A Role In One Another's Lives

Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by identifying himself, and Sosthenes. He identifies himself as an apostle, a messenger, of Jesus Christ.

He brought the gospel to them. He was commissioned, and entrusted, by Jesus, not only to bring the message, and begin the church, but also to define the limits of life in the church, because they were given to him by Jesus.

We are all to bring the gospel. We are all to be involved in planting, and establishing, churches. But we are not all given authority to define what life in the church should be like. (Now, I do not mean whether or not we should sing 3 or 4 hymns. Or how long the message should be.) Rather Jesus defines the church as a community. And he defines how his body should live as individuals, and as a community. And he has given messengers, and the scripture, to communicate those definitions. Current day leaders are to take those definitions, clarify them, and help apply them.

Paul, also, mentions Sosthenes. He does not say who Sosthenes is, because everyone in Corinth should know him, as one of their local leaders.

If you have read 1st Corinthians, you realize that the church has gotten pretty messed up. This letter is Paul trying to get the church back on the right track. So, it seems like Sosthenes, seeing things go from bad to worse, tracks Paul down, and informs him about what is going on. So, Paul mentions Sosthenes to let the church know that he is not inventing all of the stuff he is about to say. He has an eye witness, who he trusts, and who they all know.

The Bible encourages all the followers of Jesus to give one another positive instruction, and encouragement, in living with God, one another, and those outside of God's family. But it can also include reproof, rebuke, and correction. As we see in this letter.

There are many places in Scripture, where wisdom is praised. And part of wisdom is in receiving correction. But there is also wisdom in giving correction.

One part of giving correction wisely is being sure of the facts. That is why Sosthenes is important. He is a witness to the problems of the Corinthian church. He is a trustworthy witness. And someone who is trusted by the Corinthians.

Another part of wise correction is a focus on the positive. The first thing Paul does in this letter is to praise the church for the good in them.

If all we recognize is bad in someone, and hammer away at that, do we communicate any message of hope, and worth, in that person.

The purpose of correction is to communicate wrong areas of thinking, speaking, and acting. But it should also communicate how to do those areas rightly, and why. And it should communicate motivation to change.

None of us are perfect. So, we all need correction. If all we hear about is how wrong we are, we will have no motivation to pursue what is right. Communicating worth, value, and where we excel can have as much effect in enabling us to move in a right direction, as pointing out our wrong direction. It gives hope, and encouragement.

The gospel reminds us, we are all condemned sinners. But the gospel also reminds us that we are loved, and redeemed. It is the second part that moves us to repentance, and pursuit of a new life, a new way of living.

Ambassadors and Priests

Peter writes to the churches that they are a royal priesthood. Paul uses another metaphor. He says those who follow Jesus are his ambassadors.

The point in both places is that the people of God are intermediaries, representing God to people, and people to God. This means that all of God's people are pastors. All of God's people are evangelists. All of God's people are church planters. And all of God's people are missionaries.

We might not all function in the way most christians understand those terms today. Many think that only leaders, and the more spiritual, should practice these things. But God has commanded all of us to practice these areas. A large part of the role of leaders in God's family is to equip, train, and enable all of God's family to grow, and complete, those functions.

For example, all of God's family should be involved in producing, and facilitating the growth, of disciples. This includes instruction, encouragement, equipping, as well as reproof, and rebuke. All of God's family may not be involved in a formal, or structured, way. But our hearts should be filled with God's word, and love for one another, that we should be open, and alert, to give what we have to stir up, to encourage, to ground, and to promote growth in one another.

And we should be similarly involved in the other areas too. We need to learn to recognize opportunities for the gospel. We need to learn how to transition from one conversation into another that brings the gospel into focus.

The gospel moves into new areas by connecting to people, creating disciples, and planting churches. We generally refer to planting churches in new areas that involve crossing boundaries of language, culture, and ethnicity, as missions. And indeed, there are different issues to be faced, and so new skills to develop. Still the command is given to all of God's family to be concerned, and involved, in both of these areas. Again, a particular individual may not be on a church plant team, or move into another culture. But the hearts of all the family of God need to be given, and invested, in these areas, as much as those who are involved in person.

Now, aw we are not all going to be experts in these areas, but we should be growing in these areas, we need the experts to promote growth in these areas for all of us. And there should be those, in our churches, who can be resources to promote growth, and equip, in these areas. As well as ones who help promote other avenues of involvement. Like prayer, and support. Both of these are vital to promote the gospel -- locally, and around the world. And both are needed as much as person to person connection with people.