Recently
the discussions on Christian blogs and on Christian News sites have been
flooded with discussions and reports about homosexuality and the Church, some
good and some not so good. Some use Scripture while some are using natural
human reasoning. In all of this I have not read one citation of what the
Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5 concerning sexual immorality and how the
church should respond. I am sure someone in the body of Christ has addressed it
but I have not seen it. In 1 Corinthians 5 and in comparative passages of the
gospels we have a step by step Biblical process of dealing with all forms of
sexuality immorality including homosexuality and other grievous offences that
Scripture demands the church must deal with if they want to remain a
spiritually healthy body.
In
our ignorant contemporary church culture one of the prominent worst sins we can
commit is "judging" people to the point that when grievous offences
are brought to light, ignorant Christians will say, “Jesus said, we’re not supposed
to judge!’ . But what does the Bible say? Yes, Jesus came down hard on
believers who see "specs" in their fellow believer's eyes, but do not
see the railroad blank in their own eyes. Scripture though is very clear that
there is a big difference between nit picking specs in fellow believers and
grievous sins in the local community of believers. 1 Corinthians 5 gives us
some the Biblical guidelines.
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is reported
commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so
much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1. “It is reported commonly that there is
fornication among you…”
a. fornication [4202 * porneia]
[Zodhiates: Fornication, lewdness,
sexual sin of any kind.
b. Amplified Bible: “It is actually reported
that there is sexual immorality among you…”
c. commonly [3654 * holos] [Zodhiates:
Wholly, altogether.
d. This sin was common knowledge within the
church. Everybody knew it.
2. “…and such
fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have
his father’s wife.”
a.
Under
the Old Covenant this sin would have demanded the death penalty for both the
man and the woman.
1). Leviticus 20:11”And the man that lieth
with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them
shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
b.
Here
we will see some of the stark differences between the Old Covenant and the New
Covenant.
c.
There
was an incident in Genesis where this also happened when Rueben slept with one
of one of the mothers of his half brothers.
1). Genesis 35:22 And
it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with
Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were
twelve:
d. This was of course
before the Law was given and Rueben was not put to death, but he and his
descendant’s did reap the fruit. Rueben, and the tribe as a whole would not
excel.
1).
Genesis 49:1-4 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves
together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gather
yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your
father.
Reuben,
thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the
excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Unstable
as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed;
then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
e. There are reports
all over the internet of incidences of incest and other forms of sexual
immorality, but in this study we are dealing with the church exclusively and
not what happens outside of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:2
And you
are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed
might be taken away from among you.
1. “And
you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned…”
a. Amplified Bible:
“And you are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn, bow in sorrow
and in shame…”
b. NIV: “And you are
proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief…”
c. There is no mention
of putting to death in this part of the verse, the only thing Paul mentions
that should be present in these circumstances is grief on the part of the
congregation. In the next section of the verse he does give them instruction
about what they should do. This is a monumental shift in dealing with sin in
the community of believers. As we saw previously in Leviticus, under the Old
Covenant this individual and the woman (1 Corinthians 5:1) would have been put
to death, but under the New Covenant a different path is taken.
2.
“…that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”
a. taken away [1808 *
exairo] [Zodhiates: to take up out of any place, to lift up from, remove, to
expel or excommunicate.]
b. [Amplified Bible]
“…until the person who has done this shameful thing is removed from your
fellowship and your midst!”
c. [NIV] “…and have
put out of your fellowship the man who did this?”
d. Paul demands that
this person be removed from the fellowship, but not stoned. There are other
measures that are included in the excommunication that will be discussed later
in the chapter.
1 Corinthians
5:3
For I
verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as
though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed.
1. “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in
spirit,..”
a.
I
have always heard this phrase used in a very common usage in the sense of, I
won’t be there physically but my heart and feelings are with you. I am with you
in spirit, but I don’t think that is what is meant here. The Scriptural example that I believe
resembles what Paul was referring to here is what happened to Ezekiel while he
was in exile in Babylon. Ezekiel had an
out of body experience and was taken to Jerusalem by the Spirit of God, yet his
physical body stayed in Babylon. The experience actually begins in chapter 8,
but it concludes in 11.
1). Ezekiel 11:1-25 Moreover
the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house,
which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men;
among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah,
princes of the people.
Then said he unto me,
Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in
this city:
Which say, It is not
near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Therefore prophesy
against them, prophesy, O son of man.
And the Spirit of the
LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye
said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every
one of them.
Ye have multiplied
your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
Therefore thus saith
the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh,
and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of
it.
Ye have feared the
sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
And I will bring you
out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will
execute judgments among you.
Ye shall fall by the
sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am
the LORD.
This city shall not be
your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will
judge you in the border of Israel:
And ye shall know that
I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my
judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about
you.
And it came to pass,
when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon
my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a
full end of the remnant of Israel?
Again the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying,
Son of man, thy
brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of
Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get
you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
Therefore say, Thus
saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and
although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a
little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Therefore say, Thus
saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you
out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land
of Israel.
And they shall come
thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the
abominations thereof from thence.
And I will give them
one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony
heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in
my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my
people, and I will be their God.
But as for them whose
heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their
abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord
GOD.
Then did the cherubims
lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of
Israel was over them above.
And the glory of the
LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is
on the east side of the city.
Afterwards the spirit
took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to
them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Then I spake unto them
of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.
2). Getting back to
the passage in 1 Corinthians 5:3 and in light of the passage in Ezekiel, I
personally believe that Paul was transported in the Spirit to Corinth by the
Spirit of God in order for him to get God’s perspective with this problem.
b.
There are Scriptural instances of saints being
translated over large distances in their physical bodies by the Spirit of God.
1). Elijah: 2 Kings
2:1-18 And
it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind,
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
And Elijah said unto
Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And
Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not
leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
And the sons of the
prophets that [were] at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest
thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said,
Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
And Elijah said unto
him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And
he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So
they came to Jericho.
And the sons of the
prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou
that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered,
Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
And Elijah said unto
him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he
said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And
they two went on.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went,
and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
And Elijah took his
mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided
hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
And it came to pass,
when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for
thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a
double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said, Thou hast
asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it
shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came to pass,
as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of
fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven.
And Elisha saw it, and
he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen
thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent
them in two pieces.
He took up also the
mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of
Jordan;
And he took the mantle
of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD
God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and
thither: and Elisha went over.
And when the sons of
the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of
Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to
the ground before him.
And they said unto him,
Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray
thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken
him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye
shall not send.
And when they urged
him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they
sought three days, but found him not.
And when they came
again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say
unto you, Go not?
2). Phillip: Acts
8:39, 40. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing.
But Philip was found
at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to
Caesarea.
b. When the Apostle
Paul was caught up to heaven he did not know if he was in his physical body or
out of it.
1). 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 “I knew a man in
Christ Above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body or whether out of the
body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And
I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God
knoweth;)How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which is not lawful for a man to utter.”
c. John was physically
in the Isle of Patmos, but in his
spirit he was given a vision that is the book of Revelation.
1). “I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle
that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus
Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard Behind me a great
voice, as of a trumpet…”
d. What is meant then by “absent in body, present
in spirit” is he was having an out of body experience by the Spirit of God. His
spirit left his body and went in the Spirit to Corinth, while his body
physically stayed where it was.
2. “…have judged
already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed.”
a. judged [2919 * krino] [Zodhiates: To
separate,distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out
the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to from or give an opinion after
separating and considering the particulars of a case.
b.
After considering the particulars of this case the Apostle Paul
discriminated between the good and evil and came to a judgment. The judgment is
of course mentioned in the next few verses. But some may say, “Didn’t Jesus say
in Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.? Yes he did, and it is the
same Greek word, but what Jesus was referring to and what Paul was dealing with
are two different things. Jesus was referring to judging a brother or sister
who has a spec in their eye. He is talking about knit picking, and he condemned
it. There is a big difference between a spec in my brother’s eye and my brother
sleeping with his father’s wife. Later in this study we will show how Jesus
spoke on church discipline that deals with more serious matters than a spec in
my brother’s eye.
c. What we see here in
1 Corinthians 5 is a standard guide, a Scriptural example on how to deal with
all sexual immorality including homosexuality in the Body of Christ. I also
believe it can be a standard for dealing with individuals and groups within the
Body of Christ who are pro-abortion in their philosophy.
1 Corinthians 5:4
In the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit,
with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
a.
Paul
begins his authorative direction by saying basically, “You need to gather
together in the name and in power and authority of Jesus Christ.” Paul says he
will be there in spirit.
b.
The
reason the woman is not mentioned is perhaps because she is not a member of the
church of Corinth. Other than that I don’t know of any other reason.
1 Corinthians
5:5
To
deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1. “To
deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh…”
a. deliver [3860 * paradidomi; para-to the side of; didomi-to
give]. [Zodhiates: To deliver over or up to the power of someone…for trial or
condemnation, Mark 15:1; to soldiers, Matthew 18:34; of persons, Delivered over
to suffer something, Romans 1:24, 26, 28;] [Thayer: The phrase seems to have originated
from the Jewish formulas of excommunication because a person banished from the
theocratic assembly was regarded as deprived of the protection of God and delivered
up to the power of the devil.]
b.
destruction [3639 * olethros]
[Zodhiates: Ruin,destruction.]
c.
This
phrase is used only one other time by Paul, 1 Timothy 1:20.
1). 1 Timothy 1:20 “Of
whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander;
whom I have delivered unto
Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
2). Part of my theory on this verse is that both of these
men, because they are mentioned in other places in Scripture in very bad light
were the leaders in their particular heresy, and they are mentioned together
here to convey that they both were “delivered over to Satan”, however for
different reasons.
3). Dake: “The purpose
of delivering him to Satan was to destroy the flesh. This required members to
withdraw all fellowship and spiritual influence from him, and to quit praying
for him, so as to permit Satan to afflict his body thus perhaps bringing him to
repentance, that his spirit might be saved in the end…This destruction did not kill
the man. What ever it was, it was capable of bringing
him to repentance.”
4). Unger’s Bible
Dictionary: “The formula of delivering or
handing over to Satan, admits of difference of interpretation. Some
interpret it as being merely a symbol of excommunication, which involves
“exclusion from all Christian fellowship and consequently banishment to the
society from which the offender had publicly severed himself” (Dr. David
Brown). This “handing over to Satan was an apostolic act, a supernatural infliction
of bodily infirmity, or disease, or death, as a penalty for grievious sin. It
is scarcely doubtful that St. Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan,
in order that Satan might have power to afflict their bodies, with a view to
their spiritual amelioration” (Dr. Alfred Plummer).
5). There is no doubt
in my mind that this was an apostolic act, but I believe it can be a local
congregational act as well.
What must be kept in mind is that this action was taken with repentance as the goal.
d.
Steps
of Excommunication from Jesus.
1). Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if thy brother
shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him
alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word
may be established.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as
an heathen man and a publican.
e.
Jesus
said that whatever decision is come to in a righteous manner will be backed up
by the throne of God.
1). Matthew 18:18-20
“Verily I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto
you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”
f.
The
added revelation of the handing over to Satan was given to Paul by God.
1). The end result was
to be repentance, which was accomplished
as related in 2 Corinthians 2:4- 8 and 2 Corinthians 7:8-11.
g. In summary it
appears the action of excommunication was 2 fold. First the congregation booted
the individual out of the local body physically and spiritually the person was
turned over to Satan.
1 Corinthians 5:6
Your
glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump?
1.“Your
glorying is not good…”
a.
glorying
[2745 * kauchema] [Zodhaites: A
boast.]
b.
For
a long time I was stumped by this phrase and how Paul used it in the context of
sexual immorality. How could this church “glory” or boast in this circumstance
of a church member sleeping with his step mother? It is necessary to note that it is common
among individuals who are clearly violating God’s word to thank God or believe
God is the source of their disobedience, that He would actually inspire and
encourage someone to break his commandments. Such individuals are deceived. Perhaps
the church at Corinth was responding to its problem of incest similar to how many
contemporary churches and Christians are responding to the sin of homosexuality.
1). Carrie Underwood Advocates for Gay Marriage,
Christian Post, 6/11/12, by Emma Koonse. http://www.christianpost.com/news/carrie-underwood-advocates-for-gay-marriage-causing-controversy-76475/
Country music star
Carrie Underwood has spoken up about her support of same-sex marriage in a
recent interview.
As June marks Gay Pride month, several
celebrities are voicing their beliefs. Traditionally conservative, Underwood
surprised many with her support for same-sex unions. The singer explained that
her standpoint on the controversial issue came about following her own
marriage.
"As a married person myself, I don't
know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to
marry," the 28-year-old Oklahoma native told The Independent. "I
can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the
right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."
Underwood emphasized that her church's belief
in gay marriage influenced her significantly.
"Our church is gay friendly," the
2005 "American Idol" winner said, revealing that hers is one of many
churches that adopt the divisive stance.
Although she was raised in a Baptist church,
Underwood and her husband, hockey player Mike Fisher, attend a
nondenominational congregation that has an unconventional understanding of
God's word. She feels that the most important tenet of Christianity is love.
"Above all, God wanted us to love others," she
told the newspaper. "It's not about setting rules, or [saying] 'everyone
has to be like me,' No. We're all different. That's what makes us special. We
have to love each other and get on with each other. It's not up to me to judge
anybody."
c. Your glorying is not good. Churches and
Christians who exhibit this kind of reasoning are focusing on one aspect of God’s
word, His love and His command that we love to the ignoring Covenant discipline
and purity.
2.
“…Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
a. Matthew 13:33 “Another parable spake he
unto them; The kingdom of heaven is
like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till
the whole was leavened.”
b. Leaven used as a symbol was never good,
especially in the context of Passover, as is used here in 1 Corinthians 5. Here
Paul is using it as symbolic of sin in the congregation. During Passover,
Israel was not to eat any leavened bread.
1). Exodus 12:15
“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened
bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for
whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that
soul shall be cut off from Israel.
2). Exodus 12:18-20
“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat
unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
Seven days shall there
be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened,
even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be
a stranger, or born in the land.
Ye shall eat nothing
leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
c. The Apostle Paul was warning them to
address this issue, they had no choice if they wanted to remain faithful to
God. There were a lot of faithful believers in Corinth, and if they did not
address this sin, it would corrupt the whole church. Likewise it is with us, as
a local body and as individuals, we must deal with sin in our lives or it will
corrupt us.
1 Corinthians
5:7
Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
1.”Purge
out therefore the old leaven…”
a.
purge
[1571 * ekkathairo; ek-out; kathairo-to purge.] [Zodhiates: To purge out thoroughly, meaning to
cleanse thoroughly.]
b.
Leaven
in Biblical typology is sin and so also is defined that way in verses 6-8. Just
as it is our personal responsibility to get sin out of our lives by the power
of God, it is a congregation’s responsibility to get sin out of the local
congregation. In this case to excommunicate the fornicator, and turn him over
to Satan. God will not do it for us, but we can’t do it on our own. We can only
do it by his strength and grace.
1). 2 Corinthians 7:1
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filtiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2). Hebrews 10:22 “Let
us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
3). Psalm 119:9
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto
according to thy word.”
2.
“…that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us:”
a.
NIV:
“Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you
really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.”
b.
Amplified
Bible: “Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough,
still uncontaminated (as ye are), for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been
sacrificed.”
c.
Paul
was differing between the individual who had sinned with his father’s wife and
the rest of the congregation who had not. Yet he was warning them that if they
failed to get the leaven out of the congregation, the whole congregation would
be defiled.
3.
“…For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
a.
Hebrew
10:1 “For the law having a shadow of Good things to come…”
b.
Colossians
2:16, 17 “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of
a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of
Christ.”
c.
The
feasts of the LORD are all types and foreshadows of Christ and the New
Covenant. Jesus was crucified on Passover. The outpouring of the Holy Ghost
occurred on the day of Pentecost, or the Feast of First Fruits and so on.
1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1.
“Therefore let us keep the feast…”
a. keep the feast[1858
* heortazo] [Zodhiates: To keep a
festival, celebrate a holiday.]
c.
I
do not believe Paul is telling the Corinthians to literally keep the Feast of
Passover, but to celebrate our Passover in Christ by living unleavened lives.
The rest of the verse I believe confirms that.
d.
I
do believe though, that in the Millennial reign of Christ, many of the Feasts
will be reinstituted, but for now in the New Covenant they are done away. Can a
Messianic Christian or any Christian celebrate them now, during this
dispensation? of course, but only on a volunteer basis.
1). Romans 14:1-6 “Him
that is weak in thefaith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one
believeth that he may eat all things: another who is weak, eateth herbs.Let not
him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not
judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Who art thou that
judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea,
he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
One man esteemeth one
day above another:
another esteemeth
every day alike. Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind.
he that regardeth the
day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord
he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God
thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
2). Colossians 2:16 “Let no man
therefore judge
you in meat, or in
drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath
days:”
2. “…not
with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
a.
Here
the leaven is clearly metaphorical therefore the keeping of the feast is also.
If that is true, is it wrong to celebrate Jewish feasts? Certainly not. My
family and I have gone to Dayton Ohio more than a few times and celebrated the
Feast of Tabernacles with Messianic Jewish Christians. It is not wrong as long
I know I am not adding to what Jesus did and I know it is purely voluntary for
me and everyone else.
1 Corinthians 5:9
I wrote
unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1.”I
wrote unto you in an epistle…”
a.
Amplified
Bible: “I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate (closely and
habitually) with unchaste (impure people);
b.
Note
from the NIV: “Paul here clarifies a previous letter (not one preserved).”
2. “…not
to company with fornicators:”
a.
company
[4874 * sunanamignumi; sun-together or with; ana-on, upon; mignumi-to mix;] [Zodhiates: To mix together, mingle together, have
fellowship or keep company.]
b. 1 Corinthians 15:33
[NIV] “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”
1 Corinthians 5:10
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or
with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs
go out of the earth.
a.
Amplified
Bible: “Not [meaning of course that you must altogether shun] the immoral
people of this world or the greedy graspers and cheats and thieves or
idolaters, since otherwise you would need to get out of the world and human
society altogether!”
b.
We
can’t shut ourselves away completely from the world because we would not be
effective for Christ. We are just to separate ourselves from unholy situations
with unholy people.
1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if
any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one, no, not to
eat.”
1.”But
now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a
brother…”
a. keep company [4874
* sunanamignumi] [Zodhiates: See above in verse 9.]
b.
He
then gives a list of six offences that would
Require us to separate
ourselves from a brother ore sister in the Lord.
2. “…be
a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an
extortioner; with such a one, no not to eat.”
a.
fornicator
[4205 * pornos] [Zodhiates: A
Whoremonger or male
prostitute. In the NT a fornicator. The word also has the meaning of an impure
or unclean person of whatever kind.]
b.
covetous
[4123 * pleonektes] [Zodhiates: One
who wants more, a
person covetous of something that others have, a defrauder for gain.
c.
idolater
[1496 * eidolotres; eideolon-idol; latris-a servant, worshipper.] [Zodhiates: Idolater, a servant or
worshipper of idols.]
d.
railer
[3060 * loidoros] [Zodhiates: A
railer,
a reviler.]
e.
drunkard
[3183 * methusos] [Zodhiates:
drunkard.]
f.
extortioner
[727 * harpax] [Zodhiates: Rapacious
person or animal, as wolves.]
g.
In
the very next chapter, actually eleven verses a head, Paul gives another list
of offences and again says the individuals guilty of these will not inherit the
Kingdom of God. The good news is he goes on to say that some of the Corinthians
in their church used to be these people but they have been saved and delivered
from those behaviors.
1). 1 Corinthians
6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God/
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.
And such were some of
you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
h.
An
interesting element in all of this is
the
fornicator (1
Corinthians 10:8; Numbers 25:1, 9), and the idolater were punishable by death
under the old covenant (Deuteronomy 17:2-5), as was the individual who was
sleeping with his step mother (Leviticus 20:11). Yet under the New Covenant
there is no death penalty issued. Granted, when all the ingredients of
excommunication are added up, the sum is quite terrifying, and could result in
death. The individual is spared immediate death, and the prayer is while the
person is experiencing all the aspects of excommunication, removal from the body,
denial of fellowship and being turned over to Satan, the individual will repent
and full fellowship will be reinstated, as was in the case Paul was referring
to in 1 Corinthians 5.
1 Corinthians 5:12
For what have I to do to judge them also that are
without? Do not ye judge them that are within?
1.”For what have I to do to judge them also that are
without…”
a. This was a formal
authoritive spiritual exercise
that was given to the
Church by Christ for the health and purity of the church. It was not to be
carried out on those outside the church. Just those in the church.
2. “Do not ye judge them that are within?”
a.
It
is within the church’s sphere of authority tojudge them that are within the
local body. 1 Corinthians 6 lays that out very plainly. It is as if the Apostle
Paul is saying this is a no brainer!
1). 1 Corinthians
6:2-5 “Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world? and if the world
shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we
shall judge angels? how
much more things that
pertain to this life?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining
to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
I speak to your shame.
Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able
to judge between his brethren?”
1 Corinthians
5:13
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away
from among yourselves that wicked person.
a.
While
it is within the church’s sphere of authority to judge them that are in that
local body, those who are outside are judged by God. It is not within our
sphere of authority to judge them outside the church, Scripture clearly says
that is God’s authority. Within the church God has given the church the
authority to judge and to remove immorality and rebellion from the church. This
is why it is vital that the church exercise it’s authority and remove the
leaven in order that the church may be a pure and healthy body. Churches that
allow sexually immoral persons, including adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals
to participate in the services other than repenting or getting born again are
not healthy churches
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