Man is mortal but he longs for immortality. Therefore, people in the Middle Age in Europe built magnificent cathedrals whose Gothic spires showed man's desire to reach upwards to heavens. Among these cathedrals, the St. John Lateran Basilica is regarded as the mother of all these cathedrals. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates her dedication.
On the macro level, i.e. social and cultural level, Paul was very much concerned with the building up of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. On the micro level, i.e. interpersonal level, Paul cared very much about edification. Our relationship with each other should improve / promote our relationship with Christ who is the very foundation of our faith, our Church.
For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
What are the building blocks of this relationship with Jesus?
There are three. The theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.
Strong faith is good. But it is good for oneself only. Hope is indispensable in times of crisis and tribulation which will surely come near the end of the world. In good times, hope shies away from the foreground. In bad times, hope sustains us till our end. Still hope is a personal conviction. Of course, this hope can be shared by a community of believers. But charity is better, because it is good for all. Charity is edifying. That is why Paul concludes his ode of love with the following line.
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
What are the building blocks of this relationship with Jesus?
There are three. The theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.
Strong faith is good. But it is good for oneself only. Hope is indispensable in times of crisis and tribulation which will surely come near the end of the world. In good times, hope shies away from the foreground. In bad times, hope sustains us till our end. Still hope is a personal conviction. Of course, this hope can be shared by a community of believers. But charity is better, because it is good for all. Charity is edifying. That is why Paul concludes his ode of love with the following line.
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
In trying to dissuade the Corinthians from factionism, Paul painted a big picture. We are all parts making up the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Cephas, Apollo and Paul were just fellow workers cultivating God's field, building God's house.
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
Then Paul continues to compare the quality of the missionary work of the apostles anonymously: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw (1 Corinthians 3:12). Their missionary work will undergo the test of fire. Then the quality of their work will be shown.
Then Paul turns to the believers who are the handicrafts the apostles are working on. Since the apostles are building up God's Church, therefore, Paul claims that the believers are God's Temple.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Depending on our conception of the Temple, we have as many ways to understand Paul's "God's Temple" as people's faces. Very likely, many will think along the line that they, as an individual, as a person, are a Temple, like a temple standing tall and alone, overseeing a particular region. Some may think along the line that they are the meeting places between God and men, a place of reconciliation. Some may think themselves places / persons of prayers. Some think that they are holy and solemn and do not allow for any blemishes. Some have grander ideas to think of themselves a building bricks, joining forces with other believers to build up a magnificent Gothic cathedral etc. This is worth exploring. After all, Paul allows us room for interpretation as long as we keep the image he offers.
If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:17).
The magnificent Jerusalem Temple must have provided Paul with the image he invokes in this writing of God's temple. But Paul did not live to see the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. He died before the siege of Jerusalem. I wonder if he would retract his statement for God did not destroy Titus Flavius Vespasianus. Or perhaps Paul means martyrdom. God would avenge the blood of martyrs with His wrath.
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
Then Paul continues to compare the quality of the missionary work of the apostles anonymously: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw (1 Corinthians 3:12). Their missionary work will undergo the test of fire. Then the quality of their work will be shown.
Then Paul turns to the believers who are the handicrafts the apostles are working on. Since the apostles are building up God's Church, therefore, Paul claims that the believers are God's Temple.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Depending on our conception of the Temple, we have as many ways to understand Paul's "God's Temple" as people's faces. Very likely, many will think along the line that they, as an individual, as a person, are a Temple, like a temple standing tall and alone, overseeing a particular region. Some may think along the line that they are the meeting places between God and men, a place of reconciliation. Some may think themselves places / persons of prayers. Some think that they are holy and solemn and do not allow for any blemishes. Some have grander ideas to think of themselves a building bricks, joining forces with other believers to build up a magnificent Gothic cathedral etc. This is worth exploring. After all, Paul allows us room for interpretation as long as we keep the image he offers.
If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:17).
The magnificent Jerusalem Temple must have provided Paul with the image he invokes in this writing of God's temple. But Paul did not live to see the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. He died before the siege of Jerusalem. I wonder if he would retract his statement for God did not destroy Titus Flavius Vespasianus. Or perhaps Paul means martyrdom. God would avenge the blood of martyrs with His wrath.
Dear Lord, we praise You. You are our foundation, our life. I pray that we care more about the needs of our neighbours, speak edifying words to encourage them so that we may build up a Church that is able to withstand Your fire of purification. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment