March 7                                                                        1Corinthians 12:  27-13:3

 

 

 

At first glance, it is easy to think that a reference to the 12th chapter of Paul's first letter to the Church at Corinth might be a typo, because of how popular the 13th chapter is. Think about it:

 

* It's read at most weddings.

* It's on greeting cards for Valentine's Day and anniversaries.

* Alan Jackson quoted it in his moving song about the September 11 attacks.

 

And that's just three instances.  But could we really understand what Paul writes in the 13th chapter without first absorbing the 12th?  Probably not.  Definitely not.

 

By verse 27, Paul is on a roll presenting the "Body of Christ" concept to his audience.  He is always quick to point out that the parts of the body must all work together in order for it to function efficiently.  He eventually abandons the metaphor and simply outlines the responsibilities we can take on in our Christian ministries through a series of rhetorical questions.  By the end of the chapter, we have a pretty good idea of our individual job descriptions, or at least what position we want to apply for.  And then of course, in the telling verses, early in Chapter 13, we read that if we do not have love - absolute sincerity - it could all go to waste.

 

This is typical of Paul when he wants to stress a point.  He sets the flowery language and the complex sentence structure aside and lays it all out.  It's just straight prose, but oh does it make us think.

 

 

 

- Chris Dehnel