In verses 14 through 17 of I Cor inthians, chapter 4, Paul gives some excellent material for dealing with other Christians, either within our own home or our own commun ity. I Corinthians 4:14 reads, "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you." Here Paul gives the purpose for his admonishment to the church at Corinth. It is in this purpose that I think we can learn a great lesson. Paul says that his purpose was not to crush them but to counsel and guide them. The word shame ("I write not these things to shame you") gives the picture of turning back upon one's self. Every once in a while we will say that an individual turned upon another person in anger. The image that we get there is that he turned on his heels to set some one straight. The Creek word for shame gives a similar picture but instead of turning upon another person, it is the idea of turning upon yourself. You are turning to yourself and you are remorseful and you are angry with yourself. You are telling yourself off. What Paul is saying is this, "I did not write these things to force you to turn upon yourself." I wrote in stead to warn you. What does he mean by warn? Is it the same as our word warn? Does he want to stear them away from some act? No, this is a very positive word. It comes from two Creek words mind and to place or to put something in its place. To the Corinthians of that day, verse 14 would mean, "I write not these things to shame you, or turn you upon yourself, but I write these things to you to put them in your mind so that you might under stand what you are doing." Page 17
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