Friday, February 6, 2009

Pointing the finger

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;

10I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.

11But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

13But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

3 comments:

Micah and Jennifer said...

Okay, from this I get that you have to be around immoral people, but not in the Church...I'm thinking that "so-called brother" means fellow Christian, please correct me if I'm mistaken, so we are supposed to pay attention to the actions of fellow Christians and not hang around them if we decide they are immoral...

Jorge said...

And this "decision" that someone is immoral should be something obvious. We have to have good knowledge of their wavering. On the other hand, there is a balance. Just because we treat a brother as a Gentile, doesn't mean we don't work with him to get him to change. Gentiles are just prospects until they totally reject the truth. Perhaps it is this level of rejection that Paul is indicating.

Jorge said...

If you read the beginning of this chapter I think you will see this is the Brother that had married his father's wife. So that's why Paul uses so-called brother because the actions are quite the contrary. A congregation is an assembly of not so perfect people trying to be perfect. If someone proves that they don't have those intentions, then they should be removed since they can cause so much harm to the others that are "trying".