I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone for this past Tuesday’s bible study. Time really flew by, yet it seemed that we were just getting started when the clock struck 8. It reminds me of a quote from the Rev. Robert Farrar Capon – “A good time occurs precisely when we lose track of what time it is.”
In any case, this coming Tuesday, we’ll be having a look at 2 Corinthians, chapter 10. This chapter is chock-full of material, so I don’t think we’ll need to go on to 11 until next week. As you prepare for our gathering, take note of what Paul says he wages war against. We will dive into the notion of “taking thoughts captive” because it has played such a huge role in the Christian spiritual tradition. So be thinking about how your own thoughts might be “made captive” to Christ.
We’ll also explore some of the issues of authority in the church and how Paul dealt with issues that arose when those who claimed authority from God disagreed with Paul’s mission. It’s a problem the church has dealt with over and over again, and we’ll look into why conflicts between charismatic movements and “institutional” leadership so often have the power to divide the church.
We’ll also look into Paul’s attitude towards mission and evangelism. It seems pretty clear that Paul is concerned that his work among the Corinthians should go on to bear more fruit in other places. How might Paul’s approach inform our own attitudes towards telling other people about Jesus?
I’ll be greatly looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!
Pax,
Rob Donehue