Right now, I'm avoiding this next passage. I've been thinking about it for days. But I don't want to go on record with my thoughts.
ICOR 5:9-11 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not 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. 11But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sisterc but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
Does this make me uncomfortable? Um, yeah. All the TV show favorites pretty much fit into this somewhere.
Immoral. Sex with anyone outside marriage... whether through pornography, telephone, social media or in person.
Homosexuality. Now there's a hot one. If I call it immorality, then I'm judging? But let's group this with greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.
Paul is saying he does NOT judge these people in the world. He doesn't even say, "Don't associate with them." You couldn't have a business or be a teacher or even buy anything you need if that's the case.
But what Paul IS saying is that if someone is claiming to be a Christian and is practicing or being
immoral greedy or a swindling an idolater
Then stay the heck away! Don't even eat with them!
This is hard core.
I have friends who are homosexual, and a cousin I love dearly. Wound carriers like us all. But none of them are in the church claiming to worship Christ.
The point is this. Either the Bible is true, all of it, or it's just a nice piece of inspirational poetic fiction. But if it's "just nice", then God-thoughts are a waste of time. You can't sit in your comfortable chair, smoking your intellectual pipe and start clipping away the points you find distasteful. Once you start clipping then you have to clip everything else on the list right next to it... like murder.
You can't call one item "not sin" unless you take the whole list... at least if you want to call yourself a Christian. Sexual immorality, magic arts (can you say Harry Potter?), murderers, idolater, everyone who loves and practices lies/falsehood (living like they are something they are not)...
It will not make me well accepted in my culture to believe that these are Jesus' words. But I do not judge the world... However, I am told to open my eyes and really judge those in the church who proclaim to follow Christ. And among those being looked at critically would be me. We call it accountability now.
The question is what do I excuse in the church in the name of tolerance?
Jesus' last words in the book of Revelation were very direct, and black and white clear:
12“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14“Blessed
are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the
tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
15Outside
are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the
murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give youa
this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17The
Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say,
“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take
the free gift of the water of life.
18I
warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If
anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues
described in this scroll.
19And
if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take
away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy
City, which are described in this scroll.
20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
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