Main news for 20 June 2024

In many of his letters Paul describes what inhabitants of the Kingdom should be. And in the letter to the Corinthians he too turns to this theme. What does the apostle draw attention to as the distinguishing features of an inhabitant of the Kingdom? He evidently singles out spiritual collectedness, which is exactly what the apostle speaks of when he calls his addressees to "watch": to watch means, in fact, not to sleep, not to relax, and first of all not to relax spiritually; steadfastness in faithfulness, or "faith," by which, of course, faithfulness to Christ is meant; courage; and strength, which in the Synodal translation is called "steadfastness."

It is not hard to notice that all these qualities are interconnected and are determined by a person's spiritual state. Spiritual collectedness is impossible without that spiritual wholeness which is the result and goal of every ascetic practice, including, of course, Christian ascetic practice. But such wholeness is only a means; it is important not in itself, but as an instrument needed in order to preserve faithfulness to Christ. Indeed, faithfulness is impossible without spiritual wholeness. In its absence a person is too unstable spiritually to preserve faithfulness to anyone or anything.

And without preserving faithfulness to Christ, of course, one cannot speak of any life in the Kingdom: betrayal means the rupture of all relations, and the Kingdom is formed precisely by relations: its inhabitants with Christ and with one another, their relations with God, and finally Christ Himself with the Father. Anyone who breaks these relations loses the Kingdom. If the relations are preserved, then a person receives courage and strength.

The matter, of course, is not physical strength, but that strength of the Kingdom which is so clearly visible in every genuine witness of it. And during trials this strength becomes the spiritual foundation of the courage that gives the faithful power to remain steadfast even in the hardest minutes. But the main feature of the inhabitants of the Kingdom is the love that is their organic spiritual environment, in which all their relations with one another are built. It is no accident that at the Last Supper the Savior points to love as the distinguishing mark of Christians.

Indeed, it is love that constitutes the spiritual substance of the Kingdom, what could be called its nature. And every inhabitant of the Kingdom shares in this love. That is why the apostle calls Christians, as they act in our transforming but not yet transformed world, to do so in such a way that everything happening in the Church is done in love, so that every action of Christians gives this new nature, the nature of the Kingdom transforming the world, an opportunity to manifest itself.

At the close of his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul, as always, mentions the people who shared his labors and ministry with him. About some we know a little from other New Testament books; about others we can only guess, because only their names are known to us. Some of these people were probably little known to the Corinthian church, or even not known at all. And still the apostle asks the Corinthian brothers to receive them as their own.

Meanwhile church guesthouses like those that exist today at some churches did not exist in those days, so one of the brothers would have had to receive the people Paul writes about into his own home. But the apostle, as one can see, is not embarrassed by this. He does not ask them to receive his companions if there is opportunity or desire; he is absolutely certain that the Corinthian Christians will have both the opportunity and the desire. If the matter concerned the laws and norms of our world, which has not yet been transformed, such an attitude could be regarded, at best, as tactlessness. But Paul in this case acts according to other laws, according to the laws of the Kingdom, where there are no strangers, and therefore it cannot happen that one of the brothers who has come from far away will have to spend the night on the street.

And this confidence of the apostle that such a thing is possible, that he can rely on the Corinthian Christians with regard to hospitality, testifies that both in the Church in general and in the Corinthian church in particular, the spiritual situation was normal despite everything Paul himself wrote to his Corinthian brothers about. After all, one can receive into one's home a person one sees for the first time only when relations with him are either established immediately, at first sight, or have existed for a long time already. Both are possible only by grace and only in the Kingdom; the nature of our world, which has not yet been transformed, acts destructively on any relationships, which under such influence either grow cold or become formal, unless people are bound by something natural. And the very fact that Paul does not doubt his Corinthian brothers for a minute is the best testimony to the reality of the Church as a community of people living in the Kingdom and according to the laws of the Kingdom: the Church as it should be, as it was conceived and created by its Founder.

Paul in many of his messages describes the inhabitants of the Kingdom, how they should be. And in the epistle to the Corinthians he also addresses this subject. On what the apostle, thus pays attention as being distinctive feature of the inhabitants of the Kingdom? He, as we see, accentuates the spiritual collectedness (it is in particular about it that speaks the apostle, by exhorting those to whom he addresses "to watch": watch mean, in fact, not sleeping, not relaxing, and above all, of course not relaxing spiritually), firmness in faithfulness ("faith"), under which he wants of course to say the faithfulness to Christ, the courage, strength (which in the translation of King James Version is called "firmness"). It is easy to notice that all these qualities are connected between themselves and are defined by the spiritual state of the man. The spiritual concentration is impossible without this spiritual integrity, which is the result and the purpose of any asceticism, including, of course Christian.

But such an integrity is only a means, it is important not in itself, but as a necessary tool to remain faithful to Christ. In fact, faithfulness is impossible without the spiritual integrity, in its absence man turns out too unstable spiritually to remain faithful to whoever it may be and to whatever. And not remaining faithful to Christ, it is of course impossible to speak about any life in the Kingdom: because the treason means the break of any relationships, and it is in particular relationships that form the Kingdom - between its inhabitants and Christ and one with another, the inhabitants with God, and finally Christ with the Father. And each, who breaks these relationships, loses the Kingdom. If the relationships remain, appear to man courage and strength.

It is not of course about the physical strength, but about this strength of the Kingdom, which is so well visible to each of its real witnesses. And during the trial, this strength becomes the spiritual basis of this courage, which gives to the believer the strengths to persevere even in the most difficult minutes. But the main peculiarity of the inhabitants of the Kingdom is this love, which is for them an organic spiritual environment, in which are build all their relationships between themselves.

It is not accidentally that the Savior during the Last Supper points to love, as the distinguishing sign of Christians. In fact, it is in particular love that forms this spiritual substance of the Kingdom, that we could call its nature. And every inhabitant of the Kingdom is involved in this love. That is why the apostle exhorts, acting in our world being transformed, but not yet transformed, to do it in a way that all which takes place in the Church, is done in love so that every action of the Christians gives this new nature the possibility to manifest itself, the nature of Kingdom transforming the world.