Wednesday, June 22, 2005

A Letter to The Ewe

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, The Ewe had a "letter to the editor" asking my opinion about a passage of scripture. The question was re: I Cor chapter 5. I'd usually put this on our "sister" website, activeflock.com, but AF is down for the moment, so I'll respond here--Y'all don't mind, do you?
What was going on in this letter (to the Corinthians) was really nasty stuff, like immorality between men and their stepmoms, etc...To top it off, they were actually boasting about doing it! Paul basically said to just expel them from the fellowship. A couple things to keep in mind: these were people who called themselves "Believers." Folks "of the world," who don't claim a relationship to Christ--we're not talking about them. We're also not talking about Believers who sinned, then were repentant. These folks Paul was talking about enjoyed their sin--were even proud of it. Those are guys Paul said to expel. Don't even associate w/ them. Jesus didn't tell us not to have anything to do w/ "sinners"--unbelievers...The folks He told us to avoid are "Christians" who are unrepentant and hypocritical...the "image only" guys. I call them "schmoozers." Basically, what I think of as the Pharisees--Jesus called them white-washed tombs. Ick. Look good on the outside, but just full of nothing but death on the inside. So, to my reader who wrote the question aobut ICor5:9, telling us "not to associate with sexually immoral people" we've got to read on in verse 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. But now I am writing you that you not associate with anyone who *calls himself a brother* [emphasis mine] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolator or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." This is not referring to folks who "mess up," and repent--it's talking about folks who are proud of their sin. So, reader, does that help?
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

2 comments:

Lisa-Anne said...

Hey Ewe, you preached that sermon just loverly!!! :)

Love ya!
LA

Amy Hall said...

LA, thankie, My Sister. :-) LF, hugs to you.