²⁸Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? ³⁰If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

Physical hardships would be enough to deter many people, but not the apostle Paul. Yet there is more that he suffers through in preaching the gospel. What he says next is the greater struggle, namely “the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” Paul loved the local gatherings of God’s people. Everywhere he went, when he preached the gospel and people came to Christ he gathered them into groups to form the new communities of the redeemed. These are called churches, and they come in all sizes and compositions. Of course, in Paul’s time there were Christians from Hebrew-Jewish backgrounds, Greek-Jewish backgrounds and of course, Gentiles (non-Jews). In today’s terms, local churches around the world are composed of every nation and ethnicity, religious and nonreligious backgrounds. There are young and old, male and female. Educated and not, wealthy and poor. If Paul were alive today, he would love them all.

This is quite interesting in light of our denominationally divided Christian groups that abound. Even independent, so-called non-denominational churches easily transform into sects or mini-denominations. Mega-churches are enclaves to themselves. Yet Paul would love and be burdened for them all. We would do well to imitate Paul in this regard. When Christians are weak, we should empathize with them and do what we can to help them in their weakness, even if they are not part of our own particular church or denomination (or non-denomination). We ought to grieve when people fall into sin, not pass pharisaical judgment (so easy to do with people of other denominational groups).

Yes, Paul carried the weight of the churches on his shoulders. This is a poignant lesson for us today. It is in vogue to criticize the church, and quite easy to do so. The Corinthians were champions of judgmentalism and separation from those over whom they felt superior. Yes, churches today can be just as carnal, petty, and divisive as the church in Corinth. But Paul would not abandon them or any other church in his affections. Nor should we abandon our own local fellowship because we feel morally or spiritually superior to them. That, unfortunately, would be the Corinthian thing to do. Let us commit to loving the members of our local church, with all their foibles, shortcomings, failings, and quirks. And let us bear the pressure of our concern for them.

Lord, help me not to be a burden to others by my failings and judgmentalism.