1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (NIV)

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–their Lord and ours:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way–in all your speaking and in all your knowledge–
6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
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A man of Italian ancestry had always dreamed of visiting Italy and meeting the Pope. He saved his money and finally had enough to make the trip. Just before he was about to leave he went to the barbershop to get a haircut.
The barber asked, "How are you going to Italy?"
" I'm flying Alitalia Airlines."
The barber said, "Forget it. They've got a terrible reputation. Where are you going to stay?"
" I'll be staying at the Hilton in Rome."
The barber groaned, "Forget it. They've got terrible service. What are you going to do when you're in Rome?"
" I'm going to see the Pope."
The barber laughed, "Forget it. You'll never see the Pope. You're a nobody. The Pope only sees important people. You're wasting your time!"
Several weeks later the same man went back to the barbershop. The barber said, "So, I bet you never got to Italy."
"As a matter a fact, I did”, the man replied. “I flew Alitalia and they were just wonderful to me. When I got to Rome, I stayed at the Hilton and they treated me like a king."
" What did you do when you got there?" the barber asked.
" I went to see the Pope."
" So…," the barber said impatiently, "what happened?"
" Well, I knelt down and kissed the Pope's ring."
" Wow!" the barber said. "You kissed the Pope's ring! What did he say? What did he say?"
" Well, the Pope looked down at me and said, 'Son, where did you get that terrible haircut?'

Criticism can be such a harsh thing. It can lead to negativity. It can discourage and frustrate people. It can become a constant habit. And, as the barber discovered, it can come back to haunt you.

Proper criticism, however, is a fine art. When done properly it can enlighten and build up and motivate. When done properly it can result in positive responses.

The Apostle Paul understood that.

Our lesson from 1 Corinthians offers the very first words Paul wrote to the troubled Church in Corinth. These words are his introduction to what was probably the most difficult letter he ever wrote.

You see, as an apostle, Paul had responsibility over many Churches. He was a spiritual guide and teacher for many different congregations in the early Church. He had an authority that was respected.

Often, when problems arose Paul was informed. Usually a Church having difficulties would get in touch with him via a letter outlining their concerns and asking for help. After all, this “Christianity thing” was new to everyone. All the teachings and theology about Christ and living as Christians were still being worked out. The Apostles, because of their direct connection with the Lord, became a kind of a teaching go-between bridging young Christians and the Lord.

And so Corinth had been in touch.
The Church at Corinth had lots of new Christians and a relatively inexperienced leadership. The city of Corinth was large and prosperous. There were many people in the congregation who were well off. They were used to getting their own way. Many were used to being looked up to. They were used to being considered special.

God had blessed the Church there in many ways. There was no shortage of people who wanted to grow in the faith. Amongst the whole congregation God had poured out all of the Spiritual Gifts needed for them to work together and build a strong, productive Church.

But, despite all they had going for them things just didn’t click. There were problems amongst the people. Some of the richer folk looked down on those who were poor. The well off failed to share from their abundance. Some of them thought that, because they were special in society, they should be treated as special in the Church.

Another group in the congregation felt superior in a different way. This group believed that the gifts, talents and abilities that God had given to them were better than everyone else’s. They ranked what they brought to service in the Church as more important than people who ministered in other ways.

The result was conflict, division and a level of nastiness that put the Church and Christ to shame. Paul’s letter was intended to teach some strong truths. It was hard to write but it would have been even harder for some of the Corinthians to read.

In the body of the letter Paul told it like it was in order to shake the people up and get them to recognize that, in God’s eyes, they were all loved and all equal.

There were no people more special than others in God’s eyes.
No special gifts better than others.
No special privileges.

But before he lowered the boom Paul spent the first words of this letter offering reassurance, affirmation and encouragement. The letter’s criticism was going to be strong enough. Before he got to it Paul wanted everyone to know that this troubled group of people were, by no means, a lost cause.

Indeed, how could they be a lost cause as individual believers or as a Church of Jesus Christ? Paul pointed out that God had called them. God had drawn them to Godself. God had gathered them together as a congregation. And God didn’t make mistakes.

Then Paul thanked God for them. He thanked God for the grace given to them. He thanked God for the knowledge and gifts God had blessed them with. He thanked God that they lacked no ability or talent needed for them to be a strong and vital congregation.

Here, at the beginning of the letter, Paul described them as God saw them and as God wanted them to be. He offered the encouragement that they were a community of God’s people based on God’s call and God’s blessings, not based on their behaviour.

They had blown it. They knew it and Paul was going to be telling them about it in detail. But here, at the beginning, they didn’t need criticism—they needed affirmation. They didn’t need harshness—they needed reassurance.

In the Babemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly, he or she is taken to the center of the village. All work ceases and every man, woman and child in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused. The wrong they have done is spelt out.
Then the tribe bombards the rejected person with affirmations! One at a time, friends and family enumerate all the good the individual has done. Every incident, every experience that can be recalled with some detail and accuracy is recounted. All their positive attributes, strengths and kindnesses are recited carefully and at length.
Finally, the tribal circle is broken, a joyous celebration takes place, and the outcast is welcomed back into the tribe.
What a beautiful ritual of restoration! Hurt is replaced with happiness; pain with peace. Once again they are family. The rejected one is restored and the village is made whole.
(Steve Goodier)

That’s what Paul offered. Affirmations based on the way God saw them. Reassurance that God’s grace was great enough to handle their foolishness and sin.

What an amazing concept!
The negative stuff doesn’t have to alienate people. It doesn’t have to linger well after things have changed. Relationships are safe despite doing things that are wrong. Relationships are safe despite having to criticize and seek a change of behaviour or attitude.

We live in a society where criticism and blame are becoming more and more common. When something goes wrong we look for someone to blame.

Who was responsible for this?
Why did this have to happen?
Whose fault is it?

It has come to the point where, often, people who do wrong publicly, won’t and can’t admit their responsibility for fear of leaving themselves open to more problems.

Not surprisingly, as we emphasize criticism and blame more and more people are less and less likely to accept personal responsibility. Instead, those who are at fault seek to shift the blame elsewhere.

We see it happen in the news.
We see it at work, at home, at Church.

Something goes wrong.

The first question isn’t: what can we do to fix things—but—who’s to blame? Not what were the reasons for things not working out—but—who was supposed to ensure everything worked properly.

One evening a woman was sleeping in her bedroom upstairs while her eight-year-old son, Jason, was in his room on the first floor. Suddenly she was awakened by a loud crash. A van had run off the road, smacked into the side of the house, and come to a stop in the living room. The mother’s first thought was of her son.
" Jason!" she yelled out—and from downstairs her son yelled back, "I didn't do it, Mom!"

We are so concerned with being blamed.
Of course there are times when responsibility has to be accepted. There are times when criticism is valid.

But imagine criticism that actually seeks to restore a person’s self-esteem. Imagine criticism that is meant to be of help and is seen and accepted as such.

That’s what Paul sought to offer—by bringing reassurance, affirmation and encouragement to the table first.

Criticism, whether we like it or not—whether we deserve it or not—is a part of life.

So, in what manner would you like to be criticized?

And, in what manner will you seek to criticize others?
(1579)

© The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian Church, Ajax, ON, Canada