NOTES for Co1 16:13-14

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.