By Bob Kim, InterHigh Mentor, Sophomore @ UC Berkeley

Paul completely destroys any legalistic notion that Christian living is guided by commandments alone, by some all-important list of do’s and don’t's. The Corinthians’ defense for many of their actions was that the Bible didn’t explicitly prohibit, or in some cases, even condoned, their behavior. In the same way, people today will rationalize and justify their actions by saying that the Bible does not speak against them. Smoking, crude joking, over-socializing with the opposite gender, enjoyment of questionable media, focusing on material goods and physical looks, dedicating massive amounts of time to other hobbies, and so much more are justified in such a manner. Drinking is even justified by the fact that Jesus told us to drink of the cup in remembrance of Him, that He turned water into wine, and so, as long as one doesn’t become intoxicated, it is fine. But Paul’s response to this is that although these things are “permissible”, they are not beneficial or constructive, and that they show a lack of true freedom, being mastered by the need to gratify these personal desires. We are told to flee any and all evil desires, not stand close by them because it is permissible. We are told to do steward our gifts and talents, including our body, referred to as the temple of God, well. We are told to do things that lead to mutual growth and edification. That means that we are to act in a way that will cause others to grow closer to God. Just because we can currently handle certain things, such as money or movies or even in some cases, intimate interaction with the opposite gender, without sinning, this doesn’t mean that we will always be able to or that others are able to as well. What we do represents Christianity to non-believers and believers alike, so all that we do should show what Christ is truly like in hopes of bringing others to salvation and sanctification. We’ve all heard the phrase WWJD (what would Jesus do?), but the more appropriate question is WDJD (what DID Jesus do?). He, although He had every single right and ability to keep Himself from death on the cross, and was not obligated in any way to do so, denied Himself this right and gave it up that we may draw nearer to Him. I hope that all of my actions can emulate what Christ did and that I will be able to gladly sacrifice anything, even my life, if it can do for others even just a fraction of what Christ did for me.

By Tiffany Chan, InterHigh Mentor, Senior @ UC Berkeley

What would Apostle Paul’s life have looked like given that he tried to “please everybody in every way”-Jews, Greeks, and the church of God? How does his lifestyle compare with the modern day call to be true to my desires, and to seek personal happiness through seeking to please myself?

Apostle Paul must have lived a humble life in order to “please everybody in every way”. Even though he had his freedoms, he purposely limited himself so that he could relate to the Jew, the Greek and the church of God. His life was one that was stripped of worldly wealth, status, and achievements which shows that to be able to please everybody in every way he sought to become that empty vessel that God could work through and use. His lifestyle does not make sense compared with what the modern world calls us to do and pursue. It’s practical and assumed that we are called to be true to our own desires and to seek our own happiness. Even though my mind agrees with wanting to limit my freedoms in life so that God can use me, during times of stress with school and thinking of what to do after college, I find myself thinking about how much more easier it’d be if I just sought to seek my own personal happiness. For instance, I could easily just mind my own business and study to my heart’s content when I’m stressed and I definitely have the freedom to do so, but what do I do when there’s a pile of dishes in the sink and my roommate is washing them by herself? To please myself I would just ignore the dishes and continue studying, but to “please everybody in every way” just as Apostle Paul had done, I would need to keep humility in mind and putting the needs of others before my own. It’s not as if my roommate does not have things of her own to take care of and so to live as Apostle Paul lived his life, I would not answer to my own desires so easily and instead take those 15 minutes to help her. Apostle Paul’s life was simply lived in humility and so when I find myself wanting to give into my anxieties and the call to seek my own happiness, I need to remind myself of the commitment that I made to allow God to humble me and ingrain His word in my heart during times of weakness.