Thoughts on 1 Corinthians Chapter Thirteen-part 3

Thoughts on 1 Corinthians Chapter Thirteen-part 3

            So, when one reads “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity I am become as sounding brass” with the knowledge of what we learned from Vitruvius in yesterday’s post, we understand that if a person says that he loves his or her neighbor but does not really care for them—this person’s speech is hollow like the sound produced by the Roman hollow sounding vases.  The great Bible expositor Adam Clarke explained that, at the conclusion of chapter 12 the apostle promised to show the Corinthians a more excellent way to live the way they were living.

            Let’s read 1Corinthians 12:25, [in the chapter just before the one we quoted earlier] “That there should be no schism [i.e. no division] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  1Corinthians 12:26 also states, “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  We can see that the Corinthians were so distracted with contentions and were divided and were envious of each other's gifts, that unity was nearly destroyed.

Thought for the Day

During the second half or the twentieth century more churches were split and splintered by music than theology or any other  aspect of Christian living. It is no wonder that the inspired author of the Corinthian letter warned “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”