Uh Oh! Just when we thought the last paragraph was being written, Paul hits us with Chapter 5 and 6. He is not happy….Looks like the word of the day is ‘scandal’.

He is raising the tone of his voice to remind the newest parishioners of how they are acting, violating laws, and worst of all, not even caring. He demands to know why no one is handling the disgraceful goings-on within his church. It’s an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ position the church leaders seem to be taking and Paul says no way….deal with it.

Let’s set aside 57AD and look at the situation today….Suppose you know a trusted family member, friend, or fellow parishioner is ‘walking on the wild side’ a little too much. Mmmmmmmm, you don’t want this to continue, you know they have more brains than they seem to show, and yet, what do you say? Remember how we talked about the scary side of addressing problems as serious as this? Well, imagine it is your board member, your associate pastor, your treasurer, or your best friend you sit by each service. Oh my….addressing these kinds of problems can be a life changing action for all involved. Still, it’s got to be done.

Mmmmmm again, guess being a follower of Christ isn’t really a piece of cake after all, is it? One cannot negotiate their way out of messing up. By the same token, one doesn’t need to be banished because they did mess up. It has to be somewhere in between. My opinion is that sometimes a ‘time out’ is in order, for all those involved. It’s kind of like counting to 10, only longer.

Taking the proper approach can be a bit touchy….that’s why I, personally, have to go for the time out, if I’m to be the ‘parent’. Maybe there are others who feel the same way about the ongoing problems, so discussing in a group….(the proper way) can be good. Remember, if you/your church have let this go on for a while, you should probably feel a little guilt yourself!

So Paul goes on to remind us that he is with those who have to begin the ‘redo’. God should be right in there, in the middle of the discussions, helping both sides to understand the necessity of acceptable behavior.

Please note: I’m sure this doesn’t apply to many, but maybe, just maybe, a few of us have been on the wrong side of this conversation certain times in our lives….just say’in…

In Chapter 6, Paul reminds us that while we might have to be a judge, we will also be judged, and it is good to be talked to by those who seek the Christian framework in their lives.

So we’ll leave this story for today with the following thoughts….we are all human…we have that wonderful spark of God within, we become more educated with more study, but we are still human….and for that reason, we will always, I said, always enjoy human things. That’s how we are designed… Our ‘free will’ is part of the package, however Christ’s teachings are the pre-arranged part of the same package, if we would only open our hearts and eyes. God owns all of you..and you..and you…and you. What a deal!

later…..