Friday, February 20, 2009

Childish Things

Just wondering ...

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says, "When that which is perfect has come, that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

So was Paul saying it was good or bad to have put off the "childish things"? I always figured it was good to get all grown up and put away the childish things. But what about "no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he receive it like a little child"? Sometimes growing up makes us more rationalistic so that we chafe against faith.

1 comment:

  1. "So was Paul saying it was good or bad to have put off the 'childish things'?"

    Maybe it's neither? Maybe the analogy is not that of a child's faith v. an adult's faith but that of a child's body v. an adult's, with the growth of the body symbolizing the seeing in part v. seeing fully. Does that make any sense? The child's body is a little version of the man's--it hints at the future form but doesn't show it fully. The grown man's body is its fulfillment or perfection.

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