Reflections from Andrew Oh

Dear bros and sis,

It's great to start off this week sharing quiet time with you all. I believe the study of the book of corinthians will help us to understand the pauline epistle better when we do it as a group and share to one another.

As i read up on the history of corinth, it was a proud city. It was the city between two major trading ports and indeed one of the most affluent prosperous city in the region. It was destroyed by the romans in 146 B.C . and a hundred year later, Julius Caesar rebuild the city because of its strategic seaport. http://www.grisel.net/corinth.htm Soon the city flourished and many immigrants fro all over streamed in to populate the city. The wealth opened the gates for all sorts of corruptions and idolatry soared in the city of corinth. Money is power and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

If i were a disciple in corinth i would really struggle very badly. Imagine the whole city is like our modern day Geylang. People are not shy about lewdness nor immorality. They have no sense of shame as they believed that it is the sacrifice they are offering to the fertility goddess, Aphrodite. The temptations were so great and i could imagine how tough for the disciples to keep away from sin. I believe that's why Paul stayed in corinth for one and half year to help the church to grow and build the firm foundation. Corinth is also the headquarters for the west (because of the city's location) and hence Paul wrote two of his longest epistles for the church in corinth.

One thing i've picked up today, Christ is all that matters. There are so many divisions in the church of corinth is because the disciples are not following Christ. They are following apostles or in today's context, pastors and preachers. They let a matter of preference and opinion replace the fundamental truth. Is Christ divided? Aren't we all disciples? Be careful when we are tempted to have a bad attitude or conflict, is Christ in the picture? How would Christ react if he were you?

Love andrew