The apostle of the Gentiles founded the Church of Corinth on his second missionary journey and there he successfully preached the word of God, the book of acts tells us about this: "So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God" Acts 18:11.
But after his departure, divisions began in that community. That is why one of the reasons for his first letter was to teach about the spiritual mission of the apostolate, because the divisions have their origin in the inclination of man towards worldly values: "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, ´I follow Paul,´ and another, ´I follow Apollos,´ are you not mere human beings?" 1 Corinthians 3:3-4.
Paul explained to us that we cannot bear witness to Christ if we practice favoritism and want to always be in the first places, humility is one of the most important values of the Christian faith. It seems like a contradiction, but the Kingdom of God, because it is sovereign, is at the same time a servant. It is sovereign because it is the empire, the domain of the perfections of God among men: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" Matthew 5:48. But it is also servant, because our neighbor matters and because spiritual gifts are life: "I am the way and the truth and the life" John 14:6.
Teaching the word of God means first of all listening and correcting with mercy, placing ourselves in the last place to support those most in need, and thus becoming the true apostles of the kingdom, as Paul explained in the epistle:
"For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!" 1 Corinthians 4:9-10.
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