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Day 322, or November the 18th. Why don't you

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grow up? Our thoughts today are from 1 Corinthians

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chapter 3, verse 1. Brothers and sisters, I could

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not address you as people who live by the Spirit,

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but as people who were still worldly, mere infants.

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And now the big picture surrounding this verse.

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Paul wrote at least two letters to the church

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in Corinth in southern Greece. The city today

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is just an archaeological site, but very evocative

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as you stroll around the various remains, wondering

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which building would have been visited by Paul,

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or maybe even Aquila and Priscilla, who helped

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establish the church there, and made tents for

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a living alongside Paul, who was in the same

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business. The population of 1st century Corinth

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was about 700 ,000, with maybe two -thirds of

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them being slaves. Before the canal was built,

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teams of slaves would drag ships or their cargoes

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across the narrow strip of land, dividing the

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Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. This shortcut

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saved a 200 -mile sail through treacherous waters

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south of Greece, and was the sort of place that

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attracted the worst of mankind. It's amazing

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that a church was ever established there, let

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alone thrive as an active witness to Christ.

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Not surprisingly, it did need regular guidance

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and firm letters from Paul. He begins his first

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letter dealing with misunderstandings in the

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fellowship. A ripe field for harvest for many

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21st century fellowships. And now today's action

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step. Immature believers in Corinth were hampering

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the development of the church there. Sadly, the

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same may be said of too many believers in the

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21st century too. Can you imagine Jesus saying,

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they won't get away with that, I have my rights,

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you know. Just wait till it's my turn, then they'll

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pay. I could go on, but I think I've said enough

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to make my point. All of us, me included, must

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act our age, not our hat size. Try asking, what

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would benefit the kingdom most in this situation,

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and then show maturity by doing it. Not for your

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own personal benefit, but for the good of the

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kingdom of God.