Lawsuits, Coming judgment 1
Immorality 9
Cultural sensitivity 12
Glorify God in your bodies 15
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| 1 ¶ Dare any of you, having
a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the
saints?
.2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? .3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. .5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. .7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. |
1
- Lawsuits between Christian brothers This is the theme of the first
part of this chapter.
2 - Saints shall judge the world This is an awesome thought. Paul's readers may not have heard of the thousand-year judgment re2004. 3 - Judge angels Our judgment with Christ helps us understand God's justice. After seeing the evidence we will never doubt the divine justice. God treated the fallen angels fairly, too. " But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7) |
| .9
¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. |
9 -
Adulterers See on mt0527-32.
9 - Effeminate From malakoi. Better translated "soft" or "delicate." On the topic of sensual vice it means "homosexual." Abusers of themselves with mankind Would also apply to "homosexuals." See on ro0124. |
| .12 ¶ All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. | All
things are lawful This statement seems strange because, in the next
verses, Paul speaks against fornication. and in ro0712
he supports the importance of the law. God is consistent. He does not permit
a thing in one place and forbid it under the same conditions elsewhere.
Paul recognizes a framework within which he is free to do anything. We
all have freedom although our choices determine our destiny. Compare the
law of sin – the natural tendencies – which is at war with the law of God
ro0721ff.
In response to the lawyer who asked, Jesus quoted the OT passage about
love to God and neighbor mt2236.
Lawful This verse has a play on words which is not apparent in English translation. Expedient Or "profitable." Parallel passage at 1co1023. |
| .13
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both
it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and
the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. |
Meats [foods] for the belly This may have been a saying of the times. We are at liberty to eat anything (following from v12). But liberty is not license which has established limits. God will destroy both the bodies and the souls of people who willingly violate principles of health v19f, mt1028. Mistreating the body by wrong eating is like fornication. |
| .15
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take
the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. .18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. .19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? .20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. |
15
- Members A responsibility.
18 - Fornication God's call to physical purity. Self abuse is generally accepted in our society as is sex outside of marriage. God sees differently. 19 - Body is the temple We may ask for the Spirit. We are not our own. Jesus redeemed us from the world of sin. This means that how we treat our bodies means how we treat Christ!! |
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