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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

 

 

 

DISORDERS IN THE CHURCH

(FAILURE TO RESOLVE DISPUTES AND PRACTICE PURITY)

1Co 6:1-20 (8/10/11)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.        PROHIBITION OF LAWSUITS AGAINST BELIEVERS (1Co 6:1-11)

 

A.      Saints Will Judge World (1-3)

1.       [1Co 6:1] - The problem beginning in chapter six was that the Christians in Corinth were taking other Christians to the worldly courts to settle their matters.

a)       Paul shows he is offended by their insolent behavior by using the phrase “do you dare?” “Dare” (polma) is emphatic in the construction and means in a negative sense, with a component of boldness or insolence dare to or presume to (1C 6.1) (RWP).

b)       The reason this was wrong was because they had sought the “unrighteous” (adikos - here the unsaved), and not the saints (hagiōn - the saved) to settle matters of the church.

2.       [1Co 6:2] - This was wrong was because it is believers will accompany Christ in judging the world (Rev 2:26; 3:21). If believers will use spiritual discernment to judge the world in the future, do they have no spiritual discernment to judge the “little things” (elachistos) now?

3.       [1Co 6:3] - In addition, since believers will judge angels in celestial matters (cf. Heb 1:14), do they not have some spiritual discernment to judge “matters of life” (biōtika) now?

B.      Spurning the Government of the Church (4-6)

1.       [1Co 6:4] - This is a difficult passage to interpret. “Appoint” (kathízete) can be taken as an indicative or an imperative.

a)       If it is an indicative, then those of “no account in the church” refer to unbelievers who have no place in the church.

b)       If it is an imperative, then it is those of “very low account” within the church (believers) who would have more spiritual discernment than the world.

c)       The context seems to support the indicative usage. Paul’s argument then is, in taking in-house church matters to the world’s court system, the church is handing its authority of the church over to the world.

2.       [1Co 6:5] - Such action would bring “shame” (entropê - with a sense of failure and humiliation) to the body and church of Christ. It would suggest that there is not even one believer in the church who has the spiritual discernment to judge its own matters.

3.       [1Co 6:6] - As a result there is a lawsuit between brother to brother. Those Christians and the church spurn the divinely established government of the church and get a black eye before the “unbelieving” (apistos) community.

C.      Spirit of Defraud (7-11)

1.       [1Co 6:7] - Paul goes on to say that this area has not been a spiritual success for the Corinthians but rather a “defeat” (hêttêma - loss or failuremaê  ).

a)       Paul makes the point that it would have been better to take the wrong and be defrauded.

b)       Here “defraud” is the Greek word aposteréō and means “to deprive from or rob” It very well could refer to monetary value or possessions.

2.       [1Co 6:8] - Instead of being wronged for the sake of Christ, the Corinthians were purposely wronging and defrauding their own “brethren.”

3.       [1Co 6:9-10] - In order to show how wrong they were in this matter and how sinful their actions really were, he gives a list of sinful behavior that would show individuals as unsaved.

a)       He mentions “covetousness” (pleonéktsês - wanting more than one’s share) and “swindlers” (harpax - violently greedy and willing to deceive) which were sure to drive home the point of their sinful behavior.

b)       Paul states that those who persist in such behavior were unsaved and would not inherit the kingdom of God. His point was not that the Corinthians were not saved, but they were definitely acting as though they were not.

4.       [1Co 6:11] - Some of the Corinthians were those things before coming to Christ, but since have been washed, sanctified, and justified by the blood of Christ. Paul was exalting their position in Christ, but rebuking them for their condition.

II.      PRACTICE OF PURITY AMONG BELIEVERS (1Co 6:12-20)

 

A.      Lord Owns the Believer’s Body (12-14)

1.       [1Co 6:12] - Verse 12 may have applied to the previous section but it certainly applies to this next section. The phrase “all things are lawful” may have been a slogan of the Corinthian church which gave them a license to sin. Instead they were to practice purity.

a)       Paul, with his spiritual discernment, fills in the blanks. Yes there is Christian liberty for the believer, but that does not make it “profitable” (sumphero - bring together for advantage of edification, cp. 1Co 10:23).

b)       Yes there is Christian liberty for the believer, but a believer is not to be mastered (exousiazō - have authority or mastery over) by anything or anyone other than the Lord, especially sin.

c)       These are pertinent questions that must be asked in conjunction with a Christian’s liberty.

2.       [1Co 6:13] - However, we begin to see that Paul was speaking in reference to the Corinthian view toward sexual immorality (porneia - any kind of sexual sin).

a)       An illustration of food and the stomach shows that God has a purpose for creating everything.

b)       In addition there is a purpose for the body. It is not for immorality but to glorify the Lord in all things.

3.       [1Co 6:14] - The body of the believer is involved in salvation for even the believer’s body will be redeemed and resurrected (1Th 4:13-18).

B.      Lord is One with the Believer (15-18)

1.       [1Co 6:15-16] - Paul goes on to further explain that sexual activity unites the two parties. Sexual activity is a gift from God but only within the boundaries of marriage.

a)       If a person commits immorality with anyone including a prostitute (pornê from pernêmi - to export for sale), a problem of the Corinthian culture and obviously the church, they become one flesh with that person. Gen 2:24 is cited to support his argument.

b)       Since a believer is a member of the body of Christ, sexual immorality physically unites Christ with a prostitute.

c)       Paul responds to such a thought with the strongest negative expression, “May it never be” (mê genoito - not even in slightest possibility).

2.       [1Co 6:17] - Conversely when a sinner places his faith in Christ he joins himself to Christ and is united in one spirit with the Lord.

3.       [1Co 6:18] - Paul commands the Corinthians to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the sin of immorality.

a)       Literally it is, “You all must keep on running away (phuégete, - flee, run away, escape, shun ,avoid, English word is fugitive) from immorality (porneia - any and all of sexual immorality).

b)       Sexual immorality is sin like other sin before God but it has a devastating addictive characteristic, not to mention the destructive consequences of such sin, and is described as a sin committed against the body.

C.      Lord Dwells in the Believer’s Body (19)

1.       [1Co 6:19] - In fact, the believer’s body is the permanent dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

a)       Our body is a temple (naos - inner room i.e. holy of holies) for the Holy Spirit, a thought Jews and Greeks would have rejected.

b)       If the Spirit is the “Holy” (hagios) Spirit, and He indwells the believer, the believer’s body and life must also be “holy” (hagios). A further motivation against sexual immorality.

D.      Lord Purchased  the Believer (20)

1.       [1Co 6:20] - Furthermore, the believer was bought with a price by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

a)       Therefore the believer and his body is not his own to do with as he pleases.

b)       Rather, as one who was purchased and possessed by the Lord, must seek to glorify the Lord by staying within God’s divine directive for the body.

 

III.   OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A.      The believer must use spiritual discernment (biblical thinking) in every area of life.

B.      The believer’s life must exemplify his present and future spiritual position.

C.      The believer must not abuse his Christian liberty but in everything must seek to glorify the Lord.