‘Life would be easy if it weren’t for other people’ is the title of a book by Connie Pedesta and Vicki Sanderson. I haven’t read the book, but the sentiment expressed in its title made me smile, for I often feel that way. It’s the same feeling that we have when asked how we are and we reply, ‘I’m alright; it’s everyone else who’s wrong!’ People can be so difficult to fathom and relationship problems can cause so much heartache, in the church as much as in the world. The picture we have of church as God’s family where love reigns supreme has to battle with the reality of sinners living alongside each other who often struggle to forgive, understand and love. Eugene Peterson writes, ‘Church is the textured context in which we grow up in Christ to maturity. But church is difficult.’ (‘Practise Resurrection’, P 11) That’s because church is made up of sinners saved by grace, people who are all learning together and who are growing into maturity.
Paul concludes his letter to the Corinthians by writing about a variety of other people, whom he loved in the Lord. Some of these we know a little about from other parts of the Bible (Timothy, Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla all feature in Acts and two of Paul’s letters were written to Timothy); others we know very little about (Stephanas and his household, Fortunatus and Achaichus, for example.) The truth is that the majority of Christians will never be well-known or famous; we will never be ‘household names’ to millions. Nonetheless, this final chapter of 1 Corinthians (like the last chapter of Romans) is a great encouragement to the ordinary person, seeking to live life to God’s glory.
Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaichus are mentioned as having refreshed Paul’s spirit (1 Cor 16:18) and being deserving of recognition and honour. Stephanas and his whole household are commended for their devotion (addiction!) to serving God’s people. (1 Cor 16:15) Timothy is as dear to Paul as if he were his own son and entrusted with valuable work, deserving of respect, not contempt. (1 Cor 16:10-11) This insight into people show us Paul’s love and respect for people and remind us of the truth that everyone is valuable.
No church can afford to ignore the people who are its members. Church is a living organism, described through different metaphors throughout the Bible: a body (1 Cor 12:12-27, Rom 12:4-5), a spiritual house (1 Pet 2:5, Heb 3:6), a temple (1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19-20), a building (1 Cor 3:9), a field (1 Cor 3:9), a bride (Rev 21:2), an army of soldiers (2 Cor 10:3-5, 2 Tim 2:4), a family (Matt 12:49-50), a flock (1 Pet 5:2) and a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession (1 Pet 2:9-10). The New Testament is adamant, however, that church is not the building where people meet (despite our dictionary definition of church as this!); it is a group of people who are called out from darkness by God into His wonderful light, into fellowship with Him and each other and into a life of holy, dedicated service. God’s plan is for His people to shine His light into the darkness and to demonstrate His character to a world which is lost without Him. The individuals who make up church may never be well known or famous by the world’s standards, but we can be sure that each will receive a reward from God for whatever good we do (Eph 6:8, Heb 11:6) as we labour faithfully for Him.
