Jump Start # 796

1 Corinthians 1:11 “For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.”

The state of the church is always an interesting topic. What is often perceived is often not the reality. The church at Laodicea, in Revelation 3, is an example of that. I think that is often true of marriage and relationships with grown children. We project the appearance that things are calm and they often look that way on the surface, but beneath, trouble lurks.

The Corinthian church had corresponded with Paul. They sent a letter asking him a series of questions. These questions tell us what they were thinking and what was important to them. The expression, “Now concerning…” seems to identify each question that Paul was answering. For instance:

• 7:1 now concerning the things about which you wrote
• 8:1 now concerning the things sacrificed to idols
• 12:1 now concerning spiritual gifts
• 16:1 now concerning the collection for the saints

Their letter to Paul didn’t ask about quarrels. Paul was “informed” about this from Chloe’s people. We wonder if they were behind the statement, “it is actually reported that there is immorality among you” (5:1). Chloe’s people telling Paul about the trouble at Corinth has always bothered me. It still does. It seems like they were “tattle-tales.” A first reaction seems to ask, ‘why didn’t they try to solve the quarrels themselves?’ Maybe they tried. Maybe they were ignored. Maybe the different sides would not listen to them.

I now see this differently. I see Chloe’s people as a group of people who loved the Lord and His people so much that they were seeking help. They wanted things to be right. They wanted to tell an apostle so he would know what was really going on. Answering their questions would not touch upon the greater issues at hand, one that would splinter and destroy the church if left undone.

Pride in many of us, keeps us from asking for help. We see this in many areas. A couple attends church all the time, right up to the moment that they let it be known that they are getting a divorce. Everyone is shocked. Why didn’t they ask for help? Why did they wait until they were at the edge of the waterfalls before they let things be known. The same is true of a family with a troubled child. No spiritual help is sought until it’s too late.

Chloe’s people wanted things to be better. They could be better. Asking for spiritual help is often the last thing we do. We tend to try to fix spiritual problems in non-spiritual ways. We tend to apply band-aids to deep spiritual problems. We are disappointed when these things do not work. Family problems, marriage problems, church problems need the help of Christ and the Bible. Counselors, therapy, pills have a place but they cannot fix spiritual problems. But too this we must understand, just giving someone a positive Bible verse, or saying a prayer won’t fix deep problems either. Many problems have sin as a deep cause. That sin needs to be dealt with in a Biblical fashion.

We get embarrassed about personal spiritual problems. We fear what people will think. We don’t want to look like failures. So we keep quite. The shame and the guilt adds to the problems that already exist. We keep a pretense that everything is good, when it is not. This lasts, until the lid blows off the pot and a real mess is on hand. So often our congregations lack reality. Everyone seems to be perfect and together, when that’s not the truth. We all struggle with different things. We all have good days and bad days. We all wish that we our problems would go away. We think that we are the only one with such issues. We are not.

Chloe’s people informed Paul about trouble at Corinth. Help was on the way. Paul would deal with the quarrels, attitudes and lack of unity that existed among them. The ship would turn and a new course would be charted, one that followed Christ.

It’s often hard asking for spiritual help. We fear that people will talk about us. We fear the looks, the whispers, the judgments, the rejections of others. Maybe past experiences have not gone well. Maybe a leadership that seems cruel and harsh keeps us from seeking help. Maybe we feel nothing will be done or worse, nothing can fix the problem. Chloe’s people did not feel that way.

The leadership of the church must be approachable, kind and gentle and helpful. They deal with delicate problems of a very personal and private nature. Loose lips do not belong among the leaders of God’s people. Help will only be sought if help is available.

God’s help is necessary. We need each other. The church is our support system. Become the type of person that people can trust. Be someone that points people to God’s word for answers. Be kind and gentle in spirit. Be understanding. We need people like that.

Roger