2 Corinthians 11:2-3

Good morning, y'all!
I'm so sorry for the really long silence (hopefully nobody else has been counting the days I've missed writing a Mornin' SunShine e-mail...). Things have been extraordinarily busy, even for us, but that's not really a good excuse. :P
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2 Corinthians 11:2-3
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The phrase in this passage that gripped my attention was "the simplicity that is in Christ". There is just something so sweet and refreshing about the way Paul states that, the reminder that our faith is, really, based on a sweet simplicity. Of course, with my love for words and their meanings, I had to look this one up, and that led to looking up some others in this passage, and I found some fascinating stuff.
First, "simplicity"--the Greek word here means "singleness, that is, sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking)", or as Thayer's puts it, "singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy; not self seeking, openness of heart". It's taken from a root word that means "simple, single; whole". So...Paul is seeking to keep the church from being corrupted from the wholeness, the sincerity, the freedom from pretence and self-seeking that is in Christ. Wow...that right there is a lot to think about!!

But wait--there's more! :) Seeing the word "singleness" in the definitions for "simplicity" drew my attention back to verse 2, where Paul is talking about betrothing the church to one husband (Christ) and desiring to present her (the church) as a chaste virgin. The phrase "one husband" is loaded without having to look up any words. It just doesn't get much simpler than the word "one"! We as believers are in a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the ONE to whom we should be faithful! We tend to get distracted, pulled in different directions, trying to split our allegiance between Christ and the things of this world, and we need to come back to this simple, foundational truth: we are committed to just One.
That also got me to looking at the "chaste virgin" part. The word here for "chaste" means, according to Strong's, "clean, that is, innocent, modest, perfect". Good stuff, but not really anything overly exciting. Thayer's definition, however, puts it in a different light..."exciting reverence, venerable, sacred; pure--pure from carnality, chaste, modest; pure from every fault, immaculate". And then the root Greek word here is hagios, which means "sacred (or consecrated)" or "a most holy thing". Something that is sacred or holy has been set apart for a special purpose, and it is worthy of reverence and honor. What blows me away is that Paul is using these words to describe the church. Us. Me. He is saying that, as part of the bride of Christ, I have been set apart as a precious, sacred thing worthy of honor and value--and therefore worthy of jealously guarding. To see myself in that light--the way Jesus sees me--makes me more eager to guard myself from sin, to strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Not so I can earn my salvation or brownie points or jewels in a heavenly crown, but as a reflection of what He has done for me and the value He has bestowed on me.

Father, thank You...what more can I say?! You are so good and so wonderful to me! Help me to live a life that is sacred, set apart for You, striving to please You alone in all that I do!

May the Lord bless you richly as you seek to live in the simplicty that is in Christ!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
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