Paul: The Gospel Applied
The Gospel for Paul was not just an idea that drew them together. It was a truth that bound them through bonds created by God, as well as being the lens through which all decisions were made. If we were to look at 1 & 2 Corinthians, we see Paul applying the Gospel in a number of different situations, and in a number of different ways. Here’s two key ones to help us think about how it might apply to us in our community:
First, we’ve got to be able to distinguish between a Gospel issue and a preference. Otherwise you’re going to be fighting about everything. Some of the fights will have biblical basis and warrant, but some of the fights are going to be pointless. If someone’s preference is not to eat certain types of food – that’s fine, let them not only have their preference, but make accommodations for them out of love. The only time this truly becomes an issue is when it’s insisted upon as something necessary for a relationship with God. Then we’ve got a problem (1 Corinthians 8). But most of the issues in our local churches aren’t like that. So the challenge is working out how we respond to different expressions, from different people, in love.
Secondly, it’s a question of humility. Paul was an Apostle. That’s sort of a big deal. But his argument to the Corinthians (who liked people who were a big deal, yet just not that impressed with Paul) was that the Gospel reshapes life. It’s no longer about exerting my rights, or seeking my desires, but about removing any barriers so that people can encounter and experience the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor 9:12). The Gospel replaced pride with self–forgetfulness and humility, in the face of God’s incredible love for him in Jesus.
If you read through 1 & 2 Corinthians you can see that Paul had preferences. Yet because the Gospel had so captured his life and imagination, those things faded into a distant second to what he considered to be the most pressing issues. For Paul himself, life was ordered around two things: Is the Gospel being preached? Is my life consistent with the Gospel?
