The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Corinth

  • No Common Ground

    “17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
    2 Corinthians 6:17-18

    Paul loved the church at Corinth and poured his heart and life into them as he taught them how to live faithfully, pleasing Christ. We found that Paul taught each Christian to be an ambassador for Christ, representing Him to the world (see 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Paul continued teaching the Corinthians by reminding them that it is an individual choice as to how to live. He challenged the Corinthian Christians by bringing further instruction on how to live a Christ-like life. 

    Christians must separate from things contrary to God. “14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).  

    • Righteousness means “the state commanded by God and standing the test of His judgment; God’s uprightness or standard to which man is expected to conform.” 
    • Unrighteousness means “lawlessness; the violation of God’s divinely instituted Law; sin; iniquity; although there may not be a specific law against depraved or lustful desires, they are still sin.”
    • Communion means “fellowship with; participation.”

    Paul began by encouraging each Believer to understand that they were to not fellowship with, or even participate with, those who live contrary to God’s Word (this includes friendships with, business partnerships with, or even marriage to, unsaved people). Christians must recognize that there is no common ground between them and the lost. Instead, see what Paul wrote they were to do. “17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Come out means “to depart from someone’s presence, the intimacy.” Touch not the unclean thing means “to have no dealings with the heathens (non-believers).” The message had not changed – for just as in the Old Testament God called for His people to separate from the nations around, God calls for Christians to separate from the lost world around. Did you notice the promises God gave?  “… and I will receive you, 18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters…” (2 Corinthians 6:17b-18). Father means “God as the creator, preserver, governor of all men and things, watching over them with paternal love and care.” Understand that Christians are the children of God. He is able to be a loving Father to us when we live right, but He must be a disciplining Father when we choose to live contrary to His Word (see Hebrews 12:5-8).  

    What is a Christian who lives here in this world to do? Cleanse and eliminate. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). First, understand the promise God gave: He will be a Father, the one who protects and watches over Believers with love and care. That should give any Christian the courage to choose to do what is right: “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” Cleanse means “to purify from the pollution and guilt of sin – in a spiritual sense.” Christians are to remember that once Jesus has entered into the heart, “filthiness of the flesh and spirit” must be eliminated. Filthiness means “anything that defiles (to make unclean or impure).” Any sin is unacceptable.       

    Christians must correct their lives. Paul understood this would be difficult (see 2 Corinthians 7:4).

    Is correction necessary? 

    Does correction often go unheeded? 

    Does anyone really like to be told they are doing something wrong?

    Paul had a difficult decision – allow sin to continue, or confront the problem and encourage the people to eliminate the sin that separates from a right Christian life. Paul had great confidence that the church at Corinth would receive this instruction, living a better life before God – as ambassadors representing Christ. He also understood their initial reaction would probably be anger, but once they understood and repented, they would be better Christians. “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11). Use the following definitions to help you understand this verse: 

    • Carefulness means “earnest effort; diligence.” 
    • Clearing of yourselves means “to give an answer or speech in defense of oneself.” 
    • Indignation means “to be under a great burden which results in indignation (holy displeasure in oneself for sin).”  
    • Fear means “reverence; respect; honor.” 
    • Vehement desire means “strong affection; to desire earnestly.”
    • Zeal means “used in a good sense means to be hot or fervent.” 
    • Revenge means “penal retribution or vengeance to the evildoer.” 
    • Approved means “to make known; declare; to show.” 
    • Clear means “innocent; blameless; pure.”
    • Matter means “the thing being done or to be done; matter; business.”  

    These things are what the Corinthian Christians achieved because they received and obeyed Paul’s instruction of how to live a Christ-like life. 

    Are you willing to obey God’s Word, putting away sin and the unclean thing, choosing instead to become Christ’s Ambassador?

  • Sanctified to a Christ-like Life

    “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.”
    1 Corinthians 6:11

    Many Christians today have not put forth much effort to grow in their Christian lives. They have remained immature, never taking the time to read or study God’s Word. When a Christian does not know what the Bible teaches, they cannot grow in their Christian walk with Christ.

    Paul understood the Christians at Corinth had not grown in Christ (they were still immature, not having learned how to live as a Christian); Paul dealt with their godless lifestyles. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Apparently, these Believers did not even understand that God’s Spirit lived within them. God would discipline any who did not take care of (i.e. live a life pleasing to God) their new life in Christ (see 1 Corinthians 3:17). The Believers (Christians) were to understand that they could no longer live according to the world’s ways. They were to live according to God’s ways. We can find these “ways” recorded in the Bible. Remember what we are to understand: “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (see 1 Corinthians 3:17-18). 

    Each person is accountable for his or her own life and the way he or she lives according to God’s Word. “1. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Believers (stewards) were above all, to be found faithful as “stewards of the mysteries of God.”  Steward means “one who manages a house and is accountable to the owner.” Faithful means “servants or ministers who are faithful in the performance of duty.” Paul not only taught them, but he was an example to them.

    After addressing a particular problem that had remained in the church at Corinth, Paul listed more things they were not to allow. “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 an one no not to eat” (1 Corinthians 5:11). Paul is teaching them things that would help them in their Christian walk. Use the following definitions to understand these verses: 

    • Keep company means “to mix together; to mingle together; to have fellowship or keep company with.”
    • Brother means “members of the same Christian community.”
    • Covetous means “one who wants more; a person covetous of something that others have; a defrauder for gain.”
    • Idolater means “a servant or worshiper of idols.”
    • Railer means “railing (clamoring with insulting language; uttering reproachful words); or reviling (treating with language of contempt).”
    • Drunkard means “drunken; drunkard (an excessive use of strong liquor; a person who habitually or frequently is drunk).”
    • Extortioner means “rapacious (given to plunder; disposed or accustomed to seize by violence or force); an extortioner (wresting anything from a person by force, authority, or by any undue exercise of power; illegal exaction).” 

    God will deal with the lost world who commits theses acts. “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Corinthians 5:13). Put away means “to remove; to expel; to excommunicate.” Christians are not to keep company with people who behave in any of these manners – especially if they claim to be a Christian. See that it even included that we are “with such an one no not to eat.” Eating with someone is an intimate form of fellowship. (Remember the progression of sin in Psalm 1:1-6.)

    Why can we not hang around people like this? Paul explained to them why they could not. “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” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Once one becomes a Christian, it is important to understand they are different. Sanctified means “to withdraw from fellowship with the world by first gaining fellowship with God.” Spending time with people living contrary to God’s Word will do harm to God’s church, instead of good, and especially in the lives of each Christian. We are to understand that because of Jesus, we are sanctified. Therefore, we must follow God’s Word, which is full of basic Christian principles of how to live a life pleasing to God. 

    Read what Paul reminded them of again. “19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If each Christian would just remember that they were bought with a price, and they are no longer their own, it would be much easier to live a life pleasing to God.

    Do you remember that you are sanctified, bought with a price, and you are no longer your own?