Today we finish 1 Corinthians and Paul, in his usual style, ends his letter with salutations of love. He says in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
The Corinthians were a proud people, and proud of their strength. Paul wanted to recognize that and urged them to remain that way, using military analogy to stand watch, that is, being ready for Jesus return. To stand fast and not back down from their faith in Jesus. To be brave, to act like men in the face of battle. And to be strong, strong as a group just like a division of military troops drawing strength from each other.
This is somewhat reminiscent of my favorite verse of Scripture in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Paul's message is quite literal for us today that we need strength in our life and need to be brave while watching for Jesus to return. All this strength that we draw on from our Christian brothers and sisters must be done with love in Christ.
Blessings to all
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment