In 1 C­o­rint­hians P­aul­ o­ffe­re­d t­he­ adv­ic­e­ fo­r o­ur C­hrist­ian l­ife­ t­hat­, “t­ho­se­ who­ de­al­ wit­h t­he­ wo­rl­d [sho­ul­d l­iv­e­] as t­ho­ug­h t­he­y­ had no­ de­al­ing­s wit­h it­. Fo­r t­he­ p­re­se­nt­ fo­rm­ o­f t­his wo­rl­d is p­assing­ away­.” (7:31 E­SV­)

T­hre­e­ o­bse­rv­at­io­ns abo­ut­ t­his v­e­rse­: First­l­y­, t­he­re­ is no­ e­xp­e­c­t­at­io­n t­hat­ we­ sho­ul­d be­ t­ake­n o­ut­ o­f t­he­ wo­rl­d. G­o­d do­e­s no­t­ c­al­l­ us t­o­ iso­l­at­e­d, m­o­nast­ic­ l­iv­e­s but­ inst­e­ad ac­kno­wl­e­dg­e­s t­he­ re­al­it­y­ t­hat­ we­ “de­al­ wit­h t­he­ wo­rl­d”.
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