Beyond Black and White

Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:12-14
    
    It appears that the Corinthians, in seeking to justify ongoing fornication (including visiting prostitutes), have a set of “spiritual sayings” that they repeat.  Some translations signify this by putting some of the words here in quotes, such as “all things are lawful for me”(1 Cor 6:12) and “food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”(1 Cor 6:13).  The implications?  Since all things are lawful, fornication is too.  Since sex is made for the body and the body for sex, fornication is natural.  Paul pushes back.  “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful.  ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything”(1 Cor 6:12).  Instead of fighting their saying, Paul adds some other considerations.  Is it helpful?  Some perfectly innocent things still cause damage or become unwise.  Are we dominated by it?  Some perfectly innocent things become our masters, crowding out what is truly good.

    But when it comes to fornication itself, Paul does take issue.  “‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other.  The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”(1 Cor 6:13).  Sex is not like eating, where one partner is as good as another.  This is not why God made our bodies.  Paul speaks about God’s purposes here:  when God gives us a body, it is evil to use our bodies in violation of his purpose for it.  “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power”(1 Cor 6:14).  Paul also urges us not to treat our bodies as if they are separate from who we truly are; God will raise us bodily.

    Paul forces us to think beyond black and white so that we can develop moral discernment.  In addition to whether something is lawful, we should ask:  is it helpful?  Am I dominated by it?  What is God’s purpose for me?  What does God want regarding this matter?  Beyond black and white, we need wisdom because we still have choices to make with serious consequences.

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One Thing to Think About:   In what “gray areas” do I struggle discerning God’s will?  How might this help?

One Thing to Pray For:  A deeper awareness of God’s purpose for my body, my thinking, and my work 
 

Such Were Some of You

Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:9-11
    
    Rather than absorbing the wrongs others do to them, the Corinthians “wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!”(1 Cor 6:8).   This behavior is more than just being bad at relationships.  “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”(1 Cor 6:9).  By doing wrong to their brothers, the Corinthians are becoming “unrighteous” (the word means “wrongdoers,” as in v. 8).  When we are consistently unrighteous, we will not be saved.  “Do not be deceived:  neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God”(1 Cor 6:9-10).  Persistent sexual sin—whether fornication, adultery, or homosexuality—makes us unrighteous.  Persistent theft of what is not ours—whether we are “thieves” or “swindlers” or simply being “greedy”—makes us unrighteous.  Paul warns that if the Corinthians continue to do wrong, they become wrong—and that has consequences.

    But there is good news.  “And such were some of you.  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 Cor 6:11).  Paul’s list is not a diatribe against the world, but a reminder that we all have firsthand experience with sin.  In fact, we have lived in sin to the point that it began to define us.  We did not just steal; we became thieves.  But God changed us.  He “washed” and “sanctified” and “justified” us, removing our sins from us and dedicating us to his service.  We wear the name of God’s Son and have God’s Spirit within us (see 1 Cor 6:19).  We have hope of inheriting the kingdom of God (see 1 Cor 6:9).  We can’t live the way we used to anymore.

    Paul’s words simultaneously remind us of our past sins and challenge us to live above them.  We have been cleansed, sanctified, and justified, so now we must live like it.  Wronging our brothers—or any other pursuit of sin—reopens a part of our lives Jesus closed.  We become wrongdoers again.  Praise God for washing us clean, but remember:  we can’t live the way we used to anymore!

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One Thing to Think About:   Why is it so important to remember what’s been done for us?

One Thing to Pray For:   Gratitude for God washing, sanctifying, and justifying me
 

The Deeper Issue

Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:5-8
    
    Paul is disappointed that the Corinthians are taking each other to court over personal issues rather than talking to their brethren.  “Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?”(1 Cor 6:5-6).  The issue here is not about airing dirty laundry before the world, but seeking out the judgment of “those who have no standing in the church”(1 Cor 6:4).  

    But there is a deeper issue.  “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.  Why not rather suffer wrong?  Why not rather be defrauded?  But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!”(1 Cor 6:7-8).  Paul probes not only the practice of bypassing brethren to be judged by Gentiles, but also the motive behind it.  “Why not rather suffer wrong?” suggests that there is something wrong within us when we cannot let a hurt go without getting some kind of justice from people.  “Why not rather be defrauded?” means that we may really have been victimized, but cannot simply accept it.    These questions are challenging because they take the spotlight off others (and what they have done to us) and shine it on our own hearts.  “But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!”  At some point we begin doing the same thing done to us—and feel justified all the while.

    I do not believe Paul is arguing that there is no place for criminal (or even civil) proceedings regarding Christians.  Some crimes need to be dealt with by the proper authorities.  But there is a deeper issue that also needs attention:  what are such “grievances” doing to my heart?  Must I demand an apology for every cross word and disappointing interaction?  Must everyone “pay” for the slights they commit against me?  If I follow a Savior who has suffered so much wrong unjustly, why can I not suffer wrong?

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One Thing to Think About:   Why do we struggle so much to let things go?

One Thing to Pray For:   A heart to steadfastly endure evil—like Jesus did
 

Settle Your Own Disputes

Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:1-4
    
    Having challenged the Corinthians about their need to judge a brother living in sin (5:12), Paul moves on to another issue related to judging.  “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?”(1 Cor 6:1).  He is not criticizing legal action—as if the court system is beneath Christians—but the willingness to receive the judgment of “unrighteous” people rather than our own brothers.  Other Christians can and should help us settle our differences.  

     This is particularly true because God has a high view of our judgment:  “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?  Do you not know that we are to judge angels?  How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!”(1 Cor 6:2-3).  Paul looks forward to the return of Jesus, when Christians will “judge the world” and “judge angels” in ways that he does not specify.  His point is that if Christians have such awesome responsibilities to judge, ordinary disputes should be no problem.   “So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?”(1 Cor 6:4).  Can it be that God thinks more of Christian judgment than Christians do?

     Grievances and frustrations will happen between Christians and God wants us to settle our own disputes.  “Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers…?”(1 Cor 6:5).  Perhaps I will need to talk privately with my brother about a matter (Matt 18:15-17).  Perhaps I need wise counsel from other believers.  Perhaps I ask others within the group to mediate a conflict.  Whatever the case, we should prioritize the wisdom and judgment of fellow Christians (rather than going “before the unrighteous”).  Settle your own disputes!

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One Thing to Think About:   How do I typically handle conflict with my brothers?  

One Thing to Pray For:   Trust in the judgment of other disciples
 

Associations

Reading:  1 Corinthians 5:9-13
    
    As Paul encourages the Corinthians to remove from themselves a brother persisting in a sinful relationship, he clarifies the intent of an earlier letter he wrote them.  “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world”(1 Cor 5:9-10).  We do not have this letter, but it seems to have been a general admonition about associations.  Yet Paul’s intent was not for Christians to distance themselves from worldly people.  If we keep from worldly people because they are worldly, we would have to somehow “go out of the world.”  We should not be surprised when worldly people think, talk, and act in worldly ways.

    His point was—in the first letter and now in this one—that he wants them “not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother” (1 Cor 5:11) and yet lives this immoral lifestyle.  Limiting this association extends even to the point of not eating with him (v. 11).  Meals in Paul’s time often expressed agreement and acceptance.  Paul wants the Corinthians to deliberately not agree and accept this man.  The burden of judging this man’s actions rests on the Corinthians specifically because he is a brother:  “Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?”(1 Cor 5:12).  We judge one another and limit our association with brothers who persist in sin.  Our relationships must be affected by their sin.

    Associations matter because they communicate our approval.   Paul is particularly concerned about our associations with Christians who persist in sin.  By continuing to treat them as if all is well, we signal that sin is no big deal to us.  There is much to say about the specific actions required here—and many difficult decisions to make about how we might apply them individually—but our relationships must be affected by others’ lifestyles of sin.

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One Thing to Think About:   How do I signal approval—or disapproval—of the people in my life?

One Thing to Pray For:   Wisdom to know how to manage my associations properly