by Terry Wane Benton

There were some at Corinth that did not like Paul for one excuse or another. Perhaps they did not like his appearance, his style of oratory, or skill in the same, but whatever was the excuse, they were not thinking correctly. There were carnal members who were not spiritually minded (I Corinthians 3:1f), and this was the problem. By cutting Paul from their friendship list or from their list of brothers they would include in their circle, they were "restricting" their own hearts from good things. Paul wrote the second letter to them and told them, "You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections" (II Corinthians 6:12). They were affectionate toward others, even toward false teachers, but made Paul an enemy for telling them the truth. Who knows how much richer they could have been inside had they not closed out Paul and others? They restricted themselves from a wonderful brother and friend who could have enriched them if they had only been more open.

Why do people form a circle that closes others out? What might we be missing if we opened our circles, opened our minds, opened our hearts, and gave a person a chance to share their faith, hope, and love with us? It is worth a lot of thought to consider whether we might be restricted from a special friendship because we have chosen to have affections for others based upon prejudice and unfair judgment that restricts us from some great spiritual opportunities with great spiritual people.