Click on the title for a summary of each lesson.

Lesson One:  Author Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty offers four approaches to reading Paul’s letters, 1.)  Applying moral advice and teachings found in Paul’s letters directly to the circumstance of our contemporary lifes.  2.)  Dismissing the moral authority of Pauline letters because they were written for a world so vastly different from our own.  3.)  Examining the historical context in which Paul wrote his letters will reveal the meaning and message of even troublesome texts, 4.)  Reading Paul’s letters afresh.  I believe we tended to feel our society reflects many of the same issues Paul’s Corinth was dealing with and his message should be relevant to our contemporary situation. ie: polytheism, minorities, equality

Lesson Two:  This chapter discussed issues facing Corinth and we found many of the issues to be things we are dealing with today.

Lesson Three:  There are 2 covenants - The old covenant (Moses 10 commandments) and the New Covenant (Jesus is our Saviour)  Both are to be equally studied and followed.  Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty also discusses diversity of faith traditions and states the Christians need not insist on their own superiority to explain or to claim the efficacy of their own faith.  We can all seek to understand the mysterious God together and deepen our understanding.  Her question to us was, “How do you relate to people who believe differently from you?”  Finally she points to Paul’s statement that our beliefs are not carved in stone, but are written on tablets of human hearts.

Lesson Four:  We discussed Paul’s metaphor of our bodies are like CLAY JARS.  We are fragile, but we hold the strength of the Lord.  Rely on God’s strength which makes the weak strong and the strong weak.

Lesson Five:  Anyone who is in Christ - NEW CREATION!  We must care for the Earth as part of our Christian responsibility.  We looked into becoming an Earth Care Congregation.  (More to follow on becoming an Earth Care Congregation.)

Lesson Six:  You are Christ’s aroma in the world.  How do people sense your aroma?  We discussed how we can announce and proclaim to others our identity as people of faith.

Lesson Seven:  We discussed Fair Balance and an Economy of Grace, Poverty and Sharing, and Charis (charity) as part of  the Eucharist.

Lesson Eight:  Paul’s past and experiences led him to teach a shift in Power, Authority, and Honor.  We discussed how the meek become strong through trust in God.  We discussed the power of peaceful demonstrations.

Lesson Nine:  Apostleship in the 21st century - We preferred the term Discipleship in the 21st century.  Human accomplishments are ultimately manifestations of God’s grace.  Hardships come not from God, but from the world’s failure to see God’s ever-presence and we can use hardships to strengthen our faith and the faith of those around us.  Trust in God’s grace and He can lead you to do good things in His name.