Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink of the ages have come. (1 Co 10:1).
I do not want you to be unaware.
In this pivotal moment, Paul shifts from addressing specific questions and concerns to imparting a profound teaching that transcends the immediate context. By declaring, "Hey, there is something I want you to know," Paul seizes the attention of his audience, signaling the importance of the message he is about to deliver.
As we delve into Paul's words, a deliberate and purposeful weight becomes evident. Paul is consciously emphasizing a collective spiritual heritage accessible to all who earnestly follow God. Inspired by John the Baptist's teachings, Paul recognizes that righteousness transcends ethnicity and the constraints of the law.
"and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones." Matthew 3:9
John the Baptist's message addresses a racist mindset, one that claims privilege based on genetics, dismantling the security blanket of being "special and chosen" due to ancestral ties to Abraham.
Paradigm Shift on Abraham:
Paul's transformation after embracing faith in Christ reveals a significant paradigm shift. Embracing the very faith, he once sought to destroy, Paul now looks at Abraham in a new light. The apostle no longer sees the great man Abraham solely as the progenitor of the Hebrew race but as the father of a faithfully obedient and diverse people. People who are characterized by their faith, not DNA. Paul quotes the prophets in Romans, emphasizing that "the Just shall live by faith."
Unity and Collective Identity:
Paul’s strategic use of inclusive language, such as "all our fathers," we would argue serves to foster unity and establish a collective identity among the diverse members of the Corinthian community. Paul reinforces a foundational teaching – in Christ, distinctions of Jew, Gentile, male, or female fade away, giving rise to a new creation.
Recurring Theme of Unity in Christ:
Frankly, throughout Paul's writings, a recurring theme emerges “No more Jew, no more Gentile” just a shared spiritual heritage and new creature in Christ. Once again it would be hard to contend that Paul had anything else in mind since this transformative idea is vividly expressed in many passages credited to him for instance:
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him." (Romans 10:12)
"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:11)
"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one..." (Ephesians 2:14-16)
These passages underscore Paul's vision of a “new creature” that is both a transformative and inclusive community in Christ.
Paul, when using the phrase "all our fathers," primarily points to the "Jewish faithful" who obeyed God's oracles. Yet, he expands this to include believers of all backgrounds, as they become children of Abraham not by blood but through obedient faith. Abraham, according to Paul, is the father of the faithful.
Challenges in Contemporary Understanding:
Despite Paul's efforts to discourage the notion of the Jews as distinct people of God solely based on genetics, over 2000 years later, there are those fellow Christians today who insist the Jews remain a distinct people of God with promises of God remaining to be fulfilled. This idea is missing from the New Testament writings and can only “be read into” certain passages if one holds to certain views Darby and Scofield expressed. It seems though, just reading the writings of the Jewish prophets, the wisdom literature, the gospels, Paul’s writings, and even the writings of other New Testament authors, there are only faithful and obedient people of God whose definitions included all those who received the words of Christ and are obedient to them, or as Paul puts it in another passage “new creatures in Christ” and benefactors of all the promises of God completed in Christ.
Application for Today
In applying the teachings from 1 Corinthians 10:1 and related discussions to contemporary Christian life, what would be the takeaway? First, believers are called to foster unity and inclusivity within the body of Christ. Secondly, the passage encourages Christ-followers to embrace a mindset that transcends racial, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. We should emphasize the shared spiritual heritage of all who earnestly follow God. Third, Christians today should actively confront any notions of exclusivity based on genetics or ethnicity, and we should embrace a paradigm shift that recognizes that the true spiritual lineage of Abraham is rooted in faith and obedience to Christ. The call to a "new creation" in Christ, as reiterated in passages like Galatians 3:28 and Ephesians 2:14-16, challenges believers to view each other as equals, irrespective of worldly distinctions. Finally, Christians must critically evaluate exclusive theologies and emphasize the inclusive nature of God's promises fulfilled in Christ for all believers. By anchoring their identity in faith and embracing a common bond in Christ, the application for today involves cultivating a community that reflects the unity and diversity envisioned by the apostle Paul.
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