Author Archives: keehun

I’ve never written anything like this, so please bear with me. Your thoughts are appreciated. However, I tried to depend on the Scriptures as much as possible.

Let’s turn to 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 10.

I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and same judgement.

About a week ago, President Obama presented awards to 16 individuals who will join the ranks of Rosa Parks, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Georgia O’Keefe, Walt Disney, John Steinbeck, Elie Wiesel, T.S. Eliot, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzerald, Frank Sinatra, Walter Cronkite, Bill Cosby, Martin Luther King Jr., Hellen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Earl Warren, Henry Kissinger, John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and you get my idea. These are all very accomplished people (to our society, anyway).

Let’s say President Obama called you tomorrow and asked you if you would quit your school to join him at the White House, and say you asked in response, “What do I get in return?” He tells you that you would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wouldn’t you fly out to Washington D.C. tomorrow? Wouldn’t you put on your best attitude, patience, and conscience effort, so that you would look favorable in the eyes of President Obama?

Oh I think you would (myself included).

Now. ask yourself, didn’t God do something similar? Didn’t He tell us that we would receive the eternal life through His Grace if we had faith in Jesus Christ? And that to express our faith, we must love our neighbors and be humble servants of His Son? We should also live in peace with one another to build up the church for the Glory of our God! Philippians, chapter 2, verse 3 says this,

Do nothing in rivalry or conceit, but in humility and count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also in the interest of others. Have this mind among yourselves in Jesus Christ

If you are so eager to transform yourself for a medal that only counts in this world, how does it makes sense that we aren’t as eager to receive an award from God? Which lasts for eternity!

People in the ancient city of Corinth can relate because they had this problem as well. Much like modern-day Las Vegas, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, or other lavish urban centers. It was one of two centers of the Greek government as well. It was also the center of high level education and home of the riches of the richest. Imagine a “megatropolis” which combines the worldly riches of Las Vegas; the politicians of Washington D.C.; the intellect of Cambridge, MA; and the size of New York City. It was a successful city but that also meant that many were Pagan worshippers and many were wicked. It was full of polluted culture and driven not by the wisdom from high above, but by the wisdom of human eloquence. If you had to define “worldly” with one word, it would be “Corinth.”

At the time of Apostle Paul, it’s been estimated that 700,000 people lived in Corinth. That’s 13% of Minnesota in one city. (Add up Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Rochester, the three largest cities of Minnesota).

The city itself is in middle of the biggest trade route from the East to the West at the time. Corinth was the capital of Achaia, one of the two providences of Greece.

Now, as I mentioned before, Corinth was the center of education and rich people. If you wanted to convince anyone of anything, you had to be very eloquent. Otherwise, you would lose to other great orators. However, if you look to verse 17 of 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, Apostle Paul says,

For Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the Gospel, and not with the words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

This is how powerful God is. Paul was able to convince Pagan worshippers with the cross of Christ. He didn’t need to use any eloquent tactics. If he did, it would’ve been a great insult to God.

We can’t imitate the church of Corinth in its divisiveness for God to truly work in us. We need to strive to just be the best we can to be humble, to have humility, and to treat others better than ourselves. In order for that to happen, we need to soften our hard heartedness and ultimately be patient for others. We need to constantly grow our perseverance and our encouragement for others.

If you would look at Romans, chapter 15, verses 5 through 7, it says:

May the God of Endurance and Encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may live with one voice, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Consider this:

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God is Holy, and you are that temple. (1 Cor. 4:16-17)

Again, I think it basically comes down to the verse we hear so much, the greatest commandment that Jesus has given to us:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind and with all of your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no greater commandment than these. (Mark 12:28-31)

In order for God to work through us, the Temple of God, us, need to always be bringing each other up. We need to constantly be feeding off one another so that the Holy Spirit can do great things through us for the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.