‘We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be
found with our ministry’ (2 Cor. 6:3). St Paul’s words to the Corinthians move from the negative to the
positive: he goes on to say that he has worked with ‘purity, knowledge,
patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the
power of God; [and] with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and
for the left…’ There is, he says, ‘no restriction in our affections’.
Yet it is clear from what Paul says and implies that there has been only
a limited response from the Corinthians in return. He appeals to them to ‘open
wide your hearts also’. Affection and open heartedness are two signs of a
church which is also open and receptive to God through the working of the Holy
Spirit.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are
wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the
Lord (Isaiah 11:2). The 7 gifts are to be distinguished from the ‘fruits’ of
the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: these are ‘love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’. The gifts of the
Holy Spirit are interior qualities, while the fruits of the Holy Spirit are
external signs of the workings of the Spirit.
Receiving gifts of the Spirit
as interior qualities and these being transformed into fruits, the external and
visible signs, is evidence of the transformation that can happen in our Church
as we deepen our discipleship and spirituality. Paul and the other apostles in
Acts established new churches or brought the Gospel to fledgling churches which
were struggling to know what the Gospel was and is. Remember that at the time,
it was not yet written down. Now, it is claimed that 40% of born-again
Christians don’t even know what the word ‘gospel’ means! (Neil
Cole, Cultivating a life for God,
1999: 84).
Paul
encountered difficulties at Corinth that he had not anticipated. As one
commentator writes:
‘Emotionally they were the polar
opposites of the converts Paul had made in Galatia. The Galatians were
paralyzed by prudence, afraid to make any moral decision for fear that it might
be wrong. They desperately wanted to live by a rulebook.
‘The Corinthians, on the
contrary, were bursting with initiative, and joyfully welcomed Paul’s
invitation to work out for themselves what Christian living meant. Their
enthusiasm, however, was not matched by their sensitivity to the gospel, and
their insights were regularly wrong…’
What Paul’s experiences with the early church at Corinth suggest to us
is that, though debate and discussion enlivens a Church, there is a point at
which it can degenerate into mere speculation and thus become destructive. Similarly,
comments about Paul’s ministerial style and the effectiveness of his preaching
seemed to serve no purpose other than to undermine his authority in dealing
with a profound doctrinal challenge – facing off those who required converts to
Christianity to become Jews first. Unity of purpose is essential to a young
church or a developing church: there is no substitute for it. Fortunately we
learn that in the end the Corinthians calmed down and accepted his authority
once more, so that in the winter of 55-56 Paul was able to spend a second visit
there, where he wrote his letter to the Romans.
Making disciples – not just
Christians, but disciples who bear fruit – is what being Church is about. Paul’s
difficulties with the Corinthians also tell us that things do not work always out
as they should. This is not what we want in our
Church. But how do we ensure that we don’t backslide and end up with something
that is less than we seek? Constant vigilance is one way. We are counselled to
open up our definition of church to mean a way of life, not just a location or
a timeslot on Sunday. We need to expand our understanding of discipleship. We
must each and every one of us to seek to be Good News to someone in need. In
prayer we need to offer our hearts and souls to Jesus Christ and recognize that
this will involve sacrifice. It
may be easier for us to be generous and compassionate than it is to be
forgiving. But both issues lead to a contrast between God and ourselves. God is
infinitely more generous than I can ever be; He is also far more forgiving.
Another
way in which we can make progress is by holding ourselves accountable. This is
a process by which we ask ourselves questions that are the relevant ones for
each of us. How has God made his presence known to us this week? What is God
teaching us? How are we responding to His prompting? Is there someone with whom
we need to share Christ this week? Do we have a need to confess any sin? (Neil
Cole, Cultivating a life for God,
1999: 65). If you identify in yourself a particular weakness or need, the
questions can be specifically directed in that area; all that is required is
honesty and frankness to God. For example, did I invest the proper quality and
quantity of time in my most important relationships? Did my life reflect
integrity? Did I express a forgiving attitude toward others? Did I talk with
someone about Christ? (Cole: 128).
The
technique of accountability is as old as the Bible itself. It was used by John
Wesley in what became his ‘Methodist’ groups. ‘Am I a hypocrite?... Do I thank
God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the
publican? Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold
resentment toward or disregard? If so, what I am going to do about it? Do I
grumble and complain constantly? Is Christ real to me?’ (Cole: 125-6).
The
questions can be as precise or as open as we choose. The two basic questions
that underlie everything else are these: What is God telling me to do? What am
I going to do about it? (Cole: 131). If our own lives cannot be transformed
first, we have no right to expect to transform another’s. There is a cost
involved in seeking the multiplication of disciples in our
Church.
