We Christians assume that God’s love is unconditional and that it is never too late to change our ways. Although comforting, this idea contradicts the story of the Bible. Yes, it’s true, God is patient. In fact, he is so patient in the Bible that by the time you get to the New Testament, his…
Category: 2 Corinthians
It’s Not a Two-way Street
In broken families, parents complain that their children “owe” them and children delude themselves that their parents “need” them. From each perspective, the relationship devolves into extortion. A broken parent shames their child because they want repayment, “after everything [they] did for them.” In stark contrast, St. Paul shames his children, not to extract worldly…
Silence is Not Golden
What good would it be if a man were to ascend to the highest heaven and return with nothing to say? Would you be impressed by him? Would you brag about him to others? If so, what would you say? If this man has nothing to say about his so-called revelation, what is there to…
Let No One Think Me Foolish
People embrace social norms in much the same way that fundamentalists embrace religious rules: as a means of self-approval. A person feigns modesty either to win acceptance or to exemplify correctness. That’s why St. Paul’s disciples in 2 Corinthians are so distressed by his boasting. Not only because his behavior is socially unacceptable and grossly…
The Great Corinthian Brain Hack
How can a teacher reach someone who is set in their ways or engulfed by ideology? What if the way a person looks at the world–their unstated assumption about everything–is backwards? Is it possible to help them reason their way out? Can you talk someone out of their own ego? According to St. Paul, the…
A Yo Yo for Your Sake
Unfortunately, Christians often co-opt the Bible to justify philosophical axioms, such as, “it is good to be humble,” or, “it is wrong to boast;” “it is good to be nice,” or, “cruelty is evil.” You get the point. We take the Bible, which turns human morality on its head, and we use it to justify…
No Thanks to You
Is it possible to do something good without allowing yourself to take credit? I’m not talking about haughty expressions of socially encouraged self-deprecation. On the contrary, is it possible to do something good while knowing–with absolute certainty–that you are not good and that you do not deserve any credit? What is a selfless act? Some…
The Bus Keeps Moving
People tend to overestimate their own importance while ignoring–or at least underestimating–the value of others. This problem is keenly felt in the church at Roman Corinth, where Paul uses the success of others to realign the self-view of his disciples. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 2 Corinthians 8:16-24. (Episode 134; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24); “Peaceful Desolation”…
True Equality is Not Fair
On some level, people recognize the importance of being fair. We know that our laws should treat people equally and we understand that no one should take more than their “fair share” from anyone else. From the moment we step on the playground as kids until the day we calculate our retirement pay, we live…
The Story of God’s Will
Life coaches love to talk about having confidence in their clients and the importance of building self-worth and self-esteem. Fortunately, for the church in Roman Corinth, Paul does not view his followers as customers and he definitely does not have confidence in them. On the contrary, Paul’s boldness is in God’s teaching at work in…