Behind in No Gift, But Carnal
By Jonathan Mitchell
Learning From the First Century Called-out Community in Corinth
In Paul’s "First Letter to the Corinthians," we read these words in the first chapter:
4. I always and progressively give thanks to (or: for) my God (or: experience gratitude in my God; express the ease of grace by my God; experience the happy fortune of abundant favor with my God; = observe my God's competent and prosperous grace) concerning you folks, upon the basis of God's GRACE (favorable influence) [which is] being GIVEN to you folks within, and in union with, Christ (or: in the sphere of [the] Anointed One,) Jesus,
5. because in (or: that within the midst of) EVERYTHING, and in union with all humanity, you folks are (or: were) made RICH within, and in union with, Him [cf 2 Cor. 9:11; Rom. 2:4; 11:33; Phil. 4:19] - within every thought (in the midst of all [the] Logos; centered in all Reason; in the sphere of all pattern-forming and meaning-bearing Information; in every word, idea, expression, eloquence and message) and in all intimate, experiential KNOWLEDGE and insight (gnosis) -
6. correspondingly, in proportion, to the level, and following the pattern, as Christ's witness (or: the testimony pertaining to, and from, the Anointed One; or: the evidence which is the Anointing) was made certain, stable and established on good footing (or: validated and confirmed) within, and among, you folks,
7. and as you people are NOT continuing trailing BEHIND or constantly late, so as to be DEFICIENT or fall short - not even in one EFFECT of GRACE (or: result of Favor) - being ones habitually receiving and taking away into your hands from out of our Lord's [= Yahweh's, or Christ's] unveiling: Jesus Christ [cf Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28] (or: from the midst of an uncovering of, and a revelation which is, our Lord and Master, Jesus [the] Anointed; or: forth from the disclosure from this Lord of us, Jesus Anointed),
8. Who will continue making you folks stable, certain, and established on good footing, UNTIL MATURITY (or: until attainment of a purposed goal, and an accomplishment of intended and destined results; to the point of being finished): a people not [being] open to accusation (or: those not in the midst of a [legal] charge, not being called into account or for censure, or considered in some category; unimpeachable ones; [cf Rom. 8:31; Col. 1:22; Phil. 1:6, 10]), within the midst of and in union with this Day of our Lord - Jesus Christ! (or: in the, or this, Day which is our Lord, Jesus Christ; or: in the day of [Yahweh], who is our Master, Jesus [the] Anointed.)
[comment: the phrase "the day of the LORD" was used by the prophets to signify God's influence and activity on people; cf Acts 2:17-21]
I have used upper case letters on some words in this passage. The reason is to highlight the points which we will make in this essay. It seems logical that we could conclude about this called-out community that they had EVERYTHING that they needed in order to come to MATURITY in Christ. Read again, in vs. 8a above, what Paul said about what Jesus Christ would do for those of that community. Ponder the beauty of this passage. As is usual with Paul’s writings, we could speak about a lot of his affirmations which are contained in these five verses.
Keeping this passage in mind, we will lift out a few verses, in chapter 2, which expand upon what he has said in the verses, above:
9. But to the contrary, according as it has been, and stands, written, "Things which an eye has not seen and an ear does not hear, neither does it ascend (climb up) upon [the] heart of a human, so as to conceive - so many things God prepares and makes ready in, for, and by, the folks habitually loving (accepting and urging toward reunion with; fully giving themselves to) Him." [Isa. 64:3; 52:15] ["{Wisdom is} with all flesh, according to the gift, and in line with the giving, from Him, and He abundantly provides (supplies and furnishes) Her to, for, and within, the folks continuously loving, accepting and urging toward union with Him." Wisdom of Sirach 1:10, LXX, JM] [cf Mat. 5:3; Jas. 2:5]
10. Yet [other MSS: For you see] God unveils [them] in us (reveals [them] to us; uncovers [them] for us; discloses [these] among us) through the spirit (or: through means of the Spirit; throughout the sphere of this Breath-effect), for you see, the spirit (or: the Spirit; the Breath-effect) constantly and progressively searches, explores, examines and investigates all humanity, and everything - even the depths of, from, which pertain to, and which are, God!
Paul is inclusive, here in vs. 10, when he says,
"God unveils [them] in us (reveals [them] to us; uncovers [them] for us; discloses [these] among us)."
Then he explains that this happens "IN [our] spirit," or "through means of the Spirit," or, "throughout the sphere of this Breath-effect." This, alone, is amazing.
Now let us focus on the next clause:
"[our] spirit,"
or,
"THE Spirit (Breath-effect)," constantly and progressively "searches, explores, examines and investigates all humanity, and everything - even the depths of, from, which pertain to, and which are, God."
Wow! However we are to read the word "spirit" or "Spirit," this is a mind-blowing statement. As to which is meant (spirit/Spirit), we have Paul’s instruction in 1 Cor. 6:17,
"Now the person continually joining himself (or: being habitually glued in intimate union; in himself being continuously welded) to (or: in; with) the Lord exists being ONE spirit (or: one Breath-effect; one Attitude; one Spirit)."
Next, let us consider 2:12, which describes the existential state and condition of the body of Christ, for he again uses a plural, thus inclusive, pronoun, "we":
"Now we ourselves did not receive (or: do not accept or take to ourselves; do not take control of, or grasp hold of) the spirit of the System (the world's spirit and atmosphere; the attitude of, or from, the domination system of government, economy or religion of the aggregate of humanity), but to the contrary, that spirit (or: the Spirit, Breath-effect or Attitude) [which is] from out of the midst of God - to the end that we can see and know the things being freely and joyously given to and for us, in Grace (or: being graciously bestowed, and favorably given in us), by God." [cf Rom. 8:23-27]
There is a spirit (or: the Spirit) from out of the midst of God, which we have received. This spirit/Spirit is in bold contrast to "the spirit of, or from, the domination System" of our world... or of the aggregate of humanity. This is what sets-apart the called-out folks. It is God’s Spirit, within us and joined to us, that creates a new spirit which we become as God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
The idea of
"knowing the things that are given to us,"
equates to what our spirits learn as they search the deep things of God (in 2:10b, above). Now Paul offers clarification on all this, in the last three verses of this chapter:
15. Yet the spiritual person (one dominated by, and focused on, spirit or the realm of the Spirit, and characterized by the qualities of spirit: the Wind which continuously moves across the land; or: the pneumatic person; [cf 14:37, 15:44-50, below]) is, on the one hand, continuously sifting and re-evaluating (habitually separating and deciding from above on; progressively holding things up for close examination of; or: = understand the meaning) everything and all humanity, yet, on the other hand, he is being sifted and held up for close examination, or decision, by no one.
16. For,"Who intimately knows (or: experientially knew) [the] LORD's [= Yahweh's] mind? Who will proceed to co-habit with (or: so that he will mount or come together so as to unite and be knit with) Him?" [Isa. 40:13-14, LXX; note: for mind the Heb. text has Spirit; cf Rom. 11:34] Yet we, ourselves, are continuously holding and possessing (or: progressively having) Christ's mind (a mind which is Anointed, and which is Christ; [other MSS: a mind of, and from, {the} Lord {or: LORD}]; a way of thinking and an intellect from an Anointing; a mental awareness, orientation, disposition, and resolve, of, and from, Christ; or: thoughts that are Anointed thoughts - cf Moffatt)!
Now, as we have presented the glorious things that Paul affirmed to them (or: us), call to mind that in 1:11 he tells them that he has heard about the "quarrels (situations of strife; discordant debates) among" them. He expands on this, in 3:4-5, but he opens chapter 3 with an assessment of their current situation:
2. I gave you folks milk to drink [cf 1 Thes. 2:7], not solid food, for you were continuing not as yet being able or having power. But then, neither are you yet now (at present) able (or: having power), for you are still fleshly ones (= people of flesh, focused on ordinary life, with natural thinking). [cf Gal. 5:24-6:1; Heb. 5:12-13]
3. For you see, in which place (or: insofar as) [there is] jealousy and strife and folks standing apart (divisions and disunities) among you folks - are you not existing being fleshly folks (natural people adapted to flesh, the self, and common society), even constantly walking around (= living your life) according to, on the level of, in the sphere of, and corresponding to, humanity? [note: this = a first Adam existence; 1 Cor. 2:16; 15:45-50; Phil. 1:9-11; 2:2-5]
Despite all their gifts (e.g., chapters 11 and 12), these folks were still immature and were building their community (God’s Temple) with "wood, hay and stubble" (3:12, KJV) which would not survive the fiery trials that would come upon them (1 Pet. 4:12), to purify them (Mal. 3:2-3). They were doing the same things to themselves, individually. They needed to buy Gold from Christ (Rev. 3:18) so that they would build God’s Temple in a set-apart manner (3:17), so that it would look like the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9-21).
Observe that Paul had to remind these Corinthians that they WERE God’s Temple (3:17). It often seems that Christians, today, also need that same reminder. They may know a lot, and may have many gifts, but many do not act like God is living within them. Paul repeats this reminder, in 1 Cor. 6:
20. for you people were bought, as at a marketplace: [there was] value and honor involved in the price (or: [you are] of value) (or: = you see, you folks were bought and paid for; or: it follows that from a valuable price you folks were bought at market). By all means then, glorify God (bring a good reputation to God; manifest that which calls forth praise to God; give an assumed Appearance for God) within your body (or: within the sphere of this body, which you folks are)!
He later affirms this fact to them, once again, in 2 Cor. 6:
16. Now what mutual deposit (or: concurrence or agreement arrived by group decision) [does] God's Temple [have] with idols (or: external forms or appearances; or: phantoms of the mind; unsubstantial images or forms)? For you see, we ourselves are a living God’s Temple (or: a Temple of God, Who is a Living One; or: It follows that we exist being God’s living Temple) [with other MSS: It follows that you folks, yourselves, continuously exist being an inner sanctuary and home of a continuously living God], just, and following the pattern, as God said:
"I [Yahweh] will proceed to make My home and will continue walking around within and among them (or: I will habitually reside {dwell}, as in a house, and live My life within, among, and in the sphere of, them), and I will continue existing being their God, and they will continue existing being My people." [Lev. 26:12-13; cf Rev. 21:3]
Do we, today, as followers of Christ actually realize who we are? Do we live our lives with an awareness of God actually being within us?
Jonathan
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