Lessons from 1 Corinthians

In reading through Paul's first letter to the Church in Corinth, a fairly metropolitan city in Greece, even 2000 or so years ago, I can't help but see links to Asian ideas about spirituality and being attached to this world.

Even the Greek gods, as mighty as they seemed to be in Greek history and legends, we're incredibly human. The only seeming difference between their human appetites and those of humans were that they were immortal, they could change shapes... etc. The Greek gods desired to be loved... they wanted worship and had fragile egos... they were faithless to each other and to humans and had ravaging sexual appetites. They had a particular skill or gift but no one was proficient in everything... not even Mighty Zeus, who could be destroyed if ganged up on.

When we think about the Jews at the time, there is a HUGE contrast between Yahweh and the Greek gods. Yahweh isn't like humans... he is other in ways we don't understand. He doesn't have human appetites like the Greek gods, but rather he is infinitely bigger and other... Paul keeps drawing attention to this fact:

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, not the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." 2:9

"For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." 1:25

While the Greek gods were dominated by their desires and they cleverly tricked each other into getting what they wanted, Yahweh teaches us to be in control of our own passions and rule over them:

"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything" 6:12

"Athletes exercise control in all things... I punish my body and enslave it..." 9:25-26

I can't help but see some Buddhist influences in these ideas... Paul and God wanted the Greeks to see that there was a reality beyond the earth and it was bigger than Mount Olympus... It was something not only the gods would have access to, but something everyone's soul depended on and it was coming now...

Yes the Greek gods were immortal, but they were far from holy. Heaven coming to earth wasn't having whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, but rather being able to master yourself and see into the spiritual realities that lay ephemerally on the brink of the earth.

Sometimes I wonder how much we're like Corinth... we worship the heroes... the incredible athletes and singers, dancers... actors... people of incredible beauty and skills and we see how they behave... most taking what they want and some promoting good things... We still think in terms of immortality in the media and the press... we don't necessarily think in terms of morality and holiness, but rather have traded it for power and influence.

I can't help but think Paul would see our consumer driven society like a giant stomach... "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy one and the other..." (6:13)

How much is enough? How much is too much? How do we find out? I wish I knew...