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Dumas
I was probably 12 when I first read Alexandre Dumas’ amazing tale of The Three Musketeers. Likely, many recognized the great cry of the (actually 4) musketeers in our series title for the first part of 1 Corinthians. As we close that study, it’s fun to trace the development of that phrase.
“One for all and all for one” originated in Latin as Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno. It was adopted by hearty Heugenot Christians fleeing persecution in France. As they settled in Switzerland, the obviously biblical idea caught on among the cantons – so much so that the phrase became the unofficial motto of Switzerland.* Dumas rendered it into French as “Un pour tous, tous pour un.” Loving both the fictional D’Artagnan and the real letter called first Corinthians, I cannot help but think of Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 1-11 as “One for all, and all for One.”
*Here’s the dome of the Swiss Federal Palace:
God bless,
Wayne