........................Corinth- a Lively and Turbulent Community.......................

 

After his disappointing experience in Athens , Paul went to corinth , where his remained for one and half years.

In his first letter to the community, Paul recalled his message to the Corinthians, and the maner in which he had presented it: "As for me, brothers, when I came to you, it  was not with my show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed.

During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ.

Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great fear and trembling and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy, only a demonstrationof the power of the Spirit. And I

did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God"(1Cor 2:1-5)

To this Lively anf turbulent community, which however was no longer "Lacking any of the gifts of the Spirit"(1Cor 1:7), Paul indicated that the greatest gift to seek above all others is charity(1Cor 13).

Paul remain in corinth for one and  a half years, and then returned to antioch and set off again two years leter.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision , "Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow

  yourself to be silenced. I am with you. I have many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you"(Acts 18:9-10)

 

what i mean are all those slogans that you have, like: "I am for Paul", I am for Apollos", I am for Cephas", I am for Christ". has Christ been parcelled out?(1 Cor 1:12-13a)

 

 

.......................Bringing All Things Back To Christ.....................

 

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heavenin Christ. bef,ore the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be Holy and spotless, and tho live through Love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind

Purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins,

Such as the richnessof the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight.

He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:

that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

And it is him that we were claimed as God's own, chosen from the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will,

chosen to be for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.

Now you too, in him, have heard the messageof the truth and the good news of your salvation, and have believed in it, and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the promise, the pledge of our inheritance which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised(Ephesians 1:3-14)

 

...................The Journey's of St. Paul.................