Saturday 13 June 2009

Background

Most modern scholars believe that Paul's words here were writtento the Corinthian Christians after a painful dispute within thecommunity of believers. This was resolved after the community tookPaul's side against a faction who had been questioning hisministry. In these verses, Paul sets his own powers of persuasionand his passionate proclamation, brought to reconciliation of thedispute, firmly within the compelling love of Christ. He sees hisselfless concern for the Corinthian converts as part of hisresponse to Christ's love. So he's saying it is all about Christ,not about himself.

Paul then waxes lyrical, bringing together the death of Christ andthe death of selfishness in those who are caught up into Christ'slife - indeed his death and life. Those who have been changed,renewed by the impact of Christ on their lives, are described as"in Christ" - an incorporation so devastating that all creation isseen differently. Note in verse 17 the individual is not the newcreation, nor is the individual simply within a new creation. Paulsays starkly, with a grand cosmic claim, "There is a new creation".We are now part of the process of recreating the world.

This links with one of Paul's earlier messages - that through our suffering we aretransformed to help others who suffer. Similarly, through ourreconciliation with God, we seek to be part of the reconciling ofothers to God. As we have become friends with God, so we encourageothers to do the same.

On an everyday level, being a Christian should lead to a differentway of looking at people. We do not look from a worldly point ofview, at their circumstances or status. We should instead lookthrough God's eyes, in some sense. This doesn't mean that being aChristian changes our personality, looks or circumstancesovernight. But receiving God's grace through Christ brings acompletely new outlook.

To Ponder

If we are invited to see other people 'throughGod's eyes', what does this do to the ways in which we look atthose who do not share our understanding of God?

Do Paul's words about old things passing awaythrow any light on the collapse of banking systems over the lastyear or so?