Sophia made a comment in the episode that really had me thinking this past week. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but she made reference to the importance of not reading Paul apart from the world in which he lived and the people to whom he wrote.
This is important, right?
Because when we open up one of Paul’s letters (to the Corinthians, let’s say) we need to remember that when he wrote to the church in Corinth he was writing a LETTER and he was writing a letter to a …
Specific group of people.
To address a specific set of circumstances.
During a specific period of time.
… That although you and I are oblivious to, they would have been 100% clear about.
(SIDE NOTE: some scholars believe the book of 2 Corinthians is actually made up of as many as FIVE different letters from Paul, all likely addressing something different and yet merged into one somewhere down the road!)
This is important because when Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, he didn’t fill in the gaps. In other words, he didn’t provide them with all of the background and context concerning what he was writing and why he was writing it. Why? Because the people to whom he was writing were living in the background and context - it was their life, their world, their time, their place, their circumstances, and so they had no reason for Paul to write an extensive introduction to explain the ins and outs of his purpose for writing to them - he was writing to INSIDERS.
You and I, though?
We weren’t there.
We weren’t alive 2000 years ago.
We don’t have all the information.
We are OUTSIDERS.
Sure, we can guess, and we can do some research and consult historians and scholars and other smart people, but the reality is that we can never know 100% why Paul wrote or said what he did. The very best we can do is guess.
And so my point is that we need to be super careful when it comes to all the books of the Bible, but especially with the letters of Paul because they SEEM to cover a broad range of somewhat controversial topics …
Women in Ministry.
Gener Roles.
Slavery.
LGBTQ Inclusion.
The End Times.
… And lots of other things, as well. If we’re not careful it becomes easy to lift a sentence or 2 from his letter and make it speak to an issue in 2021 that Paul never intended for it to speak to some 2000 years ago.
When we read Paul, we’re essentially eavesdropping on a telephone conversation but we’re only getting 1/2 the story because we’re only hearing what Paul is saying - we can’t hear what the culture or world or recipients of Paul’s letters are saying on the other line.
Things to think about.
✌️
Glenn
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