Thursday 9 January 2025

Psalm 149

Background
The saying "A friend in need is a friend indeed" applies to our spiritual and emotional needs as well as material needs. There is nothing as comforting as a hand on the shoulder or, as in the case of the Christians in Corinth, another letter, possibly a fourth, from the Apostle Paul.

One of our lecturers at the Irish School of Ecumenics in Dublin, Father Gabriel Daly OSA used to declare that "Paul did not sit down and say ‘Bless me, Lord, I am about to write Holy Scripture.' Rather, he said ‘Oh, those Corinthians! I must write to them again!'" Paul was writing to address specific situations and contexts and his letters were a valuable supplementary means of evangelism. However, as they presuppose his oral teaching, we don’t have the full conversation.

Corinth was the main city in the Roman province of Achaia. It was a port city on an isthmus with access to both the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea, so it was strategically located in relation to the trade routes of the Mediterranean. It had a large cosmopolitan population, including a significant Jewish community. Many different religions were practised by its citizens, including cults of Roman, Egyptian and Greek origin. Thus the Christians in Corinth, young in the faith, to whom Paul was writing were vulnerable to a range of external influences – little wonder they felt confused and under pressure.

And if that sounds somehow familiar, it is because it so resembles the scene for many today – those in places where Christians are actively persecuted for their faith, and for those who face conflicting calls on their allegiance. We may not need to write letters, but we do need to stand beside those who are wrestling with the claims of the faith.

To Ponder:

• Peter wrote "Always have a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Am I ready? Really?
• Reflect on a time a confused Christian came to you for guidance – how did you handle it?

Prayer
Open my mind and loosen my tongue, Lord, that I may proclaim the glory of your word. Amen.

Bible notes author: Gillian Kingston
Gillian Kingston is a local preacher on the North Tipperary Circuit of the Methodist Church in Ireland and an ex-Vice President of the World Methodist Council. She was the first lay Leader of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Married to Tom, a retired Methodist minister, and with four adult children, she is also the besotted grandmother of seven beautiful granddaughters and one handsome grandson.