Things are not as they seem

This post is copied from my FB page and really is an introduction to re-thinking sanctification (holiness and sainthood). A fuller version to come.

I want to make a serious point but here’s a very serious point to start with…England, despite their curious loss to Scotland in the rugby, will wake up this morning, I suggest, bolder, brighter, better than the out-and-out favourites Scotland, who barely got off the starting blocks and squeaked home.

It’s the same in the New Testament. Surprising apparent optical illusions are at work. Take Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Here was a church riven with divisions (groups following their favourite apostle or preachers) and really difficult pastoral problems surrounding cases of sexual immorality.

And how does Paul start his epistle?

‘To the church of God at Corinth to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints….grace to you…’

Either Paul was delusional or we need to re-think sanctification, holiness, and sainthood.
(You’ll probably see that in most translations the translators have injected in italics ‘called TO BE saints’. Delete TO BE and that’s what Paul wrote)

So…I’ll leave you to work out whether Paul was delusional about the Corinthians and/or I’m delusional about England Rugby XV