WYSIWYG

Meditations on Second Corinthians

April 18, 2023

WYSIWYG

Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:3

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

I recall a time when I spent quite a bit of money having my refrigerator repaired. The repairman was friendly and efficient. However, we continued to have issues with the refrigerator, and I called the repairman again. After inspecting the refrigerator, the serviceman said WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get.  He said the problem was not with the new component he installed, but with an older component that was attached to it – which could be fixed for another couple of hundred dollars. He should have made that observation before the first repair. I thanked him for his time and showed him the door as I decided to make do with what we had.

The point of this story is the same one Paul is making in the first few verses of Chapter 3: the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Letters of recommendation were a big deal in Paul’s era. However, Paul was saying he didn’t need letters of recommendation because: WYSIWYG. The people of the church in Corinth were his recommendation.

So it is with our churches today. Churches can have great advertising, great signs and brochures proclaiming the good qualities and good programs of the church. However, what really matters is what people see when they encounter the people of our churches. Paul is preparing us for a searing point he will make for us in about a week when we read 2 Corinthians 4:11, “. . . so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal flesh.” (NRSV)

My Takeaway: We are living in very difficult times with so many issues dividing our nation and our churches. What the life in Christ means to me may be very offensive to others. I am finding that as I seek the life in Christ as my way of life, I need to continually pray Psalm 139:23-24,

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.