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INTRODUCTION
. .One of the most popular spots in Corinth was the temple
of Aphrodite, the goddess of sensual love. There the
- services were especially designed to attract the sailor on
leave, the businessman wanting relaxation, and the
vacationer out for a lark. Worship was thoroughly blended
with pleasure. For a fee a person so inclined could
participate in the temple sacrifice with a sumptuous feast
and entertainment. Then he could spend the rest of the
night with one or more of the thousand priestesses who
served in the temple for the pleasure of the worship
pers.
LESSON BACKGROUND
Christian standards of sexual morality were alien to the
citizens of Aphrodite’s town. It was not easy to teach those
high standards to Christians who had just come from
paganism. Paul was teaching in Ephesus, just across the
Aegean Sean east of Corinth, when he heard of one case of
immorality among the Christians - such immorality as
was not approved even by the permissive pagans: “that
one should have his father’s wife.”
Our printed text broadens the thought to include other
wrongdoers as well as those who defraud, and finally
zeroes in again on sexual immorality.
THE LESSON
“Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s
Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral
or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual
perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or
who slander others or are thieves - none of these will
possess God’s Kingdom. Some of you were like that. But
you have been punned from sin; you have been dedicated
to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Some will say, ‘I am
allowed to do anything. ’ Yes; but not everything is good for
you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am
not going to let anything make me its slave.’ Someone else
will say, ‘Food is for tbe stomach, and the stomach is for
food.’ Yes; but God will put an end to both. The body is not
to be used for sexual immorality, but to serve the Lord;
and the Lord provides for the body. God raised the Lord
from death, and He will raise us by His power,” (1
Corinthians 6:9-14).
How bad can a church member be without losing his
membership? Quarrelsome Christians in the Church at
Corinth were immature and carnal, but Paul did not
suggest putting them out. Those who filed lawsuits with
fellow Christians were not expelled. The man who was
having an affair with his father’s wife, however, had to go.
The quarrelers were not expelled, but they were told to
. stop quarreling. Probably the adulterer could have
remained in the church, too, if he had been willing to end
this illicit affair. In fact, it seems that he did end it after he
was expelled, and then Paul said the church should forgive
and comfort him.
Jesus said the Kingdom is like a net that gathers
worthless fish along with goon ones. This is a picture of the
church as it is now. There is no way to separate and cast
out. But at the end of the world the angels will make the
separation, (Matthew 13:47-50). The unrighteous shall not
inherit the Kingdom of God in eternity, even though they
now are enrolled as members of the church.
Be not deceived. Deceivers are at work in our country
just as they were in ancient Corinth. Not many defend
thieves and extortioners except in unusual circumstances,
but there are many who deny.the sinfulness of sexual sins!
Between consenting adults, we are told, sexual activity is
permissable and perhaps commendable, whether they are
married or not. Homosexuality is being pictured as a
perfectly natural “sexual preference.” That is not what
the Billie calls it. Paul lists ten kinds of offenders who will
not inherit the Kingdom of God, and four of the ten are
involved in sexual sins. Fornicators are all those who
engage in sexual relations outside the bond of marriage.
Fornication by or with a married person is adultery, and
those who commit it are adulterers. The Greek word for
effeminate originally means soft. It describes the “female
impersonators” engaged in male homosexuality. Abusers
of themselves with mankind is a general term for male
homosexuals. Paul makes no excuse or apology for any of
these. He simply says they will not inherit the Kingdom of
God. If we think otherwise, we are deceived. Of the six
kinds of sinners not involved in sexual sins, three are too
eager for material riches. They are the thieves, the
covetous, and the extortioners. Most of the deceivers do
not defend drunkards, but many do defend drinkers, and
drinkers are what drunkards are made of. And perhaps We
Christians should think a little about revilers. To revile
means to Use abusive language or to rail; and rail means
to revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive lan
guage. Some ardent Christians seem to think that reviling
is right when it is directed against something that is
wrong, but Jude remarks that Michael the archangel
would notmse it even against the devil himself, (Jude 9).
We do not often see the world sanctified. It sounds too
much like sanctimonious, which means hypocritically
pious. Indeed, some people do use sanctified to describe
Christians who claim to be so good that they cannot
possibly do anything wrong. In the Bible, sanctified has no
such meaning. U means set apart or dedicated. That is
what all real Christians are: dedicated to Christ, set apart
as His people. So Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth as
"them that are sanctified," (1 Corinthians 1:2).
Perhaps we never worshipped a graven image, but
remember that covetousness also is idolatry. And, of
course, we do not have any revilers among us - only
gossips. Are they innocent? Let’s watch ourselves.
Father of truth, help us to be what You want 1* to be, in
Jesus name. Amen.
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Self-Help Credit Union
Will Open Office Here
By Audrey C. Lodato
Poet Staff Writer
The Self-Help Credit Union, a
branch of the Center for Communi
ty Self-Help based in Durham, is in
the process of opening in Charlotte.
The credit union is federally in
sured, pays competitive rates, and
makes loans for employee-owned
businesses and low-income hous
ing.
Begun in Durham in December,x
1983, the credit union is a response to
the serious obstacle facing many low
and moderate income people, name
ly, obtaining adequate financing for
economic development ventures.
Until recently, the Center for
Community Self-Help and the Self
Help Credit Union (SHCU) have
focused efforts in the eastern part of
the state. The expansion to the
Charlotte area was made in recog
nition of the need here and fn parts
west.
June Blotnick, Charlotte repre
sentative for the credit union, has
been working hard on developing a
base of support in this area. Her
initial focus has been on attracting
individuals able to make deposits of
$5,000 or more. So far, she’s ob
tained commitments for $110,000.
The goal is to have $5 million in
deposits for the Charlotte branch to
become fully operational.
According to Blotnick, an advisory
board chaired by Sandy Welton of
LEAD Associates is helping secure
deposits. Others on the board in
clude Paul Leonard, president of
John Crosland, and Bob Goodale,
Harris-Teeter president.
Bill Bynum of the center’s Dur
ham office points out that the credit
union has a lot of Church sup
Bill Bynum and June Blotnick
.SHCU representatives
port. "The nature ot our work is
something church folk are geared
toward, and we actively seek their
support.” In fact, adds Blotnick, it
was church support and desire to
help financially that stimulated the
establishment of the credit union.
The Self-Help Credit Union is ideal
for depositors who are concerned
about how their money is being used
by financial institutions. "Your
money is safe and earning divi
dends while it supports efforts to
create democratic worker-owned
businesses and foster local economic
development.” states the credit
union's brochure.
As Bynum explains it. worker
owned businesses can come about in
several ways. A plant may close,
and workers believe there’s still a
market for the product they make;
an already successful business may
convert to worker-ownership; or a
group of people with an idea may
desire to start a business. Unlike
some dramatic buyouts of large
companies that have occurred in the
CCC Schedules Team-Building Seminar
The Charlotte Chamber of Com
merce is sponsoring a seminar on
"Team-Building” at the Guest
Quarters Hotel on October 25. This
seminar provides a valuable and
insightful presentation on the needs
for and benefits of developing a
"team” approach to management
within your company.
The program will include dis
cussions on assessing the needs for
team-building, such as better com
munications and a more effective
workforce; how to establish teams
within your organizations; and a
series of group exercises designed to
demonstrate how the "team” con
cept works.
The seminar will be led by Dr. Dan
Johnson of Organizational Con
sultants, Inc. Dr. Johnson is an
industrial psychologist who has
worked extensively in developing
“team" management programs for
large national organizations and nu
merous smaller firms.
The program is designed for
executives who wish to con
sider taking a direct approach to
organizing and strengthening work
ing teams within their companies,
and for managers who need to de
velop better cooperation and co
ordination among their work groups.
If you are interested in learning
more about the “team” approach to
management, you certainly will
want to attend this excellent se
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I Community Activities Schedule
. .Children’s Theatre of Charlotte - Performances are
scheduled October 18-20 and 25-27 of “Peter Pan,’’ the
classic story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up. Also for
children in grades K through fourth, performances of
» “Turkey in Trouble” a tale of a turkey at Thanks
i giving will be held Novemver 15-17. For ticket in
\ formation, call 333-8983.
i . .Little Theatre of Charlotte - “Wait Until Dark,” the
[ breathtaking tale of a terrorized blind girl who out
wits her attacker, to be performed November 7-10,14-16,
! and 21-23. Call 376-3777.
Golden Circle Theatre - Tickets are now on sale for
“To Grandmother’s House We Go,” a look at three
generations of Thanksgiving ideas performed Novem- !
ber 7-9, 15-17, 21-23 with a matinee on the 17th. For j
■ information or tickets, call 847-7309.
Family Outreach and Counseling Center - "We Are j
Family Week” will take place October 5-13 with a series
, of activities ranging from seminars and workshops to
a fashion extravaganza to “We Are Family” Day at I
i Freedom Park. For mord information on this week’s !
! events contact your church, community agency of the
Family Outreach and Counseling Service at 332-7037.
Mint Museum Antique Show - The 19th annual Mint
Museum Antique Show will be held at Park Center, 310
North Kings Drive, Friday through Sunday, October
11-13. Twenty-six exhibitors will offer antiques including
furniture, paintings, porcelain, jewelry, books and folk 1
art. For additional information, call the Mint Museum i
at 337-2000 or Park Center at 336-2462.
:. Charlotte Opera - Tickets are on sale for the beginning i
of the season October 3 with Carlisle Floyd’s “Willie
Stark” at 8 p.m. in Ovens Auditorium, “Man of La i
Mancha” follows soon on November 14 6c 16. For ticket
information, call Charlotte Opera 9 e.m. * 5 p.m. '
Monday through Friday at 372-SING.
..J.C. Smith University - The Communications Arts
Department will present “To Be Young, Gifted and
Black,“ a portrait of Lorraine Hans berry in her own
words October 10 -12 in Biddle Auditorium beginning at
, $1.99 for students. For informs
I at*7S-U77.
*>* I
minar on “Team-Building.” a
spokesman informed
For further information, or ad
vance reservations, please contact
Laurie Fagan, Local Business
Industry Division, Chamber of
Commerce, at 377-6911.
North, the North Carolina project
has been working primarily with
small groups of 10-20 workers.
In addition to financing such bu
sinesses in Charlotte and the west
ern part of the state, SHCU plans to
make loans for housing. Says
Bynum, "There's a real need for low
and moderate income housing. This
will be our first project in Char
lotte.”
Housing loans will be made for
mortgages, for housing coopera
tives, or to rehabilitate substandard
housing.
The credit union, he adds, is also
interested in buying mortgages.
Business loans are made primari
ly to lower income individuals, mi
norities. or women, and only to
employee-owned businesses How
ever. as with any credit union,
regular members can also borrow
And. naturally, the greater the
deposits, the greater SHCU’s abi
lity to make loans which will ul
timately benefit the community.
Notes Bynum, the Self-Help
Credit Union is a program which
appeals to both liberals and con
servatives, because it means jobs
for people "We attract as members
socially responsible individuals who
care where they money is being
used They receive the same bene
fits as at a bank with the added
social benefits ”
SHCU has recently arranged to
have the State Employees Credit
Union handle its transactions With
the addition of those 56 branches,
Bynum and Blotnick are confident
more people will take advantage of
becoming SHCU members In Char
lotte branch offices are located at
1130 E Third St. and at UNCC
Credit union membership is open
to any member of the Center for
Self-Help, which has a membership
fee of $15. SHCU offers regular
savings accounts, limited transac
tion money market account, and
IRAs.
For more information on the
Self-Help Credit Union, contact June
Blotnick at 568-1923.
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