NOT WHAT THE FUNDS WERE FOR
This summer, Mike Hallum of Salt Lake City, Utah, retired from his job after working as an engineer for twenty-three years at the same firm. The next day, he received an email from a friend breaking the news that his entire retirement savings was gone. Hallum, his friend, and hundreds of others, had been deceived by a sophisticated scam involving several shell companies, all operated by the same person who paid existing investors with new investors’ money (a pyramid scheme). The Utah Division of Securities is investigating, but in the meantime, Hallum is back working part-time jobs and doesn’t know what the future holds.

NOT WHAT THE BODY IS FOR
Today’s reading has Paul confronting a faulty theological argument that led the believers in Corinth into error and sin. While food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, the body is not for seeking enjoyment without restraint. For the Christian, the body is for the Lord. Indeed, Paul says, believers’ bodies have become “members of Christ” in a mysterious way, and those baptized into Christ must treat their bodies accordingly.

Questions

• What’s the worst case of fraud you’ve ever heard of?
• How would you put the Corinthians’ false argument into your own words? What were they trying to say or do?
• What are examples of things we should do if our bodies are members of Christ’s body?