DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

1 Corinthians 16:13-24            (9/6)             Epistle for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

Of Love and Such: 1 Corinthians 16:13-24, especially 24, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.  Amen.”  The present passage is the closing portion of a letter to the congregation that the Apostle Paul established in Corinth, addressed to persons he cared for and knew well from years spent there, persons who ministered to him.  He personally signs his name (vs. 21), affectionately singling out individuals in the church (vss. 15,17), and mentioning fellow believers in Christ well-known and beloved in Corinth but now worshiping with him in Ephesus (vs. 19).

The only negative note is Saint Paul’s directive to repudiate anyone who “...does not love the Lord Jesus Christ...” (vs. 22).  Given that the Corinthian church was located in a large pagan city, his Apostolic anathema (vs. 22) likely was directed to a few, specific persons who, at one time, had shared the congregation’s life but later rejected faith in Christ for pagan ways.

Saint Paul’s words challenge us: we are to consider our relationships within the church communities where we hold membership and strive to love all, conducting ourselves in a loving manner (vs. 14).  The challenge entails personally ministering to the saints (vs. 15), refreshing others in the spirit (vs. 18), recognizing one another “...heartily in the Lord...” (vs. 19), greeting each other “...with a holy kiss...” (vs. 20) - in short, extending love to “...all in Christ Jesus” (vs. 24).  Yes, there is challenge in these words, for all of us probably know too much of distance and cliques, diffidence and formalism, and exclusion and avoidance among us.  God forgive and help us!

Personal ministry to the saints always is a challenge, because it takes us beyond attending the Liturgy, paying our tithes toward the support of the church, and distancing ourselves from those with whom we are one in Christ.  Relationships that are personal require considering other persons.  Contact brings emotional risk when being open to the needs, problems, moods, and life-concerns of others.  We are forced to step outside ourselves, consider real situations, and choose the kind and thoughtful ways we might tender service or ministry at a given time.

Movement from self to the other personally, being based on the commitment to love “in Christ,” demands striving toward the Lord’s standard of self-giving in order to refresh others in their spirits, in their hearts.  Often this can mean the cross, death to one’s own needs and desires.

Recognizing another person “...heartily in the Lord...” (vs. 19), calls for more than the common social formalities when we come face to face.  The Lord is to set our boundaries, and this may involve more restraint out of respect for the other.  We cannot act from our mind alone, but must speak and respond out of the heart, which demands that our hearts be informed by Christ’s mind, His concerns, and His heart.  If we have not already attained a sure and trustworthy purity of heart, let us, at least, speak carefully, and always with respect and honor for the other.

The “...holy kiss...” of greeting that the Apostle mentions in verse 20 is expressed for us in the Liturgy when the clergy greet each other in the Altar during the giving of the Peace.  It is often seen among Orthodox Christians in the double or triple kiss on the cheek when meeting one another.  The emphasis must be on the “holy” aspect of the kiss, especially when cross-gender relationships are involved.  Body language and messages are to be holy and wholesome.  Beyond this let our greetings convey genuine affection in Christ and the joy we share as Christians.

The Psalms teach us to say, “We have thought, O God, of Thy mercy in the midst of Thy people” (Ps. 47:8).  So, then, cry out to God with the Psalmist, “Turn Thy face away from my sins, And blot out all my transgressions.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:9,10); and may God give us all the grace to love the brethren in Christ Jesus.

Let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God.

Return to the September Calendar