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Welcome
Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
God bless you...
Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
God bless you...
Much Enlightenment 
Partial Exposy on "If the Apostle Paul were to Visit Church Today" posted by RTC (Yesuthass)
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I imagine Corinth as a multi-cultural society. With such diversity of practice, I imagine Paul would attempt to steer its "church" members towards the basic intent, of the gospel and in this case the meal.
I am impressed by the knowledge of respondents, but I would not be surprised if Paul would address such wise people with a lecture on the confounding God who presents a cross, and a crucified saviour to each aspiring expert. The God of mystery continues to challenge the knowledge of man. And paradoxically confound us. The meal of salvation,would most likely have been celebrated with diversity, much the same as it is today. Its less important to focus on the peripheral issues, and more important to focus on the core... the communion with our Lord that takes place, as we partake of a memorial and share our brokenness and need. Remembering that "strength is made perfect in weakness" we come to that table with humility, a need for salvation, a desire to take up our cross and live in the love of Christ, and to find a common unity, with those whose individual lives, and differing cultures bring varying perspectives. I see Paul as less concerned with making us all the same, and more concerned with incorporating the diversity into a living servant body, proclaiming the resurrection of the crucified Lord. So it is through this meal celebrating the crucified Christ that we who are many (and fragmented) become one! We share the broken bread, and drink the wine, as individuals and paradoxically become incorporated into a fellowship, with the risen Lord, and those saints and sinners, whose life is touched by the shadow of the cross, and who witness to Jesus as Lord. To change the focus of this argument. It is interesting to look at religious art through the centuries and see some of the different ways that people have conceptualised, the meal. I have found value in different perspectives. I am less concerned with their doctrinal or political correctness than I am with their ability to convey their faith, and situate that encounter with Christ in their current experience. I do not think uniformity improves artistic expression. But I do think the ability to translate past truths to present experience is of great value. I am helped most by those who have found living companionship with Christ, whose words are less concerned with doctrinal truth (as were the Pharisees) and more concerned with helping others, carry their cross through the complex and challenging encounters of modern life. I am less concerned with recreating a legalistic past, than with enabling an encounter with the servant Lord who empowered people to live in the present, and invited/engaged us to share the task of assisting each other attain a fulfillment, and open new possibilities to our existence.
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