- Read 2 Corinthians 1:12-17 and 2:1-10.
An Early Church Story:
- What we are looking at today is just one story from the early church.
1. There was serious sin in the church.
- 2 Corinthians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
- We know this from 1 Corinthians 5 and Paul’s extensive instructions to them to exercise church discipline. Paul is shocked by the sin they are applauding within the church and instructs them to handle the situation.
- Now, in 2 Corinthians we have a mention in 2:6 to what is presumably the same situation mentioned in the previous book.
2. Paul advised church discipline.
- 2 Corinthians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
- As mentioned, Paul instructs the Corinthians to deal with the sin rather than excusing it. Of course, this is a difficult thing to do. Almost everyone, then and now, would prefer to ignore such situations rather than face them head-on. Inevitably, there are those who don’t want to confront the individual. There are those who think pursuing church discipline is being judgmental. There are those related to the individual who want his behavior ignored.
3. There was disagreement and misunderstanding about the situation.
- 2 Corinthians 1:12-17; 2 Corinthians 2:1-4, 9-11.
- As so often happens today, the situation was difficult to begin with and then got messy.
- Some of the pieces of the puzzle:
a. Paul had changing travel plans, which led the Corinthians to accuse him of lying about coming to visit them. See 2 Corinthians 1:15-17. He decided to write them a letter rather than visiting in hopes that they would have made the needed changes and therefore the visit would not have to be filled with confrontation. See 2 Corinthians 2:1, 9.
b. Some of the Corinthians believed that Paul had a hidden agenda. His letters said one thing, they accused, but then he does something else. See 2 Corinthians 1:12-14.
4. It was bad enough Paul thought it best not to visit.
- 2 Corinthians 1:15-17; 2 Corinthians 2:1.
- As mentioned, Paul changed his travel plans. Instead he sent a letter. The goal was that they would have time to digest his instructions and begin to obey them. If he came when they were still in obvious disobedience, his arrival would undoubtedly turn into a big church fight.
- You know the church situation is not healthy when the founding pastor can’t freely return.
What That Shows Us About The Early Church:
1. Paul was imperfect, both as a Christian and a church leader.
- 2 Corinthians 10:10; 1 John 1:8; 2 Peter 3:16.
- The first part is a little easier to take. Of course Paul was imperfect as a Christian because we are all imperfect as Christians. 1 John 1:8 tells us that claiming to be without sin makes us liars. All of us fall short.
- The second half is the tougher part. Why? Because we so often heap endless praise on Paul for his role in the early church. Paul: the example of a radically changed life. Paul: the brilliant student of the Law. Paul: sufferer for the gospel. Paul: the writer of the majority of the New Testament. Paul: the greatest missionary of all-time.
- Because of the accumulated weight of all these accomplishments, Paul gets overwhelming credit as a church leader par excellence. Paul did so much under such difficult circumstances that we can get a little carried away with our praise.
- What specifically were some of his shortcomings?
a. His letters could be difficult to understand.
- Peter comments in 2 Peter 3:16 that some of Paul’s letters can be difficult to understand. There is no doubt that Paul was a brilliant thinker and an incisive writer, but that didn’t always make his teaching easy for the average person to grasp.
b. Paul could be stubborn and pig-headed.
- Acts 15:36-41 tells of a disagreement that was so stringent that Paul and Barnabas separated and went on different missionary journeys.
c. Paul was not a dynamic preacher.
- Paul himself quotes some of his listeners as saying that his letters are weighty but his preaching is weak (2 Corinthians 10:10). Now, of course, with these being his detractors, you have to take the words with a grain of salt. Still, we do know that Paul droned on all night to the point where one of the listeners fell asleep (Acts 20:7-11). Even if the accusation is just partially true, it’s a far cry from our presumption that listening to Paul would be a world better than the average preacher.
- When you add all this up, you have a leader who was flawed just like leaders today. Certainly one that was extraordinarily gifted and extraordinarily impactful, but also one that was imperfect, just like us.
2. There was no golden age of the church.
- The corollary to that individual truth about Paul is the collective truth about the early church. Just like we go a little overboard on praise for Paul, we also go too far on the early church.
- To hear many Christians of today talk, you’d think that the early church was a time when everything was flawless. They heap praise on the early church without condition. “If only we could return to the days of the early church!” “If only churches today would live like the days of the early church!”
- Now, certainly, they had some extraordinary moments. Seeing 3,000 saved on the Day of Pentecost comes to mind as one example. Further, they sacrificed much to spread the gospel.
- Still, they were not perfect churches.
- As we read through the letters to the churches, we repeatedly find issues and problems. It’s the very reason why the letters were usually written – in order to correct the churches back toward where they should have been. The seven churches in the Revelation 2 and 3 receive some praise, but a lot of correction.
- I am in no way trying to degrade the early church – I simply want us to see it clearly for what it was.
- Sometimes this zeal comes through with an enthusiastic Christian today who will say, “I want a church like the early church!” “I want a New Testament church!” shows Biblical ignorance. Do you want a church that was lukewarm like the church at Laodicea? Do you want a church that was accommodating serious sexual sin like the church at Corinth? Is that the church you want?
- There was never a time when the church was without its struggles and problems. There was never a golden age.
What That Teaches Us For Today:
1. The church is not a customer service experience. It’s a workshop.
- Many people treat going to church today as though they are a customer. They expect a good “product”: warm greeting, touching singing, and an inspiring sermon. And they believe that they are the ones who get to evaluate whether the church is doing a good job. If not, they’ll try somewhere else.
- No wonder it’s called “church shopping.”
- Church is not intended to be “customer service experience.” It’s not supposed to be somewhere where you are the judge of what’s worthwhile and what’s not. It’s not supposed to be about you.
- There are number of much better descriptions of what church is to be. I’m going to use the analogy of a “workshop.”
- What do I mean by workshop? Well, a workshop is where you get stuff worked out. It’s where you fix things that are broken. It’s where you get things in better working condition.
- The church is a workshop. We are there to help people become more Christlike versions of themselves.
- It’s worthwhile to note how different this is from seeing church as a customer service experience:
a. It means that the imperfections are not a sign you’re failing, but that you are working toward your goal.
b. It means that you’re not the judge; you’re a participant.
c. We’re all helping each other rather than judging each other.
2. Don’t drop out because of the imperfections. It’s part of the plan.
- There are so many people who drop out of church along the journey of faith because of immature behavior of those in the church. And that is frequently used as an excuse to quit church.
- I used to have more sympathy for that excuse when I was younger, but now I think it’s almost always an unacceptable excuse.
- The church was never intended to be a place of perfection. Jesus knew in its founding that it would be a collection of recovering sinners. That’s the design.
- Why is that the design?
a. Because that’s who we are.
b. Because the goal is growth, not comfort.
- So when that person annoys you and you have to be gracious to them even though you want to tell them off to their face, that’s part of the plan. The plan for your spiritual growth.
- So when that person falls back into that sin and you have to show mercy when you want to read them the riot act, that’s part of the plan. The plan for your spiritual growth.
- So when that person continues to make all your conversations about them instead of showing any concern for others, that’s part of the plan. The plan for your spiritual growth.
