that isn't yet an issue. If you have read Galatians you will see how
similar the language is. It makes me wonder if Paul saw what happened in
Galatia and tried to prevent the same crisis from happening in Corinth.
Notice his motive: Godly jealousy. Paul loves them so much he
is thinking about their well being even before the controversy/crisis comes. He
is like parents trying to save their children from all the potential pitfalls of
life before they ever get to the pit. I certainly feel his urgency and
intensity.
Notice the topic: being drawn away from the simplicity of
Jesus. Do you know the destination for those who are drawn away? Do you know
where they end up? In religion. In some kind of system where God gets paid off.
A system that leaves individuals obsessing over themselves and their
"performance". Am I saved? Am I good enough? Am I right? Am I
perfect? Am I... and the endless list goes on.
Jesus. Jesus paid it all. Simple. Stay in that
simplicity.
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