Xanthe Hancox

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Paul’s final word to the Corinthians is a word of peace. He sees beyond all the fragmentation in Corinth to the basic unity of the church. God created that unity, and it is there even though there is divisiveness, quarreling, jealousy, and division in the assembly. Christians belong to each other. They are part of the family of God, and they should act that way, he says.

Paul urges one last thing upon these Christians: Change your ways. If Jesus Christ is in you, you can do it. That is his point. You cannot go on living like everybody else if Jesus Christ lives in you. This is the fundamental reason there must be a difference in Christians. We are to be friendly, loving, open, and forgiving – not condemnatory, closed off, and bitter; and that applies to our private lives at home, as well as our public lives at work or church or whatever we do in our communities. We are different because Christ is among us.

History does not tell us what happened to the church at Corinth, whether it was able to recover and obey this word or not. But Paul has left with us a tremendous testimony as to what constitutes Christianity at work in a secular world. We are called to live in Corinthian conditions today, and to recognize that when Jesus Christ is among us, we cannot be the same kind of people.

This year, as we’re faced with stressful divisiveness, quarreling, and jealousy, let’s make it our number one resolution to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we strive to be friendly, loving, open, and forgiving to everyone.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you are with me. You have sent me out into this world. I pray that I may behave as a person in whom Jesus Christ lives. Amen