Greetings everyone! Here is something I was thinking about today.
In his letter to the Corinthian brethren, the Apostle Paul tells them (1 Corinthians 4:9) “For it seems to me that God has put us Apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle (Greek: theatron) to the whole universe, to angles as well as to men” (emphasis mine).
The NIV Archeologicial Study Bible note on this verse says this: “When a Roman general returned home victorious, he led his army in a triumphal procession, at the end of which trailed the captives who were condemned to fight with beasts. Paul felt that, in contrast to the proud Corinthians, the apostles had been put ‘on displayat the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena’. God had made them a spectacle to be gazed at and made sport of in the arena of the world. …” (p 1867 in the NIV Archeological Study Bible).
Paul, all the apostles, and all of our brethren in the New Testament age were well aware of their influence. in the world. They always made sure they lived a life worthy of their calling in God (as Paul told the Ephesian brethren in Ephesians 4:1). They obviously took seriously their charge of being a theatron, a spectacle, put on display for all the world to see. They lived to glorify God and make an impact on the world they lived in.
We all need to be careful of how we live, like our brethren so long ago did. We need to take following Jesus seriously.
Your thoughts, comments, questions, etc are always welcomed and encouraged.
God bless. Grace and Peace.
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