Good in America
By: Raymond Harris
Regarding Scripture: I Corinthians 6.9-11
Note to the Reader
Presently, I am conducting in-depth study and research on the influence and use of the Old Testament within the New Testament. This study has been scheduled for, at least, the remainder of 2009. As such, a Special Announcement was given in September.
In particular, this article is a revision of the article “First Corinthians: Disciples in the Most Unpromising of Places” originally written by me in 2007. Additionally, I encourage you to invest additional time reading the Epistle of First Corinthians in conjunction with this article.
While the new month began last week, we used last week to finish our examination of James. As of this week, we will begin looking at some items in First Corinthians.
Good in America
When speaking about America each of us has our personal take on it. For each of us, our convictions about America are strong and they run deep – right to the core of our very being. Our convictions were formed when we were young and continue to be refined, reaffirmed and sometimes reformed through life experiences. Things like our place of birth, where we grew up, where we worked and work, and whether we lived near Rural America, Small Town American, or the Big City all shape our experience and our perceptions. In addition, consider the values our parents instilled in us, and the things that we personally esteem as having value and virtue. Together, all of these and so much more, shape our opinion of America.
Because we, each of us as an individual American, have our own experiences and expectations, we have to be careful with each other. Take for instance me, the writer, and you, the reader. While we are engaging each other, we may have conflicting takes on America. Yet knowing that there may be potential for disagreement, we engage each other anyway, believing that even though we may “disagree” we each can benefit from our engagement. We hope that through the process, each of us can contribute to a much larger idea than ourselves and thereby give something beneficial to ourselves and, in turn, to America. Yet, even in our different experiences as Americans, we most likely agree that our twenty-first century American culture is vastly different from that of the twentieth century.
Lessons of America
Generally speaking, America’s standard of living and our economic bounty have increased. Generally, we are thankful for the forces of the free market and our commercial enterprise system, and because of those invisible forces, America’s general quality of life has improved. But America’s increase in the standard of living and economic bounty does not necessarily translate into an equal increase in healthy values and ethics.
As we live in the twenty-first century, if nothing else, it feels that many Americans can look back to when America seemed simpler. Americans and America itself moved slower, families seemed more cohesive, less bothered by crime and questionable things. Now whether or not this sentiment is completely true, the idea does describe the general feeling of many and because of this, we may ponder if it is possible for America to regain the better parts of its heritage.
This month’s article is not designed to examine possibilities of rebuilding or sustaining the better qualities of our National heritage. Instead, by looking at First Corinthians, we want to gain hope that in the midst of worldliness, Christianity can spring forth and flourish.
Lessons of Corinth
It seems that many places in modern America are not much different than that of the Roman city of Corinth. Most, if not all American cities are defined by commerce, political debates and exchanges, not to mention intellectual stimulation, and the general nature of the free flow of ideas. Now, none of that is assessing whether the ideas speak of righteousness or unrighteousness, it is just a simple statement that this is who we are, in short our society has changed from its once large agricultural roots. American citizens are increasingly dependent on work found within and near cities than they once were. Because of this and the abundant influence of all types of media, we seem to be living in one great big Corinth. Persons may express it in different ways, but the question seems to be “Can anything good come out of America?” The answer has to be a resounding, “Yes!”
Like Corinth, it seems that modern America is increasingly identified by non-biblical terms and behavior than biblical terms and behavior. As such, it is no surprise that the churches in America are experiencing the struggles that accompany such a society. Consider a thought by a biblical commentator, “Paul [in First Corinthians] addresses a variety of problems in the lifestyle of the Corinthian Christians: factions, lawsuits, immorality, [and] questionable practices… .”1 Are these “biblical” problems all that different from our “American” problems? We, like they of old, live in a society containing factious and quarrelsome divisions., just look at our society’s quantity of lawsuits, and our political and civil drama.
The same commentator stated that Corinth’s “prosperity brought both luxury and immorality.”2 Again, this fits aptly to America. Unfortunately, this writer does not have to say, “in America it appears” no. Immorality and questionable practices abound in our land. Is it any wonder that American churches struggle to remain “called out” and different from the world?
Consider another comment from a commentator, “The sinfulness of [Corinth] was notorious” and noted that Corinth was the place where “the social forces of the age met” and that both religions and the licentious shameful behavior of other nations were endorsed and practiced.3 Again, is this all that different from our National Scene? This writer feels no need to enumerate all of the shameful behavior of this nation, it seems self-evident.
It might be plausible to say that to live as an American, one would be living as a Corinthian, meaning they would “live in gross immorality”.4 “But wait,” the reader says, “there is always an exception.” And the reader would be correct. Of course it is not true that each and every American lives in gross immorality, but as a national culture, how would we describe it? But, even in the face of such truth, great good can and does come out of America, daily. This is more than a blessing and a reassurance; it is possible for good to come out of America.
Conclusion
It seems unfortunate that in many ways, America is a modern-day Corinth. However, the bright spot is that America, like Corinth, simply requires much teaching and instruction. In many ways, America has lost some of its good heritage (e.g. biblically based values, and ethics). What America requires is patient longsuffering and active engagement of the moral majority in order to influence their unrighteous behavior into righteousness.
The twenty-first century Christians who make America their home, need to be like Paul. He was not afraid to affirm and teach truth in the midst of scandalous behavior. He was willing to stand for righteousness in the middle of an unrighteous culture. We can be like Paul and be a beacon of truth into a world of darkness. And, like Paul, we will see fornicators, idolaters, thieves, coveters, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners5 become Christians, disciples of Christ, and followers of the one true and living God. May our Father bless us as we seek not only to be righteous, but also to influence our neighbors to be righteous.
Endnotes
1. Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts; First Corinthians; p. 386; ISBN 0-7852-1154-3.
2. ibid.
3. Dickson New Analytical Study Bible, KJV, p. 1321.
4. Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts; First Corinthians; p. 386; ISBN 0-7852-1154-3.
5. I Corinthians 6.9-11, KJV.
