Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 1:10-11 (New Living Translation)

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.

Paul is admonishing members of the church in Corinth about their divisions. Paul cites “members of Chloe’s household” as the source of his information.

Questions:

1. Were members of Chloe’s household a bunch of ill-intention gossipers?
2. Who appointed members of Chloe’s household to tell Paul about the congregation’s problems?
3. Did members of Chloe’s household give Paul permission to identify them by name as the source of his information?
4. Should Paul have mentioned this source of information?
5. Are all these questions the type of thing 21st persons ask and were never asked in the 1st century?
6. Are lists of questions irrelevant?

Today, if a household told an outsider of my congregation’s problems, and that led to such a public admonishment, well, I would have a talk with that household right now and straighten them out and… I don’t find this to be gossip as Paul identifies the household by name. Paul didn’t write, “I’ve heard through the grapevine that…”

Still, who appointed Chloe’s household as being correct in their assessment and correct in spreading the bad news?

Go to question 5. Perhaps the culture then and the culture now are so different that this “incident” was not an incident in the 1st century.

Lesson for today: bad news does indeed travel fast and far. Good news—including The Good News—doesn’t seem to travel the same way. God, help us in our unbelief.