Watch. Stand Firm in the Faith.

"Watch. Stand firm in the faith. Be Courageous, be strong" ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13

Paul wrote this, encouraging the church in Corinth. They sure needed it - I've heard it called "the Corinthian Carnival" - they were unstructured, unruly and ill-mannered. That was the culture of the day and even though they had decided to follow Christ, they were still acting like the pagan world that surrounded them.

It's interesting that many of the instructions that Paul wrote, specifically addressing that congregation, are applied by some churches today. I believe that is the top reason why we have so many Christian denominations in the US.

It is SO important to know the audience and the purpose of the letter/book when studying the Bible.

For example, 1Timothy 2:9  "women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire". Taken literally, a Christian woman would not braid her hair or wear a wedding ring. We don't know why there was a problem, but perhaps women were trying to outdo each other instead of focusing on Jesus. Maybe they were even copying the dress of the courtesans (fancy prostitutes) and distracting the men. Whatever the reason, I think it's fair to say that we can apply the concept, not the details, today.

I think I got off on a tangent today - apologies. The point is that we need to hang on tightly to our faith - it is easy to get swept away by the craziness of this world (don't get me started on kitty litter in school bathrooms).

Keep your eyes on Jesus, be strong and courageous, stand on your faith! Remember, Jesus will never leave you. Ever!

Have a blessed day!

Bev

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