Friday, September 11, 2026

#1677 1 Corinthians 7 Part 1 Going To The Chapel

 




Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But this I say as a concession, not as a command. 7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one this way, and another that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7: 1-11 LSB

1 Corinthians 7: 1-11

Vs. 1-3 Now concerning the things about which you wrote - Given what we have read about the Corinthians thus far, I can only imagine the questions they asked. When things get difficult, as marriage can often be, or in our culture, if you have seen something else you like now, then the questions about separation and divorce arise. Jesus dealt with a Jewish culture that had some sects who taught that it was okay for you to put away your wife for not properly preparing your meal. In our modern culture the marriage vows are really in contrast to what people actually believe, which begs the question, why do some of you all spend so much money on a single day that doesn't really represent the life long commitment that you talk about? The ceremony is just that, a show, a display, and the for better or for worse is just sounds. Paul states that it is better for a man not to touch a woman, in other words, remain single, but in verse 2 he goes on to show that there is a place for this, and it is called marriage. This is where one avoids "sexual immoralities", by having his own wife, and each woman her own husband, not multiples to either, but their "own". Fulfilling ones duty in this context is coming to the marriage bed.

…23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” 24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.… Genesis 2: 23-25


V. 4 Authority - Just as your body is not your own when you become a Christian, as it belongs to Christ and it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so when you enter into marriage you are no longer 2 separate individuals, but you become one. My life is no longer about myself or for myself, and my body belongs to my wife, and it is not something that I withhold from her or give to another in the sense of coitus, but also I use my body and my mind to her benefit and the families as a provider. We were designed to work and as representatives of Christ we should go out and do so joyfully, thanking him for the ability rather than begrudging our labor. 

…3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them. 4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”… Hebrews 13: 3-5

The wife does not (present tense - continually) have authority (exousiazo) over her own body, but the husband does - Amplified = "For the wife does not have [exclusive] authority and control over her own body, but the husband [has his rights];" If Paul had stopped here, this would be the tagline for the practice misogyny, the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. Praise God, Paul under inspiration gives us the "other half of the coin."

And likewise also the husband does not (present tense - continually) have authority (exousiazo) over his own body, but the wife does - This is radical teaching in the patriarchal society that existed in Paul's day! Notice the tenses indicate that both husband and wife are to have authority ovr their spouse's body all of their married life.

This subjection of one spouse to another is essentially what Paul is describing in Ephesians 5:21 writing that Spirit filled believers (Eph 5:18 = only way to fulfill this instruction!) are to "be (present tense - continually) subject to one another in the fear of Christ." There it is - a "mutual admiration society" so to speak! Husbands, not demanding, and wives not withholding (or vice versa)! In short, mutual subjection will yield much fulfillment in marital intimacy. Each one is laying down their "rights" for the benefit of the other person.

MacArthur - Spouses' mutual authority over each other's bodies is continuous (present tense); it lasts throughout marriage. In the normal realms of life, a Christian's body is his own, to take care of and to use as a gift from God. And in the deepest spiritual sense, of course, it belongs entirely to God (Ro 12:1). But in the marital realm, it also belongs to the marriage partner. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Corinthians)

V. 5 Except by agreement for a time - There are times when we need to be alone, or when husbands went away to war, or to the mission field, and it is still our responsibility to guard our relationships even when apart. There is no, "what happens on the road stays on the road", God is everywhere including your thoughts. 

Vs. 6-7 I wish that all men were as I myself am - Even Christ mentions this, but in the context that it is clearly only for some, and it is a gift, an ability that most do not have. Paul, being single, could dedicate himself totally to the ministry, and did not have the same cares or concerns of the married. There is an advantage, and there is much sorrow and the temptation of anxiety when we watch our wives get sick, or have children and lose some to miscarriage, or even worse, to the world and to an eternity apart from God. Paul has the gift of celibacy. He doesn't have that pull or calling toward a marriage relationship. Jesus' own disciples were not thrilled with His views and commands concerning marriage. They obviously preferred the follow your heart method of the culture, or putting her away because she didn't get the oil temperature right when frying your fish. 

…7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. 9Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”…
…10His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”…
Matthew 19: 7-12


Vs. 8-9 It is better to marry than to burn with passion - If only the Roman Catholic Church had understood this regarding their priest; if only they had understood that there is no such thing as the papacy, that we are all a royal priesthood in Christ. 

…2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,… 1 Timothy 4: 2-4

Vs. 10-11 Not I, but the Lord - He echoes the words of Jesus, and remember, this is an answer to their questions. Many probably thought that here is a great justification, I want to follow Christ and my husband does not, so can I leave? I want to go into the mission field but my wife doesn't want to go, nor does she think that I should, so sounds like it's time to find someone more fitting for me, right Paul? We are always looking for ways to justify things, and even spiritualize our justifications. I have told the story of a so called pastor and self proclaimed "prophet" who said that God showed him that he was to leave his wife because she was no longer  up for the job sexually, and just how great is this guy's god, he also showed the man who the woman was that he should be with. He brought both of them to this Pentecostal church meeting that night, and though it defied the teachings of Christ and his Apostle Paul, the crowd ate it up without any objection. I confronted him about it and the head minister there for not, but they told me not to speak against the cloth, and that the man was a prophet.  

1If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.…
…4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him. 5Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you. 6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,… Deuteronomy 13: 1-5


…19I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first. 20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.…
…22Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. 23Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.… Revelation 2: 19-24

















































































































Thursday, September 10, 2026

#1676 1 Corinthians 6 Part 2 Your Body Is A Sanctuary

 



12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 12-20

1 Corinthians 6: 12-20

We left off with verse 11 in the last post saying, "and such were some of you." This followed a long list of  sins which also included Christians who sue one another. It is interesting that he says, "such were", for the list starts with "wrong doers", to which all would belong, and we know that Christ didn't come to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. The Bible is also clear that all have sinned, and that there are none righteous. Taking the whole counsel of God it becomes clear that some were still these things and not washed, sanctified or justified. There will always be tares amongst the wheat, not everyone who goes to worship on Sunday is a true believer, but true believers will also be tempted as well. If you are being sanctified there will be grief over sin, and the culture will have less hold upon you. There is a lot going on at this church, and it is more influenced by the world than it is an influence upon the world. It's the same in our day, we want to "meet the moment, embrace the culture, resonate with the worldly", but Christ calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, be a light in a dark place. We want to fit in, be liked, make light of sin, but He is saying, not possible, for you have been washed, made a sacred thing, sanctified, and this starts at the time you were justified, but it is evidenced and worked out through your life. Justification is your permanent standing before God in Christ, your position, but sanctification, though known from eternity and there perfected, starts with being a babe in Christ. It is shown by the fruit produced in those who believe, by what they no longer practice and by what they now practice. Such were some of you, let that now be true in your own walk, reflecting your position in Christ. 

The unrighteous: This man who wronged his brother sets himself in bad company – in with fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, revilers, and extortioners; and none of those who live characterized by these sins will inherit the kingdom of God.

i. No doubt the man figured, “Sure, what I’m doing to my brother isn’t good but it isn’t that bad.” Paul wants him to know just how bad it was.

ii. We shouldn’t think that a Christian who has committed an act of fornication or homosexuality (or any of the other listed sins) is automatically excluded from the kingdom of God. Instead, since Paul describes these people by their sins, he means those whose lives are dominated and characterized by these sins. So, is an occasional act of fornication or homosexuality no big deal to God? Of course it is a significant matter, because it goes against everything we have been given in Jesus, and because a lifestyle of sin begins with single acts of sin.

iii. The man who cheated his brother had to see that if his life was dominated and characterized by this sin, just as much as any of the other people Paul described, he should also be just as concerned for his salvation as any of those other people.

d. Nor homosexuals: Since this is such a clear condemnation of homosexuality, those who would like to justify the practice say Paul speaks of homosexual prostitution, not a “loving, caring homosexual relationship.” But taken in context, there is no doubt God is speaking of homosexual acts of all kinds with the words malakoi (homosexuals, which literally refers to male prostitutes) and arsenokoitai (sodomites, a generic term for all homosexual practice).

i. Paul did not write in or of a “homophobic” culture. Homosexuality was rampant in the ancient world; 14 out of the first 15 Roman emperors were bisexual or homosexual. At the very time Paul wrote, Nero was emperor. Nero castrated a boy named Sporus and then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, the emperor lived with another man, and Nero was declared to be the other man’s “wife.”

ii. In this list of sins, homosexuality (not some “special” version of homosexuality) is described, but it is described right along with other sins. Some who so strongly denounce homosexuals are guilty of other sins on this list. Can fornicators or adulterers or the covetous or drunkards rightly condemn homosexuals? Of course not.

iii. Christians err when they excuse homosexuality, and deny that it is sin, but they also err just as badly when they single it out as a sin God is uniquely angry with. - Enduring Word

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 33Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”… Luke 5: 31-33


9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.… Romans 3: 9-11


…22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.… Romans 3: 22-24


32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come. 33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.… Matthew 12: 32-34


Vs. 12-13 I will not be mastered by anything - Though we have Christian Liberty, and we are no longer under the ceremonial or food laws of the Old Testament, yet we are not to be ruled by our stomachs. It's okay for a Christian to eat pork, but it is not even of a secondary concern when it comes to the conscience of someone else. We just say what the Bible says when asked about these things, but if someone does not want to eat certain things then it is okay for them not to, and I would even accommodate them in preparing a meal for them at my house or going to lunch somewhere. Paul does not want to be mastered by the desire of his stomach though, which could lead to gluttony, which is not freedom but slavery. He also addresses Sabbath days in another letter where the Colossian church was being bothered by legalist who wanted force their will and preference.  

b. All things are lawful for me: This was probably a phrase Paul had used in teaching the Corinthian Christians about Christian liberty. We can almost hear Paul telling the Corinthians exactly what he told the Colossians in Colossians 2:16-17: “When it comes to what we eat or drink or on what day we worship the Lord, all things are lawful for me. I am at liberty, and I should not let anyone put me under bondage, as legalists are prone to do.”

c. But all things are not helpful: The Corinthian Christians took the idea all things are lawful and applied it to areas Paul, or the Lord, never intended. They used their “liberty” as a license to sin. - E Word

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.… Colossians 2: 16-18

Vs. 13b -15 The body is not for sexual immorality - We were bought with a price, and this includes our present tabernacles. This goes back to previous talks about our losing sight and understanding of the sacred in our fallen nature. The Roman/Greek culture of that day had reduced sex to a function like drinking water or going to the drive through window for fast food. Sex in its proper context, the cojoining of a man and a woman in a committed, lifelong union called marriage, was a beautiful thing that led to the procreation of  more little men and women to be taught about their Creator. There have been some movements over time that have looked down on the body, seen it only as a cage, regarded the material as evil. Some have gone so far in the treatment of sex as to teach and develop a priesthood that requires its members to not marry, as if that were more holy, and some have gone so far as to remove their own genitals. The Apostle Peter had a wife, Paul could have had one, but had the rare gift of singleness. Here we see that the body itself, like the temple, was not evil, but what was done in it is what could and did desecrate it. God looks at our hearts, and our very thoughts condemn us. Jesus uses the hyperbole that if your eye offends you then cut it out. It would be better to be blind. In other words, don't blame it on your eye, don't blame it on your natural urges, you may eat, but don't be a pig. You can have sex, but in the context and framework of marriage, between a man and a woman who are equally yoked. In verse 14 we can see that the end goal is not to be without a body, but that God will also raise us up as He did Christ, with a glorified body, free of sin, and therefore free of death.

…4Have we no right to food and to drink? 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?… 1 Corinthians 9: 4-6

…15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-17

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.… 2 Corinthians 5: 1-3

V. 16 The two shall become one flesh - This is beautiful in marriage and frightening when done out of that context. It is the same to take what God has called sacred and throw it into the dung heap. There is nothing simple about this, far from shaking hands or eating lunch, there is a spiritual element to this that does not find a comparison in other bodily functions like eating or drinking. You become one with that person, and that can only be repaired and severed by Christ. There is another shame in this in that you bring someone along with you in this sin as well. You profane the temple that belongs to God, and you take something set apart and make it an unholy thing. What a sad union, and that they and we, in our day, have done this with unbelievers, as if it say, "God has not spoken on such things, or I don't hold what God says to be of much value when it comes to my wants." Do not be led about by your feelings, start the fight at the thought level. 

i. A person pursuing a casual sexual encounter may not want to become one flesh with their partner but in some spiritual sense, they do. Part of their self is given to that person, and it means there is less to give to the Lord and to the partner God intends for them. In the Biblical understanding of sex, there is no such thing as “casual sex.”

ii. Since we belong to Jesus – body, soul, and spirit – we have no right to give any part of our self away to an “unauthorized” person. “By being joined to her [a prostitute] in porneia the believer constitutes someone else, outside of Christ, as the unlawful lord over one’s own body.” (Fee)

iii. “Sex outside of marriage is like a man robbing a bank: he gets something, but it is not his and he will one day pay for it. Sex within marriage can be like a person putting money into a bank: there is safety, security, and he will collect dividends.” (Wiersbe) - E Word

Vs. 17-18 Flee sexual immorality - This is what Joseph did when Potiphar's wife chased him relentlessly. He ran in order to avoid doing something that would offend God, the woman's view of the Hebrew servant of Yahweh, and another man. We are not powerless in these moments of temptation, the problem is that we throw stumbling blocks before ourselves, trying to trip ourselves up. We have a thought come to our mind, we see an image, hear a joke, and we ponder it, we nurture it until it grows strong and finally bears unholy fruit. We need to stop, repent, ask God for forgiveness, strength and the ability to see sin like He sees it. We need to look at what God says about these things and put His words above the culture and our feelings. 

…9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” 10Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her. 11One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.…
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could.… Genesis 39: 9-14

…12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.… 1 Corinthians 10: 12-14

Vs. 19-20 Your body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit - It's no longer "yours", Christ paid for it on the Cross. It was the sanctuary belonging to death because you were the slave of sin, but Jesus came in the flesh since it was man who sinned against a Holy God, and He lived the life of perfect obedience to the Father, the life we should lead but have not, for all have sinned. The wages of sin was death, and the sinless Savior went to the Cross to pay that in our stead. 








































































































































Tuesday, September 8, 2026

#1675 1 Corinthians 6 Part 1 Lawsuits

 




If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6: 1-11 LSB

1 Corinthians 6: 1-11

V. 1 Do you dare to take it before the ungodly - This is yet another way that the church had brought the Corinthian culture in. It reminds you of our own very litigious Western culture, and when you grow up with the Dan Newlin and Morgan and Morgan signs promising million dollar settlements, well, as one woman woman said, "it's like the white trash lottery but with better odds." The commercials often show people in nice new houses with brand new vehicles, and I think if you were to work out such a dispute amongst the truly Biblical then they would settle for much less. There would be the sense of sorrow and urgency on the part of the wrong doer to make it right, if he truly believed the words of the God he says he believes in, the God Who forgave him a debt beyond his ability to pay. In the same manner, the one wronged would not seek a windfall, but a cow for a cow, whatever the damaged bumper cost to replace, and he would not seek the counsel of the unsaved, those not following God's word. They would coach you about pricing things like emotional anguish and what could have been if the accident wouldn't have occurred. You will have to pay lawyers' fees, anguish and suffering fees, and I have seen Christians turn to this system as well, and Paul is like, "how dare you, what are you even thinking." 

15If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.… Matthew 18: 15-17


Does any one of you, when he has a case (pragma) against his neighbor - Young's Literal = "Dare any one of you, having a matter with the other, go to be judged before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?" The is a rhetorical question. Paul is of course not speaking of criminal cases like robbery, murder, etc.

Schreiner has an insightful comment noting that "The first word in the Greek is the word dare, (see Young's Literal above) showing that appealing to the ‘unrighteous’ (adikos) to resolve a legal dispute (pragma) with another believer is outrageous. The case should be brought before the ‘saints’ (hagios). The use of the word ‘unrighteous’ is intentional since believers are acting unrighteously (adikeite, v. 8), acting like the ‘unrighteous’ (adikoi, ESV, v. 9) who will not enter the kingdom. On the other hand, the believers are God’s ‘saints’ (CSB; 1:2; 6:11), yet they are not acting like God’s holy people but like the people of the world. (TNTC-1 Cor) - PA

Vs. 2-3 We will judge angels - This is small stuff, and they should be able to handle these cases that do not require the law. Rome had the sword, which was for higher cases, such things as murder. I had to read this and other passages not long ago to calm down after someone who called themselves a Christian did a really bad job on the floors at my house. I remember voicing my issue to some people at work, who are unbelievers, and they of course said, "take him to court." The embarrassing thing was that the man called himself a Christian and went around wearing Jesus hats, and clothes that say, "not ashamed", but I told him he had plenty to be ashamed of and shouldn't wear the hat." I read through some of this and I wondered what sort of church he could possibly be a member in good standing at, and I even thought later about what it would be like going to his pastor, but it made my blood boil to think of the type of responses I may receive, after all, this man called me and asked if I could go and give him a review on line since he was a man of his word and finished a job that wasn't as easy as he thought it was going to be. Talk about out of touch; the job was more difficult because he tried to cut corners, yet he saw himself as a man of integrity and I saw myself as out a lot of money for a job that I could have done better myself, which isn't a stretch but also not saying much at the same time. It took me a while, but I realized I was in the better position before God, as I had done this man no wrong. I laid it before God.

…21As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing against them, 22until the Ancient of Days arrived and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for them to possess the kingdom. 23This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.… Daniel 7: 21-23

…14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones 15to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.” 16These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.… Jude 14-16


Vs. 4-6 There is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute - This is a shameful thing if true. They all go about in the prior chapters pretending at being spiritually mature, but we see that many are really just contentious. To be truly wise one would have to have self control, be able to hear both sides and apply Scripture, but I don't think they regard the humble as anything, and the Scriptures rightly applied would probably point to forgiveness, not what the greedy want. This church is like the modern prosperity gospel churches, so how would they ever locate the wise amongst all the noise?

…4Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.… James 1: 4-6

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. 15Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.…
…16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.… James 3: 13-18

Vs. 7-8 Why not rather be wronged - Excuse me! That's about the most un-American sounding thing to say. It's true though, it is better to be wronged then to do wrong. It is okay to want justice, but it is not okay to want more than that, and for a Christian it is wrong to be unforgiving considering what God has forgiven you. This is a matter of faith though; it is impossible without truly trusting God. Instead they were actually wronging each other just like the world would, getting one over on someone else like car salesmen. We should be seeking the benefit of the other, giving the best deal and work we can muster, not just to believers but this is also our testimony to the unbelieving world. 

Why not rather be wronged (adikeo)? Why not rather be defrauded? Amplified - "Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)?" NLT - Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Be wronged and be defrauded are both in the present tense, continually be wronged and defrauded! Woe! You had better be Spirit filled to obey this instruction!

Robertson on be wronged...be defrauded - Better undergo wrong yourself than suffer defeat in the matter of love and forgiveness of a brother. (be defrauded =) Permissive middle again like [adikeisthe - be wronged]. Allow yourselves to be robbed (old verb to deprive, to rob) rather than have a lawsuit! - PA

Vs. 9-11 Or do you not know that wrong doers will not inherit the kingdom of God - Paul now provides some serious context and comparison for them. It is like the parable of the unforgiving servant. If you won't forgive after you have been forgiven, if you are doing this for the sake of your greed, then you are not acting any different than the unrepentant, immoral of this world. This behavior is not a fruit of the Spirit. 

How does this section mesh with the overall context? Stedman: What ties this section with that which has gone before is found in the word in Verse 8, "But you yourselves wrong (adikeo)," and the word adikos in Verse 9, "Do you not know that the unrighteous (adikos) will not inherit the kingdom of God?" Those are the same basic root words. What Paul is really saying is, "Look, when you are so aggressive in defense of your own rights that you take another brother to law before a secular court, you are wronging that brother. Even though you may be right in your cause, you are wronging your brother, and that wronging, that unjust action, gives rise to the question, 'Have you yourself ever been justified before God?'" That is what Paul is saying. To treat another unjustly makes one ask if you have ever been justified, and he says the unjustified, the unrighteous, the unregenerate cannot inherit the kingdom of God if they are committed to these things that he lists as a lifestyle. Now he surely does not mean that those who have been involved in these things cannot be saved, for he goes on to say, "such were some of you"; they have come out of it. But what he is saying, very clearly, is that these things cannot be continued as a lifestyle for Christians. Conversion makes a visible difference, and if it does not, there is room to question whether there has ever been a conversion. (The Wrong Way To Right Wrongs) - PA

17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.… Romans 1: 17-19





























































































































Friday, August 28, 2026

#1674 1 Corinthians 5 Part 2 Returning the Sacred

 




6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5: 6-13 LSB

1 Corinthians 5: 6-13

…28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”… Hebrews 10: 28-30

V. 6 Your boasting is not good - The church is the body of Christ, His representatives in the world, the light to a dark place, but the Corinthian church only offered more darkness. You are proud not only when God hates pride, but you have nothing to be proud about, you should be ashamed of your state, humbled that you have not matured spiritually and you have allowed such grotesque sin to go unconfronted. I have hundreds of people at my work who want to be foremen. They want the title, and now adays it comes with a hefty raise. The title thing I don't get, wanting to make a better living for your family, totally understandable, but the title and the money represent taking on a greater amount of responsibility, including confronting others about their performance, and no one wants to do this. I hate having to do it too, but I agreed to the position I am in, and part of that agreement is that I hold the foreman to the expectations for his job description. We have already discussed before that people will sacrifice the truth for unity, overlook things because of title or nepotism, and just to avoid the uncomfortable nature of confrontation, but this ultimately destroys businesses, churches and nations. 

…17The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life. 18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.… Proverbs 16: 17-19

…15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.… James 4: 15-17

V. 6b Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough - Yeast represents influence and this can either be good or bad. Paul's use here is in the negative, that this unconfronted sin, though not all are were participating in it, yet it was permeating the whole church and destroying it's testimony to the world. Preaching the gospel of repentance and salvation, but then doing nothing about this case of incest is like digging a trench while someone else is filling it in behind you. Those outside rightly shake their head.

32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” 33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.” 34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.… Matthew 13: 32-34

…6“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.” 8Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?…
…9Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11How do you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”…
12Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16: 6-12


MacArthur - A large congregation, an impressive Sunday school, active witnessing and visitation and counseling, and every other sort of good program give no protection or justification to a church that is not faithful in cleansing itself. When sin is willingly, or even neglectfully, allowed to go unchallenged and undisciplined, a larger church will be in danger of a larger malignancy. - PA

V. 7 Get rid of the old yeast - When the people of Israel left Egypt they had a Passover feast, where they ate a lamb without blemish, painted the blood of the lamb on the door posts of their houses, and they ate unleavened bread. The dietary restrictions of the Jews didn't make them holy, it didn't change their inward being, but outwardly it taught of that particular need, and it brought in the concept of clean and unclean. The yeast there was the influence that their captors had become to them. They were slaves in Egypt, not only because of force, but because they had adopted the culture and sins of that people. The bread had no power in itself, but was a great learning tool and pointed to the bread of heaven, Christ.

Krell adds that "In 1 Cor 5:7-9 Paul couples the imperative to the indicative: Clean out the leaven so that you can start over unleavened bread, because that is what you are. The imperative to clean out the old leaven is predicated on the indicative: they are unleavened. In other words, Paul tells them to be who they are, to live like Christians. Who they are is revealed in what they do. What they do comes from who they are. Paul’s point is clear: Sin spreads in the church as leaven does in dough (cf. Gal 5:9; Mark 8:15). Sin always spreads and contaminates if left alone, just as poison, weeds, and cancer do. Eventually the whole moral fabric of the congregation would suffer if the believers did not expunge this sin. Thus, we must purge the church of sin for the church stands or falls together. (How to Handle a Scandal) - PA

14And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you may do.… Exodus 12: 14-16


…34“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.” 35 Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. 36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.… John 6: 34-36


…16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:… 2 Corinthians 5: 16-18

…18For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.… Luke 22: 18-20


But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth - God does not want a mere outward ceremony, a festival. He desires and demands actual changed hearts. Nodding your head in agreeance or saying yes, but not doing what you agreed to is not sincere, not honest. 

Let us (present tense - continually) celebrate the feast - What did the Passover Feast remind the Jews about? The fact that they had been delivered from bondage in Egypt and thus they were commanded to celebrate this feast yearly as a memorial of their deliverance. Paul continues his use of the analogy of the Passover in the lives of the Corinthians, but uses the present tense which calls not for an annual remembrance, but for a daily remembrance! The saints were to make this their lifestyle. "Our every thought, every plan, every intention should be under Christ’s control." (MacArthur) - PA

…20Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it? 21“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.… Amos 5: 20-22


…7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”… Matthew 15: 7-9


Vs. 9-10 Not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral - They are not a shame to you. They do not claim to be born again, children of God, belonging to the same body as you. We are actually commanded to take the gospel to the lost, to give the message of repentance and reconciliation. 

14Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.… Mark 16: 14-16

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5: 31-32

More on Luke 5

V. 11 Do not even eat with such people - If they claim to be a Christian and continue in unrepentance, then do not associate with them. Some churches will not do this, and even say that this is not required because they hold a hyper dispensationalist view that says, "we are now in a dispensation of grace so we will just love them through it." They will allow these people to still participate in home groups and I have even seen them be deacons and Sunday School teachers. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate such a change in stance, this goes back to their desire to be like being greater than their ability to love. They are kinder than God I suppose; it again makes light of Christ's life and death. 

1What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?… Romans 6: 1-3


…15Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. 16He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.… 2 Peter 3: 15-17

Vs. 12-13 Expel the wicked person from among you - Plain and simple, that's your job. It's not what you may want to here, not what you may want to do, but if you won't then you need to step down, you are not a shepherd. You are not about God's honor, but rather your own. 

…8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.… 2 Peter 2: 8-10

…4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him. 5Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you. 6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,… Deuteronomy 13: 4-6


Craig Keener - The Old Testament often commanded God’s people to purge evildoers from among their ranks, normally by execution (Deut 13:5; 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21, 24; 24:7). Otherwise, the unrepentant offender could remove God’s blessing from the whole community and bring about the death of others (Josh 7:5, 25). Here the evildoer is purged from the community by being banished; banishment was a common punishment in the Roman period. In Judaism, exclusion from the community was a spiritual equivalent of execution, applied in the New Testament period to capital crimes of the Old Testament (see comment on 1 Cor 5:2; capital sentences of Jewish courts could not be legally carried out without Roman permission).( IVPBBCNT)

Wicked (evil, bad) (4190)(poneros from poneo = work or toil, Robertson says the idea is that labor is an annoyance, bad, evil; Noun poneria derived from poneros) means evil including evil, malignant character, pernicious (see Webster 1828 definition below), that which is morally or socially worthless, wicked, base, bad, degenerate. Poneros denotes determined, aggressive, and fervent evil that actively opposes what is good. Poneros is not just bad in character (like kakos - see below), but bad in effect (injurious)! Poneros describes evil in active opposition to good. It means not only evil in its nature but viciously evil in its influence and actively harmful. Poneros used to describe Satan (ho poneros = "Evil one"), the god of this age, who is corrupting man and dragging him to destruction. This denotes someone who is not content in being corrupt themselves. They seek to corrupt others and draw them into the same destruction! - PA