17 June 2021

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. 

2 Corinthians 11:1-11, NRSV

Paul had spent a lot of time, energy and love in building up this community at Corinth. It is not surprising then to discover that he was hurt and frustrated by their readiness to listen to rival teachers whose authority was unknown. Paul uses the image of a bride coming to her wedding as a chaste virgin as a symbol for the Corinthians. Paul had wanted to present this community to God as a pure and sincere community but they have not remained loyal to their covenant with God. Paul goes on to question whether his sacrifices for this community had been worthwhile and to point out that he had never been a burden to them. Paul’s sense of hurt is understandable, but the reading ends on a more positive note with Paul reiterating his love for this community.

• • Why do you think that some of the Corinthians had been “seduced” by other preachers?
  • What are the distractions in our own communities that can get in the way of the gospel message?

Consider what distractions there may be in your own relationship with the gospel and how you might deal with these.