14 I’m not writing these things to make you ashamed but to warn you, since you are my loved children. 15 You may have ten thousand mentors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. I gave birth to you in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 16 so I encourage you to follow my example. 17 This is why I’ve sent Timothy to you; he’s my loved and trusted child in the Lord; he’ll remind you about my way of life in Christ Jesus. He’ll teach the same way as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Some have become arrogant as if I’m not coming to see you. 19 But, if the Lord is willing, I’ll come to you soon. Then I won’t focus on what these arrogant people say, but I’ll find out what power they possess. 20 God’s kingdom isn’t about words but about power. 21 Which do you want? Should I come to you with a big stick to punish you, or with love and a gentle spirit?
Reflection
I think we can sum up the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Corinthians using the modern idiom: “Walk it like you talk it.” Paul is really letting them know that their sin, false doctrines, pride and arrogance are not what he taught them about following Jesus. Because he chose to send Timothy, his personal representative, some followers were so arrogant as to think Paul wasn’t coming to visit them because he was afraid to face them. Many Corinthians viewed Paul as weak, because he followed the Way of Jesus, the way of love. Paul went so far as to ask them, “Which do you want? Should I come with a big stick to punish you, or with love and a gentle spirit? Jesus always corrected his followers with love and a gentle spirit, even when they didn’t deserve it.
Today people view following Jesus as weakness. Followers who are caring and compassionate, who help the marginalized and pray and march for peace are seen as silly or out of touch with how the world really works. Paul is confronting this same attitude in the Corinthian church and he is calling out the fact that many are good at talking the talk, but they are not walking the
walk. Where is the proof in their lives that the power of God is at work? For all their talk and pride, there is no fruit of the Spirit in evidence. There isn’t love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.) Where is the evidence in their empty words of real spiritual change in their lives, brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit? Where ever true faith is, that is where the power of God’s Kingdom is at work.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
God’s grace is evident in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and lives. It doesn’t come about through human boasting or threats. God’s love for us is what transforms us. And that change flows out into the world through our actions, creating social change that results in compassion and justice. We follow Jesus to be people of love and a gentle spirit in a
world where talk is cheap and few will walk the path that Jesus walked.
In these difficult times, now more than ever, as we follow Jesus we are challenged to “walk it like we talk it.” Are we acting like a people of love and a gentle spirit?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we struggle to be a people of love and gentle spirits. Help us to remain faithful, to not be discouraged and to listen to the guidance of your Spirit. Transform us by the power of your Spirit so that we can be instruments of your compassion and justice in your Kin-dom. Amen.
