“Let all that you do be done in love.” That strikes me as the thematic statement of this letter, though it comes so near the end. Another simple summation of the letter might be, “Aim higher.” The organization of the letter is somewhat unusual for Paul, given that it seems to open with application and only move to doctrine later. But, the overall message is that we who are the church should be acting with concern for our brethren in the church, seeking their good and their improvement even over our own – though not to the neglect of our own. The central image of a body composed of many members conveys this balance to us. We care for each member, but being a member ourselves we care for our own condition as well. The body can only be as healthy as its least healthy part. So, then, we are encouraged to have, if you will, a holistic view of the church, caring for it in total by caring for it in its several individual members. |
