The Cross' Message to Our Modern Self (1 Cor. 3:1–4:4 )
Written by Michael Murray & Christian Martinsen
This Week's Theme: "Dealing with the Idol of Self"
Reflection #1
Read: 1 Cor. 3:1–4:4
Key Verses (4:1-4): This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
Reflect: Take a moment to think about our city or the city you grew up in or the place that has most shaped you, and the way you view the world and your place in it...
Think about the people and the city's history
What unites and divides it
What is normal?
How does that influence you?
CONTEXT OF 1 CORINTHIANS
Background on city of Corinth:
500k people at time Paul wrote letter
Was destroyed by Rome in 46 BC and rebuilt by Julius Caesar from scratch because it was such an important commercial city.
100 years after it's destruction, Paul writes this letter
Corinth is composed and divided by two kinds of people such as "blue collar dock workers and white collar legal aids"
It is a battle of rural norms vs urban norms, and each side is taking hold of every minor difference between them––social, personal, or theological––and then moralizing it:
Paul’s response focuses on the idol of Self and what it has produced in them.
In light of this, this week we will look at Paul’s instruction as follows:
The idol of Self...
What it produces
What it masks
How we get freedom from it
Modern Cultural Observation
It's been said that you can't understand modern culture without understanding the unique modern understanding of identity. Charles Taylor, a Catholic philosopher, wrote The Sources of the Self: The Making of Modern Identity. In it he discusses traditional & modern identity, outlining that your personal identity is an answer to 3 Questions:
What do I live for? (The main thing. What defines you? What you aspire towards?)
Am I reaching it? (What am I worth? An assessment if I am reaching what I aspire)
Who's giving the verdict? (Who gets to say? Who gets to evaluate you)
In other words, every culture directs it's members to form an identity in a particular way without telling you or asking your permission. To be a conscious citizen instead of a pawn, you must be aware and make the culture's identity formation visible to you. -Tim Keller
Traditional vs Modern Identity
Traditional identity is OUTSIDE -IN
Duty. "You are your duties"
God. Family. Moral truth. Community.
THE TRADITIONAL JOURNEY. Go out and find out what the highest good is and come back in and make the sacrifices necessary in order to align/rearrange your self & your life around that.
Self-esteem for the traditional self identity is the honor your community bestows on you if you sacrifice your own selfish desires for the common good.
Modern identity is INSIDE-OUT
Desires. "You are your desires"
Go inside and look at your deepest desires and dreams.
Then, you go out and tell everyone- family, church, community- that THEY have to make the changes... they have to adjust to accommodate you.
You (the self) are the only validator.
Your community does not get to say who you are (or validate you) because only you can assess your own worth and value.
Self esteem for the modern self identity is the dignity you bestow on yourself when you assert who you are against any claims that church or state or family or God have on you.
EXAMPLE: Movie "Elsa" shows wrestle with Modern vs Traditional Self
Her story is all about discovering that "What's inside is more real than what's outside"
The emphasis becomes ridding traditional self and embracing modern self
Elsa's song: “Don’t let them in don’t let them see… you must be the good girl you were always meant to be… conceal don't feel don’t let them know…” (Traditional Self)
In other words: Hide what’s inside, get in sync with what’s outside & what's expected of you…
Then she late goes on “it’s time to see what I can do… test the limits and break through… no right no wrong no rules for me I’m free! (The modern self)
“Let it go… let it go… I can’t hold it in anymore”
SUMMARY:
The modern self that our culture embraces promotes the story: "What’s inside rules." What’s outside must come under it... What's inside is more real than what's outside.
This isn't to say that traditional culture is better! Paul will give us a completely different way of identity formation that is counter cultural to both the traditional and modern self.
REFLECTION:
How has my personal identity been formed? (No spiritual answers! What is actually your lived experience?)
What do I live for? (The main thing. What defines you? What you aspire towards?)
Am I reaching it? (What am I worth? An assessment if I am reaching what I aspire)
Who's giving the verdict? (Who gets to say? Who gets to evaluate you)
How has both traditional and modern identity cultures shaped you or influenced the way you see the world?
Begin to ask the Lord to show you how "the Cross" has a different message & story to live out...
PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK:
Journal. Try this: at the start of the day write how the cross should inform how you live today. Be specific of small adjustments.
Avoid "only" trying to address your negative actions ("Stop thinking about shopping, work, anxieties, etc")
Include positive actions ("Instead of scrolling my phone at lunch or in the bathroom, I'm going to take 5 minutes to be present and aware of my mindset of what is "defining" me today. Giving Christ space to speak & affirm my identity apart from my actions")
Consider saving a picture of the cross as your phone/computer’s background to let its symbol interrupt your day.
If the Holy Spirit has led you to take action from the passage, live it out faithfully this week.