Thread: A question on Christian Scripture.

In the first example Paul the Apostle is speaking to the members of the newly founded church at Corinth. Note in the first chapter of that epistle Paul tells them that some of them are engaging in behavior that not even pagans practice. So he is dealing with 'babes in Christ' and therefore giving them, metaphorically speaking milk because they cannot yet comprehend the more advanced spiritual principles. the meat. He is pointing out to them that they have not yet 'put off the old man, behold all things become new', evidenced by their continuing to engage in envying, strifes and divisions.

Paul's epistles were letters to the early Christian groups giving them exhortation and correction. The 13th chapter of that book deals with people who were demonstrative of 'gifts of the spirit' in church but didn't demonstrate the fruits of the spirit once they walked out the door. So Paul tell them 'if I speak with the tongues of men or of angels and have not charity (love) I am as a tinkling cymbal or a clanging brass.' We see the same things today as we did then because times change but people aren't much different.

I once heard the great Presbyterian pastor Donald Barnhouse say, "If you want to know what a born again Christian is capable of doing read the epistles and see what he is told not to do. It say let him who stole steal no more, lie not to one another seeing ye have put off the old man." And he goes on but I can't remember the rest.