“A PERFECT PRESCRIPTION”
Paul's final written Corinthian correspondence, that we know of, ends with a kind of P.S - that add-on thought that many folks find themselves including at the end of a letter..., or an email or text message. It's like the texting correspondence between two friends.
Him: (both raise their phones & text) Hey! How's it going? So what are you up to tonight?
Her: Not much. Watchin' a movie.
Him: Oh yeah? Fun. Which one?
Her: P.S. I love you.
Him: Oh....??!? Lisa, I've liked you for a long time now, too. I was always scared you didn't.
Do you wanna meet up?
Her: Matt, I'm sorry. P.S. I Love You is the name of the movie.
Oops. Ouch! Most P.S. Msgs mention something otherwise forgotten or reinforce something already said. Paul's is more the latter. He revisits his plans to return to them a third time, as he'd men-tioned back in the opening chapter. Three times is a charm, so they say, or perhaps cause for alarm!
After all, he points out emphatically that the nature of this next visit depends on them and how they respond to this new letter he now sends. He makes it clear that he's prepared to follow through;
that is, to discipline unrepentant sinners with the full authority entrusted to him by Jesus himself.
“This is the third time I am coming to visit you... I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, the next time we won't spare them. I'll give you proof that Christ speaks through me.”
(2 Corinthians 13:1-2)
But before the letter's a wrap, Paul leaves them, with what turns out to be the perfect prescrip-tion for the ailment of sin and descension that plagues them. It's Paul's five point plan for how they can prevail as a mission outpost of Jesus Christ. Here then are his five key ingredients for a healthy church.
# 1: Be open to correction. Ooh. He doesn't waste any time does he? He doesn't mince words either. But he has a point, not just for the Corinthians, but for us here in Chimacum as well.
“We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction.” Paul writes.
(2 Corinthians 13:7) It would appear that some in their midst were correction resistant. Know any-one like that? Last time I looked in the mirror. Brings to mind a certain young friend of mine.....
Calvin: Hey Mom, what's for dinner tonight?
Mom: Shrimp and asparagus.
Calvin: Asparagas? BLECCHH!! (holdins stomach and making gagging face)
Mom: Calvin, one of these days your face is going to freeze like that.
Calvin: Really?!! Wow! (walking to tablee and sitting w/Dad) Hey Hobbes! Hi Hobbes.
Dad: (eating then looking up and frowning at C) Don't make faces at the table, Calvin.
Calvin: Don't correct me! I can't help it! Mom said my face would freeze like this one day,
and lo and behold, it just did!
Dad: No. (grimacing) It didn't.
-2-
Calvin: It did, Dad! Mom was right. I'm horribly disfigured for life!
Dad: No, you aren't! (exiting as he calls to his wife) Honey!!!! (weakly) help....?
Calvin: That'll teach him not to correct me!
I think I saw Calvin on a recent bike ride in town. A young man was wearing a T-shirt that read, “Correct me if I'm wrong. P.S. But I'm never wrong.” If we're to have an honest awareness of our selves, we'll have to overcome the Calvin in us and except correction, particularly from those we work and live with, and that would especially include God's word via our family of faith.
Paul has offered a lot to think on and he urges them not to let it fall on deaf ears. As he offers this prescription for a healthier church the first point is this: # 1: Be open to correction!
# 2: Grow up! I told you Paul doesn't mince words. Though Jesus urged those who followed him to have a childlike faith Paul makes it clear that doesn't mean being childish.
“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. It should be apparent that Jesus abides within and guides you. We pray that you will become mature. Grow to maturity.”
(2 Corinthians 13:5, 9, 11)
Elsewhere he elaborates: “We're to come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we're mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we'll no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We wont be influenced when people try to trick us with lies that sound like truth.”
(Ephesians 4:13-16)
So how does that work? How do we continue to grow up, regardless of our age? First, comes the mindset that if you consider yourself Christian, that is a Christ-follower, then you embrace your new identity as a disciple or student of Jesus. As his students we're never to stop learning and growing.
We recognize that God also intends to grow us through our hardships. As Paul put it previously: “Three different times I begged the Lord to take the thorn away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. It's sufficent, for my power works best in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8)
As the saying so aptly goes:“You grow through what you go through.” And for what purpose is God growing us up? To make us less childish, less inclined to think the world revolves around us and more inclined to put the needs of our neighbors over our own. As JFK so famously put it: “Think not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country!” (JFK)
# 3: Encourage Each Other! Funny that Paul would think we would need to be reminded to do that. Seems like that would come naturally to people who care about each other. But that's not always the case, apparently. Case in point was the boy in junior high trying to impress my daughter.
She told us that he came up to her nervously, smiled at her awkwardly, and then blurted out, “So what's with your hair?” Some of us need to revisit our approach.
It's clearly a vital part of how a church begins to truly shine because Paul talks about it a lot! “We all need hope & encouragement as we patiently wait for God's promises to be fulfilled, and God provides it in the Scriptures.” (Romans 15:4)
“One day we will be with the Lord forever, so encourage each other with these words.”
-3-
“God chose to save us through Jesus Christ..., so encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” “Encourage those who ae timid. Be patient with everyone.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11, 14)