Have you ever noticed that it appears that the original recipients of Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia might have been prime candidates for “member of the year” in lots of conservative, evangelical, Bible-believing churches we know? There’s little hint that they were struggling with the big moral issues of the day and they appear to be so proper when it comes to outwardly looking like followers of Jesus.
Have you ever thought about how difficult some, if not most, of the original readers of Corinthians might have in being assimilated into lots of conservative, evangelical, Bible-believing churches we know about? They have issues galore! There is division, sexual behavior that is offensive even to pagans, intra-church lawsuits, confusion about marriage, the question of meat and idols, should we pay the preacher, a little dose of spiritual pride, confusion about the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit, and even the resurrection. Theologically and sociologically, they are quite a bunch. They don’t look very proper when it comes to looking like followers of Jesus.
It’s possible (in more reflective moments I might say probable) that were a family from each of these churches to visit some churches I’ve known, the cookie brigade would have too many volunteers to visit the Galatian visitors and we might hear “Are we sure we want to go there?” for the Corinthian visitors. The Galatians seems to be so much like “our kind of folks” and the Corinthians seem to struggle so greatly we might be tempted to wonder “what’s the use?”
Oddly, Paul would no doubt wonder a bit about us! After all, when writing the law-keeping, moralistic Galatians, he omits his always present elsewhere “thank God for you” paragraph. While he does occasionally call them “brothers and sisters,” he also calls them “fools.” But to the Corinthians, he writes some of the most beautiful words of thanksgiving to be found in his epistles. “I give thanks to my God always for you . . .” has a ring about it that makes me think Paul is in love with these very challenged believers and believes them to be worth every effort he might offer to help them grow to maturity in Christ. He often calls them “brothers and sisters” – far more frequently than he does in Galatians.
I’m not suggesting he wouldn’t do that for the Galatians, but you don’t get that “pastor’s heart” when reading Galatians that seems to leap off of every page in Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 11, after a reluctant recounting of some of the challenges he has faced in serving Christ, Paul declares, “and even more for me, there is the daily concern for the churches.” (My paraphrase) When Olin Hay taught preaching at Atlanta Christian College he often talked to his students about a “pastor’s heart.” That’s what I think Paul is getting at in 2 Corinthians 11.
I’m amazed (very grateful, but still amazed) that I get paid to hang out on the campus of Atlanta Christian College with college students. We have a few students who would probably fit right in in Galatia – they are morally upright, law abiding, and occasionally judgmental. But what makes me love my job the most is that we probably look more like the church described in Corinthians than we do the church described in Galatians. We don’t have perfect young adults at ACC, and that’s a good thing because if we did, I couldn’t work here! (And don’t know of any other employee who could.)
But what we do have is a collection of young adults who come from all sorts of places in life. Some are well on the way to getting life worked out in fine fashion. Some are struggling with a variety of issues – from the little “I’m more spiritual than you” routine with which Paul begins Corinthians to challenging theological questions that need answering.
I’m grateful to be a part of a Christian college – soon to be Point University – that has the welcome mat out that says, “If you’re willing to be a part of this community and work on your spiritual life, we’re here to help make that happen.”
I want to go to bed tonight thinking like Paul. I’ve got a long “to-do list” for every day. That “to-do list” contains important stuff – teach my classes, manage my budget, attend events, attend meetings, be a husband, be a father, lead chapel, and the list goes on. But if I can’t sleep tonight, I hope it will be because “and beyond all that ‘stuff’ – is the daily concern for the students with whom God has graciously allowed me to share life and faith.”
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