{"id":81,"date":"2018-03-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/01\/2nd-sunday-after-epiphany-year-a\/"},"modified":"2018-03-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T00:00:00","slug":"2nd-sunday-after-epiphany-year-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/01\/2nd-sunday-after-epiphany-year-a\/","title":{"rendered":"2nd Sunday After Epiphany Year A"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"paragraph\">\n<strong>The Word This Week:<br \/><\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=14#hebrew_reading\">Isaiah 49:1-7<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=14#psalm_reading\">Psalm 40:1-11<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=14#epistle_reading\">1 Corinthians 1:1-9<\/a>\u00a0<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=14#gospel_reading\">John 1:29-42<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wsite-content-title\">Watch:<br \/><\/h2>\n<div>\n<div id=\"233561701947735911\" align=\"left\" style=\"width: 100%; overflow-y: hidden;\" class=\"wcustomhtml\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwwanglican%2Fvideos%2F1574970025866509%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=270\" width=\"270\" height=\"500\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wsite-content-title\">Read:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"paragraph\">\n<font size=\"3\">Well good morning again everyone.\u00a0 Starting today we are going to be having a few weeks focussing on the first few chapters of Paul\u2019s first letter to the church at Corinth. Today we are focussing on the first 9 verses of chapter 1.\u00a0 These verses offer us some incredibly important insights into how our relationship with God works \u2013 they enable us to see that we are called into a whole body of believers, that we are set apart \u2013 sanctified by God, that the spiritual gifts we have are from God, that our knowledge and abilities in the faith are from God.\u00a0 This passage points us to the great truth that it is God at work in us that is what redeems us \u2013 that it is God\u2019s grace \u2013 his unmerited, or unearned favour towards us that is what saves us.\u00a0 Above all it shows us that though we are fickle, that we often get caught in our own desires, or think we are the ones doing great things that it is in fact God and his faithfulness that enables us to do all things.<\/p>\n<p>So lets begin by setting the scene a little bit so we understand the context of what Paul is saying here.\u00a0 This letter was written to the church in Corinth in around the year 54AD while Paul was in Ephesus on his third missionary journey.\u00a0 Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaea. It was a cosmopolitan city and the church was made up of people from all walks of life \u2013 though most would have been regular people of no particular standing or wealth or superior wisdom \u2013 they were a bit like us in fact \u2013 just regular people.<br \/>\n\u200b<br \/>\nHowever Paul had received reports that the church in Corinth was suffering under factionalism and placing great emphasis on the gifts certain members had over others. Others claimed superior knowledge and wisdom. While others were living immoral lives while still claiming membership of the church.\u00a0 Now I am sure that none of us here could think of any examples in the modern church where we see this sort of thing going on can we\u2026 there is no factionalism or pride or immoral believers\u2026<br \/>\nOf course we do in fact know that those things exist \u2013 the fact that there are literally thousands of Christian denominations is the clearest example of factionalism we can get!<br \/>\nPauls letter is a response to these reports he had heard, as well as to a letter he had received from the church.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nSo now we know the scene \u2013 lets look at what Paul actually says.\u00a0 He begins by establishing who he is.\u00a0 He is writing to them as an apostle\u00a0 &#8211; not of his own making, but one called by God.\u00a0 This serves two purposes\u00a0 &#8211; it establishes that Paul is writing with authority \u2013 as an apostle.\u00a0 He is saying in a nice way \u2013 hey guys, you need to actually pay attention here, because what I am saying matters. Secondly though he emphasises that his authority is not something he took for himself, but rather it was the work of God who called him to this role. That emphasis on the fact that it was God who called him, and thus God who appointed him is important \u2013 it sets the scene for the rest of this opening portion of the letter.<\/p>\n<p>Paul moves from introducing himself as being called by God \u2013 to giving thanks that the Corinthians have also been called by God.\u00a0 He says:<br \/>\n<em>To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord[<\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+corinthians+1%3A1-9&#038;version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-28350a\">a<\/a>]\u00a0and ours\u2026<\/em><br \/>\nPaul here says some very important things. Remember this is the beginning of a letter to a church that is facing internal divisions, power struggles and dealing with issues of pride and sin.\u00a0 Paul starts his letter to them by teling them who they are \u2013 and by extension telling us who we are \u2013 in the eyes of God.\u00a0 They and thus we, <em>are sanctified in Christ Jesus,<br \/><\/em><br \/>\nThe word sanctified refers to being set apart, having been made special.\u00a0 Something that is sanctified is different to the rest of the world.\u00a0 As members of the church the Corinthians 2000 years ago, and we today are set apart \u2013 we are differentiated from the rest of the world \u2013 thus we are meant to be different\u2026 but different how? Well Paul said we are\u00a0 <em>called to be saints.<br \/><\/em><br \/>\nThat is we are called to be Holy ones of God.\u00a0 The reason we have been sanctified, set apart, is so that we can be a holy body of believers.\u00a0 A holy church that witnesses to God\u2019s incredible love for humanity and which isn\u2019t drawn to follow the world.\u00a0 That means that we are called to do away with the trivialities of the world \u2013 to get rid of the factionalism and the pride and the arguments.\u00a0<br \/>\nNow thankfully in this congregation I have so far encountered very little of this sort of behaviour \u2013 as a group we do pretty well \u2013 though of course we can\u2019t become complacent \u2013 we can\u2019t allow ourselves to be proud \u2013 because it is not our own work that has gotten us this far \u2013 it is God who has called us and it is God who equips us.<\/p>\n<p>Paul by emphasising that it is God who has done the work in the Corinthian church \u2013 and by extension in us is saying that For the church to begin arguing about who is the better leader, or to break into factions over who has the best \u2018gifts\u2019 or to start ignoring the will of God is so foolish because we argue about things of which we have no control \u2013 Think of it like two people who have been given a gift \u2013 they each received a beautiful Gold coin \u2013 each identical to the other. Now think of them arguing amongst themselves about who has the better gift.\u00a0 It is foolishness is it not? That is what it is like when the church argues amongst itself.\u00a0 We lose track of the fact that it is in fact God who gave us the gifts and the faith.<\/p>\n<p>That is why Paul as he continues talks specifically about the gifts of the spirit \u2013 he gives thanks that they have the gifts \u2013 even though one of the reasons he is writing is to admonish them not to put too much emphasis on them \u2013 that happens in chapter 12.\u00a0 But for now it is enough for him again to point out that these gifts that they are so proud of are in fact nothing to do with their own efforts \u2013 but rather they are from God.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nPaul has set the scene for his letter to the Corinthians in which he will rebuke them and call them back to faithfulness, by first giving thanks that they found faith in the first place.\u00a0 He does so by acknowledging that it is God who has done all the work to bring them to salvation, and to equip them for their journey with great speech and knowledge.\u00a0 It is God who has bestowed the gifts of which they are so proud.\u00a0 These are all things to be grateful for says Paul \u2013 but they are all the work of God \u2013 and that is where the thanks should lay.<br \/>\nThen having acknowledged the great work that God has done in the Church and before he begins his first rebuke \u2013 which we will be reading next week \u2013 Paul gives the Corinthians an assurance.\u00a0 It is an assurance that is just as valid for us as it was for them.<br \/>\n<em>He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/em>\u00a0<strong><em>9\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.<\/em><br \/>\nYou see what Paul wanted to say after drawing attention to the fact that all these things which the Corinthian church was squabbling over were in fact from God, and not their own work was that they need not fear.\u00a0 That despite their (and our) tendency to get caught up in the world, despite their (and our) tendency to turn inward and focus on ourselves, to focus on our own wants and desires and to argue and fight amongst ourselves.\u00a0 Despite their (and our) tendency to turn away from God \u2013 our tendency to place our faith in the world rather than our saviour.\u00a0 Despite all this Paul says \u2013 God will strengthen us \u2013 he will be with us and he will be faithful to us \u2013 so that when we finally get to that last day and stand before the king of kings \u2013 we will have nothing to fear \u2013 because God will have done all the work. God will have redeemed us, and we will stand before him blameless.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nSo as we can see, having read just these first few verses of the opening chapter of Paul\u2019s letter to the Corinthians we as the Christian church are incredibly blessed.\u00a0 Not because we ourselves do great things or display great gifts \u2013 but because of what God has achieved in us and for us.\u00a0 Though we wander far off at times, and get caught up in our own ideologies, wants and desires. Though we ourselves at times forget what God has done for us and in us \u2013 God does not forget us \u2013 God is with us always, God is transforming us, he has set us apart \u2013 sanctified us, and called us to be saints \u2013 holy.\u00a0 God is faithful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So let us seek to fulfil our calling \u2013 let us be faithful to our God \u2013 let us seek to truly be the church we are called to be \u2013 a church set apart from the world, a church which displays wisdom and care and pours forth our spiritual gifts \u2013 let us be the church that sets aside our own pride and desires and acknowledges the incredible grace that God has poured into us through Christ.\u00a0 Let us be the church that first and foremost gives thanks to God for his faithfulness and proclaims it to the world.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nThe Lord be with you.<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/font>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Word This Week: Isaiah 49:1-7\u00a0\u00a0 Psalm 40:1-11\u00a0\u00a0 1 Corinthians 1:1-9\u00a0 John 1:29-42 Watch: Read: Well good morning again everyone.\u00a0 Starting today we are going to be having a few weeks focussing on the first few chapters of Paul\u2019s first letter to the church at Corinth. Today we are focussing on the first 9 verses &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/01\/2nd-sunday-after-epiphany-year-a\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;2nd Sunday After Epiphany Year A&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}