Broken relationships
As humans God has created in us a need to be in relationships with people. Those relationships matter a great deal to us, and when they breakdown, if the relationship was one that truly mattered to us, we will go to almost any length to go back to the way things were, and pay any price to do so.
That is the definition of reconciliation: the act of going back to the way things were before, taking a broken relationship and making it work again.
The ecclesia at Corinth had a lot of problems: they were blending philosophy and the gospel. They argued from Greek philosophy that their bodies would die but their spirit would be raised so they were free to use their bodies however they liked.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience” (2 Cor 5:10-11).
They lived in extreme wealth and prosperity, and many of its members would have been part of the cities’ trade and commerce. Many of those same members were pushing for a return to the respectability of the Jewish law, which even the Grecians and Romans could admire, and was seen as almost prestigious. Rabbinical thought, as inspired by Babylonian ideas, influenced most of the ideas and concepts of the Greek philosophers, like Plato and Aristotle. They got most of their ideas on spirits and the afterlife from the mysticism of the Judaism of the time. This in turn filtered back into the ecclesia from the Gentiles. If that wasn’t enough, its members were under assault almost endlessly from temptations, as there was a temple to Aphrodite in Corinth, which had over one thousand priestesses.
The ecclesia at Corinth was in the same state as that of the world today. The whole world has become like Corinth of old, and the temples to the modern gods of greed and covetousness fit in our pockets. And to top off all their problems, their relationship to the man who had given them the truth had almost completely broken down; he had been the link between surrounding ecclesias for over a year and a half. In the same way the whole world today has broken its own relationship to God.
Paul tried to correct them with a visit, but it did not go well: the Corinthians rejected him and wanted nothing to do with him, believing that he was not interested in them anymore. He did not go back, for he did not want to continue rebuking them. Rather, he wanted to return as a friend.
“For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all” (2 Cor 2:1-3).
As a last resort, Paul wrote a letter with the intention of rectifying the situation. Its effect was to cause this rebellious and out of control ecclesia to seek reconciliation, to realize their need and desire to return to friendship with Paul.
“For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it — though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God” (2 Cor 7:8-12).
The ecclesia repented of its issues, but it seems they did not know how to go about returning to a relationship with Paul.
Injured parties
It is interesting to note that to their credit, unlike almost everyone today, they did not try to come up with their own way to appease Paul’s “anger”, or his authority as an apostle, which they had challenged many times. Reconciliation is not something we the offenders can do, or deserve. We can only receive it and accept it if offered. It is entirely dependent on the injured party to offer it or not.
Adam and Eve did not understand that and tried to reconcile by themselves. They desired to go back to the way things were, but they did not have that right. They had no idea how to go on until the Father clothed them and told them the method that by which He would bring mankind back to Himself.
Paul instructed the Corinthians as to what he desired of them: first to allow themselves to be reconciled to God, and then to himself.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (Col 5:20).
“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also… Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:11-13, 17-18).
In order for this reconciliation to be effective, Paul tells them that they ought to behave as friends. If they believe that they have been forgiven and want to return to being friends again, it is necessary for them to act like and treat him as a friend. That’s all there is to it.
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (2 Cor 7:1-4).
It’s somewhat incredible how uncomplicated and simple the way back to friendship with the Father is.
The example of Peter
As a further example of this, we can look to Peter. After denying Christ three times, he encountered the risen Jesus again, this time at the sea of Tiberias. So after the miraculous catch of fish:
“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep” (John 21:12-17).
And so, for the first time since his death, they all sat down and ate again. Peter and Jesus were reconciled.
Part of reconciliation from the Father and Christ’s point of view, is that you have to act like you are a friend, you have to show the behaviors that a friend of God is expected to show. The Father, through Christ, has given us an offer of friendship. So the least we can do in return, is act like we want to be, and are, His friends.
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian’s held nothing against them. He was called a liar, a false apostle, abusing his authority, an embezzler of the donations given to him, and was accused of being uncaring of the Corinthians. Everything he gave them was thrown in his face. And it seems — that it was led by one person.
“Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you” (2 Cor 7:12).
And Paul’s response was not only to forgive him, but to implore the ecclesia he had led into accusing and rejecting Paul to forgive any who had done so.
“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom
I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;” (2 Cor 2:4-10).
So when we remember our Lord and Savior, let us believe that we are reconciled. That we are restored to friendship with the Father through our friendship with the son.
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth
I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father
I have made known unto you” (John 15:12-15).
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:18-20).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One